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John welcomes writer/showrunner Haley Z. Boston for a post-mortem on her terrifying new series, Something Very Bad is Going to Happen. They look at how the series evolved from initial idea through production, her experience as a first-time showrunner, the special relationship between women and horror, and how she constructs terror on the page. We also chart her early career, and answer listener questions on splitting scenes and how to handle an overwhelming amount of development notes. In our bonus segment for premium members, it's spoiler territory as we look at what we can learn from the clever red herrings and misdirects of the series. Links: Haley Z. Boston on Instagram Something Very Bad is Going to Happen on Netflix Read along with an excerpt from the pilot Saying 'I do' is supposed to be joyous — unless something very bad happens by Gina McIntyre for LA Times Men, Women, and Chain Saws: Gender in the Modern Horror Film by Carol J. Clover Tasting Day Freaks Only Atomic Wave Dance by The Comet is Coming Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Gloom Canyon (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.

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: Does one page of a screenplay really equal one minute of screen time? by Stephen Follows California Schemin' trailer Indistractable by Nir Eyal Explanation of Disbursement of Residual Payments After Death from the WGA West Parseword Frankenstein's Regrets by Ben Tarnoff for The Nation The AI Paradox: How to Make Sense of a Complex Future by Virginia Dignum Indigo Girls Tour featuring Jessie Mazin! Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by James Ashley McLaren (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.

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: The 2026 MBA agreement memorandum John August on Instagram and Bluesky Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode here.

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: Episode 89 – Transcript The 100th episode The Inebriati from That Mitchell and Webb Look Paramount & MGM Sued By 'G.I. Joe' Writers from Deadline Twenty Shots to Be Henceforth Retired from Film Vocabulary on Reverse Shot Good Times | Florida Breaks Down The Los Angeles Times on Studios donating film set materials to Habitat for Humanity Scandal Revealed, Episode 221 Mistresses on ABC We're the Millers on Wikipedia LA28 Design Guide torched.la Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!) This episode was originally produced by Stuart Friedel. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode here.

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: Northwest Screenwriters Guild Steven Soderbergh's Sex Lies and Videotape book Our episode with KPop Demon Hunters writers Danya Jimenez & Hannah McMechan Notes on Notes John's screenplay library Dennis Palumbo episodes, 99 – Psychotherapy for screenwriters and 676 – Writing while the World is on Fire LA Material Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Nick Moore (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.

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, Episode 524 – The Home Stretch A video essay of our farewell scenes discussion with Aline Brosh McKenna Episodes 44 – Endings for beginners, 366 – Tying Things Up, 648 – Farewell Scenes, and 392 – The Final Moment Dan Harmon story circle Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!) Segments originally produced by Stuart Friedel, Megan McDonnell, Drew Marquardt and Megana Rao. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode here.

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: Project Hail Mary | Trailer Drew Goddard on IMDb The Martian screenplay Twin Peaks: The Return – Part 8 Noah Kalina on YouTube and Substack A Manual for Cleaning Women by Lucia Berlin Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Nick Moore (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.

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: Highland Fling has arrived! See it in action here CW Picks Up 'Crazy Ex-Girlfriend' As Hourlong Series by Nellie Andreeva for Deadline Scriptnotes, Ep 179: The Conflict Episode John's Screencasts on Entering a scene, Writing better action, and Writing better scene description First Follower: Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy Rob Schneider Is A Carrot Copyright, Exceptions, and Fair Use: Crash Course Intellectual Property Fallout 4 Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Rajesh Naroth (send us yours!) This episode was originally produced by Stuart Friedel. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode here. The transcript of this episode can be found here.

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: Birdigo is now on iOS! Weekend Read 2 Zathura Scarecrow Video donations H.R. Pufnstuf Disney Axed 'Star Wars' Sequel 'The Hunt for Ben Solo' Without Ever Asking About the Budget or Other Details by Zack Sharf for Variety FlipBelt Classic Running Belt The Wedding Party by Secret City Vancouver Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Eric Pearson (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.

John welcomes writer-directors Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh (Two People Exchanging Saliva) to ask, what happens when your short film is nominated for an Oscar? They look at each step from their initial idea to awards season to see how they positioned their short to be considered for an Academy Award. We also reflect on the lessons learned from short films, and answer listener questions on how to give actors your script and finding representation after your Oscar heat has cooled. In our bonus segment for premium members, we turn up the contrast on the many reasons for shooting in black and white. Links: Two People Exchanging Saliva Taika Waititi's Two Cars One Night Andrea Arnold's Wasp Martin McDonagh's Six Shooter Damien Chazelle's Whiplash short film Jim Cummings' Thunder Road short film David F. Sandberg's Lights Out short Troy by Mike Donahue The New York Public Library's Picture Collection ReMarkable tablet Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Nick Moore (send us yours!) Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Our Director of Photography is Jonathan Pope. Email us at [email protected] You can download the episode here.  

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: How an errand for a 12-year-old immigrant in Minneapolis became an underground operation by Jasmine Garsd and Sarah Ventre for NPR I Went on a Package Trip for Millennials Who Travel Alone. Help Me. by Caity Weaver for The New York Times How the US hacked ISIS by Dina Temple-Raston for NPR Whitman College: The Best College Squash Team in History by James Zug for Squash Magazine Shipping Out by David Foster Wallace Email deliverability tester Disempowerment patterns in real-world AI usage by Cornell University and Anthropic The world's greatest song that simply shouldn't exist Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Gloom Canyon (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.

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: Sentimental Value | Screenplay Joachim Trier Notorious (1946) The Lindy Effect Chris Ware Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Jeff Hoeppner & Richard Kraft (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.

John and Craig ask, what makes a useful comp? Writers often use comparisons when pitching or discussing projects, but what separates good comps from bad comps, why do we use them, and when do comps hurt more than they help? Basically, it's The Studio meets My Dinner with Andre. We also follow up on orality and "film by" credits, answer listener questions on getting AI feedback and attaching an actor to a microbudget feature, plus bring you another installment of John Recently Learned. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig are having weird issues with their email servers and need your help! Links: The Sheep Detectives trailer The Great Gazoo Ben Turpin The Party (1968) Fulla Regrets on Instagram Kitty Carlisle Bobbie Wygant interviews Jodie Foster by Jack Plotnick on Instagram Catherine O'Hara dies via Variety Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Pete White (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.  

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: Steve Jobs' email to himself How Will the Miracle Happen Today? by Kevin Kelly Havelock's orality tester Quantum computing for lawyers by JP Aumasson Swoop Inhibiting a master regulator of aging regenerates joint cartilage in mice by Krista Conger The Sheep Detectives trailer Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Jennifer Lucy Cook (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.

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: Sorry, Baby Read the Sorry, Baby screenplay Eva vs. Anxiety Eva's straight pride parade video on X Demetri Papadimitropoulos's review of the Scriptnotes Book Certain Women I Saw the TV Glow Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert Vancouver SkyTrain Nutella mini jars rainymood.com Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book! Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! Check out the Inneresting Newsletter Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube Scriptnotes on Instagram John August on Bluesky and Instagram Outro by Nick Moore (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.