197 - How do bad movies get made? (Encore)
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig revisit a favorite episode focused on a single topic: bad movies and how they happen. Using first-hand experience, they look at how bad ideas make it to the screen, how good ideas go wrong, and the range of patterns that end in terrible movies. We also make a list of our then-dream guests for the podcast (many of whom have now been on the show). And fast-forwarding to 2026, we announce an exciting new feature for Highland Pro. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew ditch the texts and emails and to pick up the phone and make a call. Links: has...
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727 - Free Work
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig tackle the scourge of free work and offer strategies to avoid it. They look at established norms, potential remedies, the things that should work but often don’t, and how writers should think about the time and effort they’re putting in before getting paid. We also follow up on useful comps, AI coverage, what to do with our DVDs, and answer listener questions on pitching at an internship and a sensitive situation when naming an award. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do we write American law enforcement officers now that their jobs don’t function the way they...
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726 - So you’ve been nominated for an Oscar
Scriptnotes Podcast
Taika Waititi’s Andrea Arnold’s Martin McDonagh’s Damien Chazelle’s Jim Cummings’ David F. Sandberg’s by Mike Donahue , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Nick Moore () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Our Director of Photography is . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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725 - Torn from the pages of Squash Magazine
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig gather our listeners’ favorite news articles and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include an underground network delivering menstrual supplies in Minneapolis, a millennial travel group, how the US hacked ISIS, and a fake college squash team. But first we follow up on modern comps, email issues, teaching screenwriting, and what it means to be undeniable. We also answer listener questions on querying reps with a published book and whether writers really need to repeat the plot for a second-screen audience. In our bonus segment for premium members, what do we do with all...
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724 - Introductions with Joachim Trier
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes writer and director Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World) to ask, how do you introduce your characters and their world to the audience? Using the screenplay for Sentimental Value, Joachim lays out how he sets up his themes, characters, conflicts and narrative authority in the first few pages. We also look at Joachim’s process of developing stories with his co-writer Eskil Vogt, and answer listener questions on endings, casting, and work-life balance. In our bonus segment for premium members, Joachim and John flip through how we present screenplays on...
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723 - Blank Meets Blank
Scriptnotes Podcast
by Jack Plotnick on Instagram via Variety , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Pete White () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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722 - Orality, or Writing to be Spoken
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig ask, are screenwriters just oral storytellers who happen to write things down? They compare the literate and oral markers of the medium, how it separates screenplays from other literary forms, and consider whether screenplays are just one long pitch. We also look at the upcoming WGA member meetings, follow up on having enough time in the edit bay, Steve Jobs, Eva Victor, justifiable Dad pride, and answer listener questions on deliverables and what makes a script “undeniable.” In our bonus segment for premium members, we look at the incredible slate of upcoming movies and...
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721 - Preparing to Direct (with Eva Victor)
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig welcome the actor-writer-director of the acclaimed indie Sorry, Baby to discuss preparing to direct your first feature. Eva Victor’s year-long bootcamp included reverse-shotlisting movies, shadowing other directors, and lots of visual development. It earned them Best Directorial Debut by the National Board of Review. We also examine how Eva chose which scenes to cut, answer a listener question on how to talk to actors, and follow up on some excellent reviews of the Scriptnotes Book. In our bonus segment for premium members (like Eva!), Eva revisits their early career to think...
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720 - Watch Your Tone
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes back Susanna Fogel and David Iserson (The Spy Who Dumped Me) to steal their secrets on creating an original tone in their new series PONIES. They look at how the writers room was built to match their sensibilities, using characters to anchor the audience, and what it takes to sell and produce an original period TV series in 2026. We also talk about the pros and cons of filming in Budapest, and answer listener questions on trusting your judgement, recognizing your talent, differentiating character voices, and whether spec pilots are out of fashion. In our bonus segment for premium...
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719 - When Good Enough Isn’t Enough
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig consider all the words they have to write and ask, how do you know when something deserves your best effort? They offer a useful rubric for deciding when something is worth perfecting, and when over-optimization is a waste of time. We also follow up on compulsive writing habits, industry euphemisms, back issues, and the impact and legacy of the WGA’s 2019 agency negotiations. In our bonus segment for premium members, it’s a new year! John looks back at things he accomplished in 2025 and his goals for 2026, while Craig sighs and gestures in the direction of The Last of Us....
info_outlineJohn welcomes back Aline Brosh McKenna (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, The Devil Wears Prada) to ask, what do executives expect from a pitch these days? They look at the typical structure of a pitch deck, how that differs from lookbooks, how pitches have evolved over the years, and best practices for pitching on Zoom.
Also, what happened to single-lady sitcoms? If you remember Monday nights in the 90’s, you know what we’re talking about. We reflect on what they did for the culture and how social media and reality TV may be taking their place.
In our bonus segment for premium members, Aline tells us what it was like being back on the set for The Devil Wears Prada 2. Gird your loins, people!
Links:
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- I Love LA on HBO Max
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- Shotdeck
- Stranger Things pitch deck
- Paramount Makes Big Buy of Comedy Spec Script ‘Bald Eagles’ by Borys Kit for The Hollywood Reporter
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- Aline and John talk about writing memorable endings on YouTube
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- Outro by Aline Brosh McKenna (send us yours!)
- Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli.
Email us at ask@johnaugust.com
You can download the episode here.