The Screenplay Writers
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
0101: Searching for Nathan and Ryan
27 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Hi there. This is Agent Nick. You might also remember me as Intern Nick. I have taken the extraordinary measure of recording this episode on my own, b...
0100: Beginnings
07 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan reveal that they’ve been asked by several deep-pocketed backers to open and manage their own cafe—and they’re doing it. They’v...
0099: Endings
30 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan reveal a few devastating obstacles they've been confronting and explain why their podcast episodes illogically jump from 91 to 99. The...
0091: Criticism
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
When someone has feedback on your screenplay, you best listen. It's called criticism, and often it contains something useful or insightful. At the ver...
0090: Financing
10 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Financing is very important when it comes to taking screenplays to the big screen. Nathan and Ryan talk about their recent adventures in financing, ha...
0089: THX vs. Dolby Pro Logic
02 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
In the midst of recording a much-requested episode about sound, Ryan and Nathan get a call from their friend Jack, a junior producer, who needs screen...
0088: Credits
28 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan talk about the many features and benefits of the screenplay-writing app they're building from scratch. It comes with 20 of the guys’...
0087: Monologues
22 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan talk about monologues and why you should avoid them at all costs as a screenplay writer. Hint: It’s so that actors’ egos don’t g...
0086: Energy
12 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan talk to Nathan’s friend, (unlicensed) Dr. Graeme, who makes a stunning announcement you'll have to hear to believe. They all talk ab...
0085: CGI
06 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Whether your screenplay needs CGI (computer-generated imagery) when it hits the big screen really depends on your imagination. If you have a huge imag...
0084: Oscars 2019 Post-Show Recap
26 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan analyze in great detail the 2019 Oscars, which will go down in history as one of the Oscars most engaging ceremonies.
0083: Oscars 2019 Predictions
19 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Who will win at the Oscars next Sunday. Nathan and Ryan run down nearly every category. You may be surprised by what they have to say, but you'll have...
0082: DVDs vs Blu-Ray
12 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan talk about the surprising lack of challenges they experience crossing the border despite being prolific screenplay writers. They never...
0081: Distribution
05 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Distribution is critical when it comes to screenplays. Otherwise, how will anyone see your pages? The guys do script surgery on “Roma” and Nathan ...
0080: Festivals
29 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
At some point, every screenplay writer asks her or himself, or her or him friends, “What about festivals?” In episode, we answer that question. Th...
0079: Phone Calls
22 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Writing effective phone calls in a screenplay is the calling card of a successful screenplay writer. With the popularity of phones these days, you sim...
0078: Table Reads
15 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Why are table reads so important to the screenwriting process? Because they present a rare opportunity to bring the cast together around one huge tabl...
0077: Managers and Agents
08 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan check in with their new manager, Nick, who recently became a manager. They chat about all the progress he’s made managing their scre...
0076: Resolutions
01 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan reach out to Double Agent Nick—one of their new year's resolutions—to find out what he’s been up to over the past 30 episodes. T...
0075: Movies of the Year
25 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Christmas day! Happy Christmas. Nathan and Ryan are gathered around the fire with close family, recording a holiday podcast about their movies ...
0074: Fight Scenes
19 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Fight scenes are so important to most action movies. The thing you need to think about when you’re writing them and filming them is how to capture t...
0073: Kids
11 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Writing for kids is something every screenwriter does at one point in her or his career. Nathan and Ryan talk about the keys to making your script wor...
0072: Meet Cutes
04 Dec 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The meet cute is an essential scene that appears in most genres. It's the moment the main character meets his or her romantic love interest. Most effe...
0071: Parentheticals
27 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve written or read a screenplay lately, you’ve probably come across parentheticals. They’re those bits of direction before dialogue that ...
0070: MacGuffin
21 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What’s a MacGuffin? What do you do with it? How does it inform your screenplay? A MacGuffin can be anything and do anything. Let us explain. The guy...
0069: Storage Part II
13 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Continuing their surprising and very important conversation about storage, the guys talk about cloud-based solutions. That's where you store files in ...
0068: Storage
06 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How and where you store your computer files is a big part of being a successful screenplay writer. If you lose your files, you’re done for. The guys...
0067: Rebirth
30 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s simple screenplaywriting 102: your main character better go through some sort of change on her journey through your script. The most impactful ...
0066: Tragedy
24 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Ryan has a really bad cold, so Nathan call his go-to guru, an unlicensed underground medical health advocate named Graeme. Graeme prescribes Ryan a sp...
0065: Rejection
16 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
All screenwriters have to deal with rejection, even the best of us. In life and in screenplay writing, it’s something we have to confront and move p...
0064: Managing
09 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
To be a successful screenplay writer, you need to have a system to manage your time, team and resources. Nathan goes through all the apps he uses for ...
0063: Criticism
02 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Screenplay writers need to deal with criticism. They need to be able to take it, they need to be able to give it—constructively. The only way to mak...
0062: Passion
25 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Passion is why we get up in the morning to try to make a lot of money writing critically acclaimed blockbuster screenplays that linger in the popular ...
0061: Books
18 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Compared to screenplays, books are not fun to read. Screenplays are the highest art form, while books are heavy and long. But sometimes, if you’re l...
0060: Sound
11 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's important to know how to address sound in screenplays, since it often translates to what filmgoers hear when the screenplay comes to life on scre...
0059: Publicity
04 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
How you publicize your screenplay and yourself are critical factors in your success. You need to consider what the ad campaign will be for your w...
0058: Press Releases (Live)
28 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan record their first ever live recording of the Screenplay Writers Podcast. Thanks to all who came out and actively participated in the ...
0057: Cinematography
21 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The guys talk about their upcoming live recording of the Screenplace Writers Podcast, which they have been planning for nine months but forgot to tell...
0056: Nature
14 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Not every screenplay takes place in the city, suburbs or shopping mall, some take place amid nature. Writing about nature is fun, and to do it succes...
0055: Voice
07 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Voice is one of the most important topics when it comes to screenplays. You should think long and hard about voice before and during the screenplay-wr...
0054: Climax
31 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The climax is one of the top six or seven scenes of a screenplay, so you really need to have a think about it before you write it. Nathan and Ryan rev...
0053: Flashbacks
24 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Flashbacks are a big, big part of many screenplays. They take the reader back in time, to tell him or her why the main character(s) are the way they a...
0052: Intensity
17 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s episode 52, our one-year anniversay of weekly episodes! The SPWs get “intense” in this episode on “intensity.” Nathan gives an update o...
0051: Surprise
10 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In a successful screenplay, nearly every page has an element of surprise, whether it’s the dialogue or simply a character jumping out from behind ...
0050: Perspective
03 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Up high, down low, or right in the middle—from which perspective will you write your screenplay from? The guys do scirpt surgery on "Solo" and Nat...
0049: Sports
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Sports screenplays are all about athletics, and about crafting an inspirational speech from the coach to deliver to her or his players around three-q...
0048: Creativity
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Summer blockbuster season is here and the guys are excited. Every year around this time they begin work on their own blockbuster screenplays, which th...
0047: Interns
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Intern Nick joins Nathan and Ryan for a chat, during which he lets them know that he recently was offered a job as a low-level intern with Mark Ruffal...
0046: Emotion
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan talk to Agent Nick again. They tell Nick they aren’t going ahead with his script that he pitched them last week, but they are writin...
0045: Grit
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan discuss grit, and why it’s so important to screenplays. While recording this episode, they get a spontaneous accidental phone call ...
0044: Rom-Coms
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan recorded this episode on a plane, flying home from Minneapolis-St Paul, where they were not able to meet up with junior producer Jack...
0043: Sequels
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this second special episode recorded on location in Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, Nathan and Ryan are still trying to track down junio...
0042: Location
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this rare special episode, Nathan and Ryan are on location at the lovely Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport, where they are trying to contac...
0041: Producers
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this follow-up to episode 40, Nathan and Ryan re-connect with junior producer Jack about their screenplay ideas. Jack said him and his dad and un...
0040: Pitching
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this super-special episode, Nathan and Ryan talk to Jack, a junior producer of screenplays who reached out to them because he's really interested i...
0039: Drillers
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Drillers are dramatic thrillers. Driller is a new word made up by Nathan and Ryan. To write one you have to remember to be both dramatic and thrilling...
0038: Scenes
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by Steam Engine ExceloPow Mostly Raw Vegan Power Bars, exclusively available at Steam Engine Coffee! We’re thrilled t...
0037: Villains
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If villains are one thing, it’s not good. They often swoop in, stealing others' ideas and tasty products, on which they intend to greatly profit eve...
0036: Heroes
27 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Heroes are the good people in screenplays—the ones you’re cheering for. They don’t have to have any big skills or special powers, but they do ha...
0035: Musicals
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Musicals sometimes have singing and songs when there’s normally talking, which makes them fun screenplays to write. One thing you might want to d...
0034: Mystery
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mystery is about confusion. It’s about bouncing around, so the audiece doesn't know exactly where you're taking them—and yes, that's a good thing....
0033: Cliffhangers
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by ExcelPow Raw Vegan Smoothies. Cliffhangers are all about creating scenes in which the reader is unsure what's abou...
0032: Oscars
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this exclusive special edition episode, Nathan and Ryan run through the major categories for the Academy Awards (the “Oscars”), explaining who...
