John welcomes Simon Rich (Man Seeking Woman, Miracle Workers) to look at how he crafts a comedic premise. Using his work on SNL, his time writing Inside Out at Pixar and his plethora of short stories, they look at how he develops a funny idea into a story with narrative and emotional punch. We also follow up on the Harry Potter TV series, and answer listener questions on the downsides of writing in other mediums and adapting your screenplay into a novel. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you get your work into magazines? Simon walks through his experience, from rejection letters to being published in the New Yorker. Links: Glory Days by Simon Rich “Gifted” by Simon RichRocket Dog sketchHowtown with Joss Fong and Adam Cole Dr. Eckener’s Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel by Douglas BottingGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt with help from Jonathan Wigdortz. It is edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Aline Brosh McKenna to help figure out how to say goodbye… in your story. Using examples from some of their favorite movies, they explore how farewell scenes work, what sets them apart from the average see-you-later, and leaving a lasting effect on your characters and the audience. We also look at the summer box office, George Gallo’s Bad Boys lawsuit, Sony’s purchase of Alamo Drafthouse, and answer listener questions on bad ex-managers, second steps, NDA’s, fairies, and how to take advantage of downtime in LA. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Aline discuss journaling. Should we be keeping track of what we’ve been doing all day? Links: ‘Bad Boys’ Settlement by Dominic Patten for Deadline Why did Sony buy Alamo Drafthouse — and is it actually a good thing? by Ryan Faughnder for LA TimesThe Nine Enneagram Type DescriptionsFarewell – CasablancaFarewell – Past LivesFarewell – Lost in TranslationFarewell – WeekendFarewell – PhiladelphiaFarewell – The Shawshank RedemptionFarewell – Harold and MaudeFarewell – Terminator 2Farewell – The Way We WereFarewell – The Wizard of OzFarewell – E.T.Farewell – Toy Story 3Farewell – Dead Poets SocietyRevival Hub LAVisit MaltaPeel off lip stain Dirt Man by Carter Vail, and some of Aline’s favorite remixes, via TikTokPhil Collins’ HoudiniGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt with help from Jonathan Wigdortz. It is edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

In this compendium episode, John and Craig fast-forward to the third act to talk about endings. How do they work? What makes them great? And how do you fix them when they’re not working? They look at how to connect your ending to your characters, crafting a twist that surprises (but doesn’t confuse), the function of the climax, the importance of the denouement, and how to make it all satisfying for your audience. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew welcome back Megana Rao to ask: do we still need reunions in the age of social media? Links: Episode 44 – Endings for beginners Episode 170 – Lotteries, lightning strikes and twist endingsEpisode 366 – Tying Things UpEpisode 392 – The Final MomentEpisode 524 – The Home StretchToo Many Cooks America’s best decade, according to data by Andrew Van Dam for The Washington PostAll Fours by Miranda JulyCallipegGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours!)Segments originally produced by Stuart Friedel, Megan McDonnell and Megana Rao. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig decode the current state of software in the film and television industry. With dozens of programs needed for every project, they look at why bad and outdated programs continue to have a hold on the industry, why it’s so hard to build something better, and how these programs find financial success in such a small and specialized market. Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where they give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. They offer insights into quickly establishing information, those scenes that can be written but not filmed, the tricky dynamics of a meet-cute, and why broad comedy demands logic. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig explore the exciting possibilities that comes from playing D&D campaigns with no magic and other strict constraints. Links: Follow along with our Three Page Challenge Selections: PLANET B by Christopher James, THE LONG HAUL by Becca Hurd, and THE RIGHT TO PARTY by Lucas McCutchenSubmit your script for our Three Page Challenge! David Zucker’s 15 Rules of ComedySpace Cadet (2024)Movie Magic SchedulingScenechronizePIXQtakeBOXFrame.ioEvercastScriptoFuzzlecheckRipley on NetflixWatchmen – “This Extraordinary Being”Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt with help from Jonathan Wigdortz. It is edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes Meredith Scardino (Girls5eva) and Jen Statsky (Hacks) to discuss the highs and lows of writing the third season of a hit comedy. But how do you push a series forward without violating the premise or retreading familiar terrain? Are the shows still the shows they pitched? How has streaming changed since their shows first went on the air? And how do you plan for your series’ future? They also answer listener questions on non-binary characters, past tense emotions in action lines, and how to make the most of a mentorship. In our bonus segment for premium members: Two years ago John sent a letter to Jen with his predictions for what would happen in the third season of Hacks. That letter has remained sealed until now. Were John’s predictions correct, close, or way off the mark? Links: Meredith Scardino on InstagramJen Statsky on InstagramGirls5eva on Netflix Hacks on MaxChris Fleming Chris Fleming: HELL on Peacock Hannah Einbinder: Everything Must Go on Max Stouchi iPhone Camera MountGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Rodger Corser (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.

