John August (screenwriter/podcaster: Scriptnotes / Big Fish / Corpse Bride)

Welcome to 5AM StoryTalk! I'm joined by screenwriter, author, and ScriptNotes co-host JOHN AUGUST (Go, Big Fish, Corpse Bride, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and many more). John is one of the most influential screenwriters of the 21st century, educating scores of people around the globe about the medium for 14 years now, so it is with no small sense of pride that I welcome him to my own podcast this week to talk his life, his craft, and the power of cinema.

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A bonus episode, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s amazing paid subscribers, is also available. If you’re not yet a paid subscriber, you’ll get more of John and I discussing a seminal piece of art from his life – the pilot episode of “Modern Family” (2009). ⁠Listen here⁠.

Show notes:

John and I discuss the following (amongst many other things):

·     Dead screenwriters from Hollywood’s past John would love to have on Scriptnotes if he got behind the controls of the TARDIS

·     His relationship to screenwriting form, from its origins to William Goldman, to his own work and thoughts on attempts to subvert it

·     The difficulties of the industry, including a traumatic early experience that drove him to a nervous breakdown

·     Experiences and strategies that have shaped his career, touching upon how he chooses projects

·     The story behind Big Fish, how his father's death influenced it, and the enduring emotional resonance it holds across different formats and audiences

·     Whether Hollywood storytelling still has the power to unite us

Links:

·      ⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk newsletter⁠⁠ (become a paid subscriber to gain access to both hundreds of arts articles, essays, and resources at the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter as well as all episodes of its podcast days, weeks, and sometimes even months early)

·      ⁠John August’s website / Scriptnotes⁠

·     Watch the Big Fish ⁠trailer⁠

·     Read the script for Big Fish ⁠here⁠

·     Read about John’s Arlo Finch book series ⁠here⁠

·     John and I discuss When Harry Met Sally. I reference my own interrogation of it, which you can read ⁠here⁠

·     John references Scriptnotes an episode discussing action writing with ⁠Christina Hodson⁠

·     John references the Oppenheimer screenplay, which you can read my thoughts about ⁠here⁠. In it, you’ll find a link to the Scriptnotes episode where Christopher Nolan discusses his work on the script

·     John and I discuss my experien