Scriptnotes Podcast

In this craft compendium, John and Craig take a look at everything you need to make your bad guys compelling, memorable, and the perfect antagonist for your story. Using some favorite villains as examples, they look at the importance of understanding their motivations and offer seven tips for making a villain unforgettable. We also take a look at lackeys, henchmen and making sure your evil organizations are believable. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig shift their focus to monsters, and why even though those scary creatures are dangerous, they’re not always the villain. Links: Episode 75 – VillainsEpisode 590 – Anti-VillainsEpisode 465 – The Lackeys Know What They’re DoingEpisode 257 – Flaws are FeaturesEvery Villain is a HeroWriting Better Bad GuysScreenwriting and the Problem of EvilMama The 1000 Deaths of Wile E. CoyoteWhy do good people do bad things? Why some people are willing to challenge behavior they see as wrong despite personal riskblogbookAustin Powers deleted scene, “Henchman’s Wife”Redshirt7 Tips for Creating Unforgettable VillainsHow Christopher Nolan writes a movieGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Stuart FriedelMegana RaoDrew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome author Stu Horvath to look at the rich history of tabletop role playing games. From Stu’s collection of over 2300 RPGs, they look at the evolution of collaborative storytelling, interactive narrative design, and the communities of players they inspire. We also discuss the complicated influences of J.R.R. Tolkien and H.P. Lovecraft on the world of D&D, and how the need to escape their derivative influences pushed RPGs to new heights of world-building and storytelling. In our bonus segment for premium members, Stu leads us down down down to discuss a surprisingly recent narrative staple: dungeons. Links: Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the GroundVintageRPG.comD&D 5th EditionAmateur press association (APA)Little Wars by H.G. WellsPeter Cushing painting his minifigsChainmail ChaosiumTunnels & TrollsDread RPGFiascoScriptnotes episode 142: The Angeles Crest FiascoCritical RoleAlien: The Roleplaying GameStar Wars: The Roleplaying Game Traveller 2024 D&D Player’s HandbookBlackoath EntertainmentThousand Year Old VampireTales From the Loop RPGHoney Heist WWDC live translationShe Used to Be Mine performancevocal coach reaction Kolchak: The Night StalkerGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

How do you write science fiction when technology is moving so quickly? John and Craig welcome back journalist and screenwriter Max Read to look at the trickiness of predicting the future, how our imagined futures can affect our reality, and ways that writers can protect their work from becoming dated before it’s even released. We also follow up on the new Dogma manifesto, words we don’t have in English, questioning ChatGPT, and answer listener questions on hosting your scripts on your website, offline writing software and how to find the time to goof around. In our bonus segment for premium members, Max walks us through his Letterboxd lists and proposes a new, niche film genre. Links: newsletter Read Maxhis Letterboxd Dogma 25 Explodes at Cannes Maze by Christopher MansonBlue Prince Graham’s source for Egypt’s GDPJohn’ssourcesNeal StephensonWilliam GibsonRed Rooms This Strange Mutation Explains the Mystifying Color of Orange CatsThe Simulation is Failing.r/OneOrangeBraincellGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

New forms of video creation are coming to disrupt the entertainment industry, but will they succeed? John and Craig look at verticals and Veo 3 to see where we might be heading, and what our industry’s past innovations might tell us about about the future. We also look at Memorial Day’s banner box office, and answer listener questions on bereavement during production, momentum, scene geography and how to fight motion smoothing. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig travel back in time to find which moments in history they wish they could see in person. Links: Highland Pro student licenses! Collaborate on a tabletop RPG with John!Tom and JerryHanna-Barbera Accidental Triplets with the Billionaire A Mistaken Surrogate for the Ruthless BillionaireWebToon Werewolf Billionaire CEO Husbands are Taking Over HollywoodVeo 3 fake news example More Veo 3 examples Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50The Last of UsGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscriptionSubscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back writer, director, and comedian Mike Birbiglia (Don’t Think Twice, Sleepwalk with Me) to take a look at several true news stories and ask, how would this be a joke? Stories include run-club haters, a conflicted bone marrow donor, and the coyotes roaming San Francisco. We also look at how Mike developed his new Netflix special, The Good Life, and answer listener questions on taking an idea from a podcast and knowing when you’ve broken a story. In our bonus segment for premium members, Mike walks us through how he’s able to market his work without it feel like marketing. Links: Mike BirbigliaThe Good Life121168261427443Working it Out: Screenwriting Advice You’ll Actually UseEpisode 660 – MoneyballIra Glass on Mike’s podcast Working it OutElizabeth Gilbert TED Talk The Run Club Haters I Hadn’t Heard From My Dad in Over a Decade. Now He’s Returned With a Brazen Request. I’m Actually Considering It. The Coyotes of San FranciscoCoyote VestEverybody’s Live with John MulaneyChris FlemingBlue PrinceGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscription!Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTubeInstagramBlueskyInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig dig through the mailbag to answer some of our trickiest listener questions. They lay out their best advice for first-time feature directors — from picking department heads to making sure your movie actually gets seen — and look at how to adapt Craig’s “How to Write a Movie” for structuring a TV series. But that’s not all! Do you owe your writer’s group access to your contacts? How do you break out of the mailroom? Where should high-school students start? How far can adaptations stray from the source material? And how do you remain professional in the middle of a dumpster fire? We also follow up on tariffs, mysterious birds, and a different set of 36 Questions. In our bonus segment for premium members, we play John’s new game, Strong Opinions, where we all have to guess each other’s true feelings about things we didn’t know were controversial. Links: Scriptnotes on YouTube!Strong Opinions game Hollywood Unions letter to President Trump The Curious Case of the Pygmy NuthatchFoggy Brume36 Questions, the podcast musicalAustin Film Festival My First Movie: 20 Celebrated Directors Talk about Their First Film Orange T-shirts are back!Aqua voice dictation softwareGhost TownGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterBecome a Scriptnotes Premium membergift a subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig look at how writers and their characters handle the obstacles they encounter. They outline proven techniques for solving problems both in life and on the page, why it’s important to see characters solving problems in a story, and how taking big swings can open up exciting possibilities. We also follow up on episodes that focus on a single character, long takes, making your phone less interesting, words we don’t have in English, present the definitive guide to the lunch run, and look into this stupid movie tariff thing. In our bonus segment for premium members, John is back from Egypt and Jordan, and ready to answer all of our questions about tombs and travel in the Middle East. Links: The Production Assistant’s Guide to the Lunch RunIndiana Jones and the Great CircleNote On Long TakesVideo tour inside the Great Pyramid of Giza Donald Trump Says He’s Pursuing 100% Tariffs On Movies Produced Outside U.S.John Voight’s proposal Sustainability by the Numbers Solving for ClimateThe Mr. Rabbit Magic ShowBirdigoGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer, director and playwright Leslye Headland (The Acolyte, Russian Doll) to ask, why are stage plays so challenging for screenwriters? Using her recent Broadway play Cult of Love, they look at different approaches to scene description, heightened and simultaneous dialogue, and strategies for adapting stage plays to film. We also chart Leslye’s career from theater kid to auteur filmmaker, her approach to time loops (because how could we not?), and answer listener questions about music cues and long scripts. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Leslye compare notes on how to keep up with what’s on stage, and what to do if you missed a production. Links: Leslye Headland Cult of Love – selected pagesthe playthe movieFanny and AlexanderJohnOriginal Cast Album: CompanyStephen SondheimWaiting for GodotJohn Cassavetes Tár screenplayArthur Aron’s 36 QuestionsEva discloses her autism on Survivor Making Movies by Sidney LumetOn Filmmaking by Alexander McKendickGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes writer and showrunner Eric Kripke (The Boys, Supernatural) to look at planning out a multi-season series. They chart Eric’s early career from shorts to showrunner, how he developed Supernatural, his process for structuring seasons of The Boys, and how great TV shows stick the landing. We also answer listener questions on lone character episodes and emulating comic panels on screen. In our bonus segment for premium members, Eric spills on everything blood, guts and gore. Links: IMDbInstagramThe BoysBattle of the SexesMinions on the Seine!Strange Darling The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers PodcastGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna to tackle the issue of idea management. What do you do with all those half-formed ideas and how do you decide which ones to pursue? They share best practices and their approach to middle-of-the-night inspiration. We also discuss how screenwriters’ quotes are determined and answer some listener questions on alternatives to D&D, crediting improv and rain in the second act. In our bonus segment for premium members, DVDs hang in the balance as John and Drew sit down back in 2025 to ask, should Drew get rid of his physical media? Links: Dungeon WorldKids on Bikes Crazy, Rich Asians Pay DisparitySearching for Bobby FischerAfter Dark My SweetGod (1998 short film)Reg Ex Crossword PuzzleSootheAssassin’s Creed: OdysseyGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig break out of coverage to look at oners and long shots, cutting through any directorial showboating to compare the pros and cons and cons and cons of those unbroken takes, offering ways to decide when they are necessary or purposeful, and how to recognize when it’s better to cut. We also look at changes to Sundance and the Nicholl Fellowship, answer listener questions on house lights in movie theaters, Oscar voting, improv movies, and share a few horror stories from John and Craig’s early career. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at their relationship with their phones and consider dumbing down. Links: HBO’s The Last of Us PodcastSundance is moving to Boulder, Colorado!Changes to the Academy Nicholl FellowshipAdolescenceThe StudioMeryl Streep and Viola Davis in DoubtThe Alien RPGAssassin’s Creed: ShadowsThe Show 25The DIY Dumbphone MethodGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

