Writer and director Richard LaGravenese joins Craig for an in-depth analysis of his 1994 comedy classic screenplay, THE REF. Together, Craig and Richard dig into the rules of farce, making hyper-verbal characters work, and the difference between a main character and a protagonist. We also discuss how to write compelling monologues, engineering a character’s catharsis, and why coffee really is better with cake. In our bonus segment for premium members, Craig and Richard discuss why it’s often so hard for men to make – and keep – close friends. Links:  The Ref on YouTube, Amazon and IMDb Richard LaGravenese on IMDb  The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry The Ref’s Opening Scene Puzzled Pint’s Code Sheet Levain Bakery Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription! Craig Mazin on Instagram John August on Twitter John on Instagram John on Mastodon Outro by Matt Davis (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.

593 - The Ref with Richard LaGravenese

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

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.

643 - Agents and Managers 101

Why are things so rough in Hollywood right now? John and Craig look at the industry’s current contraction, its historical analogues, and offer suggestions for what might fix it. We also follow up on streaming ad breaks and New York accents, before answering listener questions on being paralyzed, whether it’s by your second draft or writing professional emails. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig wonder what to do with their digital lives once they’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, and how do you keep it from getting creepy? Links:   The Life and Death of Hollywood by Daniel Bessner for Harpers  One weird trick for fixing Hollywood by Max Read Moloch Trap Lola Dupre Codenames Duet 2 Kings 2:23-24 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 Ben Singer (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.

642 - It’s Brutal Out Here

  John and Craig investigate what characters know and how we know they know what they know. It’s something that can be as confusing as that last sentence was, but they offer clear guidance on building informed characters, audience expectations, and how to get everybody on the same page. We also look at how ad breaks in streaming are interrupting established act breaks. But first we follow up on AI transcription and character voice, and answer listener questions on authentic depictions and how to ask for a WGA contract. In our bonus segment for premium members, how should you act when you meet a famous person? John and Craig have big (but well-concealed) feelings. Links:  Do I Sound Gay? Documentary International Dialects of English Archive Accent Tag on YouTube Chilean beer ads in Star Wars Letter Jam TacticalMap  Fallout on Prime Video 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 Nica Brooke (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.         

641 - What Characters Know

John welcomes writer and comedian Alex Edelman to look at how he wrote his solo show Just For Us, and dig into the meaning of “write what you know.” They discuss finding your voice as a writer, developing your story with an audience, why Alex doesn’t write his shows down, and the sample that first got him staffed. We also answer listener questions on what to do when your manager doesn’t understand your comedy, and the value of characters speaking to themselves. In our bonus segment for premium members, John asks Alex, how do you set boundaries on material when you’re dating another comedian? Links:  Alex Edelman Just For Us on HBO Replay by Jordan Mechner Replay by Ken Grimwood 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 Ali Clifton (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.

640 - Can You Believe It?

John and Craig can’t help but look at intrinsic motivations — those specific internal drives that guide characters behavior. They discuss how to structure and expose that internal drive, the importance of an innate irritability, how it can stop your characters from becoming flat, and rewarding that intrinsic motivation with choice. But first, we follow up on AI training, blueprints and “important” movies. We also weigh in on a high-school senior’s college dilemma and answer a listener question on writing with your trailer in mind. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig parse out their reasons for why humans may – or may not – ever leave the solar system. Links:  My Pal Foot Foot by The Shaggs Braid by Jonathan Blow Connections from the New York Times  Q: Who Found a Way to Crack the U.K.’s Premier Quiz Show? by David Segal for The New York Times On what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation by Laurel S. Morris, Mora M. Grehl, Sarah B. Rutter, Marishka Mehta, and Margaret L. Westwater Why are there so many illegal weed stores in New York City? by PJ Vogt Shōgun on FX 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 Ben Singer (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.

593 - The Ref with Richard LaGravenese

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