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Welcome to the Act Two Podcast where screenwriters Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman demystify what it means to be an everyday working Screenwriter.
A podcast for Screenwriters, by Screenwriters.
A podcast for Screenwriters, by Screenwriters.
287 Episodes
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Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with long-time Universal Pictures Story Analyst, Ray Kolasa, to chat about the process a script goes through when it's sent to a studio, from submission, development to production. What do studios look for, what scripts work and don't work, and what writing lessons are there to learn from someone whose read thousands of scripts at the studio level?
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Franklin Leonard's much-debated post: The Moral Case for Selling Out and whether "selling out" is the key to having a Screenwriting career in Hollywood.
TWIW: Sam Raimi's SEND HELP is quite the theater experience / Is Marvel's WONDER MAN the most accurate depiction of life as an actor in Hollywood? / A listener demands to know why Tasha did not like Oscar-nominated Frankenstein
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman field a listener question about Free Work, the nemesis of all Screenwriters, and the particular bane of up-and-coming Screenwriters. They talk about their own experiences with Free Work early in their careers and now, how they dealt with them, how best to protect yourself against endless unpaid drafts, and what's realistic about Free Work and our careers as Screenwriters.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the question we've all gotten from execs -- "Why you?" They discuss why they ask this question, what it means, and how best to answer it, including examples from real-life situations.
TWIW: Tasha just finished her spec adaptation of a book! What next? / Josh battles a coyote, and gets a new story idea / Has Tasha seen all the Oscar movies yet? / Tasha's new mantra: Just Do It!
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with editor Patrick Tuck (THE LOW DOWN, RESERVATION DOGS, CHAD POWERS) to discuss how writers' stories evolve in the editing room, lessons writers can learn from the post process, how writers can avoid common post pitfalls, and more!
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk 2026 Screenwriting goals and how to achieve them realistically. They discuss breaking screenwriting goals down into actionable steps, scheduling yourself, and other useful tips to stay on track this year.
TWIW: Tasha visited the Academy Museum over break / Tasha loved The Anaconda / Watching The Housemaid in a full theater made a big difference / A Spielberg book that could change your life!
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss how many of their 2025 Goals they achieved (spoiler alert: Josh beat Tasha), and what they can learn from their successes and failures going into 2026.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Final Draft blog by Ken Miyamoto, How to Plan Your Entire Screenwriting Year: A Month-by-Month Guide. They break down tasks for each month, discuss practical solutions to achieving those tasks, and why thinking about your year in these terms sets you up for success (and they maybe fangirl over Ken a little bit).
TWIW: Tasha got very different notes on a script from her manager and her writer's group, what should she do? / A studio exec with very interesting insight into writers vs. actors that we should learn from / Josh's pitch to an actress / Tasha's pitch to an author / Rob Reiner as an integral part of our Screenwriting education, RIP.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat about Tasha's newest season of Tomb Raider: the Legend of Lara Croft now on Netflix, how the idea for the season came together, and behind-the-scenes writing stories.
TWIW: The Blacklist 2025: Who's Who and trends Josh is seeing / Tasha went to a BAFTA Games Mixer and sweated profusely / If you can spot the reference to Tasha & Josh's favorite movies in S1 of The Mighty Nein on Amazon Prime, you win a prize! Hint: there are 2 references.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk through Final Draft's 5 Pieces of Advice to Tell a Compelling Tale and offer their own specifics on why and how these pieces of advice work in your writing.
TWIW: This month's Running Man Q&A Patreon Zoom / Netflix buying WB? / Tasha's show The Mighty Nein is #1 in the US, Canada & Europe! / Vince Gilligan is so damn good at creating character-driven concepts
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
This week, Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman talk about living outside LA, where Tasha’s pitch stands, and an overdue double-dose of “Are You Excited?” - covering both November and December.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman field a listener question and discuss the tips & tricks they use to get unstuck in their writing.
TWIW: Is The Hunger Games a perfect movie? / Returning to "the big paper" for a video game adaptation pitch.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Showrunner and co-host Tasha Huo's show premieres November 19 on Amazon Prime Video, and Josh makes her talk about it! Tasha reveals how she got the job adapting the Critical Role live D&D campaign, what the writing process was like to adapt something so massive and beloved, and what it was like working with the "nerdy ass voice actors" of Critical Role.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
We have a repost this week:
Holidays are here, and it’s time to panic about what to get your reps. Freak out no more! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman give some great gift ideas, and share some insider info from reps themselves on what gifts they are actually looking for this year.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hollywood moves fast, and even the best careers can fade. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman share ways to stay relevant as a screenwriter and keep your career thriving. Plus... TWIW!
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman chat with horror writer and Friend of the Podcast, David Levinson (Welcome Home), about their favorite movie villains and how they were written to make a lasting impression.
TWIW: How do you manage the financial realities of being a spec writer? / What are Tasha, Josh and Dave dressing up as for Halloween??
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss a listener question -- When do you know your script is ready?
TWIW: Good Boy, the horror movie from the POV of a dog and how Tasha hated it and finally learned to feel / Tasha & Josh are donating a 30-minute notes session for charity at Cause for Entertainment, a charity to support Breast Cancer Research and those affected by breast cancer.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
It’s Austin Film Festival time! Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman tackle the art of networking - a word that makes most writers shiver. They share how to approach it authentically, spark conversations, and avoid the common pitfalls that kill a good impression. Plus, a new round of Are You Excited? - where they dig into the month’s releases.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss Tasha's dialogue hack to quickly improve your dialogue and trim pages.
TWIW: What does it mean when a manager or agent "hip-pockets" you? / Tasha had a MIGHTY NEIN screening at SCAD and now she wants to go to there / The difference in approach between being a fan of an IP and just taking an IP job. / Storytelling lessons learned from our September Patreon RUNNING MAN Q&A
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with Francisco Angones, the creator of DUCK TALES (2017) and Co-EP on THE LEGEND OF VOX MACHINA (S4, S5) to discuss what a Screenwriting career in animation can look like, share stories on its challenges and how to manage them, and share his day-to-day as an animation writer/creator.
Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com
Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist
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