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Putting Words on the Page

Episode - 349

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May 8, 2018 Directors, Follow Up, Formatting, Los Angeles, News, Scriptnotes, Software, Television, Tools, Transcribed, Treatments, Words on the page, Writing Process

John and Craig discuss the digital tools of the trade. From outline to first draft to production rewrites, screenwriters find themselves facing different challenges. We talk about what works for each of us. We also speculate on what impact Highland 2’s gender analysis tool will have.

Then we answer listener questions about following the “rules” of formatting, from creative scene headers to “hey reader” notes and tips for introducing characters who play important roles later in the script.

Links:

  • Our next live Scriptnotes with Jonah Nolan & Lisa Joy (Westworld) and Stephen McFeely & Christopher Markus (Avengers: Infinity War) will be Tuesday, May 22nd at the ArcLight in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now — proceeds benefit Hollywood HEART, which runs special programs and summer camps for at-risk youth.
  • Frank Oz, in case you’re curious
  • Look how fast Highland 2 loads War and Peace compared to other programs!
  • Scriptnotes, Ep 125: The One with the Guys from Final Draft
  • Welcome to Southern California includes a 1953 pronunciation of “Los Angeles”
  • Less by Andrew Sean Greer
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Larry Douziech (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@dev.johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 5-15-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

All About Family

May 1, 2018 Adaptation, Education, Film Industry, Follow Up, Formatting, News, Scriptnotes, Transcribed

John and Craig partake in another installment of How Would This Be a Movie? Which story is destined for the big screen: The millennial mother with her surprise, Youtube-guided childbirth? The couple that has the same fight for decades? The Japanese families-for-hire?

We also follow up on the logic of multi-cam formatting, Georgia’s success in diversifying crews through training programs, and effective character descriptions.

Tickets are now on sale for our next Scriptnotes Live Show on Tuesday, May 22nd at the ArcLight in Hollywood, with guests including Lisa Joy and Jonah Nolan of Westworld.

Links:

  • Our next live Scriptnotes will be Tuesday, May 22nd at the ArcLight in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now — proceeds benefit Hollywood HEART, which runs special programs and summer camps for at-risk youth.
  • How 50 Famous Female Characters Were Described in Their Screenplays by Kyle Buchanan and Jordan Crucchiola for Vulture
  • Woman tells incredible story of how she used YouTube videos to carry out waterbirth of own baby she doubted she even had, while alone in hotel room written by Tom Embury-Dennis for The Independent
  • The Worrywart vs. the Zen Master by Tom Bowman and Brigid Schulte for Slate
  • Japan’s Rent-A-Family Industry, written by Elif Batuman for The New Yorker
  • Choir!Choir!Choir! is a choir in Toronto that meets once a week for drop-in singing events.
  • QTAKE Monitor is an app that lets you watch shots on set from your own device.
  • The Scriptnotes Listeners’ Guide!
  • The USB drives!
  • John August on Twitter
  • Craig Mazin on Twitter
  • John on Instagram
  • Find past episodes
  • Outro by Nicolas Curcio (send us yours!)

Email us at ask@dev.johnaugust.com

You can download the episode here.

UPDATE 5-8-18: The transcript of this episode can be found here.

Scriptnotes Live in May

April 26, 2018 Follow Up, Los Angeles, News

Our next live Scriptnotes will be Tuesday, May 22nd at the ArcLight in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now, with special guests to be announced soon.

All of our live shows are benefits for great LA charities. This one is for Hollywood HEART, which runs special programs and summer camps for at-risk youth.

When we were trying to figure a venue for the event, I asked on Twitter for recommendations. Friend-of-the-show Eric Webb went way beyond, compiling a list of most of the major auditoriums in LA. I’m including it here for anyone else who finds themselves needing a venue.

Seats Venue
3156 Dorothy Chandler Pavilion
2703 Pantages
2345 Million Dollar Theater
2252 Walt Disney Concert Hall
2103 Ahmanson Theatre
2000 Los Angeles Theatre
1976 Orpheum Theater
1897 Saban Theatre
1850 Wiltern Theatre
1800 Fred Kavli Theatre (Thousand Oaks PAC)
1800 Royce Hall (UCLA)
1700 Mayan Theatre
1600 Valley Performing Arts Center Great Hall (CSUN)
1600 Theatre at Ace Hotel
1152 Grauman’s Chinese Theatre
1413 Alex Theatre
1400 Riverside Municipal Auditorium
1341 Regency Village Theatre
1300 The Rose
1270 Wilshire Ebell Theatre
1235 Bovard Auditorium (USC)
1200 Ricardo Montalbán Theatre
906 Tower Theatre
900 Forest Lawn Museum/Hall of The Crucifixion-Resurrection (Glendale)
739 Mark Taper Forum
686 Pasadena Playhouse
618 Egyptian Theatre
610 Geffen Playhouse
600 DGA Theatre 1
600 Leo S. Bing Theatre (LACMA)
538 Eli and Edythe Broad Stage
551 Bing Theatre (USC)
500 Bram Goldsmith Theater
496 Tom Bradley Theater (LATC)
473 WGA Theatre †
430 Colburn School Grand Building Auditorium
425 Aero Theatre
400 Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre (Thousand Oaks PAC)
400 Vista Theatre
390 Campus Theatre (CSUN)
360 El Portal Theatre
350 Harmony Gold Theater
341 Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Complex (USC)
330 LA Film School †
303 Nuart Theatre
300 Kirk Douglas Theatre
300 Landmark Theatre
296 Lupe Ontiveros Theatre (LATC)
294 The SilverScreen Theater (Pacific Design Center)
280 Alfred Newman Recital Hall (USC)
278 James Bridges Theatre
270 Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater (REDCAT)
222 Downtown Independent Theatre
220 Annenberg Auditorium (USC)
200 Renberg Theatre (LA LGBT Center)
155 DGA Theater 2

† = previous Scriptnotes live show venue

Independent Bookstore Day

April 25, 2018 Arlo Finch, Books, Los Angeles, News, Projects

This Saturday, April 28th, I’ll be at Chevalier’s Books on Larchmont from 3 to 5pm as part of Indie Bookstore Day.

Come say hi and have me sign your copy of Arlo Finch. I can also recommend a few other great books for you to try.

Chevalier’s Books
126 N Larchmont Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90004

Check out the other authors who’ll be joining me in LA, or find your local bookstore event.

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