Act Two Podcast

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

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

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

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

Hosts Tasha Huo and Josh Hallman sit with Executive Director of Scripted Series at Legendary, Anna Halligan, to get a behind-the-scenes look at her day-to-day as a TV executive, including how she works with writers and what she wishes writers knew. Anna shares her insights on everything from generals, pitching, developing scripts at the studio level, and her unique journey to finding TV development. Questions / Comments: ActTwoWriters@gmail.com Edited by the GREAT Paul Lundquist

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 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 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 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 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

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