659 - Big Money Movies with Marielle Heller
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes back Marielle Heller (Can You Ever Forgive Me?, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood) to look at three stories of real people with too much money and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include strategies for dating Leonardo DiCaprio, the rise-fall-rise of inventor Palmer Luckey, and a council built to give away a fortune. We also go feral over Marielle’s new movie Nightbitch, as she shares the joys of adapting something that feels personal and her tricks to directing dogs and children. But first, we take a look at a new study on which movies studios are developing, and...
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99 - Psychotherapy for Screenwriters (Encore)
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig revisit their legendary conversation with screenwriter-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo to discuss writer’s block, procrastination, partnerships and more. It’s a can’t-miss episode for aspiring writers and professionals alike. In our bonus segment for premium members, we travel back to episode 425 where John and Craig debate when to practice self care or tough love, and how to evaluate when each of them are helpful. Links: on Wikipedia helps you control your mailbox or Craig Mazin on and John August...
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658 - Advice Show
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig open the mailbag to answer a swath of listener questions that make Craig’s blood boil. They offer insights and umbrage on when you can turn down projects early in your career, picking the right day job, maintaining visibility when you’re taken off a project, the next steps after a successful short, when NDA’s are necessary, and how to credit unpublished source material. We also say goodbye to green envelopes as we celebrate the arrival of direct deposit residuals, and follow up on AI training and GitHub for screenplays. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and...
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657 - Deadpool with Ryan Reynolds
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig welcome back Ryan Reynolds for an in-depth look at his creative process bringing the character of Deadpool to the screen. As co-writer, producer and star of the Deadpool franchise, Ryan leads us through his first introduction to the character, the rough journey getting to greenlight, and the challenges presented by an often-faceless protagonist. Along the way, they talk tone and dialogue, collaboration and rule-breaking, respect and irreverence, and the importance of listening to the movie. Ryan also has some writing questions for John and Craig. In our bonus segment for premium...
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656 - Halogencore
Scriptnotes Podcast
and by Stephen Follows on Letterboxd by Sara Schaefer by Martin MacInnes or Craig Mazin on and John August on , , and by Tim Brown () Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by . Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode .
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655 - Conflict and Stakes Compendium
Scriptnotes Podcast
by Every Frame a Painting on YouTube by Max Temkin from The Guardian or Craig Mazin on and John August on , , and by Tim Brown () Segments originally produced by Stuart Friedel and Megana Rao. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by . Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode .
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654 - How to Watch Bad Movies
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig stand waist-deep in rotten tomatoes and ask, what can we learn from bad movies? Resisting the urge to walk out, they explore ways to evaluate a movie’s problems, interrogate your taste, and turn a real stinker into an opportunity to grow as a writer. We also follow up on Lifetime movies, colored pages and AI screenwriting, and answer listener questions on weirdo characters and the validity of a ghostwriter. In our bonus segment for premium members, when is it okay to bail on something you no longer enjoy? We look at when to bounce on books, friendships and more. Links: ...
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653 - Multi-Cam Comedies and WGA Dollars
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes writer-director Betsy Thomas (Superior Donuts, Superstore) to finally discuss writing multi-camera sitcoms. Using famous sitcom scripts as guides, they look at how multi-cam sets itself apart through its unique formatting and production, how it utilizes blocking, its surprising limitations in post, and the live studio audience. But Betsy is more than just a talented creative – she’s also the secretary-treasurer of the WGA West. Who better to lead us through the WGA annual report and look at writer income and residuals in the wake of the strike? We also follow up on gains for...
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652 - Rituals
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig welcome back Megana Rao to look at rituals and what they can tell us about our characters. But what are characters doing deliberately, and what is just routine? They separate routines from rites, and how both can help deepen our understanding of characters and the threats that face them. We also follow up on un-locking pages, industry software and health insurance for writing teams, before answering a listener question on transitioning from writing plays to writing movies. In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Megana talk about coming-of-age rituals, and...
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651 - The Live Edit
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig finally become writing partners and edit the opening to one chapter of the upcoming Scriptnotes book live on-air. They wrestle with word choices, adapting the phrasing of a spoken conversation and finding a unified voice as they pass the keyboard back and forth. We also catch up Craig on what he’s missed since he’s been away, follow up on #payuphollywood, and answer a host of listener questions on personal stories, backstories, sharing credit, Lifetime movies, and disliking your protagonist. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig deal out their favorite...
info_outlineJohn and Craig welcome back Ryan Reynolds for an in-depth look at his creative process bringing the character of Deadpool to the screen.
As co-writer, producer and star of the Deadpool franchise, Ryan leads us through his first introduction to the character, the rough journey getting to greenlight, and the challenges presented by an often-faceless protagonist. Along the way, they talk tone and dialogue, collaboration and rule-breaking, respect and irreverence, and the importance of listening to the movie. Ryan also has some writing questions for John and Craig.
In our bonus segment for premium members, we look at Ryan’s flair for marketing and the creative freedom he’s found in advertising.
Links:
- Ryan Reynolds on Instagram, TikTok and X
- Deadpool & Wolverine
- He’s So Annoying by Jesse David Fox for Vulture
- Buster Keaton – The Art of the Gag by Every Frame a Painting
- TCM – Turner Classic Movies
- Ryan Reynolds Guest Programmer | TCM via YouTube
- How The Onion is saving itself from the digital media death spiral by Nilay Patel for The Verge
- Vancouver, BC
- 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, Twitter and Mastodon
- Outro by Tim Englehard (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.