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: * Scriptnotes Episode 75 – Villains [https://johnaugust.com/2013/villains] * Scriptnotes Episode 590 – Anti-Villains [https://johnaugust.com/2023/anti-villains] * Scriptnotes Episode 465 – The Lackeys Know What They’re Doing [https://johnaugust.com/2020/the-lackeys-know-what-theyre-doing] * Scriptnotes Episode 257 – Flaws are Features [https://johnaugust.com/2016/flaws-are-features] * Every Villain is a Hero [http://johnaugust.com/2009/every-villain-is-a-hero] * Writing Better Bad Guys [http://johnaugust.com/2012/writing-better-bad-guys] * Screenwriting and the Problem of Evil [http://johnaugust.com/2010/screenwriting-and-the-problem-of-evil] * Mama [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2023587/] * The 1000 Deaths of Wile E. Coyote [https://thanksforlettingmeshare.substack.com/p/the-1000-deaths-of-wile-e-coyote] by T.B.D. * Why do good people do bad things? [https://ethics.org.au/good-people-bad-deeds/] by Daniel Effron * Why some people are willing to challenge behavior they see as wrong despite personal risk [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/why-some-people-are-willing-to-challenge-bad-behavior-despite-personal-risk] by Catherine A. Sanderson * The Monsters Know What They’re Doing blog [https://www.themonstersknow.com/] and book [https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-monsters-know-what-they-re-doing-combat-tactics-for-dungeon-masters-keith-ammann/12578264?ean=9781982122669&next=t&affiliate=511] * Austin Powers deleted scene, “Henchman’s Wife” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMyccwawFBE] * Redshirt [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/REDSHIRT] * 7 Tips for Creating Unforgettable Villains [http://writeremergency.com/villains] * How Christopher Nolan writes a movie [https://youtu.be/YYP8skwl4Lw?si=xSbV4pvyrMSPZUE9] on our YouTube! * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://blog.quoteunquoteapps.com/] * Become a Scriptnotes Premium member [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/], or gift a subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] * Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ScriptnotesPodcast] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Matthew Chilelli (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * Segments produced by Stuart Friedel [https://stustustu.com/], Megana Rao [https://www.instagram.com/get_raody/], and Drew Marquardt. * Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt [https://www.drewmarquardt.com/] and edited by Matthew Chilelli [https://www.matthewchilelli.com/]. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here [http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/692standard.mp3].

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 Ground [https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262048224/monsters-aliens-and-holes-in-the-ground/] by Stu Horvath * VintageRPG.com [https://www.vintagerpg.com/] by Stu Horvath * D&D 5th Edition [https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/BookIndex] * Amateur press association (APA) [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_press_association] * Little Wars by H.G. Wells [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3691/3691-h/3691-h.htm] * Peter Cushing painting his minifigs [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGag8Qllgnw] * Chainmail [https://www.americanroads.us/DandD/Chainmail_3rd_Ed.pdf] by Gary Gygax & Jeff Perren * Chaosium [https://www.chaosium.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq51dHNT5ZlZpmnKPlnNtTcFqHhSDG-kMdg5mINriXrPhp8jqGs] * Tunnels & Trolls [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunnels_%26_Trolls] * Dread RPG [http://www.tiltingatwindmills.net/games/dread/] * Fiasco [https://bullypulpitgames.com/products/fiasco] * Scriptnotes episode 142: The Angeles Crest Fiasco [https://johnaugust.com/2014/the-angeles-crest-fiasco] * Critical Role [https://critrole.com/] * Alien: The Roleplaying Game [https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/] * Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game [https://www.starwarstimeline.net/Westendgames.htm] * Traveller [https://www.mongoosepublishing.com/collections/traveller-rpgs?srsltid=AfmBOoqZDwY_yovcwPeXjqTcFwzdhF0mmnaz63_V-K5n-mqFE_5L3A1B] * 2024 D&D Player’s Handbook [https://dndstore.wizards.com/us/en/product/1001494/2024-player-s-handbook-digital-physical-bundle] * Blackoath Entertainment [https://blackoathgames.com/] * Thousand Year Old Vampire [https://thousandyearoldvampire.com/] * Tales From the Loop RPG [https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/tales-from-the-loop-rpg/] * Honey Heist [https://www.docdroid.net/KJzmn5k/honey-heist-by-grant-howitt-pdf] * WWDC live translation [https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/06/apple-intelligence-gets-even-more-powerful-with-new-capabilities-across-apple-devices/] * She Used to Be Mine performance [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAZ1nfuluz0] and vocal coach reaction [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PXHuvItbAg] * Kolchak: The Night Stalker [https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/kolchak-the-night-stalker/8266177989850265112] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://blog.quoteunquoteapps.com/] * Become a Scriptnotes Premium member [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/], or gift a subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] * Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ScriptnotesPodcast] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Nick Moore (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt [https://www.drewmarquardt.com/] and edited by Matthew Chilelli [https://www.matthewchilelli.com/]. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here [http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/691standard.mp3].

