In 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 emotional impact, this film offers just as much inspiration on the page as it does on the screen.

Jeff explores how the screenplay handles musical storytelling without lyrics, how it subverts traditional romantic structure, and how it uses formatting and choreography to express character and emotion. He also shares the backstory behind the script’s development, early rejections, and how Whiplash helped bring La La Land back to life.

Whether you are a screenwriter, filmmaker, or a fan of the film and its stars, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, this episode reveals what makes the script stand out and what writers can take into their own work.

Highlights include
• Writing visual musical sequences
• How the screenplay was originally developed and rejected
• Chazelle’s use of structure and seasonality
• Standout dialogue and formatting choices
• What the ending teaches about character and storytelling

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab:
Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, where we study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

#screenwriting #filmmaking #movies #screenplay #LaLaLand #moviemaking #EmaStone #RyanGosling #Damien Brazelle

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There are screenplay breakdowns on:

• Anora (Mikey Madison) by Sean Baker
• Nosferatu (Lily Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard) by Robert Eggers
• Heretic (Hugh Grant) by Scott Beck and Brian Woods
• A Complete Unknown (Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning) by James Mangold
• The Substance (Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley) by Coralie Fargeat
• A Real Pain (Kieran Culkin) by Jesse Eisenberg
• Conclave (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow) by Peter Straughan
• The Brutalist (Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce) by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
• Us (Lupita Nyong'o) by Jordan Peele (with Curry Barker interview)
• Babygirl (Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson) by Halina Reijn
• The Lighthouse (William Dafoe, Robert Pattinson) by Robert and Max Eggers
• La La Land (Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling) by Damien Chazelle

In 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 and Max Eggers. This A24 psychological horror film, starring Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, is a claustrophobic two-hander soaked in myth, madness, and maritime misery.

We explore how the Eggers brothers crafted a literary and cinematic fever dream - from unique formatting and surreal dialogue to powerful monologues, historical dialect, and deep symbolism. This script is weird in all the right ways - and there's a ton writers can learn from it.

🧠 Topics covered:

• Development history & Poe inspiration

• Dialogue rhythm & page formatting tricks

• Character duality & identity symbolism

• Cinematic writing techniques on the page

• Why this screenplay is a masterclass in tension and tone

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab:
Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, where we study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

#screenwriting #filmmaking #movies #screenplay #Babygirl #moviemaking #nicolekidman #halinareijn

📢 Join the Conversation!
💬 Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review!

✅ Jeff Barker's Website

✅Video Podcast on YouTube

✅ Instagram

✅ TikTok

✅ Bluesky

✅ Threads

✅ X

✅ Substack Newsletter

There are screenplay breakdowns on:

• Anora (Mikey Madison) by Sean Baker
• Nosferatu (Lily Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard) by Robert Eggers
• Heretic (Hugh Grant) by Scott Beck and Brian Woods
• A Complete Unknown (Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning) by James Mangold
• The Substance (Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley) by Coralie Fargeat
• A Real Pain (Kieran Culkin) by Jesse Eisenberg
• Conclave (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow) by Peter Straughan
• The Brutalist (Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce) by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
• Us (Lupita Nyong'o) by Jordan Peele (with Curry Barker interview)
• Babygirl (Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson) by Halina Reijn
• The Lighthouse (William Dafoe, Robert Pattinson) by Robert and Max Eggers

In 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 starring Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson. This psychological erotic thriller, produced by A24, subverts the genre by placing a powerful woman at the center of a dark, complex, and unapologetic power dynamic.

We explore the screenplay as a literary document, not just a blueprint for the film. From formatting and scene structure to dialogue, symbolism, and raw emotional dynamics, this in-depth exploration offers genuine insight for screenwriters, filmmakers, and storytelling enthusiasts.

📌 In this episode:

• What makes Babygirl’s screenplay bold and original

• The use of power, shame, and desire in character-driven storytelling

• How Halina Reijn formats scenes, montages, and intercut sequences

• Key screenwriting techniques: pre-laps, interiority, camera direction, and more

• Dialogue breakdowns that show character tension at its finest

• Themes of vulnerability, domination, and identity

Whether you're writing your first screenplay or are a seasoned professional, this episode offers a fresh perspective on crafting emotionally layered, visually rich, and thematically daring stories.

BABYGIRL SCREENPLAY

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab:
Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, where we study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

#screenwriting #filmmaking #movies #screenplay #Babygirl #moviemaking #nicolekidman #halinareijn

📢 Join the Conversation!
💬 Like this episode? Subscribe, rate, and leave a review!

✅ Jeff Barker's Website

✅Video Podcast on YouTube

✅ Instagram

✅ TikTok

✅ Bluesky

✅ Threads

✅ X

✅ Substack Newsletter

There are screenplay breakdowns on:

• Anora (Mikey Madison) by Sean Baker
• Nosferatu (Lily Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard) by Robert Eggers
• Heretic (Hugh Grant) by Scott Beck and Brian Woods
• A Complete Unknown (Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning) by James Mangold
• The Substance (Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley) by Coralie Fargeat
• A Real Pain (Kieran Culkin) by Jesse Eisenberg
• Conclave (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow) by Peter Straughan
• The Brutalist (Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce) by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
• Us (Lupita Nyong'o) by Jordan Peele (with Curry Barker interview)
• Babygirl (Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson) by Halina Reijn