Scriptnotes Podcast

John and Craig investigate our primal instincts and how they motivate our characters. Often referred to as the four F’s, these are the impulses hardwired into every animal in order to survive. But how do these base impulses guide a character’s behavior? And how can they be harnessed to make sure you don’t overcomplicate your character’s want?

We also look at impermanence in our digital world and the ways people are trying to preserve lost media. But first we answer listener questions on comics, digital de-aging, and closed captions.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we ask: why are we better swimmers as kids than we are as adults?

Links:

• Can’t Hear the Dialogue in Your Streaming Show? You’re Not Alone by Brian X. Chen for the New York Times
• No, You Do Not Have a Lizard Brain Inside Your Human Brain from Mind Matters
• Prey Drive
• Scriptnotes, Episode 364 – Netflix Killed the Video Store
• The Dream Was Universal Access to Knowledge. The Result Was a Fiasco by David Streitfeld for the New York Times
• Baldur’s Gate 3
• Tweet by Chris Miller
• Hydrostatic Life Vests
• British Airways safety video
• Highland 2
• Writer Emergency Pack XL
• 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 Adam Pineless (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and is edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig take an in-depth look at the deal points of the WGA’s tentative agreement with the AMPTP, which ended the 2023 WGA strike after 148 days. Together they break down what gains were made, how they work, and why they are important for writers everywhere.

We also open a time-capsule email from 2018, follow up on five year old predictions, and send our predictions for 2028 off into the future.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig discuss a topic we’ve slept on for too long: dreams!

Links:

• WGA Tentative Agreement Summary
• Scriptnotes, Episode 369 – What is a Movie, Anyway? from 2018
• Scriptnotes, Episode 108 – Are two screens better than one? from 2013
• 24 Hours in an Invisible Epidemic by Alvin Chang
• Melissa Smith, longtime head of ACT’s MFA program, dies at 64 by Sam Hurwitt
• Rusty Lake Underground Blossom
• 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 Holland Gallagher (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and is edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

John and Craig discuss the concept of free will, specifically how it relates to fictional characters. They outline the tightrope screenwriters walk balancing characters with agency against obstacles that feel true.

We also talk about decisions screenwriters face in their careers and why it’s okay (and difficult) to change paths. We answer listener questions about optioned scripts and child screenwriting prodigies.

Finally, in our bonus segment for premium members we discuss AP exams. Warning: Craig has umbrage.

• The Scriptnotes Index
• Scriptnotes Guest List
• Help us update the Scriptnotes Wikipedia page
• Seth Rogan on Productivity
• The clockwork universe: is free will an illusion? by Oliver Burkeman
• Hacks with Jean Smart on HBO Max
• Girls 5eva on Peacock
• Horses are pretty because horses are pretty sketch on child-director prodigy
• Deepl Translator
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• 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 welcomes back writer/producer Kelly Marcel (Venom, Cruella) for an action-packed episode. They break down a scene on the page, and then Kelly walks John through how she adapts and rewrites scenes in real time on set.

We also discuss writing scripts with a star and why you should always cast your movies before writing them (at least in your mind). We follow up on day-and-date releases, taking a look at this year’s box office and streaming numbers.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we discuss dealing with visas as an international writer and the struggle of proving “exceptional ability.”

Links:

• Original Movies Are Becoming Streaming’s Most Popular Content, Led By Disney+ by Kevin Tran for Variety
• Foreign Writers on Getting a Visa
• Venom Excerpt
• Meet the Ipsums
• Loóna Sleep App
• Kelly Marcel and on Twitter
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt, check out our special 10th Anniversary Shirts!
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• John August 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 look at how writers and their characters handle the obstacles they encounter. They outline proven techniques for solving problems both in life and on the page, why it’s important to see characters solving problems in a story, and how taking big swings can open up exciting possibilities.

We also follow up on episodes that focus on a single character, long takes, making your phone less interesting, words we don’t have in English, present the definitive guide to the lunch run, and look into this stupid movie tariff thing.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John is back from Egypt and Jordan, and ready to answer all of our questions about tombs and travel in the Middle East.

Links:

• The Production Assistant’s Guide to the Lunch Run
• Indiana Jones and the Great Circle
• Note On Long Takes by Aidan Moretti
• Video tour inside the Great Pyramid of Giza
• Donald Trump Says He’s Pursuing 100% Tariffs On Movies Produced Outside U.S. and John Voight’s proposal
• Sustainability by the Numbers by Hannah Ritchie
• Solving for Climate
• The Mr. Rabbit Magic Show by Rusty Lake
• Birdigo
• 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 Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram
• Outro by Spencer Lackey (send us yours!)
• Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.