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: * Max Read’s newsletter Read Max [https://maxread.substack.com/] and his Letterboxd [https://letterboxd.com/max_read/lists/] * Dogma 25 Explodes at Cannes [https://variety.com/2025/film/news/dogma-25-cannes-may-el-toukhy-1236401704/] by Annika Pham, Marta Balaga for Variety * Maze by Christopher Manson [https://archive.org/details/mazesolvetheworldsmostchallengingpuzzle1985/mode/2up] * Blue Prince [https://www.blueprincegame.com/] * Graham’s source for Egypt’s GDP [https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317338/contribution-of-travel-and-tourism-to-gdp-in-egypt/] and John’s [https://www.businesstodayegypt.com/Article/1/4754/Tourism-sector-contributed-24-of-Egypt%E2%80%99s-GDP-last-year-making] sources [https://www.sis.gov.eg/Story/193384/Egypt%E2%80%99s-tourism-sector-to-contribute-8.1%25-of-national-GDP-in-2024-World-Travel-and-Tourism-Council?lang=en-us] * Neal Stephenson [https://www.nealstephenson.com/] * William Gibson [https://williamgibsonbooks.com/] * Red Rooms [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22207786/] * This Strange Mutation Explains the Mystifying Color of Orange Cats [https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/this-strange-mutation-explains-the-mystifying-color-of-orange-cats/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email] by Gayoung Lee for Scientific American * The Simulation is Failing. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZFwpYEIgJQ] by Jessica Mazin * r/OneOrangeBraincell [https://www.reddit.com/r/OneOrangeBraincell/] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://blog.quoteunquoteapps.com/] * Become a Scriptnotes Premium member [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/], or gift a subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] * Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ScriptnotesPodcast] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Spencer Lackey (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt [https://www.drewmarquardt.com/] with help from Sam Shapson. It’s edited by Matthew Chilelli [https://www.matthewchilelli.com/]. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here [http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/690standard.mp3].

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! [https://highland.pro/education/apply] * Collaborate on a tabletop RPG with John! [https://qapps.notion.site/Collaborator-for-Tabletop-RPG-201a876c8fe3806bbcf6dd02276b4531] * Tom and Jerry [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_and_Jerry] and Hanna-Barbera [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanna-Barbera] * Accidental Triplets with the Billionaire [https://www.reelshort.com/episodes/episode-1-accidental-triplets-with-the-billionaire-680756c56f852549da0789fa-1lyvfk92oi?play_time=1] on Reel Short * A Mistaken Surrogate for the Ruthless Billionaire [https://www.goodshort.com/drama/a-mistaken-surrogate-for-the-ruthless-billionaire-31000881454] on GoodShort * WebToon [https://www.webtoons.com/en/] * Werewolf Billionaire CEO Husbands are Taking Over Hollywood [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/vertical-short-industry-hollywood-reelshort-dramabox-1235009933/] by EJ Dickson for Rolling Stone * Veo 3 fake news example [https://bsky.app/profile/esqueer.net/post/3lpno4lcfgk22] by Alejandra Caraballo on Bluesky * More Veo 3 examples [https://bsky.app/profile/promptastic.bsky.social/post/3lq2w5mgcmy27] by Promptastic on Bluesky * Play Everyday Lotion SPF 50 [https://supergoop.com/products/everyday-sunscreen?srsltid=AfmBOooTFqu5virh1rax4Hmpd30QcGneSyw6YCaZnciahRGa6xKCFu34&variant=31189086634082] * The Last of Us [https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://blog.quoteunquoteapps.com/] * Become a Scriptnotes Premium member [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/], or gift a subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] * Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ScriptnotesPodcast] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Steve Pietrowski (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt [https://www.drewmarquardt.com/] with help from Sam Shapson. It’s edited by Matthew Chilelli [https://www.matthewchilelli.com/]. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here [http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/689standard.mp3].

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 Birbiglia [https://www.birbigs.com/] * The Good Life [https://www.netflix.com/title/81944037] on Netflix * Mike’s previous episodes: 121 [https://johnaugust.com/2013/my-girlfriends-boyfriends-screenwriter], 168 [https://johnaugust.com/2014/austin-forever], 261 [https://johnaugust.com/2016/dont-think-twice], 427 [https://johnaugust.com/2019/the-new-one-with-mike-birbiglia], 443 [https://johnaugust.com/2020/what-were-up-to], and Working it Out: Screenwriting Advice You’ll Actually Use [https://johnaugust.com/2024/working-it-out-screenwriting-advice-youll-actually-use] * Episode 660 – Moneyball [https://johnaugust.com/2024/moneyball] * Ira Glass on Mike’s podcast Working it Out [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEAZXqlyY8I] * Elizabeth Gilbert TED Talk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA] * The Run Club Haters [https://www.curbed.com/article/run-clubs-hatred-new-york-central-park.html] by Melissa Dahl for Curbed * I Hadn’t Heard From My Dad in Over a Decade. Now He’s Returned With a Brazen Request. I’m Actually Considering It. [https://slate.com/advice/2025/04/parent-advice-dad-request-sibling.html] from Slate’s Care and Feeding * The Coyotes of San Francisco [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/us/coyotes-san-francisco-california.html] by Heather Knight and Loren Elliot for NY Times * Coyote Vest [https://www.coyotevest.com/] * Everybody’s Live with John Mulaney [https://www.netflix.com/title/81912996] * Chris Fleming [https://chrisflemingfleming.com/] * Blue Prince [https://www.blueprincegame.com/] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://blog.quoteunquoteapps.com/] * Become a Scriptnotes Premium member [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/], or gift a subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] * Subscribe to Scriptnotes on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@ScriptnotesPodcast] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Nick Moore (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * Scriptnotes is produced by Drew Marquardt [https://www.drewmarquardt.com/] with help from Sam Shapson. It’s edited by Matthew Chilelli [https://www.matthewchilelli.com/]. Email us at ask@johnaugust.com You can download the episode here [http://traffic.libsyn.com/scriptnotes/688standardV2.mp3].