Act Two Podcast

How to Pitch a Screenplay | Producer & Pitch Coach Emmeline Yang Hankins on What Actually Works

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with producer & development consultant, Emmeline Yang Hankins, to discuss what she's learned over the years about perfecting a pitch, and how she teaches pitching as a powerful tool at any stage of development. Her signature class for scripted TV, Kickstart My Pitch, has new dates coming up in June! 

Act Two listeners can get an exclusive discount to Emmeline's pitching class at http://talktoemm.com/acttwo

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Go Forth and Write Your Spec

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman check in on their current specs, break down their process for starting a new idea, and talk about why uninterrupted writing time is nearly impossible to protect. Also, TWIW!

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

The Agent Series with Mark Hartogsohn: What is a Lit Agent and How to Get One? (REPOST)

Host Tasha Huo brings on her Gersh agent, Mark Hartogsohn, for the first in a series designed to help Screenwriters navigate what it means to get an Agent and maximize your working relationship once you have an Agent. In this introductory installment, Tasha and Josh discuss how Mark became a Hollywood agent, what it means to be a Lit Agent for Screen and TV Writers, and how he goes about finding new clients.

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist 

Rewriting for Yourself vs. Rewriting as a Professional Writer

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman break down the mindset shift between rewriting for yourself and rewriting for a job, and what it really means to rewrite like a professional writer. Also, in TWIW... Josh drives Jason Blum's golf cart, and Tasha takes a retreat!

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

The Art of the Cheer Moment | How to Write Scenes That Excite Audiences

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman mourn the shuttering of JJ Abrams' Bad Robot by talking about one of their most valuable lessons from JJ... "Cheer Moments". They discuss examples in Film & TV and how to craft an iconic cheer moment in your own script.

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Good Writing Isn't Enough | The "Other" Skills Every Screenwriter Needs to Succeed

Just being a great writer doesn't mean you can make it as a professional Screenwriter. Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss what other qualities professional Screenwriters possess that help make them undeniable hires with career longevity.

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Don't Send That Script Yet: Rewrites, Feedback & Knowing When Your Screenplay is Ready

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman field a listener question about Rewrites. Do you really need to rewrite your drafts before sending them to managers and agents? Will that slow momentum? How many scripts should you revise before you can start querying reps? Do you need a portfolio of scripts, or just one solid script?

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Is the Screenwriting Life Worth It? Yes - Here's Why (Part 2)

In Part Two of a series about the Screenwriter's lifestyle, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman dig into all the ways being a professional Screenwriter is exactly the dream you imagine it to be, and more. If you think you can't handle the Ugly Truths of the previous episode, maybe this will change your mind.

 

TWIW: Tasha had to brainstorm horror movie ideas from scratch; where did she start?

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Is the Screenwriting Life Worth It? The Ugly Truth (Part 1 of 2)

Being a Screenwriter is a worthy dream that is attainable. But the dream is much different than we imagine. In this Part One of a series, hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the realities of a professional Screenwriter's lifestyle, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

 

TWIW: What to do when a studio wants to make a movie from a terrible book? 

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

We Read Our Old Script Coverage (and It's Brutal) | 2025 Oscar Nominee Reactions

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman read real studio script coverage of their old specs, and it's... painful. Plus, they discuss some of this year's Oscar nominees, their predictions, their reactions, and why!

TWIW: Josh has a breakthrough by writing an Act One with no plan / Tasha wrote a movie treatment in a single day and has never felt so alive / We watched & discussed ET for February's Patreon Zoom Q&A and learned so much! / Tasha re-read a script she just submitted to her agents and is now questioning everything

 

Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist