John and Craig propose a challenge for every screenwriter: only write interesting scenes. They discuss why following this precept is so important and offer tips for implementing it proactively.

We also answer listener questions about set pieces, virtual rooms, and juggling multiple projects.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we consider whether Covid-19 has changed the landscape about whether writers still need to live in Los Angeles.

Links:

• Getting Things Done in a Pandemic
• Fetch the Boltcutters
• End of the Century
• Queer Qrosswords, email the team at [email protected]
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John hosts a discussion with writer/director Sam Esmail as a part of the Showrunner Sessions at the WGA. Sam describes his aversion to writing, where his inspiration comes from, and how he learned to run a room.

We also dig into craft, talking about parentheticals and mastering the tension between creating mystery versus confusing your audience.

Then, for our premium members on our bonus segment we air the audience Q&A from the Showrunner Panel. John and Sam cover the alchemy of surprising music in a scene and the importance of saying something with each character.

Links:

• Angelyne Trailer
• Watch Homecoming
• Mr. Robot
• Three Page Challenge participants — please share your updates and stories! We’d love to hear what happened to your story or career after the segment.
• Please reach out with your experiences working in a virtual writer’s room during Covid-19, email [email protected].
• AboveTek iPad Stand
• Just Watch
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• Sam Esmail on Twitter
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome screenwriter Mike Makowsky to discuss the process of turning a story from the news into a movie and how he drew on real life experiences to create his upcoming film, Bad Education.

We also follow up on writing with neurological trauma, trailblazing female screenwriters, and answer listener questions on speaking theme vs. subtext.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we talk about our own three page challenges, and why those early pages are so important.

Links:

• Bad Education on HBO April 25th, 2020
• Elizabeth on Twitter wrote to steer my attention to the book When Women Wrote Hollywood: Essays on Female Screenwriters in the Early Film Industry
• Casablance script
• History of the Screenplay Format by Andrew Gay
• Bad Education True Story
• #StitchUsBackTogether organized by Jamarah Hayner
• Epson EcoTank ET-4760
• Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• Mike Makowsky on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by James Llonch (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig host another Scriptnotes Livestream Show with special guest Dana Fox (Isn’t It Romantic, Couples Retreat). They discuss her new show, Home Before Dark, and her thoughts on why creating a feeling is so important to developing television shows.

Then we hold a Three Page Challenge and we invite each of our four participants on to discuss their script after we deliver feedback. We cover how to write momentum into action descriptions, ‘overwhelmers’ in a scene, and creating fantastical worlds.

Huge thank you to Dana for joining us, and a big thanks to all of our Three Page Challenge winners for their submissions!

Links:

• Home Before Dark
• It Takes Our Village Campaign
• Hampton by Ali Imran Zaidi
• Sunbeam by Heidi Lewis
• Nights Never Over by Jim Llonch
• Find Him by Dylan Guerra
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by James Llonch (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig take a step back to discuss what screenwriting actually is and explore its evolution. They cover the history of screenwriting, the construction of a scene, and what new and old writers need to keep in mind about the craft.

We also cover how to approach ‘No Writing Left Behind’ during the time of socially distancing and answer listener questions on how the pandemic will impact writers’ creative and career decisions.

And in our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss charities looking at both the challenges of running a charitable organization and knowing where to donate your money.

Links:

• Scriptnotes Set Up
• John’s Writing Set Up
• Check out our Livestream Episodes
• No Writing Left Behind, Just Say No
• State Copyright Laws Blackbeard
• Scriptnotes, Ep 89: Writing Effective Transitions
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Scott Anderson (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig enlist Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve) and Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, The Nines) to break the fourth wall on our first-ever live video Scriptnotes. We discuss when to address the camera, why Deadpool 2 is the saddest movie to watch on a flight, and how to take notes as an actor/writer.

Then we welcome a premium member to play a round of Bad Screenwriting Advice, where we compare internet advice to bogus advice made up by John. We also take listener questions from the Youtube livestream chat on writing with personal experiences and places to find inspiration.

Finally, in our bonus segment John and Craig pull the curtain back to do a post-mortem on the live-show, explaining how we did it and what we learned. Plus the trapped-in-Maldives story that will probably be a movie, and what’s likely going on in Russia.

Links:

• Watch the episode here – Scriptnotes Live: Episode 445
• Deadpool and Deadpool 2
• Fleabag and the play to release soon!
• Huge thank you to Phoebe Waller Bridge and Ryan Reynolds!
• Breathing Cartoons by Nathan Pyle
• Anthropocene Reviewed: Auld Lang Syne
• This Country, now on Hulu in the US
• Free Guy
• Drawful on Jackbox Games
• Bonus How Would This Be A Movie, Couple Stranded in Maldives
• Men Who Have Made Love to Me
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Jon Spurney (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

Join John and Craig for the Scriptnotes Live(stream) Show, featuring special guests: Ryan Reynolds and Phoebe Waller Bridge, this Saturday, April 4th at 10am PT!

We will talk about writing material as actors, breaking the fourth wall, and of course, things that are interesting to screenwriters.

They will also answer questions live (check for the YouTube link at JohnAugust.com) and play games with listeners. Scriptnotes Premium Members — apply to participate in a game show segment at JohnAugust.com/contestant!

Email [email protected] with any questions. Thanks and see you soon!

John and Craig analyze the iconic 1995 comedy Clueless.

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:

• Clueless
• Clueless Script
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Ryan Dunn (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig share their tips for working from home, from writing sprints to taking walks.

We also talk about how the recent shutdowns have affected Pay Up Hollywood, support staff, and what we’re doing about it.

Finally, we hear from Scriptnotes guests and friends about how they are managing this challenging time. Longtime listeners, buckle up.

Links:

• Huge thanks to all of our special guests for sharing! Follow them here: Emily Zulauf on Twitter, Mike Birbiglia on Instagram, Megana Rao on Twitter, BJ Novak on Twitter, Chris Nee on Twitter, Charlie Brooker on Twitter, David Iserson on Twitter, Susana Fogel on Twitter, Damon Lindelof on IMDb, David Wain on Twitter, Mari Heller on Instagram, Rawson Thurber on Twitter, Liz Hannah on Twitter, Malcolm Spellman on IMDb, Alison McDonald on IMDb, Ryan Knighton on Twitter, Ricki Lindhome on Twitter, Chris Keyser on Twitter, Lulu Wang on Twitter, and don’t forget to congratulate Matthew Chilelli on Twitter!
• Donate to the Scriptnotes and PayUpHollywood fundraiser to #SupportOurSupportStaff
• For LA based Support Staff apply for COVID-19 Relief Fund
• Dead Pilot Society and Online Codenames
• Two books by Matt Parker: Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension and Humble Pi
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Ryan Dunn (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig debunk the ‘rule’ that one page of screenplay equals one minute of film. They advise screenwriters on what this could mean for the industry and look forward to a future that moves beyond pages.

We also follow up on our discussion of professional readers (00:02:02) and suggestions for giving your friends feedback. Then, a look at how coronavirus (00:33:11) has impacted Los Angeles and how we’re thinking about the situation.

In our bonus segment (00:51:41), John and Craig debate which 1st level D&D spell we would choose to be able to cast in real life.

Links:

• Scriptnotes Episode 441 – Readers
• How Accurate is the One Page per Minute Rule?
• Stephen Follows’s analysis on Is the One Page Per Minute Rule Correct?
• Try Highland 2 for free!
• Download Weekend Read to access your own or read our library of scripts today!
• Hollywood and Coronavirus
• Scriptnotes Episode 99: Psychotherapy for Screenwriters with captions on Youtube!
• Center for Health Security Updates
• Sign up for Scriptnotes Premium here.
• John August on Twitter
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Jim Bond and James Llonch (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Megana Rao and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.