The Screenplay Writers

0054: Climax

The climax is one of the top six or seven scenes of a screenplay, so you really need to have a think about it before you write it. Nathan and Ryan reveal details of their upcoming annual Screenplay Writers Camp Retreat, coming up in just a couple weeks. Let us know if you’re interested in camping and talking screenplays. They do script surgery on "Mission Impossible 5," and Ryan pitches his idea “The Drop” in Logline Cage Match.

Thanks to James Andrews for contributing ideas to this episode.

0053: Flashbacks

Flashbacks are a big, big part of many screenplays. They take the reader back in time, to tell him or her why the main character(s) are the way they are. The best place for flashbacks is at the very beginning or the very end of a screenplay—or both. The guys do script surgery on “Love, Simon,” and Ryan pitches his idea “Crazy Birds” in Logline Cage Match.

0052: Intensity

It’s episode 52, our one-year anniversay of weekly episodes! The SPWs get “intense” in this episode on “intensity.” Nathan gives an update on his bid to be elected as a judge for the South Surrey Screenplay Writers Festival, and reveals his Hare’s Rule: The right channel is all channels. The guys do script surgery on “Blockers” and Nathan pitches his idea “GeneroCity” in Logline Cage Match.

0051: Surprise

In a successful screenplay, nearly every page has an element of surprise, whether it’s the dialogue or simply a character jumping out from behind a door. Or incorporate a jack-in-the-box, which is a Hare’s Rule. The guys do script surgery on “Game Night” and Ryan pitches his idea “Goth Doctor” in Logline Cage Match.

0050: Perspective

Up high, down low, or right in the middle—from which perspective will you write your screenplay from? The guys do scirpt surgery on "Solo" and Nathan pitches his idea "Revolving Door."

0049: Sports

Sports screenplays are all about athletics, and about crafting an inspirational speech from the coach to deliver to her or his players around three-quarters of the way through the screenplay. And also about the training montage. Nathan and Ryan do script surgery on “Dodgeball,” and Ryan pitches his idea, “Life Hacker,” a MacGuyver for modern times.

0048: Creativity

Summer blockbuster season is here and the guys are excited. Every year around this time they begin work on their own blockbuster screenplays, which they spend the summer blockbuster season writing and refining. They discuss an indispensible Hare’s Rule, how you set up your workspace informs how you set up your headspace. They do script surgery on “The Incredibles” and Ryan pitches his idea “The Narcitect” in Logline Cage Match.

0047: Interns

Intern Nick joins Nathan and Ryan for a chat, during which he lets them know that he recently was offered a job as a low-level intern with Mark Ruffalo’s agent. Ryan gets an idea while they’re talking to Intern Nick for a screenplay: “Double Agent Undercover Nick,” about a Hollywood-basedundercover double agent. It would be a biopic, probably starring George Clooney.

 

0046: Emotion

Nathan and Ryan talk to Agent Nick again. They tell Nick they aren’t going ahead with his script that he pitched them last week, but they are writing one called “Speedboat Secondary.” They offer Nick a job as an intern on the podcast, after he reveals he doesn’t like being an agent for movies anymore. Nick accepts. He is now known as Intern Nick.

0045: Grit

Nathan and Ryan discuss grit, and why it’s so important to screenplays. While recording this episode, they get a spontaneous accidental phone call from Agent Nick. They waste no time in pitching him new ideas, including “Snap, Crackle, Drugs”—an unflinching biopic about the Rice Krispie brothers. Nick later pitches they guys on an idea of his own, “Speedboat Sales," which they green light without hesitation.