ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗
First Five is a podcast hosted by screenwriter and filmmaker Lindsay Stidham that dives into the first five pages of scripts (both classic and new) to explore what makes a story hook work. Each episode unpacks how writers craft their opening, tease out themes, structure, character arcs, and narrative momentum. It's designed for screenwriters, storytellers, and movie lovers who care deeply about craft, opening scenes, and the delicate architecture of a great start.
Lindsay brings her experience (MFA-trained, working writer) and her sharp, generous eye to each breakdown, offering insight, encouragement, and inspiration along with an incredible cavalcade of guests at various points in their own careers. Whether you're writing your own script or just obsessed with why your favorite movies grab you, First Five is a thoughtful, creative, and smart conversation about story beginnings.
Lindsay brings her experience (MFA-trained, working writer) and her sharp, generous eye to each breakdown, offering insight, encouragement, and inspiration along with an incredible cavalcade of guests at various points in their own careers. Whether you're writing your own script or just obsessed with why your favorite movies grab you, First Five is a thoughtful, creative, and smart conversation about story beginnings.
Hosts:
Update frequency:
biweekly
Average audio length:
41 minutes
Guest interviews
English
United States
6 episodes
since Nov. 25, 2025
episodic
LATEST EPISODE 🔗
In this episode of The First Five, host Lindsay Stidham sits down with producer and storyteller Joyce Liu Countryman to explore the craft of story, the realities of indie producing, and the honor (and responsibility) of joining The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. From lyrical fiction t…
PREVIOUS EPISODES 🔗
On this episode of First 5, we're joined by actress and writer Katie Folger, who performs the first five pages of her bold, funny, and disarmingly honest one-woman show, Getting in Bed with the Pizza Man.
In these opening pages, Katie pulls us straight into a world of intimacy, vulnerability, and …
Sundance alumni filmmaker Janek Ambrose has written, produced, and directed multiple award-winning shorts and features, and most recently attended Sundance as co-producer of In the Summers 🎬✨. Janek also founded Assembly Line Entertainment, where he seeks out projects he'd never conjure on his own—…
What makes Ginny & Georgia so relentlessly bingeable? In this episode of First Five, we sit down with Ginny & Georgia writers Michelle Askew and Ayotunde Ifaturoti to unpack the craft, chaos, and collaboration behind one of Netflix's most addictive serialized dramas.
Michelle and Ayotunde …
Welcome to a short-film focused episode of First 5, the podcast where we explore the first five pages of screenplays—both iconic and in-progress—to uncover what hooks us, what thrills us, and what makes a script truly tick. The talented multi-hyphenate writer, actor, and director Brooke Trantor joi…
Welcome to the premiere of First 5, where we crack open the first five pages of screenplays—iconic and in-progress—to uncover what makes them tick. I'm your host, Lindsay Stidham, and today's guest is the wildly talented Maggie Lane.
Maggie's a rom-com lover, a cancer survivor, and yes—an alum of …
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Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Lindsay Stidham, which is the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Listen Notes, Inc.
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