Scriptnotes Podcast

John welcomes back Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Devil Wears Prada) to ask, what do executives expect from a pitch these days? They look at the typical structure of a pitch deck, how that differs from lookbooks, how pitches have evolved over the years, and best practices for pitching on Zoom. Also, what happened to single-lady sitcoms? If you remember Monday nights in the 90's, you know what we're talking about. We reflect on what they did for the culture and how social media and reality TV may be taking their place. In our bonus segment for premium members, Aline tells us what it was like being back on the set for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Gird your loins, people! Links: Preorder the Scriptnotes book! Scriptnotes LIVE at Dynasty Typewriter in LA, November 30th! Only a few tickets left! Dick's Sporting Goods Launches Entertainment Studio The Ladies of Monday Night I Love LAThe DiplomatShotdeck Stranger Things pitch deck Paramount Makes Big Buy of Comedy Spec Script 'Bald Eagles'Big A## CalendarRareform bagsAline and John talk about writing memorable endingsPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig look at all the pleasant, normal people around them and ask, what happened to the weirdos? They root out the causes of cultural stagnation, offer potential solutions, and explore the entertainment that still finds a way to be weird. We also look at the tipping point between "wanting to write" and "actually writing," follow up on printer prices and billboard queens, and answer listener questions on soundtracks, adapting a podcast and feeling ownership over your ideas. In our bonus segment for premium members, we try to remember how we construct our personal narratives, and the pros and cons of remembering our past. Our LIVE book release show will be at Dynasty Typewriter in LA on November 30th — get your tickets now! Links: Scriptnotes LIVE! Book release show ticketsThe Uncool Meet the Sisters Battling to Become L.A.'s New Billboard Queen The Decline of DevianceToo Many CooksHappiness (1998)Ken RussellCommunity tries to figure out if Nicholas Cage is good or badHomecomingChannelVueServant of the Lake Some People Can't See Mental Images. The Consequences Are ProfoundPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig return to Texas for their 11th show at the Austin Film Festival. They welcome writer Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) and showrunner Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar, Bel-Air) to look at what makes character relationships compelling, and how to build a writing career later in life. We also answer lister questions on getting un-stuck in a script, how podcasting has made us better writers, the limits of exposition, using AI for sizzle reels, and where we get the cajones selling a screenwriting book after slagging-off screenwriting books for fourteen years. In our bonus segment for premium members, we invite two Scriptnotes super-fans up to the stage to compete for the ultimate prize: an early, signed copy of the Scriptnotes book. Links: Pamela RibonAnthony SparksAustin Film FestivalPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Our Moneyball episodeEnter the Relationship MatrixBring It On toothbrush sceneSTOMPWriter Emergency PackGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig look at three tales of lies, betrayal and deceit and ask, How Would This be a Movie? Stories include a flamboyant show-business grifter, a sibling rivalry between two LA billboard queens, and American students tricked into attending a fake Oxford college. We also follow up on audio dramas, last looks, and answer listener questions on a suspicious AI story and what do do with producers that are too keen. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you watch TV when you’re away from home, particularly overseas? We share the joys and frustrations of tuning in while you’re on the road. Links: signed copy of the Scriptnotes book! The Many Faces Of “Sir” Marco Robinson, The Man Who Grifted Aspiring Filmmakers With Claims About Being A “#2 Netflix” ProducerGet a House for Free Meet the Sisters Battling to Become L.A.’s New Billboard QueenDynasty (1981)Rica Famosa Latina Fake OxfordFawlty TowersFather Ted ‘Run It Through GPT-5’: The Phrase Changing Hollywood OvernightSydney, AustraliaGhost of YōteiPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer and actress Nora Garrett to look at how her first screenplay, After the Hunt, took her from being un-repped to working with director Luca Guadagnino. They discuss her path from acting to writing, how her script went from being rejected by screenplay competitions to landing on Julia Roberts’ desk, and how she constructed her complex power dynamics on the the page. They also answer listener questions on building tension and knowing when to tell rather than show. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Nora talk day jobs and how to balance focusing on your craft wi– shhh! The boss is coming, get back to work. Links: Read along with our excerpts from After the HuntNora GarrettAfter the HuntEpisode 667 – The One with Justin Kuritzkes The RehearsalFlesh WorldBig Reader Bad GradesBenDeLaCreme on Good OnePreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig invite Aline Brosh McKenna back to celebrate the third anniversary of Scriptnotes. It’s a jam-packed, glass-and-a-half of wine, listener-favorite episode. They look at ways to breathe new life into scenes and characters that aren’t working, box office journalism and how Hollywood is always dying, scene geography, and the role of emotional intelligence (or EQ) in a writer’s career. In our bonus segment for premium members, we have original outtakes from the episode where we look at what changed in the world in our first three years on air, make predictions for what’s to come, re-invent Spanx, and of course talk about D&D. Links: Submit to our LIVE Three Page Challenge here!The original episode 161transcriptInstagramIMDb Why do people throw tomatoes?The Knowledge Global EntryMovies Have Worst Summer Since 1997WikipediaeBayMaguire WatchThe Angeles Crest FiascoThe Dirty ShowThe Honourable WomanThis Movie Will Require DinosaursN3TWORKPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Stuart FriedelDrew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig wonder, how has TV changed in the last ten years? They compare what’s better and worse, the tradeoffs between quality and quantity, how curation is changing, the pros and cons of shorter seasons, and what this all means for writers and viewers. We also look forward to our time at the Austin Film Festival, offer paths for writers to keep their health insurance, follow up on Three Page Challenge selections that actually got made, and answer listener questions on adapting a screenplay into an audio drama and payment for work after a script is turned in. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig looks at what makes a damn fine cup of coffee. Links: Submit for our LIVE Three Page Challenge here!Entertainment Community Fund Services & Programs Signed editions of the Scriptnotes BookDestination: EarthWeekend ReadEpisode 163: GhostWGA Showrunner Training ProgramPhantom InkThe House of TeslaPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig discuss short films: what makes a great short, when should you make one, and what should you realistically expect out of it? We also update our predictions on whether the career of “screenwriter” can survive potential global catastrophes. We then answer listener questions on staff writer wages and using URLs in a script. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk intermissions and why more movies should have them. Links: Remembering Sundance Institute Founder, Robert RedfordRobert Redford Digital Dungeons and Dragons DieTally to vote for Scriptnotes Live Shows Scriptnotes Episode 334, Worst Case Scenarios, TranscriptMaccy AppDEVO Documentary on NetflixInstagramXPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Liz Hannah (The Post, The Girl from Plainville) to discuss how to construct and communicate setting in a script. They talk about the balance between establishing a sense of space while avoiding the beginner’s mistake of over-blocking. We also follow up on accountability groups, last looks, and French composers. Then, we answer listener questions on revisions and getting your Hollywood Card revoked. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Liz consider how to explain screenwriting to your kids (and others). LINKS: Bob The Musical has a Director!Download Weekend Read on the App Store Oxo Carbon Steel PanDehv Candle CompanyApply for a student license for Highland Pro!More info here!Preorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig ask, how do you keep your period films from being a boring history lesson? They offer ten tips to keep your setting from taking over your story, defining the scope of your research, and how to balance the reality of the era with what’s relevant to audiences today. We also follow up on navigating industry connections and answer three period-appropriate listener questions on transitions across time, accurate dialogue, and how to handle historical sensitivities on the page. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig get into some toil and trouble as they give their rankings of the most iconic witches. Links: Apply for a student license for Highland Pro!More info here! Mel Gibson rant at Joe Eszterhas caught on tape Episode 129: The One with the Guys from Final Draft Episode 314: Unforgiven Episode 674: The One vvith Robert EggersEpisode 212Episode 394Standard ThermalAnd a summary by CEO Austin VernonPanthalassa The Concept C Is the All-Electric Sports Car Kick-Starting Audi’s Design FutureCountdown on Amazon Prime VideoRank these iconic witches!Preorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back producer Megana Rao, who has a question: how do you polish a script before sending it out? From obvious things like typos and title pages to tougher choices like cutting and transitions, they look at what to consider on a final pass so you can email your script with confidence. Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where we look at three listener-submitted scripts to offer our honest feedback on what’s working and what could use another pass. We also follow-up on advice for general meetings. In our bonus segment for premium members, what makes a great score? We look at the function of the soundtrack for feature films and how to work with composers. Links: The Thin Place – “Pilot”Sunset PaycheckLevelling UpSubmit to the next Three Page ChallengeInstagramXFixed-do vs. movable do solfège How to Tell if Something is AI-WrittenMark Halpin 2025 Labor Day ExtravaganzaPageant of the MastersPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig examine how to best use your connections to help yourself and others. They look at ways to identify the strength of a connection, leverage them without being manipulative, the nitty-gritty of approaching others for a favor, and the important ways to be generous in return. We also look at the good news in the WGA’s 2025 Screen Compensation Guide, follow-up on creator pay through streaming services, and answer listener questions on how to tell if you’re improving something, and whether having kids changes our storytelling. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig piece together their feelings on modern LEGO sets. Links: Scriptnotes Book is now on Goodreads!Scriptnotes 700 on YouTubeEpisode 645 with Meredith ScardinoVimeo on DemandKanopy WGAw Screen Compensation GuideNYT ConnectionsPips 50 Things I KnowPreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

To celebrate our 700th episode, John and Craig open the phone lines for a live late-night call-in show (recorded at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday). Through the power of Zoom (and YouTube), listeners ask questions about rewrites in post, avoiding traps as a production designer, changing characters in a rewrite, and advice on leaving the entertainment industry. We also welcome back familiar faces from Scriptnotes history for a brand-new segment, “People, Places and Things,” where we look at movie stills and ask how we might describe them on the page. Also for debate, what is the boundary between “spoiler” and “what’s happening in culture”? In our bonus segment for premium members, we keep the videophone lines open for more listener questions on juggling multiple projects, preparing alt lines for production, and whether studios option projects just to kill them. You can (and should!) watch the entire episode on our YouTube channel. Just search for Scriptnotes Podcast. While you’re there, give us a Like and a Follow. Links: Watch episode 700 on YouTube!Stuart FriedelMegan McDonellMegana RaoWeaponsThe Hunting WivesVince Gilligan YouTube video Our Back to School collectionWeekend ReadWoman onewoman twoman onekid duooceansidehousecityScriptnotes Episode 399: Notes on Notes Spike tapeBridge Base OnlinePreorder the Scriptnotes Book!Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Every writer has to pitch themselves, but how do you do it without sounding like a tool? John welcomes back Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) for a big talk about small talk and general meetings. They offer practical tips on what to expect, how to get people to open up, navigating NDAs, staying true to yourself, and organically moving the conversation away from the weather and towards your work. We also look at a pernicious effect of underemployment (starting with a prompt from Ryan Knighton,) and answer listener questions on alternating POV, reusing adjectives, and giving your story beats cause and effect. In our bonus segment for premium members, we get meta as we discuss the modern podcast landscape and next era of Scriptnotes. Links: Scriptnotes Episode 700 – LIVEPamela RibonMy Year of DicksRental Family trailer Japan’s Rent-A-Family Industry37 Seconds Good conversations have lots of doorknobs Real Time Lightning MapStudents Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) Who Is Watching All These Podcasts?Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig descend into development hell to look at films that almost but never quite existed. Using both widely-publicized and little-known examples, they examine common patterns that keep movies frozen in script form. We also follow up on solar storms, writer education and genres people should see at least one of. We then answer listener questions on writing empathetically, late-career stamina, non-English dialogue, multi-part movies, and the Scriptnotes theme itself. In our bonus segment for premium members, if John and Craig were never paid to write in the screenplay format again, would they still do it? Links: Preorder the Scriptnotes Book! Birdigo Aurora by David KoeppPale FlowerDeep RedSuspiriaHands on a Hard BodyAmerican MovieWonderland Hands on a Hardbody the musicalCurePulse Moft magnetic wallet stand Total Party Skill podcastGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

