Scriptnotes: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 13:12, 3 December 2017

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'''''Scriptnotes''''' is a weekly [[podcast]] that began airing on August 30, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://johnaugust.com/scriptnotes|title= Scriptnotes|last1= August|first1= John|date= |website= johnaugust.com|publisher= |accessdate=March 9, 2016}}</ref> It is billed as "a podcast about screenwriting, and things that are interesting to screenwriters."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://johnaugust.com/2016/scriptnotes-ep-235-the-one-with-jason-bateman-and-the-game-of-thrones-guys-transcript|title= Scriptnotes, Ep 235: The one with Jason Bateman and the Game of Thrones guys — Transcript|last1= |first1= |date= February 4, 2016|website= johnaugust.com|publisher= |accessdate=March 9, 2016}}</ref> The podcast is hosted by [[screenwriters]] [[John August]] and [[Craig Mazin]], with new episodes released every Tuesday.

The podcast has been discussed by ''[[The Daily Show]]'',<ref name="auto">{{cite web |url= http://www.cc.com/video-clips/c6usaz/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-nobody-likes-ted-cruz|title= The Daily Show - Nobody Likes Ted Cruz|last1= |first1= |date= December 3, 2015|website= cc.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 22, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'',<ref name="auto1">{{cite web | url = http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/02/game-of-thrones-original-pilot-bad | title = Game of Thrones Show-Runners Get Extremely Candid About Their Original "Piece of Sh—t" Pilot | website = Vanity Fair}}</ref> ''[[The Huffington Post]]'',<ref name="auto2">{{cite web |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/davidhalperin/dear-god-do-not-leave-ame_b_9153014.html|title= Dear God Do Not Leave America Alone with Ted Cruz|last1= Halperin|first1= David|date= February 3, 2016|website= huffingtonpost.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 22, 2016}}</ref> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name="auto3">{{cite web |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2014/05/21/she-hulk-co-creator-stan-lee-weighs-in-on-david-goyer-debate-only-a-nut-would-even-think-of-that/|title= SHE-HULK co-creator Stan Lee weighs in on David Goyer debate: ‘Only a nut would even think of that’ |last1= Cavana|first1= Michael|date= May 21, 2014|website= washingtonpost.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 16, 2016}}</ref> Scriptnotes has also been featured by [[The Nerdist Podcast]],Writers Panel podcast<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nerdist.com/nerdist-writers-panel-136-the-scriptnotesnerdist-writers-panel-crossover-part-2/|title=The Nedist Podcast}}</ref> and live events for the podcast have been sponsored by [[The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.oscars.org/videos-photos/scriptnotes-academy|title=SCRIPTNOTES AT THE ACADEMY}}</ref> the [[Austin Film Festival]],<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/screens/2014-10-26/austin-film-festival-podcast-people/ | title = Austin Film Festival: Podcast People | website = The Austin Chronicle}}</ref> and the [[Writers Guild Foundation]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wgfoundation.org/screenwriting-events/scriptnotes-summer-superhero-spectacular/|title=THE SCRIPTNOTES SUMMER SUPERHERO SPECTACULAR}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.wgfoundation.org/screenwriting-events/scriptnotes-holiday-show/|title=THE SCRIPTNOTES HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR}}</ref>

It was ranked as one of the 11 best movie podcasts by MTV.com.<ref name="auto4">{{cite web |url= http://www.mtv.com/news/2772533/11-best-movie-podcasts|title= 11 Must-Download Podcasts for Movie Lovers|last1= Evry|first1= Max|date= November 25, 2013|website= mtv.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 22, 2016}}</ref>

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In this newer segment of the show, August and Mazin pull a few current stories from the news and discuss if and how those stories could be adapted into feature films. The discussion often includes brainstorming several different genres and approaches a perspective writer could take on the story, discussing how to collapse or expand the details of the story to fit a feature film, and determining which of the week's stories, if any, have any serious potential as a future film. The segment debuted in episode 201, when the stories included [[2015 FIFA corruption case|scandals in FIFA]], the [[Large Hadron Collider]], and sexual assault on college campuses.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2015/how-would-this-be-a-movie|title=Scriptnotes, 201: How would this be a movie?|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

==Recurring Themes / Characters==

There are a number of recurring themes, particularly in how the podcasts hosts interact with one another.

===JohnAugust's intro is professional while CraigMazin's intro is affected===

At the beginning of every podcast, JohnAugust uses a 'straight' introduction, while CraigMazin uses a silly or mechanical voice.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/|title=Screenwriter and author John August|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

===CraigMazin acts lazy and JohnAugust does all the work===

CraigMazin tells anecdotes about himself that emphasize how he is lazy, unprepared, and frequently late. In contrast, JohnAugust appears productive, organized, and punctual.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2015/the-200th-episode-live-show|title=Scriptnotes, 200: The 200th Episode Live Show|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

===John August as robot===

In line with their personas of CraigMazin being the lazy one and JohnAugust being the organized one, plus knowledgeable about technology, CraigMazin mocks JohnAugust by calling him a robot. This includes accusations that JohnAugust has no emotions and no heart.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2016/outlines-and-treatments|title=Scriptnotes, 245: Outlines and Treatments|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

===Segue Man===

CraigMazin is the more emotionally expressive of the two podcasts hosts. When Mazin delivers impassioned speeches, August will typically agree with Mazin on content and then transition into the next item on the agenda. Because of August's focus on pacing and transitions during the show, Mazin has christened August as "Segue Man."

===Stuart===

For five years up to episode 259, Stuart Friedel was John August's assistant, and the producer of the podcast. (He was theand original editor of the show, toopodcast.) With the exception of ep.episode 259, StuartFriedel's voice was never heard on the podcast. The hosts willwould frequently talk about him, and the work that he doesdid for the show, including reading and selecting scripts for the Three Page Challenge.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2016/scriptnotes-ep-232-fun-with-numbers-transcript|title=Transcript of Scriptnotes, 232|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

== Notable Episodes ==

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=== Revelations about the Game of Thrones pilot ===

The showrunners of Game of Thrones went on the Scriptnotes podcast and broke news about the poor condition of the original pilot. According to them, 90% of the pilot had to be reshot following a screening of the episode to Craig Mazin, and other fellow screenwriters.<ref name="auto1"/>

=== The One with the Guys from Final Draft ===

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=== Scriptshadow ===

Craig Mazin does not hold back on his disdain for Carson Reeves and his Scriptshadow blog where professional (along with amateur) scripts are reviewed; subsequently, one of Mr. August's rewrites of a possible tent-pole movie at Fox was reviewed by Reeves. The studio went "ballistic", and though the review generally positive, it was taken down. Mazin broached the topic again on episode 186 (March 3, 2015) in which Mr. Reeves negative review of the ''[[Birdman_(film)|Birdman]]'' screenplay was cited as an example of why Mr. Reeves' opinions are misplaced, unnecessary and unwelcome, considering ''Birdman'' went on to win six Oscars at the 2015 ceremony, Best Director and Best Screenplay among them.

Funny enough Mazin broached the topic again on episode 291 (March 07/2017) of the Scriptnotes podcast. Mr. Reeves of the Scriptshadow blog called out 2017 Oscar winners Moonlight (which won the Best Adapted screenplay award), and Manchester By The Sea (best Original screenplay) as terrible screenplays that any of the 10,000 WGA members could have scripted. Mr. Mazin's issue was that Mr. Reeves should have written them himself if that's the case, then went on to call Mr. Reeves an 'idiot' suffering 'delusions of grandeur' since Mr. Reeves had expressed his views on a public blog and not in a private conversation.

== Reception ==