Feb 24, 2026
John welcomes writer-directors Natalie Musteata and Alexandre
Singh (Two People Exchanging Saliva) to ask, what happens when your
short film is nominated for an Oscar? They look at each step from
their initial idea to awards season to see how they positioned
their short to be considered for an Academy Award. We also...
Feb 17, 2026
John and Craig gather our listeners’ favorite news articles and ask, How Would This Be a Movie? Stories include an underground network delivering menstrual supplies in Minneapolis, a millennial travel group, how the US hacked ISIS, and a fake college squash team.
But first we follow up on modern comps, email issues,...
Feb 10, 2026
John welcomes writer and director Joachim Trier (Sentimental Value, The Worst Person in the World) to ask, how do you introduce your characters and their world to the audience? Using the screenplay for Sentimental Value, Joachim lays out how he sets up his themes, characters, conflicts and narrative authority in...
Feb 3, 2026
John and Craig ask, what makes a useful comp? Writers often use
comparisons when pitching or discussing projects, but what
separates good comps from bad comps, why do we use them, and when
do comps hurt more than they help? Basically, it’s The Studio meets
My Dinner with Andre. We also follow up on orality and...