This week on the On Story Podcast a conversation with James V. Hart, writer of the science fiction drama Contact directed by Robert Zemeckis.

In his decades-long career, Hart has written beloved films including Hook, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Tuck Everlasting, and August Rush. Hart discusses the process of adapting Contact from Carl Sagan’s novel about a scientist who discovers definitive proof of extraterrestrial life. From working with the author to discern his original intent and establishing a thematic purpose, to embedding a story with high stakes and finding the story’s emotional core, Hart lends us a close look at the intricacies of structuring a screenplay.

Clips of Contact courtesy of Warner Bros.