In this episode from 2012, John and Craig sit down with producer and former studio executive Lindsay Doran (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger than Fiction) at the Austin Film Festival to explore the producer’s relationship with the screenplay. The look at how the role of producer has changed, the ideal development process, how she developed Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, and staying true to your values in a fickle business. In our bonus segment for premium members, Drew joins John back in 2025 to consider the value of a good alumni program, and how an alma mater that under-delivers can be the pits. Links: Lindsay Doran The original episode transcript Perfectly Happy, Even Without Happy EndingsSaving the World vs Kissing the GirlWhat do producers do?Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner Tony Gilroy (Andor, Michael Clayton) for an in-depth look at crafting a second season of a hit TV show. They look at ways to find your season’s structure, setting your production up for success, controlling the energy your audience spends on information, and how to wrap up your story before the show eats you alive. They also answer listener questions on what to do when a movie that’s similar to yours is wildly successful, and whether being a movie critic could hurt your writing career. In our bonus segment for premium members, Tony sticks around to ponder which words we wish existed in English, and how we’d use them in our scripts. Links: Tony GilroyHere’s a recap of Andor Season 1!Trailer 1Trailer 2Special LookEpisode 680 – Writing Action Set PiecesI’m Not a RobotI’m Not a RobotStephen SchiffStartpageA History of Rock Music in 500 SongsRaindropGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig sit in project purgatory and ask, what do you do when the only answer you’re getting is “maybe”? They share advice on how to gently check in without annoying people, recognizing the soft pass, the unexpected benefits of patience, and what to do when you’re the person holding up the gears. Then it’s another round of the Three Page Challenge, where John and Craig give their honest feedback on three listener-submitted scripts. We also follow up on script supervisors and the encroaching perils of AI production. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig spill the telltale signs that a movie or TV show has had reshoots. Links: SCRAMBLINGLUMPTHE DREAD PIRATE ROBERTSThe King of TarsSesame StreetThe Goes Wrong ShowGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!InstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Christina Hodson (The Flash, Bumblebee) to ask, how do you to construct a great action sequence? Using examples from three different movies, they discuss what good action looks like on the page, how to keep your reader from getting bored or confused, and why production can sometimes blow your plans to smithereens. Then it’s a round of How Would This be a Movie?, where we take four stories from the news and pitch how we might adapt them for the screen. Stories include a mysterious painting, a train trapped in a blizzard, a teen who sued his parents, and zombie colleges. We also follow up on director’s chairs and mammograms, and answer listener questions on side characters and creating a healthy work/life balance. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Christina examine the do’s and don’ts of introducing yourself to a stranger through email. Links: Christina Hodson That New York Times article with John and Christina Bamboo Director’s ChairBirdigoAliensThe Bourne IdentityRise of the Planet of the ApesJurassic Park screenplayTroy screenplay A Man of Parts and Learning When a Deadly Winter Storm Trapped a Luxury Passenger Train Near the Donner Pass for Three Days A U.K. Teen’s Parents Sent Him to Ghana. He Took Them to Court. Zombie colleges? These universities are living another life online, and no one can say whyMike BirbigliaThe Onion in printResearch DepartmentGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueskyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John welcomes back Liz Hannah (The Girl From Plainville, The Post) to ask, how do you know if a character can carry a story? They look at ways of identifying your protagonist, defining privileged storytelling power, and the choices to make when figuring out which characters can hold narrative point of view. We also look a the phenomenon of the “Stranger in the Room,” follow up on writing during crazy times, brain trusts, plays vs movies, the phrase “begs the question,” and the usefulness of sharing your pronouns. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Liz explain the difference between East LA, West LA, and why the valley might beat them both. Links: IMDbInstagramEpisode 676 – Writing while the World is on Fire Slate Culture GabfestThe PostScreenplay Episode 128 – Frozen with Jennifer Lee Into the Unknown: Making Frozen 2Highland Pro The Girl From Plainville The Dropout “The Stranger in the Room”Episode 399 – Notes on NotesDragonsweeper Dare I Say ItGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig welcome producer Dan Etheridge (iZombie, High Potential, Party Down) to look at how non-writing producers develop projects, coordinate across departments, and maintain the tone of the show as directors come and go. We offer practical tips for making the most of video village, regardless of your role, and solutions for the scourge of directors chairs. Highland Pro, John’s next generation screenwriting app is now available now for Mac, iPad and iPhone! We discuss what’s new and what’s coming next. We also answer listener questions pitching multiple projects, writing on tablets and how to launch an app. In our bonus segment for premium members, John, Craig and Dan look back on their experience officiating weddings, and offer advice for those about to marry people. Dan even officiated John’s wedding! Links: Highland ProDownload on the App StoreDan EtheridgeBuck Rodgers’ robot sidekickStatpageDuckDuckGoI Miss the MusicCuruleEvercastScriptoNight MovesPrime CutScarecrow Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Diplomacy Beneath the Moon and Long Dead Stars by Daniel WallaceGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

