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Screenwriting: From the Trenches
By Rob Hagans & Kay TuxfordTV & Film
Screenwriting: From the Trenches episodes
- How to Turn Your Screenplay into IP!
This week Rob and Kay interview Mario O. Moreno, screenwriter, novelist, and tagger to discuss how to potentially adapt your screenplay into a novel (or why you should consider doing so).
Our Weekly Resource:
Check out Mario’s book on Amazon to support a fellow writer.Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Streaming is benefitting from network shows like SUITS to keep their audiences entertained.
Publicists want SAG to make concessions about actors doing promotional work.
Sara Silverman has come out and called actors who are working in Indie Interm Agreements “Scabs”
Julie Bush has a bad take on female led box office movies, then proceeds through the “I’m not a racist because I wrote a Fergeson TV Pilot.” So wild, even a writer from the Onion wrote a mock first page of her pilot and posted it.
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Mario's Insta
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 18 min - How to Get a Script Read!
With a strike going on, it's more important than ever to know how/where to look for a script read, as well as who should be reading. Rob & Kay do a very DEEP DIVE into what it takes to get, what avenues provide what results, and whether or not you're even ready to have your script read.
Our Weekly Resource:
Darious Britt, a former guest of the show, is one of our favorite filmmakers and YouTubers, but what he does with nearly every short film that he releases, including his latest, Behind the Smile, is to make a video detailing a forensic deep dive, behind-the-scenes of the short film, which is chock-a-block full of information on how to make a short film from start-to-finish, so for those of you thinking of making a thing while we’re all on strike, it don’t get much better than Darious to be your guide on making a thing. Besides which, his latest, Behind the Smile is its own narrative deep dive on the subject of depression and anxiety and I related to it hard. I think most of us writers out here would as well.
Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Variety article on how SAG-AFTRA talks broke down
Cartoon Network & Warner Animation move to unionize
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Interview with J Horton
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 33 min - Writing During a Strike! (Drama, Networking, Do's & Don'ts)
It's a strike episode! The Double Strike of SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA on the picket lines caused Kay & Rob to make an episode that serves as a treatise on the situation -- the pertinent drama, info, and most importantly, how does it affect our writing. So strap in, this is a biggun.
Our Weekly Resource:
Fran Drescher's Press Speech for the SAG Strike is Free here on Youtube, it’s a quick watch but you’ll get fired up.Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Bob Iger saying WGA's demands are "Unrealistic"
Deadline Article claiming WGA should starve
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Interview with J Horton
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 24 min - Mentoring New Writers! (with Cindy Begel)
Rob & Kay got Cindy Begel to sit down with them and discuss mentoring -- her experiences coming up as the medium of television was revealing itself, as well as her own latter day efforts to pay forward the mentorship given to her during the early years of her career. Cindy was a lovely guest and even talks about how she found a writer's group for Rob!
Our Weekly Resource:
Ed Solomon and Blacklist have put together a free zoom session: Word by Word will be live via Zoom on Thursdays at 2 p.m. The next one, July 13 includes Featuring Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Adele Lim.Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
The Original Article that was over at GQ before Zaslav had it taken down
Article on Screenwriting Contest where AI was supposed to read scripts
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Cindy's Twitter
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 24 min - What Do You Want From Us!
Thanks to MidtownATLGal for the lovely FIVE STAR REVIEW. We love to hear from our listeners and get feedback, no matter what it is, which is why we're offering this chance, at the half year mark, to ask us what you'd like from us, going forward. We have fun guests lined up and some epic episodes planned, but in the end this is all about what you guys want/need.
Also PLEASE RATE & REVIEW! Just like in this episode, we are going to be reading our reviews, both good & bad on this podcast from time to time.
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
6 min - The TONE of your Screenplay!
This week, Rob & Kay get into the weeds about the tone of a screenplay while dealing with the MASSIVE amounts of drama that surrounded Screenwriting Twitter this week.
Our Weekly Resource:
Beverly Boy’s “How to Describe the Tone of Film”? This includes various suggestive words to help you get some ideas of the tone of your project. Also, Beverly Boy specializes in building sets, so if you have some wild creative notions, maybe give them a call. ;)
Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
The Hollywood Reporter article on Taylor Sheridan
Ryan Murphy leaves Netflix
Marvel talks AI art for "Secret Invasion"
Warner Bros. Signs Deal for AI-Driven Film Management SystemHow to Make a Movie for $1000
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
59 min - The Legalese of Screenwriting Contracts!
