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Rights and Copyright

Best Popular Screenwriting Podcast

Episode - 363

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August 14, 2018 Arlo Finch, Film Industry, Follow Up, Producers, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Videogames, WGA

John and Craig pack this business-centric episode with big picture conversations about guild negotiations, changes to the Oscars, the Disney/Fox merger, the Paramount Consent Decree, and the tragedy that is being unable to stream The Flamingo Kid.

Links:

  • Scriptnotes is now on Spotify!
  • The Austin Film Festival is coming up on October 25th!
  • Changes are coming to the Oscars, including a new category for “Outstanding Achievement in Popular Film.”
  • IATSE is not backing its Editors Guild in asking for a reasonable turnaround and pension support.
  • The Department of Justice will review the Paramount Consent Decree.
  • In Search of the Last Great Video Store by Kate Hagen for the Black List blog.
  • Add to this form if you find a movie that isn’t streamable.
  • Antihero game for iOS.
  • Mark Halpin’s puzzles for The Nation
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Luke Davis (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 8-22-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Where Movies Come From

July 17, 2018 Adaptation, Comics, Film Industry, Follow Up, Genres, News, Producers, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA, Writing Process

John and Craig welcome Liz Hannah (screenwriter of The Post) to explore where movies come from, be it real life, storytelling social media sites, or all-powerful comic book IP. How do these story sources affect the writer’s relationship with the material and with the audience?

We also follow up on the meaning of “Jackman Shot” and answer listener questions about using accents to indicate foreign language, where low-budget holiday movies fit into a blossoming writing career and the responsibilities of adapting the work of someone with a questionable moral legacy.

Links:

  • Thanks for joining us, Liz Hannah! Liz’s film, The Post, was a Best Picture nominee.
  • Fred Jackman, cinematographer/writer/director/special effects hero, is the apparent namesake of the Jackman shot.
  • How Wattpad is Rewriting the Rules of Hollywood, by Chris Lee writing for Vulture
  • Hunting the Con Queen of Hollywood: Who’s the “Crazy Evil Genius” Behind a Global Racket?, by Scott Johnson writing for the Hollywood Reporter
  • Comic Book Shake-Up: DMG Entertainment Acquires Valiant , by Borys Kit for The Hollywood Reporter
  • Valkyrie, Schindler’s List and The Death of Stalin are examples of how one can handle the indication of foreign language.
  • Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past by David Reich
  • GamePigeon
  • Overlooked by the New York Times adds obituaries for remarkable people that were overlooked in their time, like Bette Nesmith Graham who invented liquid paper.
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • Liz Hannah on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Larry Douziech (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-23-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Not Worth Winning

June 19, 2018 Comics, Film Industry, News, Producers, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, Videogames, WGA, Writing Process

In light of the dust-up over Coverfly, John and Craig discuss why most screenwriting contests are essentially useless and should be avoided.

We then look at destructive fandom and ponder how today’s entitled enthusiasts might have responded to the classics.

Plus we answer listener questions about the “gutters” between scenes, whether an employer owns your idea, what the business of big talent-led production companies looks like, and how to maintain momentum after your first sale.

Links:

  • Coverfly’s response to accusations in a now-deleted blog post. Here’s a conversation on the Screenwriting Reddit page about it.
  • In 2015’s Episode 191 The Deal with Scripped.com, we invited John Rhodes from ScreenCraft and Guy Goldstein from WriterDuet to investigate a data management crisis with Scripped.com.
  • Toxic Fandom Is Killing ‘Star Wars’ by Marc Bernardin for the Hollywood Reporter
  • Slate’s Decoder Ring podcast covers the Johnlock Conspiracy.
  • Apple has made a deal with the WGA
  • Evan in Philadephia recommends Scott McCloud’s Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art for a great explanation of “gutters.”
  • JJ Abrams’ Bad Robot is an example of a big production company led by a creative.
  • The worst sex in the world is anglerfish sex, and now there’s finally video by Avi Selk for the Washington Post. This video’s upsetting animation shows what the process would look like for humans.
  • Bethesda’s Starfield has been announced
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Jeff Mooney (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 6-26-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Getting Paid for It

March 20, 2018 Film Industry, Follow Up, Random Advice, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

John and Craig delve into the business of screenwriting from money to managers to medical plans.

We answer listener questions about collecting unemployment, registering as a corporation, firing a rep, quitting your day job and handling the anxiety that comes with such an uncertain career path.

Links:

  • Alto’s Odyssey
  • An ambiguously threatening advertisement for British pork from 1984
  • Champions on NBC, created by Charlie Grandy and Mindy Kaling, directed by Michael Spiller
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 3-27-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

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