Hey everyone. Welcome back to the screenwriting life. I'm Meg Lofov. And I'm Lorraine McKenna.

Today we have a truly special show. We are talking to John August and Craig Mason, the duo behind

the much-love script notes podcast, which has been running for 14 years. John August is a screenwriter

whose credits include Aladdin, Big Fish, Charlie and the Chocolate

Factory, corpse bride, frank and weeny, and the first two Charlie's Angels movies. In addition to his

work in film, John wrote the Arlo Finch Middle Grade Novel trilogy and earned a BAFTA nomination for his

script of the Broadway musical Big Fish. Through his company quote unquote, unquote, apps, John makes utilities for writers, including

Highland and Weekend Read, along with a writer emergency pack, which is used in 2,000 classrooms

nationwide.

He was also a member of the 2023 WGA Negotiating Committee.

Craig Mason is a multiple Emmy Award-winning co-creator, executive producer, writer, and director

of such shows as The Smash Hit HBO series The Last of Us.

Record-breaking and critically acclaimed, season one became the most watched debut of any series

for HBO.

Previously, Craig served as creator, writer, and executive producer of the HBO Limited

Series Chernobyl, for which he won two Emmys, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Peabody, and awards

from the Writers Guild, the Producers Guild, the Television Critics Association, and the American

Film Institute.

Currently, Craig is executive producing the upcoming HBO e-sports drama damage alongside writer-director and executive producer

Celine Song. And together, John and Craig have released a brand new book, script notes, a book about

screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters, which distills more than 700 episodes

of podcast conversations, craft principles, and no bullshit wisdom.

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