John and Craig decipher mystery box shows, where the premise and audience experience involve solving the puzzle of what’s really happening. They look at strategies for revealing clues and information, being mindful of the audience’s expectations, and the importance of the emotional journey inside the labyrinth. We also announce a new video game, discuss what we can learn by revisiting old projects, follow up on unlocked pages and home automation, and answer listener questions on live instruments, pulling story from D&D campaigns, and where to draw the line between INT. and EXT. In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you set boundaries when you feel like you’re always supposed to be writing? That’s not rhetorical — we need help. Links: BirdigoLutron HomeWorksHome AssistantThe Prisoner (1967) Scriptnotes, Ep 296: Television with Damon Lindelof Patrick Wilson, Jordan Donica Leading Industry Reading of Revised, Broadway-Aimed Big FishFalling Slowly scene in OnceLife and TrustGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

How do you keep doing creative work when the world is falling apart around you? To sift through the despair and doubt, John welcomes back legendary Scriptnotes guest, writer-turned-psychotherapist Dennis Palumbo. They discuss the many feelings that catastrophic events can bring up in artists, the personal narratives that often inform those feelings, and how to keep moving forward when you feel like the band on the Titanic. We also follow up on AI, and answer listener questions on competing with brain trusts and how to support a friend embroiled in controversy. In our bonus segment for premium members, Dennis guides us through the best examples and worst mistakes of portraying therapists on screen. Links: “Am I Just Fiddling While Rome Burns?”Scriptnotes 99 – Psychotherapy for ScreenwritersShotDeckRiver Runner GlobalAt the Existentialist CaféGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.

Craig welcomes writer and showrunner Joshua Zetumer, creator of the limited series Say Nothing, to explore the process of dramatizing real events — particularly when the subject matter can be volatile. They discuss how to keep a sprawling historical epic from feeling like a lecture, keeping a consistent tone, humanizing complicated people, and how not to get sued by the people who were really involved. They also answer listener questions on following up with people after the fires, charting the emotional journey of the audience, and whether writers need to cite their sources when writing about real events. In our bonus segment for premium members, Craig and Joshua pretend to be civil engineers and ask, how can we make Los Angeles function better? Links: Say NothingJoshua Zetumer Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland Difficult MenPlease Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of PunkGet a Scriptnotes T-shirt!Check out the Inneresting NewsletterGift a Scriptnotes Subscriptiontreat yourself to a premium subscription!ThreadsInstagramBlueSkyThreadsInstagramMastodonOutrosend us yours!Drew MarquardtMatthew Chilelli Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here.