John and Aline Brosh McKenna welcome writing team Dan Gregor and Doug Mand (How I Met Your Mother, Most Likely to Murder, Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers) to chat about made-to-stream movies. They discuss the joys of niche IP and how changes in the film landscape have resurrected certain genres. We follow up on ‘Murder House Architecture’ and the economics of shorter seasons. We also answer listener questions on gender-neutral casting, pilot presentations, and page density. In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss life and work with newborns. Links:  Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers May 20th on Disney+ Your Place or Mine coming soon! Los Angeles Plays Itself  Presentations versus Pilots New York Shuk for Saucy Boys Radiooooo App Lost Pilot read the script here. Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Dan Gregor on Twitter Doug Mand on Twitter Aline Brosh Mckenna on Twitter Craig Mazin on Twitter John August on Twitter John on Instagram Outro by Pedro Aguilera (send us yours!) Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

548 - Made for Streaming

Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stuff written to the vagaries of copyright and work-for-hire law.

TV & Film

John and Craig decode the current state of software in the film and television industry. With dozens of programs needed for every project, they look at why bad and outdated programs continue to have a hold on the industry, why it’s so hard to build something better, and how these programs find financial success in such a small and specialized market. Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where they give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. They offer insights into quickly establishing information, those scenes that can be written but not filmed, the tricky dynamics of a meet-cute, and why broad comedy demands logic. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig explore the exciting possibilities that comes from playing D&D; campaigns with no magic and other strict constraints. Links:  Follow along with our Three Page Challenge Selections: PLANET B by Christopher James, THE LONG HAUL by Becca Hurd, and THE RIGHT TO PARTY by Lucas McCutchen Submit your script for our Three Page Challenge!  David Zucker’s 15 Rules of Comedy Space Cadet (2024) Movie Magic Scheduling Scenechronize PIX Qtake BOX Frame.io Evercast Scripto Fuzzlecheck Ripley on Netflix Watchmen – “This Extraordinary Being” Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter John on Mastodon Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!) Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt with help from Jonathan Wigdortz. It is edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

646 - Industry Software

John welcomes Meredith Scardino (Girls5eva) and Jen Statsky (Hacks) to discuss the highs and lows of writing the third season of a hit comedy. But how do you push a series forward without violating the premise or retreading familiar terrain? Are the shows still the shows they pitched? How has streaming changed since their shows first went on the air? And how do you plan for your series’ future? They also answer listener questions on non-binary characters, past tense emotions in action lines, and how to make the most of a mentorship. In our bonus segment for premium members: Two years ago John sent a letter to Jen with his predictions for what would happen in the third season of Hacks. That letter has remained sealed until now. Were John’s predictions correct, close, or way off the mark? Links:  Meredith Scardino on Instagram Jen Statsky on Instagram Girls5eva on Netflix  Hacks on Max Chris Fleming  Chris Fleming: HELL on Peacock  Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go on Max  Stouchi iPhone Camera Mount Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter John on Mastodon Outro by Rodger Corser (send us yours!) Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

645 - The Third Season

John and Craig explore one of the most powerful and versatile tools in episodic television: the cold open. But how does it work? What kind of scenes does it showcase best? How can it play with point of view, perspective and time? What makes it memorable? And how do you make it work for your story? We also discuss new requirements for loan-out corporations, follow up on streaming ads and AI-generated coverage, and answer listener questions on titles, exposition and disabled representation. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig check out OpenAI’s flirty new chat capabilities and ask, do they have any love for talking to human-like AI’s? Links:   Scriptnotes hats and drinkware!  John jumps out of a plane on Instagram  Corporate Transparency Act: An Overview of Impending Reporting Obligations MoviePass, MovieCrash | Official Trailer from HBO The Film Fund and the Reddit thread LOST – Desmond in the Hatch Suwada Nail Clippers Song Exploder – Madonna’s “Hung Up” The Ladder by Hatch Escapes Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter John on Mastodon Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!) Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

644 - The Power of the Cold Open

John joins Mike Birbiglia on his podcast Working It Out to share direct, practical screenwriting advice that you’ll actually use, whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter or you want to pursue creative work of any kind. They explore John’s screenwriting process, from defining his expression “breaking the back of the script,” through the different forms of conflict and navigating the murky middle of the story. John shares the best writing advice he’s ever received, the screenplays everyone should read, what he appreciates in standup specials and why cool people aren’t funny. They also revisit the gains made on AI as a result of the writers strike. Links:  Mike Birbiglia’s Working It Out Watch this episode of Working It Out on YouTube See Mike Birbiglia Live The Old Man & the Pool on Netflix  Scriptnotes, Ep 179: The Conflict Episode Aliens screenplay by James Cameron  Sex, lies and videotape screenplay by Steven Soderbergh Miry’s List Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter John on Mastodon Working It Out is produced by Mike Birbiglia, Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer: Gary Simons. Consulting producer: Seth Barrish. Video consultant: Graham Willoughby. Special Thanks to Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, and Oona. Music by Jack Antonoff and Bleachers Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Working It Out: Screenwriting Advice You’ll Actually Use

In this compendium episode, John and Craig demystify the the relationship between writers and the people who represent them, looking at how to acquire, work with and (if necessary) fire your agents and managers. How do you get an agent or a manager? What are they looking for in a potential client? What frustrates them? How do you position yourself for success? And what should you be looking for in an agent? How should they treat their clients? What is in their job description? How do you navigate disagreements, and what are best practices for when you have to part ways? In our bonus segment for premium members, John discusses how and why he changed his mind and signed with his first-ever manager just a few weeks ago. Links:  Episode 2 – How to get an agent and/or manager  Episode 172 – Franz Kafka’s brother, and the perfect agent  Episode 7 – Firing a manager, and trying new software  How ‘Go,’ the Wildest, Druggiest, Horniest Cult Movie of 1999 Got Made (And Almost Didn’t) by Paul Schrodt for GQ Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Threads and Instagram John August on Threads, Instagram and Twitter John on Mastodon Outro by James Llonch (send us yours!) This episode’s segments were originally produced by Stuart Friedel. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.  Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

548 - Made for Streaming

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