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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717 - The Screenwriting Life: The Craft Lessons That Matter Most
12/23/2025
717 - The Screenwriting Life: The Craft Lessons That Matter Most
In a Christmas crossover event, John and Craig join Meg LeFauve (Inside Out) and Lorien McKenna (Tab Time) on their podcast, The Screenwriting Life. We talk about why rigid structure can miss the point, how theme emerges from character, what fear and denial really look like on the page, and how writers can survive rejection without letting it define them. In our bonus segment for premium members, John breaks Drew’s heart with his lovely memories of Rob & Michele Reiner. Links: podcast , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Mathew Chilelli () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode . (20:00)
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716 - Personality Typologies
12/16/2025
716 - Personality Typologies
on Netflix Mike Makowsky on and (The last time Mike was on the podcast) Alan Sepinwall for The Ringer by Candice Millard from Assassins by Gretchen Rubin by Linda Edelstein by Emily Mullin for WIRED on HBO Max , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Luke Foster () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode . (9:00)
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715 - The Book Launch, Live!
12/09/2025
715 - The Book Launch, Live!
John and Craig celebrate the release of the Scriptnotes Book with a sold-out show full of arguments, games and holiday cheer at Dynasty Typewriter in LA. Slate’s Julia Turner returns to interview John and Craig about the fifteen year journey towards creating the book, and challenges Craig’s dismissal of critics. We also welcome back Ashley Nicole Black (Shrinking, Ted Lasso) to help us get through a fridgeful of leftover questions, and invite three lucky audience members to play our new game: “Somewhat strange lines from Christmas movies.” In our bonus segment for premium members, we invite our audience to ask us questions in a live Q&A. Links: Ashley Nicole Black on from on Instagram , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Mathew Chilelli () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode . (2:18)
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714 - Three Page Challenge Live in Austin 2025
12/02/2025
714 - Three Page Challenge Live in Austin 2025
John and Craig gather a congregation of writers in St. David’s Episcopal Church for a live round of the Three Page Challenge. They look at three listener-submitted scripts to offer them their honest feedback, face-to-face. They offer suggestions on world building in the apocalypse, making military characters specific, building mystery and suspense, and crafting con-artist logic. In our bonus segment for premium members, we answer questions from our audience on how to know if a script looks correct, what we want to see in the first three pages, using actor names in character descriptions, what comedy requires, and how to direct a reader’s attention on the page. Links: Follow along with our Three Page Challenge Selections! by Michael Warnecke, by Teddy Johnson, by Becca Hurd , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Mathew Chilelli () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at (1:03) You can download the episode .
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713 - Your First Produced Film
11/25/2025
713 - Your First Produced Film
John welcomes Danya Jimenez & Hannah McMechan, the writing team behind KPop Demon Hunters, to chart their path from film school to first feature. They look at navigating early career difficulties like finding your voice and trying to get reps, their method of building a writing partnership, and how a bad pitch led them to writing one of the biggest movies of the year. We also follow up on breaking in later in life and writing with ADHD. In our bonus segment for premium members, what does Hollywood get wrong about Gen Z? Danya and Hannah share what drives them crazy about how their generation is portrayed on screen. Links: and on Netflix on Scriptnotes, episodes , , , on Apple TV by Kevin Brownlow by Gretchen Felker-Martin on HBO Max , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by James Llonch () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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712 - Something Wicked This Way Comes
11/18/2025
712 - Something Wicked This Way Comes
John and Craig welcome back Dana Fox (Wicked, The Lost City) for a magical flight through everything that went into adapting Wicked and its upcoming sequel, Wicked: For Good. They look at the history of the project, why it was split into two movies, the process for writing when you’re shooting two movies at the same time, and the exhausting effort it takes for big movies to defy gravity. We also chat with Graham Rowat, the narrator of the Scriptnotes audiobook, follow up on weird movies and cuck chairs, answer listener questions on the limits of torturing your heroes and ask, did the 90’s really have the best actions movies? In our bonus segment for premium members, Dana sticks around to take us behind the scenes of a big movie’s promo circuit, and how to stay sane (and even popular!) throughout the world tour. Links: Dana Fox on and Wicked and Owl Labs’ podcast , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Spencer Lackey () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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711 - The State of Pitching
11/11/2025
711 - The State of Pitching
John 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: by Etan Vlessing for The Hollywood Reporter on HBO Max on Netflix by Borys Kit for The Hollywood Reporter on YouTube , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Aline Brosh McKenna () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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710 - What Happened To Weird?
