John-Scott is a product of the emergent Texas film scene of the late 90s and early 2000s that launched the likes of Richard Linklater, Matthew McConaughey, Robert Rodriguez, the Wilson Brothers, Renee Zellweger, and Wes Anderson. While studying screenwriting at the University of Texas film school, he became active in the local film scene, working at Linklater's Austin Film Society and the first two Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas. He was also active in front of the camera, where a handful of national commercials and roles in 'Fast Food Nation' and 'The Lying Game' eventually paved a pathway to Los Angeles.