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John August

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  • All Apologies
    Episode – 31 | Apr 3, 2012
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    Craig and John take a look at Toph Eggers’s apology, which segues to a discussion of apologies in general and laugh tracks.

  • How to be the script department
    Episode – 30 | Mar 27, 2012
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    Craig and John offer advice on handling revisions once your screenplay moves into production. Get it right, and it should be smooth sailing. Get it wrong, and you have a frustrated crew and a lot of cleanup.

  • MacGruber, McGarnagle, McBain
    Episode – 29 | Mar 19, 2012
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    Craig and John tackle five listener questions on topics ranging from greedy managers and lazy agents to throwing in the towel.

  • How to cut pages
    Episode – 28 | Mar 13, 2012
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    John and Craig turn from the pen to the knife to talk through the whys and hows of cutting pages — both the cosmetic trims and the deep cuts.

  • Let’s run a studio!
    Episode – 27 | Mar 6, 2012
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    Celebrating Leap Day, John and Craig play the game of “What If?” Specifically, what if we each were handed the reins of a major Hollywood studio?

  • Etiquette for screenwriters
    Episode – 26 | Feb 28, 2012
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    This week, Craig and John get all Miss Manners to talk about best practices, bad behavior and throwing writers under the bus.

  • Optioning a novel, and the golden age of television
    Episode – 25 | Feb 21, 2012
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    For their 25th podcast, John and Craig tackle listener questions. How does a screenwriter option a novel he wants to adapt? When can a writer say he “wrote” a movie — particularly if there are other credited writers? Finally, should an aspiring writer focus on television or features?

  • The Brotherhood of Screenwriters
    Episode – 24 | Feb 14, 2012
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    John and Craig reach into the listener mailbag and come up with questions about laying out lyrics, foreign dialogue, overall deals and title trademarks.

  • The Happy Funtime Smile Hour
    Episode – 23 | Feb 7, 2012
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    After last week’s depressing reality-check, Craig and John float back to the lands of joyful possibility with a look at theme, or central dramatic argument, or whatever you choose to call that narrative glue that helps hold a story together.

  • Six figure advice
    Episode – 22 | Jan 31, 2012
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    Following up on their conversation about “five figure advice” for newly-employed screenwriters, Craig and John discuss the changes and challenges that come when writers start making six figures — that is, more than $100K per year.

  • Casting and positive outcomes
    Episode – 21 | Jan 24, 2012
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    Craig and John discuss the screenwriter’s role in casting, then segue to the New York Times profile of producer/executive Lindsay Doran’s approach to story.

  • How credit arbitration works
    Episode – 20 | Jan 17, 2012
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    John and Craig take an in-depth look at how screenwriting credits are determined. In some ways, credit arbitration is a luxury problem — the movie you wrote got made! — but it’s one of the most controversial, contentious and misunderstood parts of a screenwriter’s career.

  • 56 Days Later
    Episode – 19 | Jan 10, 2012
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    Craig and John take a look the week’s news, including the WGA nominations, Warner’s shift to a 56-day video window, the folly of SOPA and the launch of Bronson Watermarker.

  • Zen and the Angst of Kaufman
    Episode – 18 | Jan 3, 2012
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    Craig and John discuss the year ahead, from resolutions (we don’t have any) to reunions (20th!). Along the way, we discuss archery, piano and left-hand weakness. The bulk of the episode is a discussion of Charlie Kaufman’s BAFTA speech about screenwriting and screenwriters, artistry and artifice.

  • What do producers do?
    Episode – 17 | Dec 20, 2011
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    Craig and John explain what producers do — at least, what they’re supposed to do — and discuss the myriad subclasses of producers that litter the opening titles of many movies.

  • Thirteen questions about one thing
    Episode – 16 | Dec 13, 2011
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    Craig and John plug a book by their very first sponsor and discuss elective brain surgery, before tackling an exhaustive but illuminating list of questions from listener Daniel Barkeley.

  • Screenwriting gurus and so-called experts
    Episode – 15 | Dec 6, 2011
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    Craig and John look at why the books and seminars purporting to teach screenwriting are generally terrible, trying to reduce the hard work of the craft to a series of formulas and templates.

  • How residuals work
    Episode – 14 | Nov 29, 2011
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    Craig and John take a look at awards-season screeners before going deep into a discussion of how residuals work and why they’re so important to screenwriters. Plus, a visit from Craig’s cleaning lady, who thinks he’s insane.

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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 get yourself writing.

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