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Pitches

Aaron Sorkin vs. Aristotle

Episode - 256

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June 28, 2016 Follow Up, Pitches, QandA, Scriptnotes, So-Called Experts, Story and Plot, Transcribed

John and Craig consider a new master class in screenwriting taught by Aaron Sorkin, and a very old Greek word (anagnorisis) championed by Aristotle. Both are useful!

Then it’s a look at what we mean by “originality,” including a very useful litmus test provided by Lindsay Doran.

Reminder that the 250-epsiode Scriptnotes USB drives are now available. Find the link below.

Links:

  • Scriptnotes, 255: New and Old Hollywood, with guest Billy Ray
  • ‘Hatton Garden Job’ Beats Other Pics About Famed UK Heist To Production on Deadline, and our discussion in episode 234
  • Our bonus episode with Simon Kinberg
  • Scriptnotes, 235: The one with Jason Bateman and the Game of Thrones guys
  • 250-episode Scriptnotes USB drives are now available for purchase from the John August Store
  • The Verge on Aaron Sorkin’s screenwriting MasterClass
  • Our bonus episode featuring Aaron Sorkin
  • Anagnorisis, and how to pronounce it
  • John Oliver on Brexit, before the vote
  • Steve Yedlin On Color Science
  • Codenames on Board Game Geek, and A Fake Artist Goes to New York
  • Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-1-16: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Pitching an Open Writing Assignment

May 3, 2016 Film Industry, Follow Up, Pitches, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig discuss open writing assignments, and how to best pitch to producers and studios looking to hire a writer for a specific property. Most of the work happens before you set foot in the room, so proper planning is essential.

Then we take a look at the controversy over white actors playing roles that could have gone to Asian actors, and how screenwriters can (and can’t) improve the situation.

Links:

  • Scriptnotes, 247: The One with Lawrence Kasdan
  • Scriptnotes Bonus: Jungle Book Q+A, with screenwriter Justin Marks
  • The Making of The Jungle Book on YouTube
  • Being An Asian Actor Is Hard Even Without Scarlett Johansson Taking Your Roles
  • Students Invented Gloves That Can Translate Sign Language Into Speech And Text
  • Hands In Wheat on Twitter, and Women laughing alone with salad, Women struggling to drink water, and Baby CMO
  • Outro by Jonathan Mann (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 5-6-16: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Ocean’s 77

January 19, 2016 Awards, Follow Up, Genres, News, Pitches, QandA, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed

Craig and John play “How Would This Be a Movie?” looking at three articles in the news.

A band of pensioners pull off an audacious jewel heist — but is it a Working Title comedy, or something darker? Where does the story begin and end? What’s the MacGuffin?

A researcher investigates sleep paralysis and visions of an Italian witch. Is the movie a straightforward horror thriller, and if so, how do you make the audience care about your hero?

A revenge porn king is confronted by his victims. But would the movie version be an investigation (like Spotlight), or a tale of personal justice (like Taken)?

We also need your suggestions for finding a non-coffeeshop place to write when sharing a studio apartment.

Links:

  • 10 Cloverfield Lane trailer
  • Rachel Bloom at the Golden Globes, and on Scriptnotes, 175
  • Kvell at Merriam-Webster
  • Andrea Berloff on Scriptnotes, 144 and the Bonus Straight Outta Compton episode, and the Bonus Drew Goddard episode
  • Tickets are now available to see John talk to Andrea, Drew and more at the Writers Guild Foundation Beyond Words panel on February 4
  • Get your tickets now for Scriptnotes, Live on January 25 with Jason Bateman and Lawrence Kasdan, a benefit for Hollywood HEART
  • On February 13, John will receive the WGA’s 2016 Valentine Davies Award
  • Creative Spark: Aline Brosh McKenna
  • 7 British Men Guilty Of Massive Easter Gem Heist on NPR
  • Eddie the Eagle trailer
  • The Imposter on Wikipedia
  • The Demon Vanquisher by Theresa Fisher, on sleep paralysis
  • Dream Warriors by Dokken
  • Patrick on IMDb
  • At Home with a Revenge Porn Mogul, from Fusion
  • Do I Sound Gay?
  • Priceonomics on How Mickey Mouse Evades the Public Domain
  • Outro submitted by Martine Charnow (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 1-22-16: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Writing for Hollywood without living there

April 28, 2015 Adaptation, Film Industry, International, Los Angeles, Pitches, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Canadian screenwriter Ryan Knighton joins John and Craig to discuss how you sustain a career writing for Hollywood studios while living a flight away. Knighton’s first screenplay was the adaptation of his memoir about going blind. He’s since written for several studios, including a new project for Ridley Scott.

We also talk about general meetings, pitching, adapting true stories, and the Sundance screenwriting lab.

Links:

  • Ryan Knighton, and on Twitter, Wikipedia, This American Life, The Moth and Reading Aloud with Nate Corddry
  • Ryan’s books Cockeyed and Swing in the Hollow on Amazon
  • What is a treatment? on screenwriting.io
  • Ryan side-by-side with Chris O’Dowd
  • LootCrate
  • The For Dummies series and Google AdWords for Dummies
  • Lovage on Wikipedia
  • Outro by Scriptnotes editor Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-4-15: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

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Each week, screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters, everything from the craft to the business to the best ways to actually get yourself writing.

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