11/04/2025
710 - What Happened To Weird?
John and Craig look at all the pleasant, normal people around them and ask, what happened to the weirdos? They root out the causes of cultural stagnation, offer potential solutions, and explore the entertainment that still finds a way to be weird. We also look at the tipping point between “wanting to write” and “actually writing,” follow up on printer prices and billboard queens, and answer listener questions on soundtracks, adapting a podcast and feeling ownership over your ideas. In our bonus segment for premium members, we try to remember how we construct our personal narratives, and the pros and cons of remembering our past. Our LIVE book release show will be at Dynasty Typewriter in LA on November 30th — get your tickets now! Links: at Dynasty Typewriter in LA by Cameron Crowe by Mickey Rapkin for The Hollywood Reporter by Adam Mastroianni on Prime Video by Larissa MacFarquhar for The New Yorker , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Jim Bond () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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709 - Live at the Austin Film Festival 2025
10/28/2025
709 - Live at the Austin Film Festival 2025
John and Craig return to Texas for their 11th show at the Austin Film Festival. They welcome writer Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) and showrunner Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar, Bel-Air) to look at what makes character relationships compelling, and how to build a writing career later in life. We also answer lister questions on getting un-stuck in a script, how podcasting has made us better writers, the limits of exposition, using AI for sizzle reels, and where we get the cajones selling a screenwriting book after slagging-off screenwriting books for fourteen years. In our bonus segment for premium members, we invite two Scriptnotes super-fans up to the stage to compete for the ultimate prize: an early, signed copy of the Scriptnotes book. Links: and by Chris Csont , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Matthew Chilelli () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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708 - Ambition Meets Fabrication
10/21/2025
708 - Ambition Meets Fabrication
John and Craig look at three tales of lies, betrayal and deceit and ask, How Would This be a Movie? Stories include a flamboyant show-business grifter, a sibling rivalry between two LA billboard queens, and American students tricked into attending a fake Oxford college. We also follow up on audio dramas, last looks, and answer listener questions on a suspicious AI story and what do do with producers that are too keen. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you watch TV when you’re away from home, particularly overseas? We share the joys and frustrations of tuning in while you’re on the road. Links: Preorder a by Jake Kanter for Deadline Trailer for Marco Robinson’s TV show by Mickey Rapkin for The Hollywood Reporter on YouTube by Josh Levin for Slate and by Erik Barmack for The Ankler , or (now with fewer emails!) Scriptnotes on John August on and by Jeff Ross () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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707 - After the Hunt
10/14/2025
707 - After the Hunt
by Jessica DeFino , 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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161 - A Cheap Cut of Meat Soaked in Butter (Encore)
10/07/2025
161 - A Cheap Cut of Meat Soaked in Butter (Encore)
John and Craig invite Aline Brosh McKenna back to celebrate the third anniversary of Scriptnotes. It’s a jam-packed, glass-and-a-half of wine, listener-favorite episode. They look at ways to breathe new life into scenes and characters that aren’t working, box office journalism and how Hollywood is always dying, scene geography, and the role of emotional intelligence (or EQ) in a writer’s career. In our bonus segment for premium members, we have original outtakes from the episode where we look at what changed in the world in our first three years on air, make predictions for what’s to come, re-invent Spanx, and of course talk about D&D. Links: Going to the 2025 Austin Film Festival? and its Aline Brosh McKenna on and from How Stuff Works From 2014: by Brooks Barnes Mimeographs on and on Everything is Terrible! Filthy Scriptnotes episodes and by C. W. Neill , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Robert Hutchison () 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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706 - Is TV Better Now?
09/30/2025
706 - Is TV Better Now?
