261 | Clarity, Subtext, and Want vs. Need: Kaz Firpo on Crafting Great Screenplays

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

Tv & Film

4.8 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 August 2025

⏱️ 82 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

JOIN TSL WORKSHOPS: https://tslworkshops.circle.so In this episode, Meg and Lorien sit down with Kaz Firpo (Marvel’s ETERNALS, RUIN) to talk about the timeless craft lessons that make a great screenplay. From writing scenes that still land without sound, to creating emotional clarity on the page, Kaz shares why subtext is the secret engine of great dialogue, and why every character’s want and need should always be at odds. Whether you’re on draft one or draft fifteen, this conversation will help you sharpen your scenes, clarify your characters, and trust your instincts as a writer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	So, what are you watching at the moment?
0:01.8	Squid Game, Dad.
0:03.0	Let's watch it together this weekend.
0:04.9	Would that be nice?
0:06.0	What's it on again?
0:06.8	Netflix. You've got EETV, so you just switch it on. What season are we up to? Um, four? That's Stranger Things, Mum. And what about the kids? Don't worry, they'll watch Coca-Mellon for the hundredth time. Switch on Netflix with EETV, plus change up sports and entertainment.
0:04.5	It's TV with the ultimate flex for the hundredth time. Switch on Netflix with EETV. Plus change up sports and entertainment.
0:22.4	It's TV with the ultimate flex for the whole family.
0:25.4	EETV requires EE Broadband, separate 24-month contracts for TV and broadband content
0:29.1	a very tense supply.
0:34.5	Hey everyone.
0:35.4	Welcome back to the screenwriting life.
0:36.9	I'm Meg Lofos. And I'm Lori and McKenna. And today we're
0:40.0	excited to be chatting with Kaz Fearpo. Kaz is a director, screenwriter, and photographer, born and raised in the
0:46.2	forest of Northern California, a graduate of NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. His work has landed
0:51.9	him on the Forbes 30 under 30 and at the top of the blacklist.
0:56.4	As a filmmaker, Kaz documented the front lines of the Syrian refugee crisis, creating the refugee project, which premiered at South by Southwest.
1:04.6	He also collaborated with UNICEF and the World Wildlife Fund to tell stories of hope and conflict zones around the world.
1:11.1	Represented by CIA, Kaz stormed into Hollywood with his cousin and writing partner Ryan Fearpo,
1:16.4	with their black list-topping World War II thriller Ruins starring Galgado,
1:21.2	before kicking off phase four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Eternals,
1:26.7	directed by Academy Award winner, Chloe Zhao.
	...

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