Aug 27, 2024
John welcomes journalist/screenwriter Max Read to look at the
emerging sub-genre “halogencore” – stories of corporate malfeasance
that are less about uncovering corruption as they are about
characters learning to ignore it. They look at the evolution of the
sub-genre, how these movies function, and why it’s...
Aug 20, 2024
In this compendium episode, John and Craig look at two of the
most fundamental building blocks of compelling stories – conflict
and stakes. We define six forms of conflict common in movies, and explore
ways to sustain conflict within a scene and throughout a story. We
also look for ways to find the root of your...
Aug 13, 2024
John and Craig stand waist-deep in rotten tomatoes and ask, what can we learn from bad movies? Resisting the urge to walk out, they explore ways to evaluate a movie’s problems, interrogate your taste, and turn a real stinker into an opportunity to grow as a writer.
We also follow up on Lifetime movies, colored pages...
Aug 6, 2024
John welcomes writer-director Betsy Thomas (Superior Donuts, Superstore) to finally discuss writing multi-camera sitcoms. Using famous sitcom scripts as guides, they look at how multi-cam sets itself apart through its unique formatting and production, how it utilizes blocking, its surprising limitations in post, and the...