John August

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Featured Friday: 24 Hours or Less

News

[Weekend Read](https://quoteunquoteapps.com/weekendread/), our app for reading scripts on your phone, features a new curated collection of screenplays each week.

This week, we look at movies that use the confines of a single day to their advantage, keeping characters constantly pushing against time and towards their goals.

Our collection includes:

– **All is Lost** by J.C. Chandor
– **American Graffiti** by George Lucas, Gloria Katz & Willard Huyck
– **Before Midnight** by Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
– **Before Sunrise** by Richard Linklater & Kim Krizan
– **Bodies Bodies Bodies** by Kristen Roupenian
– **Booksmart** by Emily Halpern and Sarah Haskins
– **Dazed and Confused** by Richard Linklater
– **Die Hard** by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza
– **Dog Day Afternoon** by Frank Pierson
– **Ferris Bueller’s Day Off** by John Hughes
– **Gravity** by Alfonso Cuarón & Jonás Cuarón
– **Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle** by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
– **Locke** by Steven Knight
– **Margin Call** by J.C. Chandor
– **Snowpiercer** by Bong Joon-ho
– **Superbad** by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
– **Tangerine** by Sean Baker & Chris Bergoch
– **Malcolm and Marie** by Sam Levinson

Read these and other featured collections only on Weekend Read 2, available on all Mac and iOS devices. [Download for free](https://apps.apple.com/in/app/weekend-read-2/id1534798355)!

Halogencore

Episode - 656

Go to Archive

Scriptnotes

John welcomes journalist/screenwriter Max Read to look at the emerging sub-genre “halogencore” – stories of corporate malfeasance that are less about uncovering corruption as they are about characters learning to ignore it. They look at the evolution of the sub-genre, how these movies function, and why it’s important to define genres at all.

We also explore the current state of independent journalism and freelance writing, and follow up on Hallmark movies and playwrights turned screenwriters.

The new Highland (including support for iOS) is now in beta — Sign up in the link below!

In our bonus segment for premium members, does it feel like time has sped up this summer? Like, even more than usual? John and Max slow it down and find the silver linings of an accelerated world.

Links:

* [Beta test the new Highland – sign up here!](https://mailchi.mp/quoteunquoteapps/highland-pro-beta)
* [Max Read’s newsletter READ MAX](https://maxread.substack.com/)
* [Shiva Baby](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11317142/) and [Good Luck to You, Leo Grande](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13352968/)
* [How many Hallmark Christmas movies are there?!](https://stephenfollows.com/how-many-hallmark-christmas-movies-are-there/) by Stephen Follows
* [The Read Max ‘Halogencore’ Guide](https://maxread.substack.com/p/the-read-max-halogencore-guide?r=3dw6x&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true)
* [Max Read’s Halogencore list](https://letterboxd.com/max_read/list/halogencore/) on Letterboxd
* [Where Are You Now?](https://saraschaefer.substack.com/p/where-are-you-now) by Sara Schaefer
* [Billy Strings – Dust in a Baggie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jStcHKMNvqI)
* [In Ascension](https://groveatlantic.com/book/in-ascension/) by Martin MacInnes
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* Craig Mazin on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@clmazin) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/)
* John August on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) and [Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Tim Brown ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/656standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 11-12-24:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2024/scriptnotes-episode-656-halogencore-transcript).

How to Watch Bad Movies

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig stand waist-deep in rotten tomatoes and ask, what can we learn from bad movies? Resisting the urge to walk out, they explore ways to evaluate a movie’s problems, interrogate your taste, and turn a real stinker into an opportunity to grow as a writer.

We also follow up on Lifetime movies, colored pages and AI screenwriting, and answer listener questions on weirdo characters and the validity of a ghostwriter.

In our bonus segment for premium members, when is it okay to bail on something you no longer enjoy? We look at when to bounce on books, friendships and more.

Links:

* [WGAW Good and Welfare Emergency Assistance Loans](https://www.wga.org/members/finances/good-welfare-emergency-assistance-loans)
* [AI Screenwriter job posting](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/3987023540/)
* [Pageant of the Masters](https://www.foapom.com/)
* [Pageant of the Masters Brings Art to Life](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6fg95StXm0) from the Wall Street Journal on YouTube
* [Arrested Development – The Living Classics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9-zi-qKg8I)
* [Severance](https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx) on Apple TV+
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* Craig Mazin on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@clmazin) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/)
* John August on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) and [Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Pascui Rivas ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/654standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 10-7-24:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2024/scriptnotes-episode-654-how-to-watch-bad-movies-transcript).

Rituals

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig welcome back Megana Rao to look at rituals and what they can tell us about our characters. But what are characters doing deliberately, and what is just routine? They separate routines from rites, and how both can help deepen our understanding of characters and the threats that face them.

We also follow up on un-locking pages, industry software and health insurance for writing teams, before answering a listener question on transitioning from writing plays to writing movies.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Megana talk about coming-of-age rituals, and Craig reveals the theme of his Bar Mitzvah (it’s even nerdier than you think).

Links:

* [Standard Operating Procedures](https://johnaugust.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/SCR-20240721-juob.png) from Writer Emergency Pack
* [Long Island Compromise](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/621963/long-island-compromise-by-taffy-brodesser-akner/) by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
* [Free AF non-alcoholic cocktails](https://us.af-drinks.com)
* [Microsoft Re-Designs the iPod Packaging](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUXnJraKM3k)
* [Fantasmas](https://www.max.com/shows/fantasmas/25e36613-26ba-44ff-a777-b39ceafbcf58) on HBO/Max
* [AlphaBirds](https://alphabirdsgame.com/)
* [Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!](https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast)
* [Check out the Inneresting Newsletter](https://inneresting.substack.com/)
* [Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts) or [treat yourself to a premium subscription!](https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/)
* Craig Mazin on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@clmazin) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/)
* John August on [Threads](https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en), [X](https://twitter.com/johnaugust) and [Mastodon](https://mastodon.art/@johnaugust)
* [Outro](http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros) by Nick Moore ([send us yours!](http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed))
* Scriptnotes is produced by [Drew Marquardt](https://www.drewmarquardt.com/) with help this week by Megana Rao. It is edited by [Matthew Chilelli](https://twitter.com/machelli).

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode [here](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/652standard.mp3).

**UPDATE 10-7-24:** The transcript for this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2024/scriptnotes-episode-652-rituals-transcript).