Writing a Great Screenplay and Building a Career with John August
About this Advisor Studio
In Advisor Studio sessions, film and television industry professionals share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing, and producing for TV and film.
In this exclusive Advisor Studio, screenwriter, director, author, and podcast host John August discusses key insights from his new book, Scriptnotes.
Co-written with Craig Mazin (co-creator of the hit podcast of the same name), the book draws on more than one thousand hours of Scriptnotes podcast conversations, as well as Craig and John’s storied careers, to help readers begin, refine, and sell their own scripts. It features contributions from filmmakers such as Lulu Wang, Greta Gerwig, and Seth Rogen.
In this 60-minute session, August, a frequent advisor at the Sundance Institute Screenwriting Lab, shares indispensable industry insights through both an independent and studio lens. As the screenwriter of films such as Big Fish and Corpse Bride, August knows what it takes to write a successful script for the screen. He provides actionable tips on collaborating, pitching, and navigating the art of exposition. He also shares a few pearls of wisdom he’s learned from some of the talented guests on his show.
Whether you’re an aspiring screenwriter ready to launch your career or a seasoned professional seeking to gain new industry insights, this presentation will illuminate the path to a successful screenwriting career.
Topics include:
- How to determine if your idea is worth pursuing
- The importance of point of view in your writing
- How to approach conflict
- Screenwriting rules, and when it’s OK to break them
- Tips on structure
- Pitching dos and don’ts
- Persisting in the business and thriving as a writer
- The importance of writers helping writers
Advisor StudioTeam
John August
John August is a screenwriter whose credits include ALADDIN, BIG FISH, CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, CORPSE BRIDE, FRANKENWEENIE and the first two CHARLIE'S ANGELS movies. He directed the 2007 film THE NINES starring Ryan Reynolds and Melissa McCarthy, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
He earned a BAFTA nomination for his script for BIG FISH, and a Grammy nomination for his song in CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY. In 2016, he received the Writers Guild of America West’s Valentine Davies Award in recognition of his humanitarian efforts and civic service. In addition to his work in film, John wrote the ARLO FINCH middle-grade novel trilogy, and the book for the Broadway musical of BIG FISH.
Since 2012, he has co-hosted the popular weekly screenwriting podcast SCRIPTNOTES. His company, Quote-Unquote Apps, makes utilities for writers (including Highland and Weekend Read) along with Writer Emergency Pack, which is used in 2,000 classrooms nationwide.
Born in Boulder, Colorado, John received a BA in Journalism from Drake University and an MFA in Film Producing from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. He lives in Los Angeles with his family.
Erica Elson
Moderator | Digital Course & Event Producer
Erica Elson is a Producer, Writer and Educator based in the mountains outside Los Angeles. Her short film, WING NIGHT, premiered at Method Fest in Los Angeles. She is the co-author of the book THE AWKWARD HUMAN SURVIVAL GUIDE and co-hosted a podcast by the same name on the 5by5 network for five years. Elson's articles have been published by HuffPost, Lifehacker, and Reader's Digest. Prior to working in education, she worked in television development and writers’ rooms such as VH1’s HINDSIGHT, where she had the chance to write for the spinoff web series PLANET SEBASTIAN.
Elson joined the Sundance Collab team in October 2021 and produces courses, Master Classes, and events in the areas of screenwriting, television writing, directing, producing, and documentary filmmaking. She has moderated conversations with Sofia Coppola, Richard Linklater, Alexander Payne, and Susannah Grant, among others.
Prior to Sundance, Elson was the Thesis Production Supervisor at the American Film Institute for five years. She oversaw several award-winning graduate thesis films, notably the 2021 BAFTA student film winner APART, TOGETHER and the 2023 Sundance Film Festival short WE WERE MEANT TO. While at AFI, Elson developed a passion for sustainable production and created the Green Film School Alliance, which includes forty schools on four continents. She holds a BA in Communication and Film Studies from Concordia University and an MFA in Screenwriting from the American Film Institute.