Working with directors

In episode four of Scriptnotes, Craig and I discuss migraines, kidney stones and zombie apocalypse preparations before we segue to the main topic: how screenwriters work with directors, from the first meeting to on-set etiquette to giving notes in post. Screenwriters and directors often come at a project from different directions. The writer is trying to explain the movie he’s already written; the director is trying to explore the movie he’s planning to make. By understanding what a director wants and needs, you stand the best chance of getting your movie on screen in a way that satisfies both of you. Links: The wikipedia article on migraines What you need to know about kidney stones My post on zombie-class situations Words that Always Look Wrong Intro: ABC Sunday Night Movie intro to Superman, 1982 Outro: “All Alone” by John the Conqueror You can download the episode here: AAC. UPDATE 9-24-11: The transcript of this episode can be found here. The post Working with directors first appeared on John August.