John August

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Zen and the Angst of Kaufman

Episode - 18

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Scriptnotes, Transcribed

Craig and John look at 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. Which of us comes down on the side of self-examination and the purity of intentions? The answer may surprise you!

LINKS:

* [Austrian wines](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austrian_wine)
* [Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061673730/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Robert M. Pirsig
* [Zen in the Art of Archery](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0375705090/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Eugen Herrigel
* [Zen Driving](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345353501/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by K. T. Berger
* [BAFTA: British Academy of Film and Television Arts](http://www.bafta.org/)
* [Charlie Kaufman speech at BAFTA](http://guru.bafta.org/charlie-kaufman-screenwriters-lecture-video)
* [Transcript of his speech](http://guru.bafta.org/sites/learning/files/guru_sws_ck_transcript_final.pdf) as a .pdf
* Craig’s short story [Lightning in a Bottle](http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/popcornfiction/stories/Lightning_in_a_Bottle_by_Craig_Mazin.html)
* John’s short story [The Variant](http://johnaugust.com/variant)
* John’s short story [Snake People](http://www.amazon.com/Snake-People-ebook/dp/B004H8GF0U) on Kindle
* INTRO: [HBO 1983 intro](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1NKoMNy5bY)
* OUTRO: [Man in the Mirror (Acoustic)](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/man-in-mirror-acoustic-single/id379339709) by James Morrison

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_18.m4a).

UPDATE 1-9-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-18-zen-and-the-angst-of-kaufman-transcript).

What do producers do?

News, Producers, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

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.

Which is the more impressive credit — producer or executive producer? In film, it’s the former. In TV, it’s the latter. But whatever the title, producers are integral to getting a movie or TV show made.

Craig feels producers can be either anxiety buffers or anxiety conductors. John breaks down four essential roles you find producers filling:

1. **The general.** This producer keeps things moving forward and protects the production. She forces you to make decisions.
2. **The diplomat.** This producer makes sure crazy people feel respected, even when they’re being giant pains-in-the-ass. He talks the actress out of her trailer.
3. **The creative.** This producer reminds everyone what kind of movie they’re trying to make. She performs quality control for the production.
4. **The bulldozer.** This producer will smash down a phone booth to help the director get his shot. (This actually happened.)

Some producers can fill multiple roles (like diplomat-creative), but you’ll often find these qualities spread out among several people on a production, regardless of the size.

Who’s that fat cat, and how did he afford such a fancy cigar? Find out on episode seventeen of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Producer credits and what they mean](http://johnaugust.com/2004/producer-credits-and-what-they-mean)
* [Producers Guild of America](http://www.producersguild.org/)
* [Kelly Manners](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0543128/) on IMDb
* INTRO: [The Weebles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hy4lfHYDWt4&feature=related)
* OUTRO: [What More Can I Say (Falsettoland)](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-more-can-i-say-falsettoland/id251490303?i=251490410) performed by the San Francisco’s Gay Men’s Chorus

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_17.m4a).

UPDATE 1-4-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-17-what-do-producers-do-transcript).

Thirteen questions about one thing

QandA, Scriptnotes

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.

They’re residual questions about residuals, which seems very meta:

* Do TV show creators get compensated for every rerun?
* How do residuals differ from profit participations and foreign levies?
* And where does new media fall in all of this?

Thirteen conversations about a few things, on episode sixteen of Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Dark Men](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1605982717/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) by Derek Haas on Amazon
* [Popcorn Fiction](http://www.mulhollandbooks.com/popcornfiction/previous.html) short stories by screenwriters
* [UltraViolet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UltraViolet_(system)) the studios’ digital locker platform
* [Follies (New Broadway Cast Recording)](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/follies-new-broadway-cast/id481773992) on iTunes
* Jane Epenson’s [Husbands](http://husbandstheseries.com/)
* Lisa Kudrow’s [Web Therapy](http://www.lstudio.com/web-therapy/)
* INTRO: [Riptide main theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMq59GCaIfw)
* OUTRO: [What More Can I Say](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/what-more-can-i-say/id3566075?i=3566051) by Jay-Z

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_16.m4a).

UPDATE 12-15-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-16-thirteen-questions-by-daniel-barkeley-transcript).

Screenwriting gurus and so-called experts

Books, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, Videogames

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.

It’s a rare podcast in which I sway Craig’s opinion whatsoever, but if you listen really carefully, I think he leaves the show just slightly less negative about screenwriting books than he started. It’s all about degrees with Craig.

Plus, we get a visit from the LAPD, follow-up on residuals, and a bit more about unionizing videogame writers.

LINKS:

* [Crime rates in Los Angeles](http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=crime+rates+in+los+angeles) (Wolfram-Alpha)
* Syd Field’s classic book [Screenplay](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0385339038/?tag=johnaugustcom-20).
* Christopher Volger’s [The Writer’s Journey](http://www.amazon.com/dp/193290736X/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)
* Stuart’s [review](http://johnaugust.com/2011/the-writers-journey-mythic-structure-for-writers) of Vogler’s book
* Linda Seger’s [Making a Good Script Great](http://www.amazon.com/dp/1935247018/?tag=johnaugustcom-20)

(Note that none of the books listed above are actually recommended. But we talk about them, so it feels fair to provide links.)

* Intro: [Jem and the Holograms](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz4QRB25DSI)
* Outro: [Exquisite Corpse](http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/exquisite-corpse/id405127549?i=405127554) by Casey Spooner

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_15.m4a).

UPDATE 12-13-11: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2011/scriptnotes-ep-15-on-screenwriting-gurus-transcript).