Scriptnotes Podcast
Screenwriters John August and Craig Mazin discuss screenwriting and related topics in the film and television industry, everything from getting stuff written to the vagaries of copyright and work-for-hire law.
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737 - Studio-Adjacent
05/26/2026
737 - Studio-Adjacent
John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture. We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and what to do when your story has too many themes. In our bonus segment for premium members, we look back on what Phil learned about D&D from his documentary The Dungeon Masters. Links: Scriptnotes , , and from Swingers Pamela Ribon’s documentary , or Subscribe to Scriptnotes on Follow Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Craig Good () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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736 - The Devil You Know
05/19/2026
736 - The Devil You Know
John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to explore the timely questions about art and human labor posed by her long-awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We’ll warn you now: Spoilers ahead! We also look at what AI knitting podcasts can tell us about the future of industrially-produced slop, and answer a listener question on how to approach the engine of a TV show. In our bonus segment for premium members, what would a hypothetical Scriptnotes Screenplay Club look like? Aline weighs in to make sure the design is impeccable. That’s all. Links: Aline Brosh McKenna on and by Kate Davies on YouTube on Instagram vertical by NetShort by Maggie Harrison Dupré for Futurism on TikTok by Lane Brown for New York Magazine , or Subscribe to Scriptnotes on Follow Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Eric Pearson () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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735 - The Flashforward Fallback
05/12/2026
735 - The Flashforward Fallback
John and Craig go back to the beginning to examine the mechanics of the flash-forward opening — or as it’s known on this podcast, the “Stuart Special.” They look at what makes a strong flash-forward, when to avoid them, and how to pay back the narrative debt they incur. We also follow up on the Scriptnotes survey and answer a massive grab-bag blitz of listener questions including the potential pitfalls of child protagonists, “unfilmable” elements, and how to end a scene. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you socialize at Hollywood parties? We’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. Links: The script for Greta Gerwig’s by Kevin T. Porter by Malmesbury , or Subscribe to Scriptnotes on Follow Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Nick Moore () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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734 - A Box Full of Teeth
05/05/2026
734 - A Box Full of Teeth
John and Craig welcome back Katie Dippold (Widow’s Bay, Ghostbusters) to ask, what advice would you give to your younger self? They revisit the writers they used to be, offer specific guidance to each one, and demystify everything from “Why isn’t a producer calling me back?” to “Should I join that sorority?” Most importantly, we look at how Katie turned her former writing sample into the hilarious and spooky new show, Widow’s Bay. We also answer listener questions on calling out stolen ideas and how to pitch yourself when your past work doesn’t line up with your voice. In our bonus segment for premium members, with the rise of AI, will there still be be movies and TV shows in ten or twenty years? Our best guesses lie just behind the paywall. Links: on AppleTV Katie Dippold on and The last time Katie was on Scriptnotes, Wolf’s Belly () by Clayton Davis for Variety by Javier Carbajal for Wired , or Subscribe to Scriptnotes on Follow Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Eric Pearson () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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733 - Learning Comedy
04/28/2026
733 - Learning Comedy
John welcomes five-time Emmy-winning writer Ali Barthwell (Last Week Tonight) to ask, can writers learn to be funny? Drawing from her time as a teacher at The Second City, they look at what writers can learn from sketch and improv, and how to reliably find ways to make an audience laugh. We also celebrate the WGA membership’s ratification of the 2026 MBA, the educational future of the Scriptnotes book, and answer listener questions on the first scene of a comedy and when to stop taking assistant gigs and bet on yourself. In our bonus segment for premium members, Ali shares how she built a thriving writing career without ever having to live in New York or LA. Links: Preorder Ali’s new book, Pre-inked by Jason Zinoman for NYTimes by Anne Libera , or Subscribe to Scriptnotes on Follow Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Matt Gillespie () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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732 - Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
04/21/2026
732 - Something Very Bad is Going to Happen
on Netflix Read along with an by Gina McIntyre for LA Times by Carol J. Clover by The Comet is Coming , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Gloom Canyon () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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731 - Avoidance and Other Anti-Quests
04/14/2026
731 - Avoidance and Other Anti-Quests
John and Craig flip the idea of motivation on its head and ask, what are your characters running from? Using examples across film and TV, they look at the psychological underpinnings of discomfort, and how to use avoidance as a driving force of character and story. We’ve also been away for a minute, so there’s a lot to catch up on! We follow-up on where the heck we’ve been, locked pages, a Scottish rap duo, and a new scientific answer for whether one page of script really equals one minute of movie. We also answer listener questions on the afterlife of residuals and writing with a significant other. In our bonus segment for premium members, we go through their feedback on our first ever video podcast and announce our plans for the future of the show. Links: by Stephen Follows by Nir Eyal from the WGA West by Ben Tarnoff for The Nation by Virginia Dignum featuring Jessie Mazin! , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by James Ashley McLaren () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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SC39 - Sidecast: The 2026 MBA
04/10/2026
SC39 - Sidecast: The 2026 MBA
There’s a brand new agreement between the WGA and the AMPTP! And since John was the co-chair of the negotiating committee, he’s excited to share all the details of the 2026 MBA. Links: John August on and Scriptnotes on and Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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89 - Writing effective transitions (Encore)
04/07/2026
