About this podcast
Join us as we analyze one screenplay at a time, celebrating its stand-alone beauty as a unique literary device, independent of the final film. From exploring tone and theme to dissecting structure and unforgettable characters, we break down what makes each script sizzle. Dive into the rich imagery and clever narrative devices that create a sensory experience on the page. Hosted by Jeff Barker, this storytelling podcast offers a deep dive into the creativity and precision of screenwriting.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 32 episodes
- 031 - Backrooms (Will Soodik) Directed by Kane Parsons · 1 h 24 min · Season 1 Episode 31What if the BACKROOMS movie you loved was almost an entirely different film? In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a deep dive into the…
- 030 - Resident Evil (Zach Cregger & Shay Hatten) · 1 h 14 min · Season 1 Episode 30Screenwriter Jeff Barker breaks down Zach Cregger and Shay Hatten's RESIDENT EVIL screenplay, examining the craft behind its pacing, action writing, dialogue, exposition, horror…
- 029 - Widow's Bay (Katie Dippold) · 54 min · Season 1 Episode 29Screenwriter Jeff Barker breaks down Katie Dippold's original Widow's Bay pilot in this deep dive into TV writing, screenplay structure, horror-comedy, and professional…
- 028 - Obsession (Curry Barker) Part 1 · 2 h 1 min · Season 1 Episode 28In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, Jeff Barker breaks down the first 50 pages of Obsession, the screenplay by Curry Barker. As both a screenwriter and Curry's father, Jeff…
- 027 - Curry Barker (Father-Son Chat) · 53 min · Season 1 Episode 27In this powerful father-son conversation, I sit down with my son, Curry Barker, for an honest discussion about filmmaking, creativity, family, ambition, and the realities of…
- 026 - The Drama (Kristoffer Borgli) · 42 min · Season 1 Episode 26In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host Jeff Barker breaks down the A24 film "The Drama," written by Kristoffer Borgli and starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson. If you're a…
- 025 - Train Dreams (Bentley & Kwedar) · 49 min · Season 1 Episode 25In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host Jeff Barker takes a focused, craft-driven look at the screenplay for Train Dreams, written by Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar. This…
- 024 - Project Hail Mary (Drew Goddard) · 1 h 7 min · Season 1 Episode 24In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, screenwriter Jeff Barker breaks down the screenplay for Project Hail Mary, written by Drew Goddard (The Martian, Cloverfield) and based on…
- 023 - Becoming: Gerwig, Cregger, Sorkin, Aster, Fogelman · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 23In this episode, we break down the writing journeys and signature styles of some of today's most influential screenwriters and filmmakers: • Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The…
- 022 - Weapons (Zach Cregger) · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 22In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, screenwriter Jeff Barker unpacks the chilling, nonlinear script for Weapons, the latest horror mystery from Barbarian writer-director Zack…
- 021 - Paradise (Pilot) Dan Fogelman · 46 min · Season 1 Episode 21Breaking Down Hulu's Paradise Pilot by Dan Fogelman: Teleplay Analysis & Screenwriting Lessons In this episode of The Screenplay Lab podcast, we analyze the pilot teleplay for…
- 020 - Barbie (Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach) · 44 min · Season 1 Episode 20Why Did Barbie (2023) Become a Screenwriting Phenomenon? | The Screenplay Lab Podcast Join screenwriter Jeff Barker as he dives deep into the Barbie (2023) screenplay — the bold…
- 019 - The Social Network (Aaron Sorkin) · 51 min · Season 1 Episode 19What makes Aaron Sorkin's The Social Network one of the most studied and celebrated screenplays of the last 20 years? In this episode of Screenplay Lab, host Jeff Barker breaks…
- 018 - Aster, Peele, Eisenberg, Baker & More: Screenwriters · 40 min · Season 1 Episode 18In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, Jeff Barker explores the creative journeys of some of today's most exciting screenwriters and filmmakers, from Oscar winners to breakout…
- 017 - Companion (Drew Hancock) · 28 min · Season 1 Episode 17In this episode of Screenplay Lab, we dive into the genre-bending screenplay of Companion (2025), a sci-fi horror comedy written and directed by debut filmmaker Drew Hancock…
- 016 - Hereditary (Ari Aster) · 39 min · Season 1 Episode 16Ari Aster's Hereditary – Prestige Horror Screenwriting In this episode, Jeff Barker breaks down the Hereditary screenplay by Ari Aster, the 2018 A24 film that redefined modern…
- 015 - Challengers (Justin Kuritzkes) · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 15Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, the podcast that treats screenplays like the art they are. I'm Jeff Barker, a screenwriter, and in this episode, we're dissecting the bold…
- 014 - La La Land (Damien Chazelle) · 24 min · Season 1 Episode 14In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a closer look at the screenplay behind La La Land by Damien Chazelle. Known for its music and…
- 013 - The Lighthouse (Max & Robert Eggers) · 29 min · Season 1 Episode 13In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a deep dive into the brilliantly unhinged screenplay for The Lighthouse (2019), written by Robert…
- 012 - Babygirl (Halina Reijn) · 34 min · Season 1 Episode 12In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, Jeff Barker deconstructs the provocative and award-winning screenplay for Babygirl (2024), written and directed by Halina Reijn and…