John and Craig wonder, how has TV changed in the last ten years? They compare what’s better and worse, the tradeoffs between quality and quantity, how curation is changing, the pros and cons of shorter seasons, and what this all means for writers and viewers. We also look forward to our time at the Austin Film Festival, offer paths for writers to keep their health insurance, follow up on Three Page Challenge selections that actually got made, and answer listener questions on adapting a screenplay into an audio drama and payment for work after a script is turned in. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig looks at what makes a damn fine cup of coffee. Links: Going to the Austin Film Festival this year? audio drama , 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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705 - Short Films and Existential Threats
09/23/2025
705 - Short Films and Existential Threats
John and Craig discuss short films: what makes a great short, when should you make one, and what should you realistically expect out of it? We also update our predictions on whether the career of “screenwriter” can survive potential global catastrophes. We then answer listener questions on staff writer wages and using URLs in a script. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk intermissions and why more movies should have them. Links: John’s post on Megana Rao on and , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Luke Davis () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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704 - Places, Everyone
09/16/2025
704 - Places, Everyone
John welcomes back Liz Hannah (The Post, The Girl from Plainville) to discuss how to construct and communicate setting in a script. They talk about the balance between establishing a sense of space while avoiding the beginner’s mistake of over-blocking. We also follow up on accountability groups, last looks, and French composers. Then, we answer listener questions on revisions and getting your Hollywood Card revoked. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Liz consider how to explain screenwriting to your kids (and others). LINKS: Interested in being our new UI/UX designer? , or Scriptnotes on John August on and Liz Hannah on by Spencer Lackey () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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703 - Getting Period Right
09/09/2025
703 - Getting Period Right
Interested in being our new UI/UX designer? by Ben Child for The Guardian Marielle Heller’s and () by Jason Barlow for Wired , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Whit Morliss () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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702 - Last Looks
09/02/2025
702 - Last Looks
by Katie Seward, by Holden Potter, and by Sylvia-Anne Parker Megana Rao on and by Hollis Robbins , 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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701 - Connections
08/26/2025
701 - Connections
John and Craig examine how to best use your connections to help yourself and others. They look at ways to identify the strength of a connection, leverage them without being manipulative, the nitty-gritty of approaching others for a favor, and the important ways to be generous in return. We also look at the good news in the WGA’s 2025 Screen Compensation Guide, follow-up on creator pay through streaming services, and answer listener questions on how to tell if you’re improving something, and whether having kids changes our storytelling. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig piece together their feelings on modern LEGO sets. Links: by Cate Hall , or Scriptnotes on John August on and by Spencer Lackey () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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700 - The Live Call-In Show
08/19/2025
700 - The Live Call-In Show
To celebrate our 700th episode, John and Craig open the phone lines for a live late-night call-in show (recorded at 10 a.m. on a Wednesday). Through the power of Zoom (and YouTube), listeners ask questions about rewrites in post, avoiding traps as a production designer, changing characters in a rewrite, and advice on leaving the entertainment industry. We also welcome back familiar faces from Scriptnotes history for a brand-new segment, “People, Places and Things,” where we look at movie stills and ask how we might describe them on the page. Also for debate, what is the boundary between “spoiler” and “what’s happening in culture”? In our bonus segment for premium members, we keep the videophone lines open for more listener questions on juggling multiple projects, preparing alt lines for production, and whether studios option projects just to kill them. You can (and should!) watch the entire episode on our YouTube channel. Just search for Scriptnotes Podcast. While you’re there, give us a Like and a Follow. Links: , , and on Netflix on Play along with People, Places and Things: , , , , , , and . , or Craig Mazin on John August on and by Matthew Chilelli () Scriptnotes is produced by and edited by . Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode .
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699 - How to Talk About Yourself
08/12/2025
699 - How to Talk About Yourself
Every writer has to pitch themselves, but how do you do it without sounding like a tool? John welcomes back Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) for a big talk about small talk and general meetings. They offer practical tips on what to expect, how to get people to open up, navigating NDAs, staying true to yourself, and organically moving the conversation away from the weather and towards your work. We also look at a pernicious effect of underemployment (starting with a prompt from Ryan Knighton,) and answer listener questions on alternating POV, reusing adjectives, and giving your story beats cause and effect. In our bonus segment for premium members, we get meta as we discuss the modern podcast landscape and next era of Scriptnotes. Links: by Elif Batuman for The New Yorker by Adam Mastroianni by Joseph Bernstein for NYT , or Craig Mazin 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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