89 - Writing effective transitions (Encore)
John and Craig connect the dots on transitions and how they can be just as important as the scenes themselves. They look at how to get your scenes flowing into one another, the many different types of transitions, when to use “CUT TO,” and how to use your cuts to tell your story. We also discuss those shots we no longer need to see in movies, and use a lawsuit filed by two GI Joe writers to examine some common issues created by prewriting. In our bonus segment for premium members, the Olympics are coming to Los Angeles and we have conflicting feelings! Links: from That Mitchell and Webb Look from Deadline on Reverse Shot The Los Angeles Times on on ABC on Wikipedia , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Matthew Chilelli () This episode was originally produced by . Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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730 - A Frank Conversation About Screenwriting
03/31/2026
730 - A Frank Conversation About Screenwriting
John sits down with the Northwest Screenwriters Guild at an event to promote the Scriptnotes book, and ends up having a poignant conversation about how the career of screenwriting has changed, missteps John made throughout his career, and how his approach to screenwriting has evolved over time. He also answers questions on kicking bad writing habits, screenwriting careers outside of Hollywood, what to look for in the projects you choose, whether age matters in a screenwriting career, writing your calling card movie, the sidekick problem, and the real story behind the Prince of Persia movie. In our bonus segment for premium members, John has been hanging out with sketch writers for the last few weeks and is excited to share what he’s learned about writing sketch comedy. Links: Steven Soderbergh’s Dennis Palumbo episodes, and , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Nick Moore () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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729 - Endings Compendium, Part II
03/24/2026
729 - Endings Compendium, Part II
In our first sequel compendium, John and Craig revisit four of their best segments dedicated to crafting a satisfying and emotional ending to your story. They look at rooting your ending in character, the function of the denouement, what makes a memorable farewell, how and why our endings can change, and how to bring everything full-circle. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and producer Drew continue a discussion that Drew Goddard started on character sides and the process of casting minor characters. Links: Our first endings compendium, with Aline Brosh McKenna Episodes , , , and , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Eric Pearson () Segments originally produced by , , Drew Marquardt and . Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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728 - Beats to Scenes with Drew Goddard
03/17/2026
728 - Beats to Scenes with Drew Goddard
John welcomes back Drew Goddard (Project Hail Mary, High Potential) to ask, how do you turn the beats of your story into full scenes? Using Drew’s script for The Martian, we look at how he translates moments in a book into scenes in a movie, the freedom Drew finds in a beat sheet, how beats are approached in a TV writers room, and his advice to a staff writer struggling with a draft. We also dig into Drew’s process for adapting Project Hail Mary, choosing what to cut, and his eloquent defense of double-spacing in a screenplay. He’s even kind enough to help answer listener questions on how to recharge your brain and how to indicate you wrote the most on a co-written script. In our bonus segment for premium members, Drew shares his outlook on the current TV landscape, including the big mistake he sees young writers make in their spec pilots. Links: | Drew Goddard on Noah Kalina on and by Lucia Berlin , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Nick Moore () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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197 - How do bad movies get made? (Encore)
03/10/2026
197 - How do bad movies get made? (Encore)
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 arrived! by Nellie Andreeva for Deadline John’s Screencasts on , , and , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Rajesh Naroth () This episode was originally produced by Stuart Friedel. Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode . The transcript of this episode can be found .
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727 - Free Work
03/03/2026
727 - Free Work
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 used to? Links: by Zack Sharf for Variety by Secret City Vancouver , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Eric Pearson () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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726 - So you’ve been nominated for an Oscar
02/24/2026
726 - So you’ve been nominated for an Oscar
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
02/17/2026
725 - Torn from the pages of Squash Magazine
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 our old CDs and DVDs? We weigh the pros and cons of physical media. Links: by Jasmine Garsd and Sarah Ventre for NPR by Caity Weaver for The New York Times by Dina Temple-Raston for NPR by James Zug for Squash Magazine by David Foster Wallace by Cornell University and Anthropic , or Scriptnotes on and John August on and by Gloom Canyon () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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724 - Introductions with Joachim Trier
02/10/2026
724 - Introductions with Joachim Trier
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 screen, why Joachim translates his scripts in pre-production, and the one little detail you might not have noticed in Sentimental Value. Links: | Chris Ware by Chris Ware , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Jeff Hoeppner & Richard Kraft () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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723 - Blank Meets Blank
02/03/2026
723 - Blank Meets Blank
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
01/27/2026
722 - Orality, or Writing to be Spoken
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 make predictions for the 2026 box office. Links: by Kevin Kelly by JP Aumasson by Krista Conger trailer , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Jennifer Lucy Cook () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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721 - Preparing to Direct (with Eva Victor)
01/20/2026
721 - Preparing to Direct (with Eva Victor)
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 about how short-form video intersects with Hollywood. Links: Eva’s on X by Sophie Gilbert , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Nick Moore () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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