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Scriptnotes Podcast

611 - Basic Instincts

Scriptnotes Podcast

John August

Screenwriter, Tv & Film, Writing, John, Screenwriting, August, Craig, Screenplay, Mazin

4.8 • 2.7K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2023

⏱️ 61 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

John and Craig investigate our primal instincts and how they motivate our characters. Often referred to as the four F’s, these are the impulses hardwired into every animal in order to survive. But how do these base impulses guide a character’s behavior? And how can they be harnessed to make sure you don’t overcomplicate your character’s want?

We also look at impermanence in our digital world and the ways people are trying to preserve lost media. But first we answer listener questions on comics, digital de-aging, and closed captions.

In our bonus segment for premium members, we ask: why are we better swimmers as kids than we are as adults?

Links:

Email us at [email protected]

You can download the episode here.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Hey, this is John. So today's episode has a little bit of swearing. I use the F word and I use it in a non-PG 13 safe way.

0:06.5

So if you have a kid listen to this show, you don't want them to hear the F word.

0:09.6

Yeah, that's what I had up. But they should hear it now.

0:15.6

Hello and welcome. My name is John August.

0:20.2

My name is Craig Mason. And this is this episode 611 of Script Notes.

0:24.8

A podcast about screenwriting and things that are interesting to screenwriters.

0:28.8

Today on the show, where are characters doing what they're doing? We often talk about motivation

0:33.2

in terms of higher level wants like love and pride and jealousy. But what about those

0:38.0

base animalistic desires? We'll look at how those informed characters both on the scene and

0:42.7

story level. And then that movie you loved that TV show you devoured that book that changed your life.

0:48.1

Will you be able to find it next year? No, we'll discuss the impermanence of media in the age

0:52.4

of digitization and how to think about it as consumers and creators Craig.

0:58.8

Also in our bonus segment for premium members Craig do you want to talk about swimming?

1:02.8

Okay. Yeah, I have this weird relationship with swimming because it's one of those few things where

1:06.7

like humans are kind of born able to swim but then they kind of forget how to swim and then if

1:11.7

you aren't taught how to swim. Really? You just have this this whole weird relationship with swimming.

1:15.5

So I want to talk about swimming. Okay, I have a different swimming experience than you I think.

1:19.5

All right, great. Yeah, I'm excited. Yeah, cool. We always push listener questions to the end of

1:24.4

the episode and I feel like they're rushed. So I thought we would start with some listener questions

1:28.0

this week, right? Thank God. Thank God. I know you've been planning over this for years.

1:32.8

I honestly love listener questions because it matches my lack of preparation perfectly.

1:38.1

Like it's it's the perfect thing for an improv artist. Yeah, you are an improv artist. That's what we learned.

...

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