How do you get the heart of your show across in a clear and concise way without overloading the script with too many elements or underwhelming with too few? Tasha and Josh discuss how to bring clarity of concept into your writing using lessons from their recent pilots. TWIW: Lessons from a Mike Flanagan Kickstarter. Why distinctive characters are essential for pitching a network TV show. Thoughts on The Killer’s use of voiceover. Why you should watch Blue Eye Samurai. And what was season 2 of Loki about? We’re still confused. Thank goodness for Tom Hiddleston! LINK Mike Flanagan’s Absentia Kickstarter Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

The day has finally arrived! On Nov 30th we officially launch the Act Two Podcast Patreon. To celebrate, we’re hosting a Screenwriter Meet & Greet that night in Los Angeles. If you’re in the area, come say “Hello!” We’d love to see you there! Link for Event Info Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Tasha and Josh break down the mother/daughter story in Pixar’s BRAVE with special guest Michele Wolkoff (EP, Pigeon Tunnel and Rook). They discuss what works, what doesn’t (and why), and analyze how a directorial overhaul 18 months prior to release affected the story and underlying themes.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

This Week in Writing includes why relationships are key to the Hollywood long game, signs you may need to restructure your spec, and why the simple act of reading a comic can be so creatively refreshing. Plus, Josh breaks through with a new idea to avoid extensive, unpaid rewrites!   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Writing a first draft is tough. But writing a second draft can be tougher. Tasha and Josh discuss best practices for tackling the deceptively difficult second draft, be it going scene-by-scene, starting anew, or ignoring a note to find the real note lurking underneath.   TWIW: Why staying active with programs and competitions keeps you going. Should an agent ask for your resume? Style lessons from the Barbarian screenplay. And a friendly reminder that public domain is a proven place to mine IP. Plus, Josh and Tasha both finished drafts of their specs!   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

What makes a horror film truly terrifying? Tasha and Josh, along with special guest and horror aficionado Dave Levinson, break down their favorite horror films and what makes them so frightening that even decades later just the thought of the film sends a shiver up our spine.   TWIW: Josh is shocked by the discrepancies between a pilot script and a finished pilot episode. Tasha gets to the root of the simplistic genius behind Netflix’s Fall of the House of Usher.    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Getting repped may seem impossible, but there are actually many different paths to representation. Tasha and Josh break down what worked for them and what they’ve seen work for others. (Spoiler: the best way is to write a good script!)   TWIW: Josh finished a pilot with his wife and celebrated with a bottle of rosé and Taylor Swift. Tasha celebrates an Act Two mentee getting repped! Plus, how long does it take to write a feature screenplay?   How Professional Screenwriters Outline: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAY5Y9XWu4I   The Rep Thread: https://x.com/tclairsmith/status/1711126582549447165?s=46   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

There’s no wrong way to be inspired, but finding inspiration can oftentimes prove elusive. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss various techniques they use when they need a burst of creative inspiration, be it in nature, nostalgia, or an engaging museum plaque. TWIW: Josh and Tasha fear AI becoming a creative crutch, but admit that it can be a helpful tool when creating perfect imagery for look books (but shh! don’t tell anybody!!). Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Take a break! Eat dinner with your family! Hangout with that friend! We promise you’ll still get your writing done. In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the importance of self-care in a post-strike world, and the various strategies they use to relieve the ever-present pressure of work work work. Step one: acknowledging that you need self-care in the first place! TWIW: Josh experiences notes in real time. Tasha feels pressure to make her next spec definitive while also finishing her short story five years in the making. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Writing a Pilot is one of the more difficult undertakings of a Screenwriter. It must set up an entire series without revealing too much of the series journey, engage the audience with questions, but not leave enough questions to be confusing. A great pilot starts with a great outline. In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how TV Pilots are broken and outlined in a professional writer's room, and how to take those lessons with you to your own personal pilot process.    TWIW: the Writer's Strike is over! A new series is coming to the Act Two Podcast. Tasha was on a panel at the Netherlands Film Festival! Josh broke his ankle, which has ripple effects to the upcoming Patreon. Tasha's TOMB RAIDER teaser came out!    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

