John August

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Amazon’s new deal for writers

Episode - 32

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Film Industry, QandA, Scriptnotes

Craig and John answer questions about specificity, television and what to do when your great idea sounds too much like a movie that’s already been made.

The big news this week is potentially very big news: Amazon Studios has completely revamped their business model, ditching the terrible parts and transforming into something potentially very good for writers. Notably, Amazon is now a WGA signatory, which offers the promise of residuals and credit protection for screenwriters.

Will it work? It’s too early to say. But when a new player with deep pockets enters the film industry, it often helps loosen the purse strings. More importantly, the Amazon deal sets a precedent for other tech companies considering taking the plunge.

Along the way, Craig talks about directing and John takes his daughter to work. All this and more in this episode of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Presbyopia](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002021/)
* Lena Dunham’s [Girls](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/review-girls-lena-dunham-brilliant-HBO-298379) is brilliant
* Tiny Furniture on Amazon
* [Nerdist Writers Panel](http://www.nerdist.com/podcast/nerdist-writers-panel/)
* My pilot scripts for [D.C, Alaska and Ops](http://johnaugust.com/library)
* John’s 2010 post on the [first Amazon deal](http://johnaugust.com/2010/on-the-amazon-film-thing)
* Craig’s 2010 post on [Amazon’s bad deal](http://artfulwriter.com/?p=1103)
* Amazon Studio’s [new development process](http://studios.amazon.com/getting-started)
* INTRO: [PM Magazine intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6T2JrK3boQ)
* OUTRO: [We Found Love](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uzddvR5JEw) covered by Chris Harris

You can download the episode here: [AAC]http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_32.m4a).

**UPDATE** 4-12-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-32-amazons-new-deal-for-writers-transcript).

The scorpion and the frog

Rant

Most versions of this parable run something like this:

> Unable to swim, a scorpion asks a frog to carry him across a rising river.

> The frog worries that the scorpion could sting him. The scorpion argues that if he stung the frog, the frog would sink and the scorpion would drown as well.

> Convinced, the frog agrees and lets the scorpion climb on his back. Halfway across the river, the scorpion does in fact sting the frog, dooming them both.

> “But why?” asks the frog.

> “It’s just my nature,” says the scorpion.

It’s a useful parable that illustrates several principles:

* Creatures can’t change their basic instincts, even for self-interest.

* It’s folly to think you’ll be the exception to the rule. (He’ll keep his word just this once.)

* Scorpions are dicks.

As parables go, it feels more inherently dramatic than most: trust! betrayal! poison! Compare that to another favorite: The tortoise may win the race, but his life was never in danger.

There’s nothing wrong with the scorpion and the frog. But as screenwriters, let’s stop having characters actually recite it. It’s been done before. [A lot.](http://www.enotes.com/topic/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog) So now it feels like a hacky and desperate way to make villains seem cool by rationalizing their actions.

A friend writes:

> Really was digging the MAGIC CITY pilot until the mob boss dude asks Jeffery Dean Morgan, “Do you know the story of the scorpion and the frog?” to which, of course, JDM replies, “No, I don’t.” — and then the fucking mob boss proceeds to tell the entire fucking parable.

> Can a brother get a moratorium on that bitch or what?

Perhaps a brother can.

All Apologies

QandA, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John take a look at Toph Eggers’s apology, which segues to a discussion of apologies in general and laugh tracks.

The bulk of the episode is spent on listener questions:

* After making a spec sale, what should a writing team do next?

* When handing in a rewrite, should you preface your changes in an email?

* How do you handle file-keeping with multiple projects and drafts?

* What is a “spec script auction?”

* What do you do when your manager keeps pushing you to write things you’re not interested in?

* How do you format verse (like Shakespeare) when it’s used as dialogue?

* What do you do when your scene has 23 characters in it?

All this and more in this week’s Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Big Bang Theory without Laughter](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmLQaTcViOA)
* [Once, the Broadway musical](http://oncemusical.com/)
* Martin Scorsese’s Casino
* Intro: [Bewitched opening](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o73ka8pbbE)
* Outro: [South Australia](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFrXUDWBIpU&feature=related) performed by Fisherman’s Friends

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_31.m4a).

**UPDATE** 4-5-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-31-all-apologies-transcript).

How to be the script department

Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John offer advice on handling revisions once your screenplay moves into production.

Why do you lock pages? How do you add scenes once the script is locked? Why are some pages different colors? And what comes between page 15 and 15A?

Get it right, and it should be smooth sailing. Get it wrong, and you have a frustrated crew and a lot of cleanup.

Television series generate so many scripts that they generally have their own internal systems, with designated staffers to handle the process. But for small-to-medium-sized features, the screenwriter is the script department.

The good news is that it’s usually pretty straightforward, especially if you follow some best practices to make life easier.

Also discussed this week: science fair projects, historic atrocities, and the origin of “wackiness ensues.”

Standing on the shoulders of giants in episode 30 of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

UPDATE 3-28-12: The transcript of this episode can be found here