John August

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Eggnog and Dreadlock Santa

Episode - 69

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Karateka, QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

It’s Christmas, so John and Craig are exchanging the gift of answers, tackling listener questions on topics ranging from musical books to punch-up sessions.

December is also Black List season, and we’re happy to see some familiar names among the most-liked screenplays this year, including a Three Page Challenge entrant.

John’s long-in-the-works Karateka is finally in the App Store, ready for purchase, while Craig’s trailer for Identity Thief just dropped. So pour yourself a glass of Craig’s most despised holiday beverage and join us for episode 69 (tee-hee) of Scriptnotes, a podcast about screenwriting.

LINKS:

* [Eggnog](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggnog) and [buttermilk](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttermilk) on Wikipedia
* The [2012 Black List](http://blcklst.com/lists/2012_black_list.pdf)
* Scriptnotes, Episode 48: [Craig dreams of sushi](http://johnaugust.com/2012/craig-dreams-of-sushi), in which Austin Reynolds’s three page challenge entry is discussed
* [Identity Thief](http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/universal/identitythief/) on Apple Trailers
* [Karateka](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/karateka/id560927460?mt=8) for iOS
* [Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0374214913/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* Seth Rudetsky’s [Seth TV](http://www.sethtv.com/) and [Seth on Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth_Rudetsky)
* INTRO: [Frosty the Snowman](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjscH2WBWjw)
* OUTRO: [Carol of the Bells (for 12 Cellos)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9GtPX6c_kg)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_69.m4a).

**UPDATE** 12-30-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-69-eggnog-and-dreadlock-santa-transcript).

Talking Austen in Austin

Film Industry, Producers, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John chat with Lindsay Doran, a producer and former studio exec who’s made terrific movies, ranging from Sense and Sensibility to Stranger than Fiction.

Topics include the role of producers, developing scripts with screenwriters, and the importance of good hair.

* [Lindsay Doran](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0233386/) on IMDb
* The New York Times [on Lindsay Doran](http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/movies/lindsay-doran-examines-what-makes-films-satisfying.html?pagewanted=all) (including a great photo of her hair)
* Lindsay’s TEDx presentation: [Saving the World vs Kissing the Girl](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=752INSLlyf0)
* Scriptnotes, Episode 17: [What do producers do?](http://johnaugust.com/2011/what-do-producers-do)
* INTRO: “Throw the Coins” from [Sense and Sensibility](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUuXRfy5jSY) score by Patrick Doyle
* OUTRO: [Whip My Hair](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp-wFsrM-Ng) cover by katiegavs

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_68.m4a).

**UPDATE** 12-19-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-68-talking-austen-in-austin-transcript).

The air duct of backstory

Fountain, Scriptnotes, Software, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed

John and Craig talk about perspective — both within a scene and the overall story. It’s not always obvious to the reader which characters are in the driver’s seat, so it falls on the screenwriter to make that clear.

We have four new Three Page Challenges this week, with genres ranging from horror to sex comedy. John begs you to never try to establish a character’s backstory by featuring them on a magazine cover.

All this, plus an update on John’s experience writing his most recent script entirely in Fountain, in episode 67 of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Hanukkah](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah) on Wikipedia
* [Christmas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas) on Wikipedia
* [Krishna](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna) on Wikipedia
* [Fountain](http://fountain.io/) is a plain text markup language for screenwriting
* [Take Fountain](https://app.glassboard.com/web/invitation/code/gsaiw) on Glassboard
* Three pages by [Hunter M. Altman](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/HunterMAltman.pdf)
* Three pages by [Kevin Wolfe & Adam DeKraker](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/KevinWolfeAdamDeKraker.pdf)
* Three pages by [Scott Gorsuch](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/ScottGorsuch.pdf)
* Three pages by [Shawn Morrison](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/ShawnMorrison.pdf)
* [Scanadu](http://www.scanadu.com/)
* [Gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/5965143/holy-spock-the-star-trek-medical-tricorder-is-real-and-its-only-150) on Scanadu
* [Soulver](http://www.acqualia.com/soulver/) helps you solve on iOS and OSX
* INTRO: [Crystal Light commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWr9rZVvMN0)
* OUTRO: [Three Is a Magic Number](https://itunes.apple.com/us/tv-season/schoolhouse-rock-vol.-1/id123015257) by Bob Dorough on iTunes

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_67.m4a).

**UPDATE** 12-14-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-67-the-air-duct-of-backstory-transcript).

One-step deals, and how to read a script

Film Industry, Scriptnotes, Software, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John take a break from writing scripts to talk about how screenwriters should read scripts. Paper or iPad? Single or double-sided? And how do you keep track of your notes for future conversations?

Then it’s a session of roleplaying and maximum umbrage as we look at the logic and fallacies behind one-step deals for screenwriters.

Cleansing our palette, we look at Skyfall. Spoilers, folks. Spoilers!

Craig closes the podcast with a remembrance of his friend, screenwriter Don Rhymer, who died last week after a long and wittily-observed battle with cancer.

LINKS:

* [Fade In](http://www.fadeinpro.com/) screenwriting software
* [Fountain](http://fountain.io/), a plain text markup language for screenwriting
* Brett Terpstra’s [Systematic podcast, Episode 20](http://5by5.tv/systematic/20) with David Wain
* adult swim’s [Childrens Hospital](http://video.adultswim.com/childrens-hospital/)
* [FDX Reader](http://quoteunquoteapps.com/fdxreader) for iOS
* [Final Draft Reader](http://www.finaldraft.com/products/mobile/reader/) for iOS
* [GoodReader](http://www.goodiware.com/goodreader.html) for iOS
* [PDF Expert](http://readdle.com/products/pdfexpert_ipad/) for iOS
* [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers-Briggs_Type_Indicator) on Wikipedia
* The Myers & Briggs Foundation’s page on [where to take the MBTI](http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/take-the-mbti-instrument/)
* The WGA [Showrunner Training Program](http://www.wga.org/content/default.aspx?id=1190)
* LA Times on [Don Rhymer’s passing](http://articles.latimes.com/2012/nov/30/local/la-me-passings-20121130#mod-a-body-after-first-para)
* Don’s cancer blog, [Let’s Radiate Don](http://radiatedon.com/)
* Todd Downing’s [breakdown](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25S-hXFqLB4) of the Skyfall theme song
* INTRO: [Strawberry Shortcake Intro (Italian)](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_QEIF28nVI)
* OUTRO: For Your Eyes Only/Skyfall, arranged and performed by John August

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_66.m4a).

**UPDATE** 12-7-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-66-one-step-deals-and-how-to-read-a-script-transcript).