Write Your Screenplay Podcast

Jacob Krueger
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Write Your Screenplay Podcast

Rather than looking at movies in terms of "two thumbs up" or "two thumbs down" Award Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger discusses what you can learn from them as a screenwriter. He looks at good movies, bad movies, movies we love, and movies we hate, exploring how they were built, and how you can apply those lessons to your own writing. More information and full archives at WriteYourScreenplay.com

  1. 14 DIC

    Ensemble Pieces with Erin Brown Thomas

    This week’s podcast is an interview with one of our newest faculty members, Erin Brown Thomas, whose indie film CHASERS (which she wrote, directed and produced) was just announced to premier at Sundance Film Festival 2025. CHASERS is an ambitious film on so many levels. Not only is it an ensemble piece, but it’s shot as a “one-er,” as one single interrupted continuous shot.  In this interview, Erin shares her experiences writing and directing CHASERS, and shares some incredible wisdom about how to write ensemble films, how to optimize your chances at top film festivals like Sundance, and much much more. Not to mention some brilliant analysis of another great ensemble film that pushed the envelope, PT Anderson’s MAGNOLIA.Here’s an excerpt: “…One of the core ideas of my ensemble film, Chasers, (which was just accepted to Sundance) was that ambition or dreaming makes you vulnerable. And this is a reason that I do love ensembles, because with an ensemble, you get to have so many different wants, so many different desires, so many different points of view. It sets up all these opportunities for characters to manipulate each other, for status games to happen, for reversals of power.  It keeps things interesting. Once one character says something, you know the other characters would have a strong perspective on that. And so I find that ensembles are such a great way to keep a conversation going around a theme or topic, but also a great way to develop characters. Because of course, these vulnerabilities, these perspectives, they are more interesting than the things that just happened to them…”Check out the podcast to learn the keys to writing, directing and producing a successful ensemble film, as well as: * Character introduction in ensemble screenplays * Writing character wants and point of view * Script structure for ensemble films * Writing dialogue for multiple characters * Film festival submission strategies * Low budget filmmaking tips * One-take film techniques * Independent film production * Character arcs in ensemble scripts * Theme development in screenplays * Writing authentic character voices * Script pacing and transitions * Festival programming insights * And much much more! Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes! a href="https://www.writeyourscreenplay.

    59 min

  2. 29 NOV

    The Penguin: What's The Container for Your Show or Movie?

    This week, we are going to be talking about The Penguin series on Max to explore the concept of the container for your story. As The Penguin shows us, sometimes, by finding the right container, you can tell a really complicated, character driven, small story that you otherwise might not be able to tell within the commercial framework of what's currently happening in Hollywood. So, we're going to be talking about all different kinds of containers for storytelling, the times in your career when you want to focus on finding a commercial container for your story, (and the times you don’t!) Let's pretend for a moment that you were Lauren LaFranc, the showrunner of The Penguin. Let's pretend you’re Lauren LeFranc and you go into pitch DC studios and Warner Brothers Television, the makers of the biggest, most blockbuster superhero movies and series, the studios that brought you The Batman, and you say:“Here's what I want to do: I want to tell a story about narcissistic heroes and the rise of populism and false idols. And, yeah, I know it's a super complicated political climate for that right now, but I'm seeing this societal trend where a huge portion of our population feels isolated, talked down to, unheard, disrespected, not paid what they're worth, and they're looking for a leader and they're finding it in a very dark and complicated character (whose name we will not mention)... let's just call him The Penguin… And they believe in something good and noble, but they're building that belief around a man who, on the one hand does have this this ego-centered desire to be a hero, but also is a liar and a thief, who never tells the same story twice, who's always playing people against each other. And I want to look at how that desire for respect, it doesn't just drive the people who follow him, it doesn't just destroy the people who follow him, but it also drives and destroys him.”  Well, what DC and Warner Brothers are going to say is, “Um… that seems, uh, very, politically flammable. Maybe you should think about like making a Sundance movie or something. But if you take that same story and you put it in a container like The Penguin, suddenly it’s a completely different situation…In this podcast, you’ll learn from The Penguin how to build a container for the story you really want to tell, as well as: * How to fill a container with something that matters to you when writing on assignment. * How to make character-driven stories commercial * Finding your screenwriting voice * Breaking into Hollywood as a new writer * When to write passion projects vs commercial scripts * Writing complex antagonists * Character motivation in action scripts * Adapting indie concepts for mainstream audiences * TV pilot structure examples * Character development in genre films * How to sell a dark character story * Writing compelling anti-heroes * Writing superhero origin stories Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes! a href="https://www.