John and Craig explore one of the most powerful and versatile tools in episodic television: the cold open. But how does it work? What kind of scenes does it showcase best? How can it play with point of view, perspective and time? What makes it memorable? And how do you make it work for your story? We also discuss new requirements for loan-out corporations, follow up on streaming ads and AI-generated coverage, and answer listener questions on titles, exposition and disabled representation. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig check out OpenAI’s flirty new chat capabilities and ask, do they have any love for talking to human-like AI’s? Links: Scriptnotes hats and drinkware! John jumps out of a plane on Instagram Corporate Transparency Act: An Overview of Impending Reporting ObligationsMoviePass, MovieCrash | Official Trailer from HBOThe Film Fund and the Reddit threadLOST – Desmond in the HatchSuwada Nail ClippersSong Exploder – Madonna’s “Hung Up”The Ladder by Hatch EscapesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (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.

John joins Mike Birbiglia on his podcast Working It Out to share direct, practical screenwriting advice that you’ll actually use, whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter or you want to pursue creative work of any kind. They explore John’s screenwriting process, from defining his expression “breaking the back of the script,” through the different forms of conflict and navigating the murky middle of the story. John shares the best writing advice he’s ever received, the screenplays everyone should read, what he appreciates in standup specials and why cool people aren’t funny. They also revisit the gains made on AI as a result of the writers strike. Links: Mike Birbiglia’s Working It OutWatch this episode of Working It Out on YouTubeSee Mike Birbiglia LiveThe Old Man & the Pool on Netflix Scriptnotes, Ep 179: The Conflict EpisodeAliens screenplay by James Cameron Sex, lies and videotape screenplay by Steven SoderberghMiry’s ListGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonWorking It Out is produced by Mike Birbiglia, Peter Salomone, Joseph Birbiglia and Mabel Lewis. Associate producer: Gary Simons. Consulting producer: Seth Barrish. Video consultant: Graham Willoughby.Special Thanks to Marissa Hurwitz, Josh Upfal, David Raphael, Nina Cwik, J. Hope Stein, and Oona. Music by Jack Antonoff and BleachersScriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

In this compendium episode, John and Craig demystify the the relationship between writers and the people who represent them, looking at how to acquire, work with and (if necessary) fire your agents and managers. How do you get an agent or a manager? What are they looking for in a potential client? What frustrates them? How do you position yourself for success? And what should you be looking for in an agent? How should they treat their clients? What is in their job description? How do you navigate disagreements, and what are best practices for when you have to part ways? In our bonus segment for premium members, John discusses how and why he changed his mind and signed with his first-ever manager just a few weeks ago. Links: Episode 2 – How to get an agent and/or manager Episode 172 – Franz Kafka’s brother, and the perfect agent Episode 7 – Firing a manager, and trying new software How ‘Go,’ the Wildest, Druggiest, Horniest Cult Movie of 1999 Got Made (And Almost Didn’t) by Paul Schrodt for GQGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by James Llonch (send us yours!)This episode’s segments were originally produced by Stuart Friedel. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Why are things so rough in Hollywood right now? John and Craig look at the industry’s current contraction, its historical analogues, and offer suggestions for what might fix it. We also follow up on streaming ad breaks and New York accents, before answering listener questions on being paralyzed, whether it’s by your second draft or writing professional emails. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig wonder what to do with their digital lives once they’ve shuffled off this mortal coil, and how do you keep it from getting creepy? Links: The Life and Death of Hollywood by Daniel Bessner for Harpers One weird trick for fixing Hollywood by Max ReadMoloch TrapLola DupreCodenames Duet2 Kings 2:23-24Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Ben Singer (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.

John and Craig investigate what characters know and how we know they know what they know. It’s something that can be as confusing as that last sentence was, but they offer clear guidance on building informed characters, audience expectations, and how to get everybody on the same page. We also look at how ad breaks in streaming are interrupting established act breaks. But first we follow up on AI transcription and character voice, and answer listener questions on authentic depictions and how to ask for a WGA contract. In our bonus segment for premium members, how should you act when you meet a famous person? John and Craig have big (but well-concealed) feelings. Links: Do I Sound Gay? DocumentaryInternational Dialects of English ArchiveAccent Tag on YouTubeChilean beer ads in Star WarsLetter JamTacticalMap Fallout on Prime VideoGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Nica Brooke (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.

John welcomes writer and comedian Alex Edelman to look at how he wrote his solo show Just For Us, and dig into the meaning of “write what you know.” They discuss finding your voice as a writer, developing your story with an audience, why Alex doesn’t write his shows down, and the sample that first got him staffed. We also answer listener questions on what to do when your manager doesn’t understand your comedy, and the value of characters speaking to themselves. In our bonus segment for premium members, John asks Alex, how do you set boundaries on material when you’re dating another comedian? Links: Alex EdelmanJust For Us on HBOReplay by Jordan MechnerReplay by Ken GrimwoodGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Ali Clifton (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.

