Scriptnotes Podcast

John welcomes writer and showrunner Eric Kripke (The Boys, Supernatural) to look at planning out a multi-season series. They chart Eric’s early career from shorts to showrunner, how he developed Supernatural, his process for structuring seasons of The Boys, and how great TV shows stick the landing. We also answer listener questions on lone character episodes and emulating comic panels on screen. In our bonus segment for premium members, Eric spills on everything blood, guts and gore. Links: * Eric Kripke on IMDb [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0471392/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0_tt_2_nm_6_in_0_q_eric%2520kripke] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/erickripke1/] * The Boys [https://www.amazon.com/The-Boys-Season-1/dp/B0875L45GK] * Battle of the Sexes [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cav7khJVT30] short film * Minions on the Seine! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2kVH8melgc] * Strange Darling [https://www.strangedarlingfilm.com/] * The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lonely-island-and-seth-meyers-podcast/id1738121304] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://inneresting.substack.com/] * Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] or treat yourself to a premium subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust], 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/684standard.mp3].

John and Craig welcome back Aline Brosh McKenna to tackle the issue of idea management. What do you do with all those half-formed ideas and how do you decide which ones to pursue? They share best practices and their approach to middle-of-the-night inspiration. We also discuss how screenwriters’ quotes are determined and answer some listener questions on alternatives to D&D, crediting improv and rain in the second act. In our bonus segment for premium members, DVDs hang in the balance as John and Drew sit down back in 2025 to ask, should Drew get rid of his physical media? Links: * Dungeon World [https://dungeon-world.com/] * Kids on Bikes [https://www.huntersentertainment.com/kidsonbikesrpg] * Crazy, Rich Asians Pay Disparity [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/crazy-rich-asians-screenwriter-adele-lim-exits-sequel-pay-disparity-dispute-1236431] * Searching for Bobby Fischer [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108065/] * After Dark My Sweet [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098994/] * God (1998 short film) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2d314AWqNeM] * Reg Ex Crossword Puzzle [https://regexcrossword.com/] * Soothe [https://www.soothe.com/] Massage App * Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey [https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/odyssey] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://inneresting.substack.com/] * Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] or treat yourself to a premium subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust], and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/johnaugust/?hl=en] * Outro [http://johnaugust.com/2013/scriptnotes-the-outros] by Victor Krause (send us yours! [http://johnaugust.com/2014/outros-needed]) * This episode was originally produced by Megana Rao. 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/417RBstandard.mp3].

John and Craig break out of coverage to look at oners and long shots, cutting through any directorial showboating to compare the pros and cons and cons and cons of those unbroken takes, offering ways to decide when they are necessary or purposeful, and how to recognize when it’s better to cut. We also look at changes to Sundance and the Nicholl Fellowship, answer listener questions on house lights in movie theaters, Oscar voting, improv movies, and share a few horror stories from John and Craig’s early career. In our bonus segment for premium members, John and Craig look at their relationship with their phones and consider dumbing down. Links: * HBO’s The Last of Us Podcast [https://listen.hbo.com/the-last-of-us-podcast?c=j7OtnzLuMXqeSoftILkGSQ&h=fa178b525d63bd924] * Sundance is moving to Boulder, Colorado! [https://www.sundance.org/new-sundance-film-festival-home/] * Changes to the Academy Nicholl Fellowship [https://www.oscars.org/nicholl] * Adolescence [https://www.netflix.com/title/81756069] | The Studio [https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-studio/umc.cmc.7518algxc4lsoobtsx30dqb52] * Meryl Streep and Viola Davis in Doubt [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThsZ8wfhJpk] * The Alien RPG [https://freeleaguepublishing.com/games/alien/] by Free League * Assassin’s Creed: Shadows [https://www.ubisoft.com/en-us/game/assassins-creed/shadows] * The Show 25 [https://theshow.com/] * The DIY Dumbphone Method [https://www.shesabeast.co/the-diy-dumbphone-method/] by Casey Johnston * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://inneresting.substack.com/] * Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] or treat yourself to a premium subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust], 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/683standard.mp3].

In this episode from 2012, John and Craig sit down with producer and former studio executive Lindsay Doran (Sense and Sensibility, Stranger than Fiction) at the Austin Film Festival to explore the producer’s relationship with the screenplay. The look at how the role of producer has changed, the ideal development process, how she developed Sense and Sensibility with Emma Thompson, and staying true to your values in a fickle business. In our bonus segment for premium members, Drew joins John back in 2025 to consider the value of a good alumni program, and how an alma mater that under-delivers can be the pits. Links: * Lindsay Doran [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0233386/] on IMDb * The original episode transcript [https://johnaugust.com/2012/scriptnotes-ep-68-talking-austen-in-austin-transcript] * Perfectly Happy, Even Without Happy Endings [http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/movies/lindsay-doran-examines-what-makes-films-satisfying.html?pagewanted=all] by Carrie Rickey for the New York Times (including a great photo of Lindsay’s hair) * Lindsay’s TEDx presentation: Saving the World vs Kissing the Girl [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=752INSLlyf0] * Scriptnotes, Episode 17: What do producers do? [http://johnaugust.com/2011/what-do-producers-do] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://inneresting.substack.com/] * Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] or treat yourself to a premium subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust], 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]) * This episode was originally produced by Stuart Friedel. 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/68RBstandardV2.mp3].

John and Craig welcome writer and showrunner Tony Gilroy (Andor, Michael Clayton) for an in-depth look at crafting a second season of a hit TV show. They look at ways to find your season’s structure, setting your production up for success, controlling the energy your audience spends on information, and how to wrap up your story before the show eats you alive. They also answer listener questions on what to do when a movie that’s similar to yours is wildly successful, and whether being a movie critic could hurt your writing career. In our bonus segment for premium members, Tony sticks around to ponder which words we wish existed in English, and how we’d use them in our scripts. Links: * Tony Gilroy [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006904/] * Here’s a recap of Andor Season 1! [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOfBli5P7fs] * Andor Season 2: Trailer 1 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE4wxt70aUM] | Trailer 2 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duN-KQgOjYs] | Special Look [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feJSTZRRaFQ] * Episode 680 – Writing Action Set Pieces [https://johnaugust.com/2025/writing-action-set-pieces] with Christina Hodson * I’m Not a Robot [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VrLQXR7mKU] short by Victoria Warmerdam * I’m Not a Robot [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtkXbPjHOQo] short by Jason Speir * Stephen Schiff [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Schiff] * Startpage [https://www.startpage.com/en/] * A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs [https://500songs.com/] * Raindrop [https://johnaugust.com/raindrop.io] * Get a Scriptnotes T-shirt! [https://cottonbureau.com/people/scriptnotes-podcast] * Check out the Inneresting Newsletter [https://inneresting.substack.com/] * Gift a Scriptnotes Subscription [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/gifts] or treat yourself to a premium subscription! [https://scriptnotes.supportingcast.fm/] * Craig Mazin on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/clmazin/] * John August on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/johnaugust.bsky.social], Threads [https://www.threads.net/@johnaugust], 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/] 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/682standard.mp3].