Scriptnotes Podcast

Many of the biggest AI models have been trained on film and TV dialogue, and writers are furious. John and Craig explore the legal, ethical and philosophical implications of this revelation, our emotional reactions to it, and offer strategies for picking the right hills to die on. But first, we follow up on the definition of horror vs. thriller, generational narcissism, and young people’s ambition. We also answer listener questions on when to bail on a script and how to approach your first contract. In our bonus segment for premium members, we dig into the philosophical implications of Craig believing we live in a simulation, and whether that necessarily implies a creator. Woah, man. Links: FlightplanThe Lady Vanishes There’s No Longer Any Doubt That Hollywood Writing Is Powering AI Vince Gilligan Statement on AI to USCOLunchablesThe Serenity PrayerJon Batiste hears Green Day for the First Time Tini’s Mac and CheeseGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome Brian Jordan Alvarez & Stephanie Koenig (English Teacher) and Jac Schaeffer (Agatha All Along, WandaVision) to join them for a live holiday benefit for Hollywood HEART. They discuss constructing Agatha All Along from blue sky to the Witches’ Road, “protagonizing” a villain, breaking in through YouTube and maintaining a working relationship with your best friend. We also play a new game, the Christmas Song Three Word Challenge, with former Scriptnotes producers Megan McDonnell (Dark Matter, The Marvels) and Megana Rao (Unstable). In our bonus segment for premium members, we answer an all-star round of audience questions in maybe the best Q&A we’ve ever had. Thanks to our fantastic audience, everyone at Dynasty Typewriter, and Hollywood HEART for putting the event together. Links: Hollywood HEARTJac SchaefferBrian Jordan AlvarezStephanie KoenigAgatha All AlongFleetwood Mac – Silver Springs (Live)English TeacherA Spy MovieSittingMy Old AssThe Downeaster “Alexa”The Later Daters Sun lampsThin Mint bitesA Man on the InsideGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes playwright, novelist and screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes to discuss having his first two movies — Challengers and Queer — produced a single year. After charting his journey from playwright to screenwriter, we compare two drafts of Challengers to look at how the story changed during a hasty development, including crafting that iconic three-way. We also explore adapting William S. Burroughs’ novel Queer, and the film’s approach to showing sex on screen. In our bonus segment for premium members, Justin looks back on his time as a viral YouTube potion seller, and the value of that creative outlet early in his career. Links: Justin KuritzkesInstagramYouTubeChallengersQueerFamous PeopleChallengers – Production Draft Challengers – First DraftQueerPotion Seller3000 Miles to GracelandWhy does my sign look like it has been burned?Know Your Enemy podcastGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig take a deep dive with the Devil, exploring the unholy trinity of satanic films: Rosemary’s Baby, The Exorcist and The Omen. They look at how these three horror classics work, where our modern conception of Satan comes from, and the future of the Devil on screen. We also answer listener questions on character arcs in horror, what separates horror movies from thrillers, and why the spooky stuff rarely gets awards attention. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig offer their nominations for the antichrist of our times. Links: Rosemary’s BabyScreenplayThe ExorcistScreenplayThe OmenScreenplay Gifted by Simon RichSay NothingGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig analyze the iconic 1995 comedy Clueless, and why they’re majorly, totally, butt crazy in love with it. A contemporary adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma set in Beverly Hills, Clueless follows protagonist Cher as she tries to do ‘good’ through make-over montages and match-making attempts. We discuss how the movie sets up the characters in the first ten minutes, why Cher’s voiceover works so well, and how Clueless ushered in a new era of teen movies. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig share their own experiences learning to drive and how they’re preparing to teach their teenage daughters driving. Links: CluelessClueless Script Episode Transcript8D sound example Creme Mains hand cremeO’Keefe’s Working Hands creamGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig explore character agency in everything from scenes to entire series. They look at what agency looks like on the page, which characters should have agency, and what to do when you feel your characters sleepwalking through the plot. We also strategize ways to move forward after the recent US election, and answer listener questions on writing sign language, screenwriting software for the blind, and how writing credits work when your TV series gets turned into a movie. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig escape to a world where where the story is always on rails — Disneyland! Links: Scriptnotes LIVE! December 6th at Dynasty Typewriter Even Under Trump, California (Yes, That Hellscape) Will Keep Moving the World Forward The Great Big Book of Horrible Things: The Definitive Chronicle of History’s 100 Worst AtrocitiesAnd Yet It MovesMarthaReplacement ear pads for Sony MDR-7506 headphones The Quantum Geometry That Exists Outside of Space and TimeGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig look at how writers (and other humans) handle the anxiety of uncertainty, from election nights to green lights. We’ll talk through strategies for navigating situations where your circle of concern doesn’t match your circle of control. Then we travel back to the 1980s and 90s, when many studios were run by ambitious strivers in their late 20s and early 30s. As the decades have passed, the players in these positions have held onto their posts, leaving the next generation stuck mid-ladder. We discuss what impact the aging of Hollywood has had on its output, and where the new guard might find an opening. We also ask, is development wage theft? And answer listener questions on reusing material written for a different project, and the cost-plus model of production. And in our bonus topic for premium members, what aspects of pandemic life have we incorporated into our daily routines? Links: Scriptnotes LIVE! December 6th at Dynasty TypewriterAlphaBirds Game Night at Village Well The Big Squeeze: Why Everyone in Hollywood Feels Stuck ‘Development is Wage Theft’: Pilot Season Death Morphs Into Year-Round Hell Isle of Arrows Rejection by Tony TulathimutteMr. McMahonGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig make their triumphant return to the Austin Film Festival for a wild night full of Emmy winning writers. They welcome Shōgun co-creators Rachel Kondo & Justin Marks to look at their process for structuring a series-long adaptation, keeping translations eloquent and accurate, and writing together as a married couple. We then welcome Susan Soon He Stanton (Succession, Dead Ringers) and Megan Amram (The Good Place, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin) to discuss staffing on shows and crafting jokes. We also invite two audience members to play a new game: IMDB Sweeney Todd. In our bonus segment for premium members, the panel answers audience questions on adaptations, a crossover with Succession and The Good Place, entering Hollywood from outside the U.S., and navigating Hollywood’s current contraction. Links: Austin Film Festival Scriptnotes LIVE! December 6th at Dynasty TypewriterRachel KondoJustin MarksMegan AmramSusan Soon He Stanton Decoder Ring – “The Wrongest Bird in Movie History” Vote Out Ted CruzBrick Appr/TVTooHighBliss Lau A Dream of IslandsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig answer twenty listener questions on craft, career, and the future of the industry. Questions include: How do you correct well wishes you haven’t earned? What kind of relationship should you have with the person who created your source material? How do you keep your reps invested? What’s going on with that Stereophonic lawsuit? And are writers retreats helpful or a total waste of time? In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig celebrate the new D&D Player’s Handbook by looking back through every edition since 1978. Like the handbook, it gets less dense as it goes. Links: Scriptnotes LIVE! at Austin Film Festival Drew’s Emmy certificate Why AI Isn’t Going to Make Art The Stereophonic LawsuitRachel Bloom’s “Death, Let Me Do My Special”Warner Bros. Studios BurbankSave Scarecrow Video in SeattleGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Why is screenwriting so difficult, even for the smartest people? John and Craig look at the relationship between intelligence and wisdom, the kinds of problems writers attempt to solve, and the unmeasurable skills that screenwriters need to succeed. Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where they give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. We also follow up on Moneyball, green envelopes, shorts, script coordinating, and what Craig means by writers being “calculating.” In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you talk about movies and TV shows without spoiling them? John and Craig reason out how to dance around the twist that the two leads are actually the same perso– oh, shoot! Links: Quote-Unquote Marketing Director – Apply Here!Veteran Script Coordinator Why aren’t smart people happier?Middle Aged Man – SNL FLUNGECOWSNEVER DIE ALONEThe Cutting EdgeStrange DarlingMy Old AssGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Taffy Brodesser-Akner (Fleishman is in Trouble) for a deep dive on 2011’s sports drama Moneyball. What makes Moneyball work? Is it a traditional underdog movie, or does it break all the rules? Is Billy Beane a hero or a villain? What advantages do sports movies give you, and how much do you have to explain to your audience? How are movies like this developed? And how can you not be romantic about baseball? In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Taffy dig further into the ways money is used to determine a person’s value. Links: Moneyball Moneyball screenplayTaffy Brodesser-Akner Long Island CompromiseScriptnotes LIVE! at the Austin Film FestivalHighland Pro Austin launch party – sign up here!ABBA VoyageOpti-V fireplaceKen MedlockImprint AppGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig are on opposite sides of the world this week, so they’re revisiting an episode from 2016 to look at the many psychological barriers facing writers tackling big projects, and offer practical strategies for actually getting the work done. They also discuss the then-upcoming election (same as it ever was), and answer a listener question about how autism spectrum disorder might impact a screenwriting career. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew reflect on what’s changed in the eight years since this episode last aired, and then like all conversations in 2024, they just start talking about Moo Deng. Links: Episode 271: Buckling Down – TranscriptInevitable FoundationForestSnowstormHowling Wind Julia Roberts To Star In Feature Film About PTA Mom Framed For Drug Possession Here’s How to Finish That F*ing Book, You MonsterWikitravelThe Writers Guild FoundationGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) to look at three stories of real people with too much money and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include strategies for dating Leonardo DiCaprio, the rise-fall-rise of inventor Palmer Luckey, and a council built to give away a fortune. We also go feral over Marielle’s new movie Nightbitch, as she shares the joys of adapting something that feels personal and her tricks to directing dogs and children. But first, we take a look at a new study on which movies studios are developing, and share exciting news for those joining us at the Austin Film Festival. In our bonus segment for premium members, Marielle and John remember the terror, nerves and euphoria of premiering your movie at film festivals. Links: Nightbitch | Official TrailerMarielle HellerHighland Pro Austin launch party – sign up here! MacGruber on Peacock Hollywood’s 10 Percent Problem Dating a Celebrity – Thread by bo.predko American Vulcan How to Give Away a Fortune You Get to Be Fulfilled Now Bird Milk & Mosquito BonesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig revisit their legendary conversation with screenwriter-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo to discuss writer’s block, procrastination, partnerships and more. It’s a can’t-miss episode for aspiring writers and professionals alike. In our bonus segment for premium members, we travel back to episode 425 where John and Craig debate when to practice self care or tough love, and how to evaluate when each of them are helpful. Links: Dennis PalumboWritten by MagazineDennis’s books on GoodreadsImpostor SyndromeThe ImposterPaper KarmaThe Secret in Their EyesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Stuart FriedelMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here. The original transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig open the mailbag to answer a swath of listener questions that make Craig’s blood boil. They offer insights and umbrage on when you can turn down projects early in your career, picking the right day job, maintaining visibility when you’re taken off a project, the next steps after a successful short, when NDA’s are necessary, and how to credit unpublished source material. We also say goodbye to green envelopes as we celebrate the arrival of direct deposit residuals, and follow up on AI training and GitHub for screenplays. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig abandon their superciliousness look at the English words they kind of know but are too chicken to actually ever use. Links: Move Over Green Envelopes, WGA Rolls Out Direct Deposits For Residuals WGA Screen Credits Manual CDC Recommends Updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 and Flu Vaccines for Fall/Winter Virus SeasonHide posts on ThreadsBaldur’s Gate 3Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Ryan Reynolds for an in-depth look at his creative process bringing the character of Deadpool to the screen. As co-writer, producer and star of the Deadpool franchise, Ryan leads us through his first introduction to the character, the rough journey getting to greenlight, and the challenges