The Scriptnotes Book is real, and now available for preorder! John and Craig take a look through its 335 pages to explore the topics, guests and deep-dives we’ve assembled from over 1,000 hours of this podcast, creating what is sure to be your favorite bathroom book. Then it’s another round of How Would This Be a Movie?, where we look at four stories in the news to see whether they’re ripe for adaptation. Stories include a mother taking on the revenge porn industry, a wife navigating her husband’s longtime crush, a government worker who was secretly recorded on a date, and the potential destruction of solar storms. We also answer a listener question on current filmmaking technology. In our bonus segment for premium members, what is kindness? John and Craig talk through what sets this undervalued quality apart from niceness and other traits we mistake for kind. Link: Preorder the Scriptnotes book! A Mother’s Revenge Charlotte Laws’ fight with Hunter Moore, the internet’s revenge porn king Help! My Husband’s Manic Pixie Past Has Become a Full-Blown Threat to My SanityWhat’s That Name An Offhand Remark About Gold Bars, Secretly Recorded, Upended His Life The Unseen Fury of Solar StormsTRMNLSteve Ballmer: DevelopersThe Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered BirdigoGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

In this compendium episode, John and Craig set their focus on directors — and how to work with them as a screenwriter. They look at the inner-workings of the writer-director relationship, etiquette on set, how to communicate notes from pre-production through post, and outline the qualities of the “perfect” director. We also offer advice to a first time director, looking at how to prep a project, how to run a set, working with actors, and how to inspire a crew to make the best movie possible. In our bonus segment for premium members, Drew joins John back in 2025 for advice about casting, and what to do when actors pass on your project. Links: Episode 4 – Working with directorsEpisode 176 – Advice to a First-Time DirectorScrappyHyperCardMount Wilson ObservatoryGodThe RemnantsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Stuart FriedelDrew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit, Dept. Q) to offer their best advice to film students and the people who teach them. They look at ways to improve how we educate writers, and offer advice to an aspiring development executive. We also look at the intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivations of characters in Scott’s new series, Dept. Q, follow up on the decline of sex in movies, and ask, what genres of movies should people see at least one of? In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Scott take a broader view of education in America to see what they’ve learned and what they would change. Links: Dept. QScott FrankEpisode 476: The Other SensesEveryone Is Beautiful And No One Is HornyScriptnotes 639: Intrinsic MotivationAntimemetics: Why Some Ideas Resist Spreading Elmore Leonard’s Perfect Pitch Richard Price’s Street Life McDonald’s AI Hiring Bot Exposed Millions of Applicants’ Data to Hackers Who Tried the Password ‘123456’Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (Chip n’ Dale: Rescue Rangers, Pretty Smart) to ask, how do you revive a dead genre? Using their upcoming movie The Naked Gun, they look at why the spoof genre fell apart, the challenges of introducing it to a new generation, and why turning genre tropes into jokes will always resonate with an audience. We also look at other genres they don’t make anymore, follow up on Dogma 25, and answer listener questions on complicated rewrites and whether or not to hire a publicist. In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Doug and Dan look at the movies that Gen Z hasn’t seen (and whether they even need to). Links: The Naked GunDan GregorDoug MandEpisode 548: Made for StreamersBottomsDicks: The MusicalNow, VoyagerIt Ends with UsSpencerBody HeatJagged EdgeAltered StatesDead Ringers You Must Remember Thins: Erotic 80sLonesome DoveThe English PatientOut of AfricaPast LivesMaterialistsRomancing the StoneThe Lost City John’s Aladdin residuals Breakthrough cholesterol treatment can cut levels by 69% after one dose One dose of experimental drug nearly wipes out stealthy cholesterol in ‘remarkable’ trial The Pentagon Disinformation That Fueled America’s UFO MythologyCalvin Kang on IngstagramWeekend Read 2 Top movies that Gen Z have never watched revealed – including Oscar-winning classicsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig plant the idea for setups that have the most satisfying payoffs. Different from exposition, setups introduce ideas and concepts to an audience, priming them for a later revelation. They look at the sleight of hand required to have your setups deftly planted, take root in your audience’s mind, and grow into something delightful. But first, we look at the new California tax credits, the 2025 WGA annual report, follow up on AI and VFX, postmodernism, and verticals. We also answer listener questions on music videos and outing yourself to potential employers. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at the New York Times’ new list of the 100 best movies of the 21st century. We all know Craig loves pitting movies against each other, so there’s definitely no umbrage here. Links: The Best Movies of the 21st Century California lawmakers approve expanded $750-million film tax credit program WGA Annual Reportemployment and earningsresidualsMichael Graves How ReelShort CEO Joey Jia Used a Chinese Trend to Disrupt the U.S. Entertainment IndustrySundance LabsSabrina Carpenter – ManchildDJ Snake, Lil Jon – Turn Down for WhatMadonna – Voguea-ha – Take On MeRiz Ahmed – The Long GoodbyePhil Collins – Don’t Lose My Number30 minutes with a strangerChris Perkins Mike Birbiglia’s top ten movies of the 21st centuryGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.