John August

Producers

The One with the Indie Producer

Episode - 343

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Film Industry, Indie, Producers, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John welcomes independent producer Keith Calder to discuss what a producer actually does, how financing and distribution strategies have changed with streaming, and how to approach film festivals as a filmmaker.

We also answer a listener question about which career path to take after being laid-off: climb the Hollywood ladder or bootstrap and just make films.

Links:

* Thanks for joining us, [Keith Calder](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2096462/)! You can check out his [website](http://keithcalder.com/) and [wikipedia page](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Calder).
* [Blindspotting](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt7242142/) comes out this summer. [Here](http://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/blindspotting-review-daveed-diggs-rafael-casal-1202667959/) is Variety’s review.
* [You’re Next](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27re_Next) and its [IMDb page](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1853739/). You can watch it on [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Next-Sharni-Vinson/dp/B00GNL127K/ref=sr_1_1_pfch?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1522106656&sr=1-1&keywords=you%27re+next) now.
* [Down Under](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_Under_(2016_film)) [trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whn4q8HuC8g) and [IMDb page](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4463120/).
* [LiarTown: The First Four Years 2013-2017](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1627310541/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Sean Tejaratchi.
* [Eco-Cha Tea Club](http://teaclub.eco-cha.com/)
* [The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!](http://johnaugust.com/guide)
* [The USB drives!](https://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-300-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Keith Calder](https://twitter.com/keithcalder) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Luke Davis ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_343.mp3).

**UPDATE 4-2-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-343-the-one-with-the-indie-producer-transcript).

Knowing vs. Discovering

Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Producers, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, WGA, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig consider how much a writer should know before going into a scene, looking at the perks and pitfalls of planning and letting oneself discover.

We also discuss taking notes from producers and executives. When should you stand your ground? When should you accommodate? What if it’s an excellent drawing of an elephant that’s been eaten by a snake?

Links:

* Siân Griffiths’ blog post, [The Only Girl in the Known Universe](https://changesevenmag.com/2016/07/06/the-only-girl-in-the-known-universe-by-sian-griffiths/amp/), about Princess Leia
* The Little Prince’s [elephant inside a snake](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/d1/1b/78d11b4d7c439f7fc2d61ecdc5912448.jpg), not a hat.
* [Alto’s Odyssey](http://www.altosodyssey.com/)
* [Everybody Wants to Be Famous](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJQYRzAoErc) by Superorganism
* [The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!](http://johnaugust.com/guide)
* [The USB drives!](https://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-300-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Superorganism ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_341.mp3).

**UPDATE 3-21-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-341-knowing-vs-discovering-transcript).

Mostly Terrible People

Film Industry, Follow Up, News, Producers, Scriptnotes, Sundance, Transcribed

John and Craig evaluate another set of exceptional news stories for their fitness for the big screen in this week’s How Would This Be a Movie?

We consider stories about counterfeit debt collectors, the worst roommate ever (beside’s Craig college roommate), the girl who posed as a grown man online and began exhibiting genuine symptoms of toxic masculinity, a family that fights to preserve their daughter after she’s been declared brain dead, and a cruise ship that descends into anarchy.

We also follow up on the mystery of MoviePass with a listener that has seen a new film each day for months. Did we judge this model too quickly?

Links:

* Applications are being accepted for the [Sundance Episodic Lab](http://www.sundance.org/programs/episodic-storytelling#/)
* [Millions Are Hounded for Debt They Don’t Owe. One Victim Fought Back, With a Vengeance](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-12-06/millions-are-hounded-for-debt-they-don-t-owe-one-victim-fought-back-with-a-vengeance) by Zeke Faux for Bloomberg
* [Worst Roommate Ever](http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/02/jamison-bachman-worst-roommate-ever.html) by William Brennan for New York Magazine
* [What Does It Mean to Die?](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/02/05/what-does-it-mean-to-die) by Rachel Aviv for the New Yorker. John also mentioned [this story](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5381943/How-actor-accidentally-shot-dead.html) about Jon-Erik Hexum by Gareth Davies for the Daily Mail.
* [Teen Girl Posed For 8 Years As Married Man To Write About Baseball And Harass Women](https://deadspin.com/teen-girl-posed-for-8-years-as-married-man-to-write-abo-1820305588?utm_source=fark&utm_medium=website&utm_content=link&ICID=ref_fark) by Lindsey Adler for Deadspin
* [A Carnival cruise in the South Pacific descended into violent anarchy](https://www.washingtonpost.com/amphtml/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2018/02/17/a-10-day-carnival-cruise-in-the-south-pacific-descended-into-violent-anarchy/?__twitter_impression=true) by Avi Selk for The Washington Post
* [Bridge Constructor Portal](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/bridge-constructor-portal/id1311353234?mt=8)
* [A Very Fatal Murder](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/a-very-fatal-murder/id1333714430?mt=2)
* [The Good Place](https://www.nbc.com/the-good-place?nbc=1) on NBC.
* [The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!](http://johnaugust.com/guide)
* [The USB drives!](https://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-300-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Rajesh Naroth ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_339.mp3).

**UPDATE 3-6-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-339-mostly-terrible-people-transcript).

We Had the Same Idea

Citizenship, Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Producers, Random Advice, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Television, Transcribed

John and Craig offer advice to those who suspect their work has been stolen, providing a checklist to help determine if a claim has merit and suggestions for how to best proceed if it does.

We also answer listener questions about taxes on agent commission, being a conservative voice in a writers’ room, and using real celebrities as characters.

Links:

* [Firelight](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2281241/), the How Could This Be A Movie that is, indeed, a movie
* Amazon’s [deal](http://deadline.com/2017/11/amazon-the-lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-multi-season-commitment-1202207065/) for The Lord of the Rings TV rights
* Amanda Hess’ Twitter [response](https://twitter.com/amandahess/status/943318750094417920) to Sarah Sahim’s accusation of plagiarism
* [Nokia Thermo](https://health.nokia.com/us/en/thermo)
* [Google Maps’s Moat](https://www.justinobeirne.com/google-maps-moat) by Justin O’Beirne
* [The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!](johnaugust.com/guide)
* [The USB drives!](https://store.johnaugust.com/collections/frontpage/products/scriptnotes-300-episode-usb-flash-drive)
* [John August](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) on Twitter
* [Craig Mazin](https://twitter.com/clmazin) on Twitter
* [John on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en)
* [Find past episodes](http://scriptnotes.net/)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Matthew Chilleli and the Children’s Bell Choir of Akita ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_331.mp3).

**UPDATE 1-2-18:** The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2018/scriptnotes-ep-331-we-had-the-same-idea-transcript)