The No Film School Podcast

John August Wants to Make Your (Screenwriting) Life Easier

Listen Later

In this episode of No Film School, GG Hawkins and Jason Hellerman chat with John August, an acclaimed screenwriter, podcaster, and software developer. Known for films like Big Fish and Aladdin, as well as co-hosting Scriptnotes with Craig Mazin, John August discusses his career, the evolution of screenwriting tools, and how he's simplifying life for writers with his app, Highland.


In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins, Jason Hellerman, and John August discuss:

  • John’s journey from journalism major to one of Hollywood’s most recognized screenwriters
  • How working across different mediums—from novels to musicals—has shaped his storytelling
  • The philosophy behind creating Highland, a screenwriting app designed to keep writers in the flow
  • Practical advice for writers starting out in today’s industry


    • Memorable Quotes:

    • “Your ability to have an idea but then actually articulate the idea… to yourself, to your team, and to the audience is so fundamental and so important.”
    • “When I see something in the world that bothers me, I try to fix it. My instinct is to get involved and figure it out.”
    • “A screenplay is a luxury. You know you have about 120 pages. There are constraints, and those constraints help you figure out what’s important.”


      • Resources:

      • John August on IMDb
      • Highland App
      • Scriptnotes Podcast


        • Find No Film School everywhere:

        • On the Web: No Film School
        • Facebook: No Film School on Facebook
        • Twitter: No Film School on Twitter
        • YouTube: No Film School on YouTube
        • Instagram: No Film School on Instagram


          Send us an email with questions or feedback: [email protected]


          Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

          ...more
          View all episodesView all episodes
          Download on the App Store
          The No Film School PodcastBy No Film School
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5
          • 4.5

          4.5

          418 ratings

          More shows like The No Film School Podcast

          View all
          Filmspotting by Adam Kempenaar & Josh Larsen

          Filmspotting

          3,946 Listeners

          The Treatment by KCRW

          The Treatment

          613 Listeners

          The Business by KCRW

          The Business

          663 Listeners

          Scriptnotes Podcast by John August and Craig Mazin

          Scriptnotes Podcast

          2,430 Listeners

          The Next Best Picture Podcast by Evergreen Podcasts

          The Next Best Picture Podcast

          490 Listeners

          IndieWire: Screen Talk by Indiewire: Screen Talk

          IndieWire: Screen Talk

          328 Listeners

          The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast by Directors Guild of America

          The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

          739 Listeners

          IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit by Chris O'Falt

          IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit

          102 Listeners

          The A24 Podcast by A24

          The A24 Podcast

          1,056 Listeners

          The Big Picture by The Ringer

          The Big Picture

          5,620 Listeners

          The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna by Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

          The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

          969 Listeners

          Team Deakins by James Ellis Deakins, Roger Deakins

          Team Deakins

          1,121 Listeners

          Script Apart with Al Horner by Script Apart

          Script Apart with Al Horner

          206 Listeners

          The Town with Matthew Belloni by The Ringer

          The Town with Matthew Belloni

          1,064 Listeners

          Ankler Agenda by TheAnkler.com

          Ankler Agenda

          104 Listeners