John and Craig sit in project purgatory and ask, what do you do when the only answer you’re getting is “maybe”? They share advice on how to gently check in without annoying people, recognizing the soft pass, the unexpected benefits of patience, and what to do when you’re the person holding up the gears.

Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where John and Craig give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. We also follow up on script supervisors and the encroaching perils of AI production.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig spill the telltale signs that a movie or TV show has had reshoots.

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UPDATE 4-2-25: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

Why is screenwriting so difficult, even for the smartest people? John and Craig look at the relationship between intelligence and wisdom, the kinds of problems writers attempt to solve, and the unmeasurable skills that screenwriters need to succeed.

Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where they give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. We also follow up on Moneyball, green envelopes, shorts, script coordinating, and what Craig means by writers being “calculating.”

In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you talk about movies and TV shows without spoiling them? John and Craig reason out how to dance around the twist that the two leads are actually the same perso– oh, shoot!

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UPDATE 11-20-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig welcome Aline Brosh McKenna to look at what writers mean by a “voice,” and how it develops.

Some screenwriters’ voice develops long before their craft, leading people to label them as “promising” even though the scripts themselves are a mess. Other writers get all the technical stuff right from the start, but have a hard time finding something distinctive about how they write.

From there, we segue into one of the most contentious Three Page Challenges we’ve ever done, with wildly split opinions.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John the Eagle Scout gives Drew practical advice for wilderness camping in 2024.

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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 With dozens of programs needed for every project, they look at why bad and outdated programs continue to have a hold on the industry, why it’s so hard to build something better, and how these programs find financial success in such a small and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.

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UPDATE 7-15-24: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge, selecting three listeners’ scripts for feedback on what’s working and common pitfalls to avoid. They offer insights into the tricky issues when cheating movement, formatting non-English dialogue, and the importance of logic in comedy.

But first, we answer some long-gestating listener questions: What are strategies for writers to option IP on their own? Can you use your smart relative for dialogue? And how do you discuss co-creators of projects when meeting with a potential rep?

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig gloat about all the things they can get away with never having to do — everything from calculus to remembering their children’s phone numbers.

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UPDATE 7-26-23: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge where they look at listener pages and offer feedback on what’s working and how to avoid common pitfalls. They discuss writing gore, finding your tone, and introducing a character’s problem.

We also follow up on villains, pirates and European script consultants. We then ponder a long-nagging question: why do all action heroes have names that begin with J?

In our bonus segment for premium members, we talk about our experiences with anesthesia and how people are knocked out in The Last of Us.

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UPDATE 4-27-23: The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John invites NBC Executive Marc Velez, SVP, Head of Development at UCP, on for an in-person round of the Three Page Challenge, our segment where we look at listener-submitted pages and offer honest feedback, at the Austin Film Festival.

We’re joined live the writers who add context and pitch their vision for each project. From near-future sci-fi to a familiar Hollywood horror story, John and Marc offer advice on how to craft a compelling opening.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we answer listener questions on noisiness, specs, and preparing other pitch materials.

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UPDATE 2-24-23 The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig host a round of the Three Page Challenge, a segment where they offer feedback on listeners’ scripts. This week they discuss the whiplash of cutting too quickly, captivating title pages, and V.O. narration that actually works.

We also cover the return of MoviePass, 25 years of Netflix, and AI generated language.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss senior year.

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UPDATE 9-23-22 The transcript for this episode can now be found here.

John and Craig host a round of the Three Page Challenge where they look at listener pages and offer feedback on what’s working and how to avoid common pitfalls. This week we look at time jumps, reveals, and ticker-tape dialogue.

We follow up on confusing credits, then answer listener questions on narrative geography, professional development and when it’s okay to take your pitch somewhere else.

In our bonus segment for premium members, the guys share the secret to social media.

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UPDATE 02-14-22 The transcript for this episode can be found here.

John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge. This week they cover how to use voice over, build suspense, and write alter egos for the screen.

In follow up, we look at the day-and-date release of Wonder Woman 1984, updates in the WGA agency negotiations and of course the newly announced Uno game show.

Finally, in our bonus segment for premium members we discuss autobiographies and what we’d include in our own.

Thank you to all our Three Page Challenge participants!

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UPDATE 11-27-2020 The transcript for this episode can be found here.