John and Craig can’t help but look at intrinsic motivations — those specific internal drives that guide characters behavior. They discuss how to structure and expose that internal drive, the importance of an innate irritability, how it can stop your characters from becoming flat, and rewarding that intrinsic motivation with choice. But first, we follow up on AI training, blueprints and “important” movies. We also weigh in on a high-school senior’s college dilemma and answer a listener question on writing with your trailer in mind. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig parse out their reasons for why humans may – or may not – ever leave the solar system. Links: My Pal Foot Foot by The ShaggsBraid by Jonathan BlowConnections from the New York Times Q: Who Found a Way to Crack the U.K.’s Premier Quiz Show? by David Segal for The New York TimesOn what motivates us: a detailed review of intrinsic v. extrinsic motivation by Laurel S. Morris, Mora M. Grehl, Sarah B. Rutter, Marishka Mehta, and Margaret L. WestwaterWhy are there so many illegal weed stores in New York City? by PJ VogtShōgun on FXGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Ben Singer (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.

John and Craig lawyer up with criminal defense attorney Ken White (aka Popehat) to look at legal scenes in movies and TV, and separate the tropes from the truth. How do lawyers actually prepare a case? Will they meet a client in jail? Do they need to gather evidence themselves? And what happens when they go to trial? What are the rules for examining witnesses? How often do people represent themselves in court? And do judges really bang their gavel like that? In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig invite Ken to imagine traveling somewhere worse than prison — the beach. Links: Ken White on BlueSky, Facebook and ThreadsSerious Trouble podcastThe Popehat Report by Ken White Hello, My Name Is Stephen Glass, and I’m Sorry by Hanna Rosin for The New RepublicLibreOfficeSovereign Citizens Getting OwnedThe Rest is History podcastGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Lou Stone Borenstein (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.

John and Craig look at four unbelievable stories in the news and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include a finance journalist who was scammed out of her savings, men who offer dating bounties, a franken-sheep made of cloned animal parts, and how standardized tests changed one woman’s life. We also reveal which modern classics we’ve never seen (We meant to! We’re sorry!) to decide which – if any – we need to watch. But first, we follow up on D&D for kids, ESL, AI in reality TV, and Tiffany problems before answering listener questions on formats and recommending your spouse. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at new guidelines for AI and how they might affect our future. Links: Weekend Read 2“Creep” post by @davo_arid on TwitterFull list of movies we haven’t seen The Day I Put $50,000 in a Shoe Box and Handed It to a Stranger by Charlotte Cowles for The Cut Wanted: True Love. Reward: $100,000 by Angela Chen for the NYT Montana Man Pleads Guilty to Creating Massive Franken-Sheep With Cloned Animal Parts by Matt Novak for Gizmodo How the SAT Changed My Life by Emi Nietfeld for the NYTD.C. – What It IsFighting Fantasy booksLA Hero WorkshopSodalitasOSR’s Oz and NeverlandQuestlingsColor My QuestWyrdScoutsThe Excellents and Nancy Druid Hero KidsTTRPGkids Hide’n’Treat and Snuffle MatJaina Grey’s reviews for WIREDGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Tim Brown (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.

John welcomes back Pamela Ribon (Nimona, My Year of Dicks) to quietly ask: what’s with all the whispering in movies these days? They discuss trends and techniques in voice and volume, picking the right moment to whisper, and the value of voices across decibel levels. We also revisit Pamela’s work on Moana to look at what you can learn from reading early drafts, ponder the threat of TikTok and YouTube, follow-up on vetting potential co-workers, and answer a listener question on writing animation. In our bonus segment for premium members, Pam shares all her star-studded stories from sitting in the 5th row at this year’s Oscars. Links: Pamela Ribon on InstagramListen to SassyMy Year of DicksNimona on NetflixHire Survivors HollywoodDune: Part Two Clip ‘Fundie Baby Voice’ Seems To Be Everywhere Now. Here’s What You Should Know by Caroline Bologna for HuffpostIn a World – SmoothieNatural Born Killers 1990 Draft Natural Born Killers 1993 DraftLin-Manuel Miranda on ‘I Want’ Songs, Going Method for ‘Moana’ and Fearing David BowieMore (Outtake) from MoanaHow Far I’ll Go from Moana How Bad Can It Get for Hollywood? by Mark Harris for NYTThis Sitcom Got WEIRD When Nobody Watched It by David FriedmanResearching An Old Sitcom With AI by David FriedmanCoucou French classesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Vincent DeVito (send us yours!)Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt with help from Chris Csont, and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig wring their hands and ask, how do you make sure the person you’re hiring isn’t a monster? They look at best practices for vetting colleagues, sussing out problematic people, and managing your own emotions when you’re the person with power. We also discuss writing for non-native English speakers, using three examples to illustrate the importance of syntax, musicality and authenticity. But first, we answer listener questions on giving notes and kids playing D&D. In our bonus segment for premium members, we spill the kool-aid on our fears and fascinations with cults. Links: Strands from the New York TimesAnatomy of a Fall – Clip Past Lives by Celine SongIrma Vep – Clip Is This Hollywood’s #MeanToo Moment? by David Mack for Slate How to play Dungeons and Dragons for kids RuPaul Doesn’t See How That’s Any of Your Business by Ronan Farrow for The New YorkerRecursion – Glitch GamesGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (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.

John and Craig explore the counterfactuals of Hollywood history — the relatively small moments that, if the coin toss had gone the other way, would have massive ramifications on the world as we know it. What if Edison was allowed to keep his monopoly on motion pictures? What does our industry look like without the Paramount Consent Decree? What if George Lucas died in his car accident? Would superhero movies have dominated our culture if Iron Man had bombed? What studios would have gone down if Titanic had sunk? And what if Netflix had stayed with its DVD-only model? In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig talk capitalism and solve its problems once and for all. Links: What If? by Robert Cowley Thomas Edison: The Unintentional Founder of Hollywood by Garrett O’Brien for the Saturday Evening Post United States v. Paramount Pictures, Inc. on Wikipedia George Lucas: The Car Wreck That Changed His Life and Led Him to ‘Star Wars’ by Tim Ott for Biography When ‘Titanic’ Was Expected to Be a Huge Flop by Jake Rossen for Mental Floss ‘John Carter’ Changed Hollywood, but Not in the Way Disney Hoped by Richard Newby for THR Financial Interest and Syndication RulesPost-Quantum Cryptography S’more! S’more! His artisanal marshmallows were the greatest. Then he tried to scale them. by Adam RogersGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Zach Lo (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.

John welcomes back John Gatins (Flight, Coach Carter) to talk about reviving a dormant project and actually getting it made – like he just did with his new film Little Wing. They look at how films die, what brings them back to life, and go deep into the mechanics of sports movies. We also follow up on flu tests, the Tiffany problem and pet names before answering listener questions on professionalism, mid-credit scenes, and work ethic. In our bonus segment for premium members, John Gatins talks abut transitioning into a writing team and reveals his process of negotiating credits. Links: Little Wing – On Paramount+ March 13thJohn Gatins on Wikipedia and IMDbLittle Wing by Susan Orlean for the New YorkerLUCIRA by Pfizer COVID-19 & Flu Home TestMerlin Bird ID The Facts of Life – Attempted Spin-offsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Alee Karim (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.

John has the flu (or does he?) and Craig is missing, so we’re going back through the vaults to look at the mechanics of mystery and suspense. How do writers exploit the audience’s curiosity? What builds and breaks their trust? How do you use suspense across genres? And what do these techniques look like on the page? But first, we look at the current agency shakeups and share our thoughts on OpenAI’s new engine, Sora. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Drew talk about their experience with the Apple Vision Pro. Links: Scriptnotes 269 – Mystery vs. ConfusionScriptnotes 332 – Wait for It A3 Artists Agency Shuts Down by Aaron Couch and Rebecca Sun for The Hollywood Reporter Verve CEO and Co-Founder Bill Weinstein Leaves Agency After 14 Years by Cynthia Littleton for VarietyA few thoughts on Sora by John AugustGOODY-2 Meet the Pranksters Behind Goody-2, the World’s ‘Most Responsible’ AI Chatbot by Will Knight for WiredClaire Keegan Contextual computing with Vision Pro: My Writing Cabin by David SparksGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (send us yours!)Segments originally produced by Godwin Jabangwe and Megan McDonnell. Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt and edited by Matthew Chilelli. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer and showrunner Francesca Sloane (Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Atlanta) to talk about her process of bringing a big-screen property to television. She shares how she and Donald Glover found their way into the story, how it evolved in development, building a room that was all women of color, re-writing on set, and the many lessons she learned as a first time showrunner. We also follow up on writing partners and phonetic alphabets before answering listener questions on writing samples, casting on the page and why some screenplays are free to read. In our bonus segment for premium members, we dig into the benefits (and drawbacks) of film schools and fellowships. Links: Francesca Sloane on Instagram Mr. & Mrs. Smith on Amazon Prime VideoISPA: Inter-Species Phonetic Alphabet for Transcribing Animal Sounds by Masato Hagiwara, Marius Miron and Jen-Yu LiuBluets by Maggie NelsonA Unified Theory of F-cks by Mandy BrownGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscription or treat yourself to a premium subscription!Craig Mazin on Threads and InstagramJohn August on Threads, Instagram and TwitterJohn on MastodonOutro by Eric Pearson (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.