    51 min

  3. 10 NOV

    How To Get The Most From Film Festivals

    “It is festival season. And today’s podcast is going to be about how to get the most out of film festivals. But first, let’s start with a congratulations to the extraordinary success of our students at Austin Film Festival. We had four winners in three different categories!Jessica Sieff, a Workshop student of Stephen Molton,  who won the Josephson Entertainment TV Fellowship Award. Joshua Logan, a Workshop student of Steven Bagatourian, won the TV Comedy Fellowship sponsored by the Nickelodeon Writing Program Award. Heather Osterman - Davis and Sarah Ball, Master class students, who won the Comedy Teleplay Pilot Award.In addition, we had 15 finalists, 30 semifinalists, 67 second rounders, and 4 pitch competition finalists.  Austin Film Festival is one of the most respected film festivals in the world. They launch careers. We are so proud of all of our winners, finalists, semifinalists, second rounders and pitch competition finalists! (check out the show notes for a full list of their names). So how do you get the most out of film festivals?. How to know which film festivals to apply to, and which to attend? How do you network at film festivals and build connections? And how do you harness the doors that open when you win a big one, in order to take your career to the next level. In this How to Get the Most Out of Film Festivals podcast, you’ll learn all this, plus: And much more! Film festival success strategiesScreenwriting competition tipsHow to network at film festivalsFilm festival networking for introvertsScript coverage vs professional notesFilm festival submission strategyFilm festival prizes and accessScreenwriting career developmentFinding film industry mentorsBuilding screenwriter communityFilm producer networking tipsFilm festival networking techniquesScreenplay contest feedbackFilm industry access strategiesScript development processScreenwriting competition winsFilm festival levels and tiersIndustry mentor relationshipsBreaking into screenwriting industry Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes!

    41 min

  4. 25 OCT

    The Starless Sea: Harnessing The Power of Metaphor

    “...Erin Morgenstern begins her novel The Starless Sea with these words: There is a pirate in the basement. (The pirate is a metaphor, but also still a person.) In addition to being one of the most brilliant opening lines of a book I've read in a long time, these words also constitute one of the great writing lessons for writers of all genres. Every single character you write is both a person and a metaphor. Every single thing that happens in your plot is also a metaphor. Every choice you make, every image you write, every little micro decision, every macro decision is also metaphor. Because real writing doesn't happen from the conscious part of your mind. Real writing happens from the subconscious part of your mind. And your subconscious mind does not communicate in literal, rational ways because it doesn't process in literal rational ways.  Your subconscious mind processes in metaphor; everything you write is symbolic. In this episode, you’ll learn how to access and harness the power of your subconscious metaphors in your writing, PLUS: * Character development: Building from metaphor to character. * When NOT to “kill your darlings”: Following the trail of your own breadcrumbs * Theme in screenwriting: Discovering theme through writing process. * Subconscious writing techniques: Trusting your creative instincts. * Script structure: Plot as a vehicle for character and theme. * Screenwriting craft: Balancing conscious and subconscious elements. * TV series writing: Metaphor in pilots and series bibles * Rewriting process: Using metaphor and theme to guide revisions * Creative writing exercises: Exploring central metaphors * Screenplay analysis: Learning from great TV shows and films Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes!

