John August

QandA

Two ENTJs walk into a bar (and fix it)

Episode - 106

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Film Industry, Follow Up, Los Angeles, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

John and Craig reveal their Myers-Briggs secrets as they discuss Kevin Spacey’s comments on the state of television, Eric Garcetti’s plans to address runaway production, and the WGA election.

There are [still a (very) few tickets left for Scriptnotes Live in NYC](https://www.telecharge.com/Off-Broadway/Scriptnotes-Live-with-John-August/Overview?AID=OBW000996000&cm_mmc=Scriptnotes-Live-_-affiliate-_-web-_-OBW000996000&cm_mmca1=show_site&cm_mmca2=ADSTSR&cm_mmca3=130828) on September 23rd, with Craig, John and special guest Andrew Lippa.

Links:

* Listen to John and Andrew on [SiriusXM On Broadway](http://www.siriusxm.com/onbroadway) with Julie James
* [Marcel Proust Within a Budding Grove, Part two](http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/496922-what-best-remind-us-of-a-person-is-precisely-what)
* The (http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/22/kevin-spacey-tv-golden-age) and [transcript](http://www.theguardian.com/media/interactive/2013/aug/22/kevin-spacey-mactaggart-lecture-full-text) of Kevin Spacey’s speech at the 2013 Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival
* [WGAW Announces Candidates for 2013 Officers and Board of Directors Election](http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=5259)
* [Myers-Briggs personality types](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator) on Wikipedia
* [L.A. Mayor Declares State of ‘Emergency’ As Movie, TV Production Flees Hollywood](http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/l-a-mayor-declares-state-of-emergency-as-movie-tv-production-flees-hollywood-1200589182/), from Variety
* [One Cool Things](http://johnaugust.com/onecoolthings) from Scriptnotes
* The New Yorker on [Slow Ass Jolene](http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/08/slowed-down-dolly-parton.html)
* Kottke on [How to make your own slow jams](http://kottke.org/13/08/how-to-make-your-own-slow-jams)
* Outro by Scriptnotes listener Latif Ullah

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_106.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_106.mp3).

**UPDATE** 9-6-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-106-two-entjs-walk-into-a-bar-and-fix-it-transcript).

Risky Business, and the choices you make

Directors, Film Industry, Psych 101

Jake Malooley tracks down writer-director Paul Brickman, who more or less [vanished after Risky Business](http://www.salon.com/2013/09/02/risky_business_director_some_people_like_the_visibility_i_dont/):

> Just 34 when “Risky Business” was released, Brickman directed just one other feature, the 1990 bomb “Men Don’t Leave.” The alchemy that made the filmmaker’s arrival so enduring — elegant direction atypical of coming-of-age films; sparkling adolescent dialogue; the use of Tangerine Dream’s propulsive, hypnotic score — makes his lack of output over the last three decades all the more surprising.

Brickman is candid about his ambivalence towards Hollywood and the choices he might have made. He wanted to make more movies. It just didn’t happen.

I’ve seen smaller versions of Brickman’s story many times, including in my own career: success brings heat; heat brings opportunities. But taking advantage of those opportunities is much more difficult than it seems. Pick the wrong project and your heat is wasted. Knowing this, it’s easy to get paranoid and avoid picking any project — and your heat gradually dissipates.

Luckily, a screenwriter can afford to be wrong more often than a director. A screenwriter can write four movies a year. A director is prolific if she directs one.

In the case of Brickman, a director is notable for only directing two films over the course of a career.

Ender’s Game, one-hours and alt-jokes

Adaptation, Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, Words on the page

John and Craig discuss the impact of author Orson Scott Card’s personal toxicity on Ender’s Game, and what it means for that movie and how it will affect studio decisions moving forward.

That, plus alternate jokes, One Cool Things, and a Golden Ticket-inspired discussion on one hour spec pilots.

LINKS:

* The [Ender’s Game](http://www.if-sentinel.com/) movie
* AV Club on [Orson Scott Card’s recent comments](http://www.avclub.com/articles/oh-hey-orson-scott-card-also-wrote-about-obama-bec,101703/)
* Big Fish’s Zachary Unger [sings the National Athem](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEnK734bIpg) at this weekend’s Jets game
* [Happy Endings script pages](http://www.uproxx.com/tv/2013/07/a-happy-endings-writer-tweeted-a-bunch-of-rejected-jokes-after-the-show-officially-ended/) with alternate jokes
* [Portlandia](http://www.ifc.com/shows/portlandia) on IFC
* [Microsoft Sculpt](http://www.theverge.com/2013/8/13/4617468/microsoft-sculpt-keyboard-and-mouse-aim-for-ergonomic-cool) ergonomic keyboard (from [@jeremycohen](https://twitter.com/jeremymcohen/status/367453556967620609))
* If you’re coming to Big Fish on Broadway, [email](mailto:ask@johnaugust.com) or [tweet](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) us to let us know!
* And feel free to [Tweet Craig](https://twitter.com/clmazin), too. But no lists.
* Outro by Scriptnotes listener Olivia Neutron Bomb

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_104.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_104.mp3).

**UPDATE** 8-22-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-104-enders-game-one-hours-and-alt-jokes-transcript).

Disaster Porn, and Spelling Things Out

Broadway, Film Industry, Follow Up, News, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, Words on the page

John and Craig discuss Damon Lindelof’s interview about how plot stakes have escalated lockstep with budget, perhaps to the point of absurdity.

Then it’s a look at why screenwriters get the note to “spell things out,” and the situations in which it’s okay or troubling to have characters speak story points. Finally, we tackle the media’s obsession with Hollywood’s demise, and why you never read a story about “what went right.”

All this, plus hedge funds, Big Fish discounts and crossword magic in the new Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* Scriptnotes First 100 Episodes flash drives [are available until Friday, 8/16](http://store.johnaugust.com/)
* Daniel Loeb’s [Variety interview](http://variety.com/2013/film/news/exclusive-interview-daniel-loeb-vows-to-end-sony-spinoff-quest-at-least-for-now-1200572856/)
* Vulture: [Star Script Doctor Damon Lindelof Explains the New Rules of Blockbuster Screenwriting](http://www.vulture.com/2013/08/script-doctor-damon-lindelof-on-blockbuster-screenwriting.html)
* Use discount code SCRIPT for a deal on select [Big Fish on Broadway tickets](http://www.bigfishthemusical.com/) (And be sure to [tweet](https://twitter.com/stuartfriedel) or [email](mailto:ask@johnaugust.com) Stuart and let him know when you’ll be there)
* David Kwong’s [crossword puzzle magic](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1VPUZDr-fY) will blow your mind
* Outro by Scriptnotes listener Bryan Duke

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_103.m4a) | [mp3](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_103.mp3).

**UPDATE** 8-15-13: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-ep-103-disaster-porn-and-spelling-things-out-transcript).