John August

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How to be the script department

Episode - 30

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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

Copyright Math

Film Industry

Rob Reid’s [“Copyright Math”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZadCj8O1-0&feature=player_embedded) presentation for TED is a great reminder of how misleading numbers can undermine an argument.

In this case, industry figures intended to show the impact of piracy easily tip from “exaggerated” to “comically absurd.” The viewer is left with a natural conclusion: illegal file-sharing is not that big of a deal.

But really, that conclusion needs some italics: illegal file-sharing is not *that big* of a deal.

Something can still be worth discussing even if it’s not an armageddon-level threat. Rational discussions might include the following topics:

* On an individual level, why does someone torrent a movie rather than pay for it? What would change that decision?
* To what degree do consumers have a right to watch something how and when and where they want to watch it?
* Where should the industry focus its energy: on the individual who downloads a movie, or businesses that make money selling material they don’t own?

You won’t arrive at a rational discussion by pulling numbers out of the air.

MacGruber, McGarnagle, McBain

QandA, Scriptnotes

Craig and John tackle five listener questions on topics ranging from greedy managers to lazy agents to throwing in the towel.

* What happens when a manager wants to attach himself to your spec?
* How much detail should a screenwriter provide about wardrobe?
* When is it okay to give up on screenwriting?

Also discussed: St. Patrick’s Day, The Book of Mormon (the musical), and the Koren/Eggers idiocy.

All this and Americans Against Mayonaise in the new Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [MacGruber](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1470023/) on IMDb
* [McGarnagle](http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/McGarnagle) from The Simpsons
* [McBain](http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/McBain) from The Simpsons
* [Book of Mormon soundtrack](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/book-mormon-original-broadway/id432164610)
* Intro: [Charles in Charge](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twePDN5u2pc)
* Outro: [Danny Boy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW3gHqgC3h8) and [McGarnagle](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceqNcCUUakE)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_29.m4a).

**UPDATE** 3-22-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-29-macgruber-mcgarnagle-mcbain-transcript).

How to cut pages

How-To, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

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.

Your script is probably too long. Here’s how to fix that.

Craig also discusses his WGA seminar on surviving the feature film development process, and his vision for a screenwriters training program analogous to the well-regarded TV showrunners program. He drafts John to teach one segment.

The last few minutes degenerate into a conversation about Skyrim, Arkham City, American Idol and uxoricide. So, be forewarned.

From killing your darlings to killing your wife, all in this week’s Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* My earlier post on [How to cut pages](http://johnaugust.com/2008/how-to-cut-pages)
* [Marriage in Skyrim](http://elderscrolls.wikia.com/wiki/Marriage)
* Intro: [ABC’s Wide World of Sports](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi69utdvDcA)
* Outro: [Hey Joe](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRYqzCNXx5s) cover by Mark Galloway

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_28.m4a).

**UPDATE** 3-16-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-28-how-to-cut-pages-transcript).