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Aug 30, 2022

John and Craig answer questions from listeners teetering on the precipice of success. What projects do you take after a big win? How can you make the most money in your career? And how do you move forward when your dream project dies?

We follow up on vocal fry/linguistic tics, HBO Max’s recent announcements, and the...


Aug 23, 2022

John and Craig welcome VFX supervisor Alex Wang (The Last of Us) and VFX producer/writer Addie Manis (Foundation) to pull back the (green screen) curtain on the visual effects production process.

We ask the VFX experts to break down a sample scene, line by line to explain how they’d turn scene description into an...


Aug 16, 2022

John and Craig discuss the confusing phenomenon of post-scriptum depression. They explain why even a good experience can feel like loss and offer tips for how to move on.

We also cover the difficulty of balancing timelines in parallel storylines. Follow up this week includes a fuller explanation of the Monty Hall and a...


Aug 9, 2022

John and Craig tackle the third question every development executive asks: “why now?” What makes an idea relevant to the moment? They offer ways writers can think about this early on in their process, including reframing it as “how now?” instead.

We then talk about reversals and look at how they work on...


Aug 2, 2022

John and Craig look at visual effects from both a creative and budgetary perspective. From set extensions to blue screens, the guys discuss the hidden costs and tricks of post-production.

We also cover the options screenwriters have when optioning books. We cover formal (and less-formal) arrangements,...