    27 min

  5. 11 OCT

    Between the Temples - Alternative Forms of Structure

    “...Traditionally, when we build even the most independent character driven screenplay, and certainly any Hollywood film, the action of the movie is driven by the desire of the main character.  Usually it is their wish, their dream, their need, their choices, their actions that are driving the movie forward and around which the structure is built.  In fact, when this doesn't happen, there's even a name for it:  When your main character, like Jason Schwartzman’s Ben Gottlieb in Between the Temples isn’t driving the structure, you'll often receive feedback saying you have a passive main character.  (That's if you're getting feedback from someone who somewhat knows what they're doing.) If you're getting feedback from somebody who does not know what they're doing (which is most feedback), when you have a passive main character, you're more likely to get feedback like this:“I just didn't care... I just didn't like them… You need to raise the stakes… I found them hard to root for…You need to work on your structure…”  But really, almost all of those notes are actually pointing to the challenge of a passive main character. Which raises the question, well, what do you do if your character's dominant trait is passivity?...”In this podcast, we’ll be studying Between The Temples to understand how to build Alternative Forms of Structure, (and make them work!), for screenplays that don’t fit into the traditional structural model, plus:  * The power of reflected images in alternative screenwriting structure * The pros and cons of passive main characters in screenwriting * Building narrative drive in scripts * Character wants and goals in screenplays * Episodic vs. structured storytelling * Creating empathetic characters in film * The concepts of MIRRORS and FOILS and how to use them in your writing. * Dramatizing psychological journeys in scripts * Balancing character growth and plot development * Writing compelling dialogue for movies * Crafting memorable scenes in screenplays * Subverting traditional narrative structures * Creating structure without conventional plot drivers Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes! a href="https://www.writeyourscreenplay.com/protrack-one-on-one-screenwriting-mentorship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"...

    29 min

  6. 27 SEPT

    Strange Darling: Primary and Secondary Structure

    “...Primary structure is the way that the character experiences the movie or the TV show or the play or the novel. Primary structure is watching the movie through the eyes of your characters. In primary structure, we're not setting anything up. We're not paying anything off. We're not establishing anything for the audience. We are simply connected to the character and going through the journey through our character's eyes. But there’s another layer of structure going on in Strange Darling, the structure by which the audience discovers what’s actually happening in the movie, as opposed to what they are perceiving. This is what I call Secondary Structure. And JT Mollner’s using that secondary structure to transform his screenplay for Strange Darling into essentially the “Barbie” of slasher movies– a genre film with a complicated underlying socio-political message…”In this podcast you’ll learn why I call Strange Darling the “Barbie” of Slasher movies, and how to discover the primary and secondary structure of your own screenplay, plus:  * The difference between Primary vs. Secondary Screenplay Structure * Character-driven storytelling techniques * Visual storytelling and imagery in scripts * Subverting tropes and clichés in screenwriting * Nonlinear narrative structure * Thematic development in screenplays * Crafting compelling opening scenes * Creating multi-dimensional characters * Writing a twist within a genre movie * How to get in touch with your voice within a genre * And much more! Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes!

