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Splitting the Party

Episode - 383

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January 15, 2019 Adaptation, Arlo Finch, Big Fish, Film Industry, Follow Up, Genres, News, Producers, QandA, Rights and Copyright, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, Travel, Treatments

John and Craig talk about the trope of “Never split the party,” and why, as a writer, you often want and need to divide up your characters to better explore relationships, propel the story forward, give actors something to do, and simply fit everyone in the frame.

We also follow up on screenwriting scams, sequences, websites, and liking things that others don’t.

Links:

  • Join us for the WGA’s Princess Bride screening on January 27th.
  • You can catch John on Studio 360.
  • “Let’s Split Up the Gang” and “Never Split the Party” are topical TV tropes.
  • Watch Patton Oswalt when he’s not being utilized in a big scene.
  • Scriptnotes, Ep 381: Double Ampersand with Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens
  • Big Fish sequence outline
  • Sarah Silverman recording Slaughter Race, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Phil Johnston and Tom MacDougall
  • TripIt
  • This Is Your Brain On Pot
  • You can now preorder the next Arlo Finch
  • T-shirts are available here! We’ve got new designs, including Colored Revisions, Karateka, and Highland2.
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 1-23-2019: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Craig Hates Dummies

August 28, 2018 Adaptation, Film Industry, Follow Up, Genres, Highland, News, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Transcribed, Travel, WGA

John and Craig are back at it with another installment of How Would This Be a Movie? They consider the story of a competitive mass Tinder date, a retirement home for ventriloquist dummies and the McDonald’s Monopoly heist.

We also revisit John’s WGA Corner for updates, follow up on the conflict within IATSE, and get a great sense of Craig’s passionate beef with ventriloquism.

Links:

  • Studios Back In Antitrust Spotlight As AMC Chain Loses Key Court Ruling by Dominic Patten for Deadline
  • Class Struggle in Hollywood, 1930-1950: Moguls, Stars, Reds, and Trade Unionists by Gerald Horne
  • @bvdhai’s Twitter thread about the mass Tinder date
  • Woman dupes dozens of dudes into weirdest Tinder date ever and Tinder hottie dupes dozens of dopes, but it’s all a marketing stunt by Ruth Brown for the NY Post
  • ‘Tinder Trap’ model claims she’s the victim after duping guys by Tamar Lapin and Ruth Brown
  • Monterey Jack’s Twitter thread about Vent Haven
  • Vent Haven’s official website
  • How an Ex-Cop Rigged McDonald’s Monopoly Game and Stole Millions Jeff Maysh for the Daily Beast
  • Behind Hollywood’s A-List Bidding War for a McDonald’s Monopoly Article by Chris Lee for Vulture
  • In a Town of 11 People, Mysterious Disappearance Turns Neighbor Against Neighbor by Jacqueline Williams for the New York Times
  • McGill music student awarded $350,000 after girlfriend stalls career by René Bruemmer for the Montreal Gazette
  • US judge orders 30-year-old man to move out of his parents’ house
  • Flat track roller derby, like Angel City Derby
  • 7 Billion Humans
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Scriptnotes Digital Seasons are also now available!
  • Outro by Timothy Vajda (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 9-4-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Comedy Geometry

April 3, 2018 Film Industry, Follow Up, Producers, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, Travel, Writing Process

Craig welcomes Alec Berg, executive producer of two current HBO comedies (Barry and Silicon Valley), to discuss balancing productivity and creative energy, “comedy geometry,” and identifying as a craftsman rather than an artist.

We also answer listener questions about committing to a genre, the necessity of act breaks, and how much writers actually get to keep of their paycheck.

Links:

  • Thanks for joining us, Alec Berg! Check out his credits.
  • Barry is now on HBO!
  • Silicon Valley is in its 5th season on HBO.
  • Sharing your wifi password
  • The Last of Sheila by Anthony Perkins and Stephen Sondheim, directed by Herbert Ross. Here’s the trailer.
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • Alec Berg on Twitter
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 4-11-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Austin Live Show 2017 (AKA Too Many Scotts)

October 31, 2017 Directors, Film Industry, Producers, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Television, Transcribed, Travel, Writer Emergency Pack, Writing Process

John and Craig talk with uber-screenwriter Scott Frank (Out of Sight, Get Shorty, Minority Report, Logan) about how his feature script Godless ended up as a miniseries at Netflix.

We then invite more guests up to discuss what movies can learn from the success of TV:

  • Guinevere Turner (American Psycho, Go Fish)
  • Scott Alexander (Ed Wood, The People v. O.J. Simpson,)
  • Tess Morris (Man Up, “You Had Us At Hello” podcast)
  • Lindsay Doran (producer of Stranger Than Fiction, Sense and Sensibility)

In our final segment, we’re joined by a new batch of writers to play “The Studio Has Notes.”

  • Dana Fox (How to Be Single, Ben and Kate)
  • Megan Amram (The Good Place, The Simpsons)
  • Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street, Shimmer Lake)
  • Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman, Ice Age: Continental Drift)
  • Scott Rosenberg (High Fidelity, Beautiful Girls)

Can our lucky audience member pick out the one fake note among the five real ones? Can you?

Recorded live from the Driskill Ballroom at the 2017 Austin Film Festival.

Thanks to the Austin Film Festival for hosting us, and to a great audience. It’s one of our highlights each year.

Links:

  • Scriptnotes T-shirts are here! We’ve got Classic (in light and dark mode), the Umbrage Strikes Back, and Umbrage & Reason.
  • Thank you, Austin Film Festival!
  • Scott Frank’s IMDB and on twitter. And don’t miss the trailer for Godless, his upcoming miniseries on Netflix.
  • Guinevere Turner’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Scott Alexander’s IMDB
  • Tess Morris’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Lindsay Doran’s IMDB
  • Dana Fox’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Megan Amram’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Oren Uziel’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Jason Fuchs’s IMDB and on twitter
  • Scott Rosenberg’s IMDB
  • “The Studio Has Notes” notes
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 11-6-17: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

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