0031: Buddy Comedies
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by ExcelPow Power Bars, raw vegan power bars that really give you a boost. Now legitimately available over the counter ...
0030: Ideas
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by ExcelPow Raw Vegan Power Bars, power bars that really give you a boost—physically. So you think you’ve got a scr...
0029: Drama
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Drama is more than just a genre. It's a key element of all kinds of screenplays. Tension, intrigue, interest, conflict. These are the hallmarks of dra...
0028: Action
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This podcast is secretly brought to you buy Nathan and Ryan’s raw vegan power bars, available at Firehall Coffee under the table—literally. Just s...
0027: Montages
23 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The point of a montage is for the audience to learn something and for a character to change in a short amount of screenplay time. Nathan and Ryan tal...
0026: Rewrites
16 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The rewrite phase is what separates a truly exceptional screenplay from a merely outstanding one. That’s why Ryan and Nathan strongly recommend...
0025: Agents
09 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are agents? What do they look like? Where do you find one? Nathan and Ryan answer these questions and more. Above all, agents should represent...
0024: Transitions
02 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In 2018's first episode of the Screenplay Writers, the guys talk transitions, as well as their New Year’s party at Firehall Coffee, which included...
0023: Directing
26 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by the Minty Dipper, the most refreshing coffee beverage anywhere. Only available as a secret, unrequested menu item at...
0022: Christmas
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by Firehall Coffee’s Hazelnut-Cashew Latté, voted the best multi-nut latté in Vancouver. On this special Christmas ...
0021: Music
12 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan provides an update on the drama surrounding his website. Spoiler alert: it’s a disaster. Then the guys dive into music. What kind of impact ...
0020: Titles
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Wondering how to come up with a screenplay title that will get you a contract and lots of pop at the box office? Many listeners have privately asked...
0019: Dialogue II
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
THIS IS NOT A REPEAT! We forgot that we already covered dialogue, in episode 0007, but what the heck, here’s another take on it. Dialogue is what ha...
0018: Humour
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is brought to you by Firehall Coffee, home of the nicest medium-roast beans in Vancouver. Open later on Fridays. If you want to make your...
0017: Structure
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Nathan and Ryan are now accepting sponsors! Anyone may apply, except for other podcasts by, for and about screenplay writers, of which there are none...
0016: Contests
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is sponsored by the South Burnaby Screenplay Competition. Unrelatedly, Ryan found out that “In Memoriam” was in the running for an Ho...
0015: Contracts
31 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There are pros and cons to contracts. A pro is that you are more likely to get paid, a con is that you are locked into doing something. With a deadlin...
0014: Twists / Software
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A twist is when something happens that is different from what you expected. Nathan and Ryan brainstorm a screenplay concept called “Heart Bros.” T...
0013: Joy Part II
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We’re sponsored by Firehall Coffee! Where we just started working as coffee bean roasters. Very, very exciting. The guys do Script Surgery on “Ste...
0012: Joy
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is NOT brought to you by Steam Engine Coffee. And neither was the last episode, so please disregard that. There was a miscommunication—...
0011: Resolution
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We got a sponsor! This episode is brought to you by Steam Engine Coffee, which is the most awesome place to work at and get coffee at in Vancouver, B....
0010: Conflict
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When people are fighting in a screenplay, you’ve might have conflict. When they really, really don’t get along, you definitely have conflict. Nat...
0009: Tension
20 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When you get that feeling in your stomach that something's just not right—that's probably tension in your screenplay. And that’s a good thing. The...
0008: Spelling
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
British, American, Canadian or French—what type of spelling do you use when writing a screenplay? Nathan and Ryan tackle the question head-on. Ulti...
0007: Dialogue
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Dialogue is what characters say to each other, which makes it a big, big part of most screenplays. Ryan assures Nathan that he’s a great dialogue gu...
0006: Flow
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
A movie without flow is like a martini glass without a stem: preposterous. Nathan and Ryan address the importance of screating an elegant flow with de...
0005: Setting
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Setting is sort of like where a screenplay takes place, influencing everything from the buildings to the weather to the clothing characters wear. Ryan...
0004: Story
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Every screenplay must have one thing: a story. That’s what a screenplay is all about, when you think about it. Nathan and Ryan talk (very briefly) a...
0003: Plot
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Plot is a big deal these days, with many screenplays having them and film audiences really eating them up. Ryan and Nathan talk about the importance o...
0002: Theme
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
You don’t always need to have a theme in mind when you start writing a screenplay, because of the effectiveness of today’s online theme generators...
0001: Character
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In the inaugural Screenplay Writers podcast, Nathan and Ryan discuss the importance of developing characters when writing your screenplay, and the di...