Scriptnotes Podcast

Latest Episodes:

737 - Studio-Adjacent May 26, 2026

Show notes

John welcomes back Phil Hay (Destroyer, The Invitation) to ask, how do you get a movie made with independent financing? They look at how indie movies get made, where you get the money, deciding when to go indie, and whether streamers complicate the picture.

We also follow up on testing movies with focus groups and answer listener questions on how to navigate the editing room, daily routines, and what to do when your story has too many themes.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we look back on what Phil learned about D&D from his documentary The Dungeon Masters.

Links:

Phil Hay
Scriptnotes Episode 244, Episode 377, and Episode 505
The Dungeon Masters
The Answering Machine Meltdown from Swingers
John's daily to-do template
Pamela Ribon's One Act documentary
Petey USA's The Yips
KOXY College Radio
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro by Craig Good (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.

736 - The Devil You Know May 19, 2026

Show notes

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna (The Devil Wears Prada, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) to explore the timely questions about art and human labor posed by her long-awaited sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. We'll warn you now: Spoilers ahead!

We also look at what AI knitting podcasts can tell us about the future of industrially-produced slop, and answer a listener question on how to approach the engine of a TV show.

In our bonus segment for premium members, what would a hypothetical Scriptnotes Screenplay Club look like? Aline weighs in to make sure the design is impeccable.

That's all.

Links:

The Devil Wears Prada 2
Aline Brosh McKenna on Instagram and IMDb
The Sheep Detectives
Knitting Bullshit by Kate Davies
Inception Point AI
How many E's are in Seventeen? on YouTube
Inserting yourself into Game of Thrones on Instagram
One Move God Mode vertical by NetShort
New York Times Issues Stern Warning to Its Freelance Writers About AI Use by Maggie Harrison Dupré for Futurism
Jared Freid on TikTok
The Feed Is Fake by Lane Brown for New York Magazine
Indigo Girls
Get your copy of the Scriptnotes book!
Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt!
Check out the Inneresting Newsletter
Become a Scriptnotes Premium member, or gift a subscription
Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube
Follow Scriptnotes on Instagram and TikTok
John August on Bluesky and Instagram
Outro 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.

735 - The Flashforward Fallback May 12, 2026

Show notes

John and Craig go back to the beginning to examine the mechanics of the flash-forward opening — or as it's known on this podcast, the "Stuart Special." They look at what makes a strong flash-forward, when to avoid them, and how to pay back the narrative debt they incur.

We also follow up on the Scriptnotes survey and answer a massive grab-bag blitz of listener questions including the potential pitfalls of child protagonists, "unfilmable" elements, and how to end a scene.

In our bonus segment for premium members, how do you socialize at Hollywood parties? We've made all the mistakes so you don't have to.

Links: