Screenwriting Podcasts You’ve Never Heard Of
There’s a lot of podcasts out there about screenwriting. This makes sense, as there are a lot of procrastinating screenwriters out there. But beyond providing an infinite timesink, podcasts are great for creative inspiration. Speaking of timesinks and motivation, you know what I love? Reading old newspapers, records, and phonebooks. Just submerging myself in the minutia of the past. So much so that I’ll pay for the privilege of periodically doing so on wretched sites like ancestry or newspaperarchive.com. I suppose the period-specific story concepts and ideas I’m drawn to are just an extension of that compulsion. I am not sure that it’s a healthy indulgence.
Paradoxically, do you know what I hate? Hearing the same recommendations over and over again. There is no shortage of resources for budding screenwriters from the big names such as Scriptnotes and The Black List Table Reads to the obscure The Dead Robots’ Society. Don’t get me wrong, I listen to a lot of them, but throw a rock and you’ll hit someone with a podcast and I really want that fresh blood. So, in light of the medium’s ever-growing popularity in the online world, I thought it would be nice to go off and do some digging to discover some of the best unsung screenwriting podcasts out there. Below are a few lesser-known listens with some great insights about the writing of great scripts and working in the industry.
THE MOVIE PITCH CHALLENGE PODCAST
What’s more fun than dreaming up crazy film pitches and sharing them with friends? Disclaimer: I personally know/am jealous of these dudes. Also, though it may be about pitching, this is not strictly an instructional podcast. Hosts Casey and Dave B know how to spin a yarn and make for an enjoyable listen. The latest episode wherein we visit the topic of Brian Dennehy and a quite detailed pitch for an extra-meta CONVOY sequel was a standout.
THE MOMENT
I am not 100% sure this is an unknown pod, but it came up as a recommendation in a zoom screenwriters workshop last week and I realized maybe I’m too deep into the podcasts to really judge. Anyway, Koppelman is a great listen for any writer and I quite appreciate how the topics and guests run a complete range of fields and areas of expertise. Still waiting on that aspic episode tho, Brian.
ON THE PAGE
This one has been around for a while, and even when I was really digging for new podcasts I somehow didn’t hear about it until last year via redditz. In one of the most recent episodes, 701, I was really into hearing Hunter Doohan talk a bit about what a character thinks about himself, plus experiences with the talent and crew behind Showtime’s Your Honor series, which is worth checking out before listening to the show.
SCRIPT APART
Script Apart is a podcast about the first drafts behind great movies and each episode brings a screenwriter on to discuss how the initial screenplays have come together. I really dug hearing the Zodiac with James Vanderbilt episode from November 2020. Love that film and it’s pretty wonderful hearing details of the production like David Fincher’s process, RDjr. and what went into the project.
THE PAGE ONE PODCAST
The last one I’ll plug here is The Page One Podcast, which features a mixed bag of writers including some of my favorites like Daniel Abraham and Peter Moffat- who actually spoke a lot about his work on Your Honor as well. I guess the takeaway here is that you should watch Your Honor and then listen to podcasts about Your Honor.
Anyway, those are just a few pods I’ve spent hours listening to, maybe some you’ve never heard of before and you’ll enjoy. If you have any other recommendations, please pass them along. These pages I’m writing aren’t gonna procrastinate themselves.
In other news, I got some major life kinks worked out early in 2021, so I am feeling dare I say, optimistic. Still grinding on another short film project. Eager to get my COVID jab as soon as I’m eligible. Plus, the Criterion Channel is featuring films Directed by Preston Sturges this month. Don’t miss any of that shit. Hope life is treating you passably well. Et multi redit laetus.