*Disclaimer, we are not lawyers -- even though today's guest, Rob's good friend (and former writer's group member), Pamela Nash, is. She has also acted on his behalf as de facto legal counsel for all of his screenwriting contracts -- and some for this podcast as well -- and breaks down the vague and (what is often) unenforceable language of various legal contracts that Rob & Kay have gotten over the years.
Our Weekly Resource:
Found a great article over on Pipeline Artists written by Ken Aguado (twitter handle, @kaguado) entitled, “Not-Boring Legal Agreements for Film & TV Writers” which gives a (very) basic overview of the most common legal agreements/contracts that screenwriters find themselves privy to. It’s a short, but good read, and there’s links to some Writer’s Guild resources within the article so you can further rabbit hole down over this very complicated subject.
Notes From the Episode:Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Vomit Draft Notebook
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Pam's Twitter
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 10 min - How to Write Prolifically! (w/Brock Swinson)
Kay was MIA this week, so Rob invited Julia, her writing partner, to sit in her chair this week as they interviewed Brock Swinson, who comes to the table to talk about Ink By the Barrel, a book based on Brock's various interviews with writers from over the years, which extracts his methodology on how to be a prolific writer!
Our Weekly Resource:
We’ve got two resources this week, both from our guest. The first is his podcast where Brock has interviewed writers such as Aaron Sorkin, Ethan Hawke, Edgar Wright, Whitney Cummings, Jim Gaffigan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Taylor Sheridan, Judd Apatow and hundreds more for Creative Screenwriting and the Creative Principles Podcast. The second is Brock’s Website where if you sign up you can receive a copy of ink by the barrel for free!Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's Article in Vanity Fair
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Vulture Article by Josef Adalian & Lane BrownCreative Principle Podcast with Peter Gould of Breaking Bad
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Brock's Instagram
Brock's Twitter Handle
Julia's Twitter
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
56 min - The Perils in Writing Act Two!
Act Two is essentially the entire movie. Rob and Kay break down how to keep it moving, how to setup while you're paying off and go in deep on the dreaded MIDPOINT (scary!)
Our Weekly Resource:
You’ve got homework this week. As Professor Tuxford and her Partner-in-Podcasting have concocted a YouTube Playlist of videos on the subject of a second act. As we’ve stated again (and again) in this podcast, the second act of your movie, *is* the movie, so the more information you have informing your choices as a writer – at least in terms of character/structure – can only help you in the battle vs the dreaded second act.Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
Maureen Ryan's Article in Vanity Fair
Maureen Ryan's book, "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood"
Javi's statement on 'Lost' Writers
Stephen King's "On Writing"
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Rob's Episode on the mobile filmmaking app, DoubleTake
(Twitter Dad) Javi's Twitter Handle
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
1 hr 13 min - Writing TWISTS Into Your Script!
Get a twist wrong and audiences will reject your movie. Get it right and your story can become iconic. Rob & Kay are here to help you figure out how to engineer the latter in a time when audiences are at their most savvy. How to setup, then subvert the payoff, when to go left and when to read the room and give the audience what they want. And finally, when to jump out of your movie right in the middle -- and the caveat of doing such a thing in your script.
Our Weekly Resource:
Usually, our Resources feel like homework, but this week is just pure internet wastetimery. WatchMojo has a list of the 20 Best Movie Plot Twists of the 21st Century (So Far), and it’s a fun way to see all of the things we’ve talked about on this podcast put to good use in movies you have/haven’t seen. Spoiler Alert, obvi. And, you’re welcome.Notes From the Episode:
Zack's Original Instagram video (for our Twitter Drama Bumper)
HBO is now just Max
Fuck You David Zaslav (socials in the video's description)
Scriptnotes Side Cast #12: Location Picketing
How to Make a Movie for $1000
Rob's Episode on an Indie film work/life balance
Kay's Twitter
Rob's Twitter
Zack's Twitter
Email us(!)
59 min
About Screenwriting: From the Trenches
From the publisher's feed
A podcast about the craft and expression of screenwriting -- in all its forms -- from the perspective of writers just like you.