A great villain is the hero of their own story. Search for their humanity and discover what makes them your hero’s shadow self. Plus, Elemental and the lost art of word of mouth marketing. TWIW: Josh achieves #couplegoals. Tasha struggles to finish her short story, but finds hope in her calendar of all places. Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Why is IP important? Do you need it to make a sale? Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down an article by Steven Hartman, the pros and cons of working with IP, and rethinking how to approach adapting one. TWIW: Goal Buddies keep us on track and motivated to solve Act 1 problems, and why you should sit on notes for a day (even if you agree with them).   Link to article: https://screencraft.org/blog/is-this-the-end-of-existing-ip-domination/ Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

There are 5 (Emotional) Stages a Screenwriter goes through in writing their spec. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down the writer brain at each stage, and how to power through to get that spec done.   TWIW: pitching safely vs. pitching for the win, being a Machiavellian writer to avoid notes, and would TAKEN be as iconic without *that* scene?   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down the structure and writing lessons Screenwriters can learn from Act One of SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, including how to use blocking and silence to tell your story, how to maximize spare dialogue, and how to use action to advance your story and hide exposition.   TWIW: the structure and writing lessons of WAR OF THE WORLDS, and if you were to fire your rep, should you do it during or after the strike?   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Eliza Clark (Showrunner, Y: THE LAST MAN) wrote a document for her writers on what to do once they were on set to produce their episode of television. The document highlights the incredible importance of a writer on set, and how imperative episodic writers are for Showrunners in production.    Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down Clark's list of writer duties on set, and further elucidate the important, unique and difficult job that a writer has in production.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Screen and TV writer Jeff Howard (HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE, MIDNIGHT MASS, OCULUS, GERALD'S GAME) to talk about his unique story of how he got started (including meeting the Terminator), how he became director Mike Flanagan's writing partner, his own career struggles, and the realities of working in a TV room.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Jumping off an article posted by NoFilmSchool.com, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss what Screenwriting imperatives one can learn from dissecting INDIANA JONES movies, including everything from how to introduce characters in an impactful way and how to keep your story moving with an active protagonist.  TWIW: Josh was told his characters sound like him, so what is voice and how do you find it in a character? Tasha's TMNT reactions. Tasha's takeaway re: simple storytelling vs. complex storytelling after writing for TV.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Alyssa Alvarado, the Screenplay Department Director of the Austin Film Festival, to chat about what makes AFF the best festival in the US for Screenwriters and what writers can expect by both applying and attending the festival, including tips on networking successfully while in Austin.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

It is the Midpoint of the 2023 Summer Blockbuster season! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the Barbenheimer phenomenon and what's been good, bad and ugly so far this Summer at the theaters.    TWIW: Act Two's Idea Creation Night, Why studios hire A-list writers when a lower-level writer could do the job for cheaper, Favorite MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE titles and why they do/do not work.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Back by popular demand, Screenwriter Dan Kunka (12 ROUNDS) talks with hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman about his journey through arbitration for his latest film, LIFT, based on his spec, and why more writers need to learn that being rewritten is simply part of the job.    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Screenwriters have been inspired for a long time by JJ Abrams's "Mystery Box" TED Talk from 2007. It gave a glimpse into JJ's genius as a writer whose movies and shows were irresistible and impossibly engaging. In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman walk through JJ's TED Talk and how and why the "Mystery Box" could make you a better writer.   TWIW: SAG-AFTRA has joined the WGA on strike, "Elemental", breaking in through temp agencies, and an Act Two Patreon?   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

As huge genre fans, hosts Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman discuss their thoughts on FLASH and INDIANA JONES: DIAL OF DESTINY. *Spoilers definitely ahead, beware!*   TWIW: Quiet Writers vs. Loud Writers in a TV Writer's Room, that time Josh saw INCEPTION with Christopher Nolan, and NO HARD FEELINGS (with Jennifer Lawrence)   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Scott Glassgold, founder of management & production company Ground Control, has recently made waves in Hollywood for finding short stories on Reddit and turning them into high-profile sales for new writers. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman walk through that process with Scott and discuss the potential of the short story market for writers in any stage of their career.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

It's a blockbuster Summer like we haven't seen in years. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the Summer 2023 line-up and what are the must-sees in theater.    TWIW: the unlikely origin story of a Fast & Furious cast member, and different structures writers use to write.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

This Week in Writing includes wildly different reviews of Spiderverse by hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman, Hollywood books that have made it on their reading lists, the DGA agreement and AI, and the State of the (Screenwriter) Union.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

