John August

So-Called Experts

Nobody Knows Anything (including what this quote means)

Episode - 221

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Film Industry, Follow Up, Psych 101, Scriptnotes, So-Called Experts, Transcribed, Writing Process

Craig and John get to the bottom of William Goldman’s famous quotation about Hollywood, which is so often misapplied. Then it’s a discussion of zombie cars, wind-tunnels, blockbusters, and the paradox of choice.

Finally, we look at the intersection of luck and talent behind a screenwriter’s career, and why struggle isn’t a useful yardstick for much of anything.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 10-28-15: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Everyman vs. Superman

Film Industry, Follow Up, Scriptnotes, So-Called Experts, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed

From Wolverine to The Rock, male action heroes have literally gotten bigger over the last decade. Craig and John look at how that impacts story. Is there hope for the the ordinary man in an extraordinary situation? Will we ever get back to Kurt and Keanu?

Then it’s time for three new Three Page Challenges, with entries ranging from campus riots to suburban detectives.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 6-22-15: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

8 Common Mistakes Made by New Screenwriters

Adaptation, QandA, So-Called Experts, Story and Plot, Words on the page, Writing Process

B.J. Novak is all about lists. He asked me to write this one about issues I frequently see in scripts written by beginning screenwriters.

1. Starting with a concept rather than a character
We don’t want a movie about a lost relic. We want a movie about Indiana Jones.

2. Being too nice to the heroes
I’m glad you love them. Now make them do something and suffer.

3. Trying to adapt their favorite book
It will only end in tears, because the thing that makes the book so great is probably not what would make a great movie. Adaptation is more like transmutation. It’s arcana narrative distillery. It’s not a great place to start your screenwriting journey.

4. Stock scenes
Hitting the alarm clock. Complicated Starbucks orders. Harried mom making breakfast. Parents at the
principal’s office. Guys watching the football game.

You may think a stock scene will help shorthand the hero or world, but it just makes the reader stop paying attention. Unless you’re presenting a clever parody/inversion of a stock scene, you’re better off doing anything else.

5. D&D scene description
“This small bedroom has a twin bed, a bookshelf and a desk. There are two lamps, both lit.”

6. Characters with confusingly similar names
Wait, was Lucy or Lisa the girl in the museum?

7. Shoe leather
You rarely need to walk characters into and out of a scene. Most scenes can just be the heart of the idea and done. No doors, no hellos, no goodbyes.

8. Starting off in Final Draft
This isn’t even because of my frustrations with Final Draft as an app. It’s more about process.

If you were writing a song, you wouldn’t sit down with Finale and start dragging in notes. You would use a guitar or piano and start figuring out a melody. You would futz around until you had something you thought was good, and then finally jot it down. You wouldn’t make tidy sheet music until you were ready to show it to someone.

Scenes are like songs. They shouldn’t be made pretty until they are good.

Full disclosure: My company makes Highland, which follows my theory that words should come first. But pen and paper are completely non-proprietary, and another great way to start.

Back to 100

Books, Producers, Scriptnotes, So-Called Experts, Story and Plot, Transcribed

This week, we time-travel back to our first centennial, a live show in Hollywood with special guests Aline Brosh McKenna and Rawson Thurber. We discuss the rise of the “writer-plus,” the importance of early mentors, and the emails that outline the very origin of Scriptnotes.

Through the past 100 episodes, a lot has changed, so John provides updates on some topics, including how the Golden Ticket winner presaged the later full script challenge. So even if you listened to this episode 97 weeks ago, you’ll find something new.

Links:

You can download the episode here: AAC | mp3.

UPDATE 5-19-15: The transcript of this episode can be found here.