Scriptnotes Podcast

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 celebrate the 500th episode of Scriptnotes by welcoming back former Scriptnotes producers Stuart Friedel (Clifford the Big Red Dog, Vampirina), Godwin Jabangwe (Tunga), Megan McDonnell (WandaVision), and longtime editor Matthew Chilelli (Escape the Dark). The guys ask the producers questions about development, feedback, and writers rooms, uncovering Scriptnotes secrets along the way.

We also share a special announcement! Then we invite two superfans to play a game of trivia–do you know which guest was asked never to return?

Finally in our bonus segment for premium members, the producers flip the script and ask John and Craig questions about the past 500+ hours of Scriptnotes.

Links:

• Find out more information about the The Scriptnotes Book
• Review the past 500 episodes at The Scriptnotes Index
• Stuart Friedel on the web
• Godwin Jabangwe on Twitter
• Megan McDonnell on IMDb
• Matthew Chilelli on Twitter, Instagram, Soundcloud, and the web
• Megana Rao on Twitter
• 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 (and intro!) 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 breakdown the ideal attributes of the “screenwriter” character. Looking at the ratio of craft to charm, they debate which combinations lead to success in Hollywood.

We also host a round of the Three Page Challenge. Samples this week range from stories on earthquakes to community theatre, but all feature surprising reveals. The guys offer advice on cutting scenes, introducing characters, and punching up dialogue.

In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig discuss a Vanity Fair article on film score production and rumors of ghostwriting for composers.

Links:

• Follow alone with our Three Page Challenge selections The Man Who Could be Macbeth by Daniel Brace, Pizza Boy by Mick Jones, Evergreenby Heather Kennedy, Scavenger by Phil Saunders.
• WGA East Settles Five-Day Strike Against G/O Media
• RSVP for the Animation Guild Rally Sunday 3/20 at 2pm in Burbank, CA
• ‘Copshop’ Screenwriter Sues Zero Gravity Management For Breach of Contract
• ScreenSkills To Fund Accessibility Co-Ordinators For British TV
• Behind the Tweets: “Rewrite Map” by Jeffrey Lieber on WGAW Connect
• Scriptnotes Episode 530: The One with Jack Thorne
• David Iserson’s Tweet on Great Scripts
• Touring the MOST EXPENSIVE HOUSE in the United States! on Youtube and The Queen of Versailles
• The Astrologer on Elden Ring
• “The Minions Do the Actual Writing”: The Ugly Truth of How Movie Scores Are Made by Mark Rozzo for Vanity Fair
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John August on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Joe Palen (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 bump into/trip over/spill coffee on the ‘Meet-Cute.’ They look at the history and mechanics of that moment when two lead characters meet each other in a romantic comedy, with advice to writers on how to keep it fresh.

We answer listener questions on packing for set, branding yourself as a writer, and staggered success in a relationship.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we talk about onboarding, specifically in the game Elden Ring.

Links:

• Volodymyr Zelensky and the ongoing war in Ukraine
• Does Hollywood Ruin Books? by Numberphile on Youtube on Berkson’s Paradox
• Check out the Inneresting Newsletter and the Meet-Cute edition here!
• Scriptnotes 433: The One with Greta Gerwig
• Elden Ring video game
• Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
• Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
• Craig Mazin on Twitter
• John August on Twitter
• John on Instagram
• Outro by Nico Mansy (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.