760 - The Lost Art of the Bit Part
Scriptnotes Podcast
Whatever happened to bit parts — the roles in which a character shows up only for one memorable scene? John and Craig discuss why these roles seem to have vanished, particularly in live action, and make a case for bringing them back. They also cover listener questions, such as when to name your minor character, how to pitch with talent in the room, and what to do when you find out someone has already made your movie… and maybe done it better. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, we analyze the current political landscape but with a narrative spin. As midterms come to an end, it...
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759 - What It's About? Moving Beyond Loglines
Scriptnotes Podcast
How do you answer the question, “What is your project about?” Recorded live at the Austin Film Festival, John is joined by Scriptnotes all-stars Pamela Ribon and Phil Hay to talk about loglines, framing, and communicating the deeper message behind your project. They also discuss working outside of the traditional studio system, including ways to find money for your film. Plus, we play a game with the audience. Links: Film Download the episode ! Get your copy of and become a today! For more content on the craft of writing our weekly-ish newsletter...
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758 - Revisiting The Dropout
Scriptnotes Podcast
What are storytellers’ responsibilities when it comes to real-life figures? How much fiction can you blend with fact? You Can See Everything is the latest film exploring Elizabeth Holmes, the fascinating and singular Theranos founder. In light of its cultural moment, this week we revisit episode 546, where John is joined by Liz Meriwether and Liz Hannah to discuss their own Liz Holmes series, The Dropout, starring Amanda Seyfried. No spoilers in the main show, but in our mega-bonus segment for premium subscribers, John, Craig, Drew, Meredith and Lauren have a spoiler-filled roundtable...
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757 - Nerding Out on Story with Andrew Stanton
Scriptnotes Podcast
John and Craig welcome a long-awaited guest: Andrew Stanton, writer-director behind many beloved Pixar films including Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., WALL-E, and the Toy Story franchise. They talk about making sequels, Andrew’s approach to storytelling, and the ways that Pixar shook up the typical Disney formula. (For example, Pixar’s take on villains.) In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, the three discuss directing other people’s writing, as well as working in TV versus features. Links: by Stephen Follows Download the episode ! Get your copy of and...
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756 - Archetypes
Scriptnotes Podcast
Since the dawn of storytelling, there have been archetypes. What aspects of archetypes are actually useful for writers? And how do we move beyond tropes to create complex characters? Pick a card, any card! John and Craig play around with the upcoming Creator Character Kit. They draw archetype cards and imagine multifaceted characters that embody those qualities. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk home cinema hardware: screens and projectors. Links: L.A. World’s “” Download the episode ! Get your copy of and become a today!...
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755 - Directing Your Writing
Scriptnotes Podcast
What changes when you take off your writer hat and put on your director hat? In this compendium episode, John, Craig, and Scriptnotes coordinator Lauren Loesberg review directing advice previously given on the podcast. John and Craig offer Lauren pointers on directing her next project. They also answer a listener question about directing actors “on the page.” In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, we discuss film festivals. Why would writers go? And what can you expect to get out of the experience? Links: by Josh Silver Download the episode ! Get your copy...
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754 - East of Eden with Zoe Kazan
Scriptnotes Podcast
John welcomes writer and actress Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks, The Big Sick, She Said) to talk about her sweeping and thorough reimagining of East of Eden, releasing on Netflix on October 1st. They discuss her approach to period piece dialogue, the process of adapting such an expansive novel, and the family history behind this particular project. Rich with biblical parallels, East of Eden is a perfect story for a discussion of archetypes. John invites Zoe to pull cards from the upcoming Character Creator Kit in a conversation about the iconic East of Eden antagonist, Cathy. In our bonus segment for...
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753 - The One with Aaron Sorkin
Scriptnotes Podcast
Today, we welcome longtime fantasy guest, Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The West Wing, The Social Network) to talk through his writing process and tease his upcoming film, The Social Reckoning. Does Aaron Sorkin use outlines? Where does he begin? And does he have any more ideas? All these questions and more will be answered. John also presents a couple of Sorkin’s own scenes as a case study on writing conflict. In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, we discuss Sorkin’s projects that never got produced. Now you see it… now you don’t. Links: Download the episode ! Get...
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752 - General Meetings
Scriptnotes Podcast
Think of this as a crash course in general meetings. In this compendium, John, Craig and Scriptnotes intern, Lauren, mine previous episodes for advice on the bewildering “general.” They aim to answer every question you’ve had about general meetings, over the years: What are they? What’s discussed? And how do you get one? In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John and Craig swap stories about their best, worst, and first general meetings. Get your copy of and become a today! For more content on the craft of writing our weekly-ish newsletter about...
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751 - Assembling a Career with Erin Gibson
Scriptnotes Podcast
What if you zigged when you thought you should have zagged? As an actress, a writer, a showrunner, and a host, Erin Gibson’s career has been unpredictable. But look closer and you see it’s driven by consistent values, smart timing, and the universal currency of comedy. John seeks her insight on going with the flow. John and Erin answer listener questions about connecting with reps, sorting through your idea bank, and managing your emotions while writing. They also encourage listeners to praise colleagues and strangers. Just send the email! In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John...
info_outlineJohn welcomes Lucia Aniello and Paul W. Downs to talk about the emotional and logistical process of closing out their five-season series, Hacks.
Paul and Lucia also step up as guest readers for the Three Page Challenge, a segment where we look at the first three pages of a listener-submitted script and give honest feedback.
In our bonus segment for premium subscribers, John, Lucia and Paul talk about cameos. How do they happen? What’s the real deal behind the scenes?
Scripts:
Links:
- You Can Just Do Things by Cate Hall
- State and Local Election Alliance
- @luciaaniellosetfits
- @paulwdowns
- Cherlato Gelato
Get your copy of The Scriptnotes Book and become a Scriptnotes Premium member today! For more content on the craft of writing check out Inneresting our weekly-ish newsletter about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.
Scriptnotes is produced by Meredith Stedman and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our Coordinator is Lauren Loesberg.
Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!).
Email us at [email protected]