John August

WGA

Some voting suggestions for the WGA board

WGA

By now, WGA members should have received their ballots for the 2012 election. This year, I’m a little more connected the process than usual, because I served on the nominating committee, helping to choose the 15 candidates running for the eight open seats on the board.

Actually, “helping to choose” wildly misrepresents the function of the nominating committee. The process is really more like this:

1. Identifying possible candidates. “Hey! Who can we can we convince to run for the board? What if we begged and promised them candy?”
2. Weeding out crazy people through a 20-minute interview.

There weren’t any crazy people this year. Really. I was impressed by all the candidates who came in. Many brought interesting perspectives on issues facing writers and the industry.

You can read about their specific goals and plans in the candidates’ statements booklet. If you have any questions, I’d encourage you to come to Candidates Night, this Wednesday, September 5th. (You should [RSVP](https://my.wgaw.org/content/subpage_secure.aspx?id=2872) if you’re going.)

Among the many talented candidates, I have two friends running this year.

I met [Barbara Turner](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0877399/) on the picket lines, and had no idea she’s been a member since 1966. She has experience in both features and made-fors, and specific ideas about how to ensure participating writers are properly notified about possible credit arbitration. It’s the kind of small detail that could change a writer’s life, and is absolutely worth getting right.

I strongly encouraged [Jordan Mechner](http://jordanmechner.com/wga/) to run. In addition to his screenwriting work, he has invaluable experience creating videogames and graphic novels — intellectual property in which he owns the underlying rights. The WGA represents writers as employees, but we’re also entrepreneurs, and Jordan’s insight into ownership could be very helpful as the industry changes.

I haven’t filled out my ballot yet — they’re due September 20th — but my priorities will be making sure we have a range of experience (TV, features, new media) and an abundance of smart people. I’m not worried about whether each candidate has a clear vision for an esoteric pension/health issue, but rather that he or she has the curiosity and diligence to find the right answers. On these criteria, I think we have great choices.

The Somewhat Healthy Screenwriter

Episode - 50

Go to Archive

Follow Up, Random Advice, Scriptnotes, Transcribed, WGA

Screenwriters are often not the healthiest folk. We do our work at computers, surrounded by snacks, so it’s no surprise many of us get fat. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Screenwriters are often not the healthiest folk. We do our work at computers, surrounded by snacks, so it’s no surprise many of us are not our fittest. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We’re not doctors or nutritionists, but we’re relatively healthy members of a cohort that is relatively unhealthy, so our advice might point you in useful directions.

We also discuss the upcoming WGA Board elections, sumo wrestlers, head tits, Jaclyn Smith and secret e-smoking.

All this in more in the new Scriptnotes.

LINKS:

* [Conehead leads to sumo rule change](http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1290&dat=19940713&id=mlRUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W44DAAAAIBAJ&pg=6580,6135447)
* [Jaclyn Smith](http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/03/05/us-smith-idUSTRE52424720090305) at the premiere of Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle
* [Frankenweenie](http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/disney/frankenweenie/) trailer is cute
* [CDC: Pretty Much Everyone is Fat](http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/08/cdc-everyone-fat/), from Wired
* [P90X](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TG8D6I/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000TG8D6I&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20) DVD set on Amazon
* [The 4-Hour Body](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/030746363X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=030746363X&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20), by Tim Ferriss on Amazon
* [Jambox](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004E10KI8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004E10KI8&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20) wireless speaker on Amazon
* [Big Jambox](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006AXRR3Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006AXRR3Y&linkCode=as2&tag=johnaugustcom-20) wireless speaker on Amazon
* INTRO: [Fat Albert opening theme](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WT-fxBNKs8)
* OUTRO: [Baby Got Back](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZK68X8/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), covered by Jonathan Coulton

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_50.m4a).

**UPDATE** 8-17-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](https://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-50-the-somewhat-healthy-screenwriter-transcript).

Craig dreams of sushi

Challenge, Scriptnotes, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, WGA

Craig and John look at the results of the WGA screenwriter survey, which found widespread reports of bake-offs, prewriting and other shenanigans.

