Act Two Podcast

Listener Q&A: Screenwriting from Abroad, Writing Around a Day Job & Why AI Won't Teach You to Write

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman field Listener questions.

 

Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com 

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

REPOST — Getting Repped — All the Ways to Get a Manager or Agent

Screenwriters Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman share their wild stories about how they got their first Manager and Agent, and talk through the many ways you can get representation. Everyone tells you to get repped, but why do you even need a rep, and what the heck do they do anyway?

 

This is the Act Two Podcast, where hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman demystify what it means to be an everyday working Screenwriter. 

 

Questions/Comments: Tasha.Huo@acttwowriters.com

 

Music by 414beg.

How to Rewrite Your Screenplay

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the many different ways screenwriters revise a script - from tackling major problems after a first draft to handling vague notes, character issues, comedy passes, production rewrites, and someone else’s pages. They break down their personal revision processes, why certain notes require going back to the cards, and how knowing what kind of rewrite a script needs can keep you from getting overwhelmed.

 

Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com 

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

What to See This Summer | 2026 Movie Picks

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman discuss the 2026 Summer Blockbuster line-up, what's worth seeing, what are some surprises, and ask the age-old post-pandemic question are "movies back?!"

 

Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com 

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

How Their Stolen Short Film Led to a Hollywood Feature Deal | Interview: Ryan Polly & Matt Black

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit down with writer-directors Ryan Polly and Matt Black to talk about their wild story of theft and impersonation that led to them making their first Hollywood feature film, and about what it's like to find Hollywood success while living and working in Texas.

 

Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com 

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

Listener Q&A: When a Movie Kills Your Script & Script Submission Rules Hollywood Expects You to Know

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman answer listener questions about what to do when you see a trailer for an upcoming movie... that looks a lot like the script you've just worked so hard writing. How dead is your idea really? Also, what do Studios and Producers expect when it comes to formatting your scripts when you submit them?

TWIW: Tasha saw The Sheep Detectives and Remarkably Bright Creatures / Tasha got a good reminder on how to develop ideas from Christopher Nolan & Rian Johnson

 

Questions/Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com 

Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

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