513 - Writing for Stars
08/24/21 • 50 min
1 Listener
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 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.
Previous Episode
512 - There is No Conspiracy
John and Craig host another round of the Three Page Challenge, analyzing a range of listener submissions from scripts set in rural Japan to Manhattan strip clubs. They discuss establishing setting, grounding big characters, and introducing narration.
We also take a look at the lecture scene: how it can fall flat and tips for making it work. Then we answer a listener question on whether writers have an ethical responsibility to stop writing conspiracy theory stories.
In our bonus segment for premium members, John invites writer/comedian Sara Schaefer (The Schaefer Shakedown) to discuss her three steps for selling your TV show.
Links:
- Courtney Kemp’s Deal at Netflix
- Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park Deal
- Hello Sunshine Sale
- Frankenweenie
- Trickster: Night of the Kitsune by Hiroshi Mori
- Martha by Caroline O'Riordan
- The Many Lives of Newton Thomas by Sean Frost
- Collection of TV Scripts
- Circulous Game
- Sara Schaefer’s Twitter Clip
- Schaefer Shakedown
- Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
- Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
- John August on Twitter
- John on Instagram
- Outro by Andrew Hart (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.
Next Episode
514 - Looking Back and Forward
John and Craig take a look at the WGA East elections, specifically the debate over who the WGA should represent and how to prepare for new trends in digital media.
We revisit predictions we made about superhero movies and break down logical fallacies in a follow up to our conspiracy discussion. We also answer listener questions about ethical writing assignments, reading lists, and bored executives.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we talk about how life has gotten better in the past few decades. Craig highlights the technological improvements in diapers and car stereos.
Links:
- Episode 167, The Tentpoles of 2019 and transcript
- The Original Superhero Slate from 2013 from Newsarama
- Episode 512: There is No Conspiracy
- WGA East Election
- WGA East Considers Spinning Off Digital News Members Into New Union Amid “Existential Threat” by David Robb
- Adam Conover WGA East Twitter Thread
- University of Michigan Study: Evolution now accepted by majority of Americans
- What Remains of Edith Finch Game
- Improvements since the 1990s by Gwern Branwen
- Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
- Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!
- John August on Twitter
- John on Instagram
- Outro by Christiaan Mentz (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.
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