In this episode, Jenny Han, creator and showrunner of 'The Summer I Turned Pretty,' pulls back the curtain on how the series was built with patience, emotional confidence, and a deep trust in the audience. She talks about writing “lean,” letting quiet moments breathe, and resisting the urge to chase shock in favor of something more lasting. The result is a show that unfolds gently, rewarding viewers who linger, notice, and return—one that believes the emotional payoff is worth the wait.Han also reflects on memory as the heartbeat of the series: how nostalgia, warmth, and realism shape the tone, making the show feel less like a story being told and more like one being remembered. She explains how seemingly small conversations and fleeting moments were planted early, designed to echo years later, and why those delayed resonances often hit the hardest. It’s a thoughtful, whimsical look at storytelling that values feeling over flash—and why *The Summer I Turned Pretty* stays with people long after the episode ends.Listen to the podcast: https://anchor.fm/screenplayedFollow the Kinnane Brothers:www.instagram.com/kinnanebrothers/www.twitter.com/kinnanebrothers/Follow Screenplayed:Instagram: http://bit.ly/34oQKLG​Twitter: https://bit.ly/3p5qnEy​Facebook: https://bit.ly/2KhPbKTWebsite: www.screenplayed.com

Writer-directors Scott Beck and Bryan Woods, the writers of A Quiet Place and the filmmakers behind Heretic starring Hugh Grant, discuss writing more than 40 scripts that went nowhere to landing one of the most successful modern thrillers, they explain why failure was the key to their breakthrough.

They reveal how A Quiet Place evolved into a near-silent studio blockbuster, how real-life experiences shaped its emotional core, and what it takes to keep an audience on the edge of their seat without dialogue. The conversation also unpacks Heretic, including the risks of dialogue-heavy tension, working with Hugh Grant, and designing scenes that hold attention through performance alone.

Beck and Woods discuss Hollywood gatekeeping, audience testing, studio pressure, and the realities of directing under exhaustion and uncertainty. Packed with behind-the-scenes stories, hard-earned lessons, and honest advice, this episode pulls back the curtain on writing, directing, and surviving in modern filmmaking.

Oscar-nominated director Bing Liu joins us to break down how he made the leap from skate videos to award-winning documentaries and now his first narrative feature. We talk about how he pitches studios, builds truthful performances, rewrites in the edit, and stays inspired through years of “hurry up and wait.”