Write Your Screenplay Podcast

Give your pilot everything it needs to take off like a rocket. In Part 2 of this two-part exploration of Steven Conrad’s pilots, Jacob Krueger turns from the slow-burning DTF St. Louis to Conrad’s earlier series Patriot to explore the power of dramatic efficiency. Both pilots have the same fundamental needs. But where DTF St. Louis takes its time revealing the strange truths beneath its ordinary surface, Patriot wastes no time launching its characters into trouble – establishing genre, tone, con

In Part 1 of this two-part exploration of Steven Conrad’s pilots, Jacob Krueger breaks down DTF St. Louis to explore what a great TV pilot needs to accomplish – not just as a compelling story, but as a blueprint for an entire series. You’ll discover: • What your TV pilot needs to accomplish beyond telling a great story • Why established writers have more latitude for a slow burn • How specificity can give even a “normal” opening a little kink • Why you can’t sacrifice what’s working now for a pa

Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey becomes most powerful when its monsters reveal the film's hidden structure. Jacob Krueger explains Circe, Scylla, xenia, the Trojan Horse and why Odysseus must leave Ithaca after saving it.

Christopher Nolan's Odyssey keeps the monsters and loses the gods. Jake breaks down what the adaptation sacrifices, what it protects, and how to know which god your own adaptation is really serving.

Emmy-winning showrunner John Strauss (Arcane, Mozart in the Jungle) on how TV writers get hired, survive notes, and pitch. Watch the full interview.

As writer, actor, and Sundance-winning creator Kathreen Khavari joins the Jacob Krueger Studio faculty, Jake sits down with her for a candid conversation about voice, character, creative audacity, and the art of paying attention. From overheard subway conversations to guerrilla filmmaking, Kat shares how she created her breakout viral short Brain of Terror by paying close attention to the strange, specific rhythms of real people – encouraging writers and actors to stop waiting for permission to