Scriptnotes: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 17:07, 3 January 2018

Revision as of 09:55, 4 January 2018

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''Scriptnotes'' episodes are available for free up to 20 weeks after their initial airing. Back episode archives and bonus episodes are available to premium subscribers at [http://scriptnotes.net scriptnotes.net]. Transcripts of all back episodes are available for free, and are usually posted within one week of the episode's initial airing.

==Recurring Segmentssegments==

===Three-page challenge===

Aspiring screenwriters are encouraged to send in three pages of their screenplay - almost always the first three - to be critiqued. The scripts vary widely in tone, style and genre. Links to the screenplays are provided in the show notes so listeners can read them and then listen to theirthe commentscritique. Typically three are tackled in one show. Those that have had their screenplays subjected to August and Mazin's critical eyes have typically thanked them from the feedback, which has ranged from congratulatory to despairing. The three-page challenge is a particularly useful segment for screenwriters as it provides sharp insights into unproduced screenplays; lessons easily applied to youra writer's own project. The segment was first announced with a call for submissions in episode 45<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2012/setting-perspective-and-terrible-numbers|title=Scriptnotes, 45: Setting, perspective and terrible numbers|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref> and the first critiques debuted the next week in episode 46.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://johnaugust.com/2012/mistakes-development-executives-make|title=Scriptnotes, 46: Mistakes development executives make|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

===One Cool Thing===

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===How Would This Be a Movie?===

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 differentpossible genres and approaches a perspective writer could take onwith 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 Themesthemes/Characterscharacters==

The podcast has a number of recurring themes, particularly in how the hosts interact with one another.

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For five years up to episode 259, Stuart Friedel was August's assistant, and the producer and original editor of the podcast. With the exception of episode 259, Friedel's voice was never heard on the podcast. The hosts would frequently talk about him, and the work that he did 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 Episodesepisodes ==

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

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<blockquote>I have a theory about She-Hulk. Which was created by a man, right? And at the time in particular I think 95% of comic book readers were men and certainly almost all of the comic book writers were men. So the Hulk was this classic male power fantasy. It’s like, most of the people reading comic books were these people like me who were just these little kids getting the shit kicked out of them every day... And so then they created She-Huk, right? Who was still smart... I think She-Hulk is the chick that you could fuck if you were Hulk, you know what I’m saying? ... She-Hulk was the extension of the male power fantasy. So it’s like if I’m going to be this geek who becomes the Hulk then let’s create a giant green porn star that only the Hulk could fuck.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.avclub.com/article/she-hulk-sex-fantasy-virgins-and-other-david-s-goy-204935|title= She-Hulk is a sex fantasy for virgins, and other David S. Goyer thoughts |last1= O'Neal|first1= Sean|date= May 21, 2014|website= avclub.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 16, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

The day after the episode's release, Alan Kistler of The Mary Sue wrote about these comments as well as Goyer's take on Martian MahunterManhunter. His summation:

<blockquote>So to recap. She-Hulk is just a sex power fantasy rather than a character with agency who from the beginning went down a different path than her cousin, The Hulk. Martian Manhunter being the last survivor of a race which died out on Mars over a thousand years ago is goofy, but putting him Area 51 and using the same plot as many alien visitor movies is not. And God forbid superheroes embrace some goofiness and absurdity.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.themarysue.com/david-goyer-calls-she-hulk-sex-fantasy/|title= Man of Steel Sequel Writer David Goyer Calls Marvel’s She-Hulk "A Giant Green Porn Star," Insults Geeks |last1= Kistler|first1= Alan|date= May 21, 2014|website= avclub.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 16, 2016}}</ref></blockquote>

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=== Scriptshadow ===

Mazin does not hold back on his disdain for Carson Reeves and his Scriptshadow blog, which reviews both professional and amateur scripts, including one of August's rewrites of a possible tentpole movie for [[20th Century Fox]]. Per August, though the review was positive, the studio went 'ballistic', and thoughit thewas reviewtaken generallydown.<ref>{{Cite positive,web|url=https://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-55-producers-and-pitching-transcript|title=Transcript itof wasScriptnotes, takenEp. down55|website=johnaugust.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> Mazin broached the topic again on episode 186 (March 3, 2015), citing Reeves' negative review of the ''[[Birdman_(film)|Birdman]]'' screenplay as an example of why Reeves' opinions are misplaced, unnecessary and unwelcome, considering ''Birdman'' went on to win six Oscars at the 2015 ceremony, including [[Academy Award for Best Director|Best Director]] and [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://johnaugust.com/2015/scriptnotes-ep-186-the-rules-or-the-paradox-of-the-outlier-transcript|title=Transcript of Scriptnotes, 186|website=johnaugust.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref>