    35 min

  7. 12 SEPT

    The Bear Season 3 and Furiosa: The Past is Prologue

    “This week, we are going to be looking at The Bear, Season 3, and comparing it with potentially the most unlikely movie: Mad Max: Furiosa.This might seem like an odd pairing, but actually both of these sequels are struggling with the same problem. Both of these sequels are living in the past. Screenplays for the most successful movies and TV shows don’t live in the past. They live in the present.That’s what made Mad Max, Fury Road so successful, and that’s what made The Bear, Seasons 1 & 2 so successful.When movies and TV shows spend their focus thinking about what happened up till now or what happened before, rather than what the characters want now and what's driving the story forward now, we lose the narrative drive that makes us so compelled.And of course that’s true in your life too.When you don't have clear, strong wants and clear, strong obstacles, when you don't have dream and love and desire at the center of the piece that you are writing, then you are a hundred percent dependent upon your craft as a writer to hide what is missing. And there are moments where the writers of The Bear, Season 3 and Mad Max: Furiosa are just so good that they transcend the incredible challenge that they've created for themselves.  But it’s widely agreed that both The Bear, Season 3 and Mad Max: Furiosa fall short of the stories that preceded them.In this podcast, you’ll learn why, and how to apply those lessons to your own writing, as well as: * The Series Engine of both The Bear and the Mad Max franchise and why both recent installments BREAK that engine. * How to build clear wants and obstacles for your characters * How to write sequels and prequels * How to balance internal character development with external dramatic conflict to keep your screenplay engaging. * How to maintain narrative momentum in later seasons of a TV show or sequels of a Feature Film. * How to find your character motivation * How to evolve a story engine after the “best thing” has already happened * How to adapt character arcs across multiple seasons or sequels * How to balance character introspection and plot progression * How to create fresh narrative drives in established universes * How to build emotional transactions between characters * And much more… Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes! a href="https://www.writeyourscreenplay.com/protrack-one-on-one-screenwriting-mentorship/" target="_blank" rel="noreferr...

    24 min

  8. 4 SEPT

    Deadpool vs Wolverine: Action Movie Structure and Set Pieces

    “…Action movies are actually built like musicals. They are built to serve the “arias” of the action sequences in the same way a musical is built to serve the musical numbers.  And just like the songs in a successful musical, what’s happening during the best action sequences is not just a bunch of spectacle taking place within a really cool set piece. Rather, just like the songs of a musical, the action sequences of your action movie must drive the story forward. That means when you're writing your action sequences, you have to think of them as dramatic sequences.  This is especially true on the page. On the screen, a great director can make a scene in which not a lot is going on look so beautiful and exciting that we forget nothing is happening dramatically. On the screen, sometimes the spectacle just carries us away.  But on the page, it is impossibly challenging to capture the full spectacle the way it will look on a giant movie screen. That means we actually have to write better than the writers of these blockbuster action franchises like Deadpool & Wolverine, who are writing for producers who already trust them, audiences who already love them, and directors who are already attached to direct them. There are lots of techniques we use on the page to help convey the feeling of how it will look on the screen. If you're one of my students, you know about Isolating Visual Moments of Action. You know about the many techniques that we can use to hypnotize our readers and allow them to ”see” what’s on the page in their mind’s eye.  But even with all of those techniques, what we can put on the page is never going to capture the full spectacle of what happens on the screen when it’s fully brought to life. What that means is on the page, it's even more important to have a dramatic underpinning to our action sequences. In other words. There needs to be an emotional transaction happening inside of your action sequence..." In this podcast, you’ll learn from Deadpool & Wolverine what a Set Piece is in an action movie, and how to get the most out of the Set Pieces in your own writing, plus: * The structure (and structural challenges) of Deadpool & Wolverine. * How the Engine of the Deadpool franchise works, and how it changes in Deadpool & Wolverine compared to the earlier installments. * How to build an engine for your own action franchise.  * How to craft compelling action sequences by treating them as dramatic scenes with emotional stakes. * How to use unifying themes to balance multiple plotlines in your screenwriting. * How to create unique, visually stunning locations for your scenes. * How to write action on the page that captures the spectacle and drama of your script. * How to balancing spectacle and emotional stakes * How to handle producer notes and development feedback * How to write action sequences with emotional depth * And much more! Join Jake for free every Thursday night at Thursday Night Writes, RSVP here and check all of our classes! a href="https://www.

    39 min
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Rather than looking at movies in terms of "two thumbs up" or "two thumbs down" Award Winning Screenwriter Jacob Krueger discusses what you can learn from them as a screenwriter. He looks at good movies, bad movies, movies we love, and movies we hate, exploring how they were built, and how you can apply those lessons to your own writing. More information and full archives at WriteYourScreenplay.com

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