Writing Process

Relationships

Episode - 360

July 24, 2018 Arlo Finch, Broadway, Formatting, News, Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig discuss the importance and basics of developing relationships in storytelling. Characters are nothing without relationships, like Woody without Buzz, Shrek without Donkey, John without Craig…

We then test these ideas about relationships against a fresh set of Three Page Challenges.

Links:

Arlo Finch covers look different around the world. You can catch John at the San Diego Festival of Books on August 25, at the Orange Public Library Comic-Con on September 22, at the Texas Book Festival on October 25th, or in Frankfurt, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen in early October.
The Austin Film Festival is also coming up on October 25th.
In a musical, the relationship can be with the audience, like in Shrek: The Musical’s “Big Bright Beautiful World” or Fiddler on the Roof’s “If I Were a Rich Man” — as opposed to the movie version.
Three pages by Jonathan Brown
Three pages by Paul Acampora & Erin Dionne
Three pages by Mathieu Ghekiere
You can submit for the three page challenge here.
Images of America Book Series
Larchmont by Patricia Lombard
African-Americans in Los Angeles by Karin L. Stanford
Lindsay Doran’s Ted Talk – Saving the World vs. Kissing the Girl
The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
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 Michael O’Konis (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-31-18: 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.

This Title is an Example of Exposition

July 3, 2018 Comics, Film Industry, Follow Up, How-To, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Sundance, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig debate and defend one of the most-maligned elements of screenwriting: Exposition. How do you tell an audience what they need to know without being labeled a hack? We offer tips for getting viewers up to speed without them realizing they’re getting fed exposition.

We also follow up on screenplay competitions, the psychology of toxic fandom, fridging as a trope, and the market for lesbian love stories.

Links:

Michael Arndt’s thoughts on Endings (and Beginnings)
Midnight blue typewriter Scriptnotes t-shirts are back on Cotton Bureau for a limited time!
“Fridging” is the trope of violence against women motivating a male protagonist’s plot.
These seven lesbian movies are coming out in 2018.
This exposition scene in Aliens does it right.
American Animals, written and directed by Bart Layton
Isoland 2: Ashes of Time for iOS and Android
The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
The USB drives!
John August on Twitter
Craig Mazin on Twitter
John on Instagram
Find past episodes
Outro by Timothy Vajda (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-10-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Writing Animated Movies

June 26, 2018 Broadway, Directors, Film Industry, Genres, Producers, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, WGA, Writing Process

John welcomes Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Homeward Bound) to talk about her experience writing animated features, from the parallel processes of writing and production to her paltry paycheck for Beauty and the Beast. They consider the blurring lines between live-action and hyperrealistic CGI, as well as the history of animation writers’ exclusion from the WGA.

We also answer listener questions about whether there is such a thing as a bad character want and how to manage story days within a screenplay, which prompts exploration of wardrobe changes, thinking in terms of color rather than time and Linda’s penchant for naked characters.

Links:

Thanks for joining us, Linda Woolverton!
Adjusted for inflation, Beauty and the Beast ranks #133 in domestic grosses, above Toy Story, Iron Man, and other huge films.
In Episode 317: First Day on the Job, we talked about the history of why animation writers are not represented by the WGA.
In Episode 92: The Little Mermaid, we did a deep dive on the animated film that changed the game.
Shanghai Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride is amazing. This POV video of the ride is definitely a spoiler.
Climate Central is an independent organization of leading scientists and journalists researching and reporting the facts about our changing climate and its impact on the public. It helps localize reports of the effects of climate change.
The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
The USB drives!
John August on Twitter
Craig Mazin on Twitter
John on Instagram
Find past episodes
Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 7-3-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

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