Mazin broached the topic a third time on episode 291 (March 07/2017) after Reeves called out 2017 Oscar winners ''[[Moonlight (2016 film)|Moonlight]]'' (which won the [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] award), and ''[[Manchester by the Sea (film)|Manchester By The Sea]]'' ([[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Original Screenplay]]) as terrible screenplays that any of the 10,000 WGA members could have scripted. Mazin's issue was that Reeves should have written them himself if that's the case, then went on to call Reeves an 'idiot' suffering 'delusions of grandeur' since Reeves had expressed his views on a public blog and not in a private conversation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://johnaugust.com/2017/scriptnotes-ep-291-california-cannibal-cults-transcript|title=Transcript of Scriptnotes, 291|website=johnaugust.com|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref>

== Live shows ==

Scriptnotes has also been featured by The Nerdist 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 liveLive 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> Scriptnotes has also produced a crossover episode with The [[Nerdist Industries|Nerdist]] 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>

== Reception ==

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Scriptnotes has received positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fastcocreate.com/1682624/american-idol-for-screenwriters-hit-movie-scribes-podcast-weekly-from-the-belly-of-the-holly|title= "American Idol" For Screenwriters: Hit Movie Scribes Podcast Weekly From The Belly Of The Hollywood Beast|last1= Hart|first1= Hugh|date= April 8, 2013|website= fastcocreate.com|publisher= |accessdate= March 10, 2016}}</ref><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> As of January 3, 2018, it has an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars on podbay.fm, with 1045 users weighing in.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://podbay.fm/show/462495496/reviews|title= Scriptnotes Reviews|last1= |first1= |date= March 10, 2016|website= podbay.fm|publisher= |accessdate= March 10, 2016}}</ref>

It was ranked as one of the 11 best movie podcasts by [[MTV]].<ref name="auto4" /> [[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] selected the podcast as one of its 13 favourite podcasts of 2016, writing 'Whether you're an aspiring screenwriter or a plain old movie fan, Scriptnotes offers a unique insider's perspective into the business'.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.esquireme.com/content/18010-the-13-podcasts-of-2016-you-should-listen-to|title=The 13 podcasts of 2016 you should listen to|website=Esquire Middle East|language=en|access-date=2018-01-04}}</ref> It was listed among the week's best radio by [[The Guardian]] in September 2017.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/sep/30/this-week-best-radio-tony-blackburn-sounds-of-the-60s|title=This week’s best radio: Tony Blackburn’s Sounds of the 60s|last=Hepworth|first=David|date=2017-09-30|work=The Guardian|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> [[Vulture (web site)|Vulture]] called the show 'highly influential' for screenwriters.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.vulture.com/2017/10/what-hollywood-screenwriters-are-learning-from-peak-tv.html|title=What Hollywood Screenwriters Are Learning From Peak TV|last=Hill|first=Logan|work=Vulture|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en}}</ref> In a 2016 interview with the [[The Wall Street Journal|Wall Street Journal]], actor and director [[Elizabeth Banks]] revealed that Scriptnotes was her favourite podcast.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/elizabeth-banks-reveals-whats-on-her-iphone-1466089116|title=Elizabeth Banks Reveals What’s on Her iPhone|date=2016-06-16|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-01-04|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}}</ref>

The podcast has been discussed by ''[[The Daily Show]]'',<ref name="auto" /> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'',<ref name="auto1" /> ''[[The Huffington Post]]'',<ref name="auto2" /> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name="auto3" />

Scriptnotes has also been featured by The Nerdist 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" />

The podcast has been discussed by ''[[The Daily Show]]'',<ref name="auto" /> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'',<ref name="auto1" /> ''[[The Huffington Post]]'',<ref name="auto2" /> and ''[[The Washington Post]]''.<ref name="auto3" />

==Access to back episodes==

The most recent 20 episodes of Scriptnotes are available for free on all podcast services, including iTunes,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scriptnotes-podcast/id462495496?mt=2|title=Scriptnotes Podcast by John August and Craig Mazin on iTunes|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref> as well as via [http://johnaugust.com/ johnaugust.com], on the official [http://scriptnotes.net/ Scriptnotes website] and <ref>{{cite web|url=http://scriptnotes.net/|title=Scriptnotes Podcast|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref> and or via the Scriptnotes app for iOS<ref>{{cite web|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scriptnotes/id739117984?ls=1&mt=8|title=Scriptnotes on the App Store|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref> and Android.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.johnaugust.android.scriptnotes|title=Scriptnotes - Android Apps on Google Play|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref> Back episodes and bonus episodes are accessible via a Mylibsyn subscription option for $1.99 a month.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://my.libsyn.com/|title=My Libsyn - Premium Podcast Subscriptions|publisher=|accessdate=8 October 2016}}</ref>

== References ==