If there’s any solace to be found, it’s that *it’s not just you.* Things are frustrating for the vast majority of screenwriters.

After some follow-up discussion about the low percentage of women screenwriters, we get to the meat of this week’s podcast: round two of the Three Page Challenge, in which we look at the first three pages of listener-submitted samples. If you have a chance, read the PDFs ahead of time. You can find them in the links.

Big thanks to Sarah Nerboso, Jesse Grce and Austin Reynolds for inviting us to talk about their work on-air.

Also discussed this week: groin injuries, Japanese documentaries, earworms, and John’s feel-free-to-use motto: “Ikea: For Now, It’s Fine.”

LINKS:

* [P90X](http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/p90x.do)
* [What Happens Next: A History of American Screenwriting](http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307393887/?tag=johnaugustcom-20), by Marc Norman
* [WGA’s Summary of 2011 Survey Results](http://www.latimes.com/media/acrobat/2012-07/71296881-24182601.pdf), from the LA Times
* Three pages by [Sarah Nerboso](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/sarah_nerboso.pdf)
* Three pages by [Austin Reynolds](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/austin_reynolds.pdf)
* Three pages by [Jesse Grce](http://johnaugust.com/Assets/jesse_grce.pdf)
* [Jiro Dreams of Sushi](http://www.magpictures.com/jirodreamsofsushi/)
* [PRI’s The World in Words](http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pris-world-world-in-words/id279833390) podcast
* INTRO: [Hallmark cards, 1981](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgiZmdJocdc&feature=relmfu)
* OUTRO: [Part of Your World](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vkb5nbqPoE) by Darren Criss

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_48.m4a).

**UPDATE** 8-2-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-48-craig-dreams-of-sushi-transcript).

Setting, perspective and terrible numbers

Challenge, Scriptnotes, Story and Plot, Three Page Challenge, Transcribed, WGA

It’s two parts craft and one part business as Craig and John discuss the alarming earnings report coming out of the WGA, plus a deeper look at setting and POV.

For feature screenwriters, it’s hard to find a silver lining in the [WGA’s report](http://www.wga.org/uploadedFiles/who_we_are/annual_reports/annualreport12.pdf) on 2011 earnings. Numbers are down significantly, both in total dollars and the number of writers earning anything at all.

2011 earnings chart

Of course, you don’t have to be employed to write a script, so we spend the rest of the show talking about two crucial aspects of screenwriting: choosing effective settings and deciding on POV.

Setting is both a macro and micro decision. Early on, you need to figure out where your movie takes place. Everything about your story will be impacted by the world you choose. Then as you write individual scenes, you look for environments that provide opportunities and challenges for your characters — and for the director. Film is a visual medium, so smart screenwriters consider what settings will suit a big screen.

Perspective, or POV, is about figuring out which characters have storytelling power in your movie. Which characters can anchor a scene without the hero? Which characters can do voiceover? The choices you make greatly effect audience expectation, so it’s worth thinking about at the very start.

Finally, we talk about the Three Page Challenge. On an upcoming podcast, we’ll be critiquing three pages (and only three pages!) from listeners’ scripts. If you want to participate, visit [johnaugust.com/threepage](http://johnaugust.com/threepage) for details.

LINKS:

* [2012 WGAW Annual Report to Writers](http://www.wga.org/subpage_whoweare.aspx?id=230)
* [Bridesmaids](http://www.bridesmaidsmovie.com/index.php)
* [The Shaggs](http://www.shaggs.com/)
* [PB2 Peanut Butter Powder](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002GJ9JWS/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* [Cambridge Ivory Wirebound Notebook](http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VIVX2M/?tag=johnaugustcom-20) on Amazon
* [The Scriptnotes Three Page Challenge](http://johnaugust.com/threepage)
* INTRO: [Lite Brite commercial](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Huat89z2WrA)
* OUTRO: [Super Mario Brothers on Classical Guitar](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3UTHj16ukM)

You can download the episode here: [AAC](http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/scriptnotes_ep_45.m4a).

**UPDATE** 7-12-12: The transcript of this episode can be found [here](http://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-45-setting-perspective-and-terrible-numbers-transcript).