presented by an often-faceless protagonist. Along the way, they talk tone and dialogue, collaboration and rule-breaking, respect and irreverence, and the importance of listening to the movie. Ryan also has some writing questions for John and Craig. In our bonus segment for premium members, we look at Ryan’s flair for marketing and the creative freedom he’s found in advertising. Links: InstagramTikTokXDeadpool & Wolverine He’s So AnnoyingBuster Keaton – The Art of the GagEvery Frame a PaintingTCM – Turner Classic MoviesRyan Reynolds Guest Programmer | TCM How The Onion is saving itself from the digital media death spiralVancouver, BCGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes journalist/screenwriter Max Read to look at the emerging sub-genre “halogencore” – stories of corporate malfeasance that are less about uncovering corruption as they are about characters learning to ignore it. They look at the evolution of the sub-genre, how these movies function, and why it’s important to define genres at all. We also explore the current state of independent journalism and freelance writing, and follow up on Hallmark movies and playwrights turned screenwriters. The new Highland (including support for iOS) is now in beta — Sign up in the link below! In our bonus segment for premium members, does it feel like time has sped up this summer? Like, even more than usual? John and Max slow it down and find the silver linings of an accelerated world. Links: Beta test the new Highland – sign up here!Max Read’s newsletter READ MAXShiva BabyGood Luck to You, Leo Grande How many Hallmark Christmas movies are there?! The Read Max ‘Halogencore’ GuideMax Read’s Halogencore listWhere Are You Now?Billy Strings – Dust in a BaggieIn AscensionGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

In this compendium episode, John and Craig look at two of the most fundamental building blocks of compelling stories – conflict and stakes. We define six forms of conflict common in movies, and explore ways to sustain conflict within a scene and throughout a story. We also look for ways to find the root of your character’s stakes, pick the right stakes for the world around them, and the importance of making everything personal. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at Whiplash and how it finds conflict at the perfect tempo. Links: John’s Video Game Job PostingEpisode 179 – The Conflict EpisodeEpisode 402 – How Do You Like Your Stakes?Snowpiercer – Left or Right Star Trek: The Next Generation In 40 Hours Harris’ or Harris’s? Apostrophe row divides grammar nerdsThe Heights Deli & Bottle Shop Cheerios Veggie Blends Special K ZeroGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig stand waist-deep in rotten tomatoes and ask, what can we learn from bad movies? Resisting the urge to walk out, they explore ways to evaluate a movie’s problems, interrogate your taste, and turn a real stinker into an opportunity to grow as a writer. We also follow up on Lifetime movies, colored pages and AI screenwriting, and answer listener questions on weirdo characters and the validity of a ghostwriter. In our bonus segment for premium members, when is it okay to bail on something you no longer enjoy? We look at when to bounce on books, friendships and more. Links: WGAW Good and Welfare Emergency Assistance LoansAI Screenwriter job postingPageant of the MastersPageant of the Masters Brings Art to LifeArrested Development – The Living Classics SeveranceGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramTwitterMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer-director Betsy Thomas (Superior Donuts, Superstore) to finally discuss writing multi-camera sitcoms. Using famous sitcom scripts as guides, they look at how multi-cam sets itself apart through its unique formatting and production, how it utilizes blocking, its surprising limitations in post, and the live studio audience. But Betsy is more than just a talented creative – she’s also the secretary-treasurer of the WGA West. Who better to lead us through the WGA annual report and look at writer income and residuals in the wake of the strike? We also follow up on gains for writing teams and un-locked pages, and answer listener questions on flashbacks, punctation, and untrustworthy producers. In our bonus segment for premium members, Betsy explains to John and Megana what makes golf such a wonderful sport. Links: WikipediaIMDbTwitterIMDbWGA West Annual Report Writer Earnings Fell $600 Million Due to Strike and Industry Contraction, WGA Says Cheers – “Give Me a Ring Sometime” Cheers – “Father Knows Last” Night Court – “Pilot” Friends – “Pilot” What My Adult Autism Diagnosis Finally ExplainedUnstable – Season 2Wicked Little LettersGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramThreadsInstagramXMastodonOutrosend us yours!Matthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.