PODCAST

Act Two Podcast

Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman

Behind-the-Scenes of the Business and Craft of professional Screenwriting.

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

48:51

First Day in a Writers Room

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/07/11

The first day in a Writers Room for both a Writer and Showrunner are full of anxiety and uncertainty. In this episode, Josh Hallman talks with his co-host, Showrunner Tasha Huo, on what the first day of a room usually looks like to help allay fears and best prepare. TWIW: How Screenwriters Get Paid in Percentages (that force us to get other jobs to survive), How to Get & Give Targeted Notes in late-stage writing, THE BEAR is Awesome, and Writing on Vacation. Questions / Comments:

48:11

Live Mock Notes Session

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/07/03

The tone in which you give notes matters. Your note can be technically correct, but you may deliver it in a way that offends the writer or makes them combative, which can ruin your relationship with the writer and make their revision experience feel painful rather than inspiring. To illustrate how to give notes in a respectful tone, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman share the Opening Setup of scripts they've never shared with each other before, and give each other notes in a live Mock Notes

40:59

This Week in Writing

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/06/26

From how Tasha reads samples as a Showrunner and how this has influenced her writing - to - Writer's Block, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss their This Week in Writing. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

01:11:16

Transitioning from Writer to Showrunner & Director:...

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/06/20

On this 100th Episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat with Steven DeKnight -- Showrunner-Writer-Producer-Director of such shows as DAREDEVIL, SPARTACUS, and BUFFY -- about his experiences transitioning from Writer to Showrunner, and then Writer to Director. They get into what the real difference is between simply being a Writer and being a Showrunner, and how to acquire the skills necessary to be a Showrunner or Director if your background has always been writing Questions / Comments:

42:31

What’s the Theme? -- Top Gun: Maverick

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/06/13

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman start their new series -- "What's the Theme?" -- with TOP GUN: MAVERICK. They break down what worked and didn't about the Theme in this epic thrill ride breaking box office records. Beware: lots of SPOILERS! Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

56:47

Writing With A Partner: Ben Lustig & Jake Thornton

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/06/08

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk with Ben Lustig and Jake Thornton about being writing partners: their process, schedule, how they met, their first sale, and a ton more... Also, Ben and Jake discuss their (incredible) upcoming movie, THE PRINCESS. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

50:39

Taking an Idea to Script

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/05/30

You have a great idea, now what? The distance between an idea and a finished script can feel vast and wrought with disappointment. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how they go from having an Idea to molding a Script out of that idea. TWIW: Are TV specs as samples back in vogue? How learning to be a producer is key to a writing career. Tom Cruise is awesome. How Mark Duplass advocates for sharing and workshopping your ideas with your writing community. Questions/Comments:

44:20

5 Must-Haves for Writing Action Sequences

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/05/23

Screenwriters Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Screencraft's 5 Must-Haves for Writing Action Sequences and how to apply these must-haves to your own writing in a practical way, as well as how to avoid common missteps in action writing. TWIW: Tasha's life gets turned upside down in the best way by their previous Work/Life Balance episode, and a real-life action sequence issue that came up for Tasha in TOMB RAIDER. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul

01:00:01

Being a Blacklist Writer: Q&A with Alex Convery

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/05/16

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk with screenwriter Alex Convery about being on the Blacklist multiple times, the influence that has had on his career, and about the story of how his most recent Blacklist script, AIR JORDAN, got Ben Affleck attached to direct and co-star with Matt Damon. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

01:06:23

The Work/Life Balance with David H. Steinberg

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/05/09

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman often stress out and over-caffeinate to get their work done. To learn how to do things differently, they sit down with veteran screenwriter, David H. Steinberg (American Pie 2, The Simpsons, No Good Nick), and make him get detailed about how he manages multiple projects at once, what his daily schedule looks like, and how he successfully maintains a Work/Life Balance as well as a successful screenwriting career. Let's talk time management! Questions/Comments:

42:10

4 Common Notes and How to Revise Them

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/05/02

Hosts Tasha Huo & Josh Hallman discuss the 4 most common big-picture notes they receive (and are currently addressing in their own scripts), and how to approach revisions effectively. TWIW: How to choose what IP to adapt. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

34:46

How to Start an Adaptation

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/04/25

Host Tasha Huo (Red Sonja, Tomb Raider: The Animated Series) talks about how she starts her adaptation projects, from the moment she picks up the IP to pitching it to execs; and host Josh Hallman tries to poke holes in her process. TWIW: (SPOILER ALERT!) The Batman, and how to look at consulting producing as a "side hustle for writers". Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the great Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

53:48

Tony Gilroy’s 7 Steps to Writing an Original

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/04/18

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the BAFTA lecture series from Tony Gilroy (ROGUE ONE, BOURNE Trilogy, MICHAEL CLAYTON), where he discusses his 7 Steps on how he writes an original screenplay. They break down each step, what it means, and how to use it practically in your own writing. TWIW: Actors who don't want to be vulnerable, Josh's life-changing encounter with a waiter/screenwriter, Using babies to create tension in your writing. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited

51:45

Best Pixar Movies and TWIW

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/04/11

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman take on Screenwriting Twitter's topics of the week -- Being Rewritten by Your Showrunner and Can Animation be Elevated? -- and discuss their Top 5 Pixar movies, with a breakdown of why those five earn such distinction. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

48:37

How We Create Characters

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/04/04

In this episode, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss in detail how they start creating characters for their stories, as well as a This Week in Writing about a new way Tasha has learned to write action description, and Josh's thoughts on the structure of the action classic, SPEED. Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

40:50

We Should Talk About Nepotism...

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/03/28

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss some things... like nepotism, your voice, and certain frustrations... Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

30:44

When to Move On...

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/03/21

... from your spec. Your manager. Your scene. Your agent. Your producer. If you're writing long enough, you will come up against this question -- "When should I move on from this?" Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss different kinds of moments in their own Screenwriting careers when they wanted to give up or move on, and discuss how to spot the signs to keep going, and the signs to put the pencil down. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by

43:08

Having Etiquette As A Screenwriter...

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/03/14

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the different scenarios where etiquette comes into play... Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

45:50

Pitching Is Terrible: The Series (Part 6 -- How to...

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/03/07

Steve Jobs was possibly one of the greatest presenters of our time. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss his 6-step pitch-prepping method and how it applies to writers. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

45:20

Script Club: ENDING THINGS by Kevin Sullivan

Act Two Podcast ·

2022/02/28

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman bring the Act Two Script Club to the podcast for the first time, breaking down what we can learn from Kevin Sullivan's writing in his action rom-com, ENDING THINGS. Join us for a discussion about writing mechanics, what works in original specs and why. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist Music by 414beg

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Act Two Podcast

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