What are the main tenets when writing a short film? Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss what you should be thinking about as you embark on writing your short film in terms of story, character and structure. TWIW: ChatGPT writes "Black Mirror" episodes and BURN IT DOWN by Maureen Ryan and toxicity in writers rooms.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

What is Arbitration, how does it work, and what does a Screenwriter have to do when it happens to them? Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Tasha's recent (and first!) arbitration experience trying to retain credit on one of her features, breaking the process down from start to finish.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

After a day of picketing, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat about what it's like to picket and how WGA writers they talked to are currently feeling about the strike.    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman discuss a blog post by Final Draft about 5 Ways to stretch your Screenwriting muscles every day so you never lose writing momentum, even on days you don't feel like writing.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how Screen and TV writers get paid, and why the pay system can make it difficult to grow your Screenwriting career.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how the WGA Strike has affected them and their projects, and suggest resources for WGA and pre-WGA writers to learn more about the Strike, why it's happening, and how it can affect them.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the MARIO movie, 3 different kinds of note-taking writer personalities, the hopeful future of movie theaters, and Josh's first visit to a David H. Steinberg Writer Meet-Up.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Back by popular demand... In part two of a series, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Hollywood phrases that producers, studio execs, and reps say to writers. They discuss what they mean, where they're coming from, and how to address them as a writer.    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hollywood has its own language that writers must learn to speak in order to succeed. In this Part One of a series, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss some of the most-used phrases that producers, studio execs and reps say to writers. They discuss what they mean, where they're coming from, and how to address them as a writer.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman have been in the same Writer's Group together since 2009. They discuss how their group started, how they function from week to week, and the Do's and Don'ts that have kept their group running smoothly.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how they go about writing heists. Having written a few heists between them, both for film and TV, Tasha and Josh break down the first steps they take to organize and plot their heist before going to script.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and how you can apply it to your Screenwriting career.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down what it means to "hustle" as a Screenwriter. TWIW: What writers can learn from actors on pitching, How pitching a movie requires multiple skills as a writer so get good at all of them, and the writer term "Is it a bug or a feature?"   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414Beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about what we can learn about how actors look at writing, discuss whether specs are necessary for a successful Screenwriting career, how to sell a script in animation and more This Weeks in Writing!   Questions/Comments: [email protected] Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk with screenwriter Nicole Ramberg about her script CRAIGSHAVEN which landed on the 2022 Black List. We also talk about her career path, working in Hollywood, and her love for Amblin-esque movies.    Questions/Comments: [email protected] Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Screenwriter Paul Bae, creator of the hit podcast series BLACK TAPES, and talk about how he turned his screenplay into a podcast to jump start his Screenwriting career, how he got his agents, how Twitter has helped his career, and how he has managed to make it in Hollywood as a Canadian still living in Canada.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss their This Week in Writing, including AMC's debacle with seat sales, the newly-released TED LASSO teaser, how to give and receive targeted notes to help a writer write the script they want to write (not you), and a look into what a typical pro Screenwriter's career actually looks like and why some call it the "Screenwriting Wilderness".   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss... pacing and action sequences! We love action and the pacing is so important to your screenplay. We also discuss general meetings and the length of specs.    Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Lists on how to write a "great" screenplay are practically useless when sitting down before a blank page. But hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how to use lists and tips in the REWRITE process to help hone your decent script into a great one.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss what skills professional Screenwriters need that aren't writing. Turns out there are a lot of skills Screenwriters need to practice and hone in order to have a successful career.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Screenwriter Steve Desmond and his co-writer Michael Sherman have made a career of securing IP and adapting it via pitches and spec sales. Their scripts have landed them on the Black List multiple times, and their latest feature, KNOCK AT THE CABIN, releases in theaters February 3, 2023 with M. Night Shyamalan directing. And it all started with a little-known IP.   Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how Steve finds his IP, secures it, and successfully adapts it at such a high level. If you've ever been interested in adapting your favorite IP but aren't sure where to start, this is the starting line.   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

This Week in Writing, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the PUSS IN BOOTS franchise, WEDNESDAY, a fantastic book on writing by George Saunders, a schedule of how the industry functions, and reading between the lines when an Exec tells you to send work "at any stage".   Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

Happy 2023! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss goals in the new year... how to set them, approach them, tackle them... The new year is here. Let's start strong! Questions / Comments: [email protected] Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg