Rising Nashville pop artist and songwriter, Kyndal Inskeep, has been writing and performing since childhood. Her career took off after releasing her debut viral single “Honest” with Song House. It quickly accumulated millions of streams and inspired masses. Her second single, “Parachute” initiated the same response. Currently, Kyndal remains an independent artist with the desire to make music that inspires others to feel something again. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My family had a dude ranch in Colorado,” says Mark L. Smith, as to why he didn’t really starting writing scripts until his 30s. “It was 2,000 acres surrounded by a quarter million acres of natural forest. We were literally in the middle of nowhere.” “Our driveway was a 2.5 mile road that was an old stagecoach trail, through a canyon. It was a resort and we were open in the summers, but we would shut down early fall. I found I had nothing to do during those five months in the snow, so I would write.” In those early days, he wrote stories for his children and submitted a few ideas for children’s books. Then he took a stab at writing screenplays, did a few workshops in Los Angeles, and then starting to write specs, one after the other. “I just kept going, found my way through it, then got really lucky.” Smith’s early films were in the horror genre, movies like Seance, Vacancy, and Vacancy 2: The First Cut. Then, in 2015, he hit global success with The Revenant, followed by Overlord, The Midnight Sky, The Marsh King’s Daughter, and The Boys in the Boat. Upcoming projects include Twisters and a new series called American Primeval. “I would option and sell drama. That’s where I learned to begin with but I couldn’t get anything made. The horror stuff was popping so I tried that. I wrote a couple of those and it became my thing, but it wasn’t what I had intended. I think I wrote The Revenant in 2007, so that’s when people noticed I could do more than horror.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Amber Williams is a Screenwriter, Podcaster, Founder, and Creative Director of Whirleybird Productions. On her podcast 'The Film Finance and Distribution Podcast,' she deep dives into the business backbone of the cinematic world; engaging in insightful conversations with accomplished filmmakers, seasoned entertainment lawyers, and pivotal industry insiders. Her goal is to demystify the complex realms of film finance and distribution, equipping the next generation of filmmakers, producers, and cinema enthusiasts with knowledge about success stories, safe working practices, script acquisition, start-ups, and more. To listen to her podcast, go to: https://www.whirleybirdproductions.com/podcasts Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Diego Vicentini is a Venezuelan writer and film director who has made several award-winning short films, including 'Simón', the predecessor to the feature, which had an independent world tour, selling out screenings in eight countries in eleven different cities. His first feature film also titled 'Simón', follows a Venezuelan freedom fighter exiled in Miami, who copes not only with trauma, but also deep guilt over a choice he must make: stay in Miami and start a new life, or return home to the losing fight against a tyrannical regime. In this interview, we talk about how studying philosophy led him to filmmaking; balancing long dialogues with action, movement, and reactions; editing versus starting from zero; balancing the expectations from different audiences, writing from a place of authenticity; and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“The thing I always wanted to do was remember that what it means to be a writer is very big,” says Cord Jefferson, who lists writers like Joan Didion and James Baldwin as influences. “A lot of writers limit themselves. I’m a sports journalist or a novelist. I want to look at writing like a toolbox. You can use a toolbox to build a coffee table or a rocking chair or a house. These skills are applicable to different things.” For many years, Cord Jefferson was a journalist before he got into film and television. “I was proud to be a journalist, but I knew I wanted to maybe write a book one day or write a movie one day. I think a bigger, catch-all term is storyteller. If you are a person who is interested in writing novels, you can probably write a pretty good article, or an interesting screenplay.” “The connective thread between these things is that you know how to capture an audience’s attention and bring them from the beginning to the end. Once you figure out how to do that, it’s more about what medium to apply that skillset to as opposed to, how can I do that thing? To me, that was always what I sought out when I came to writing.” Jefferson’s journalistic background taught him to ask the question “why now?” which he brought to other mediums. “Why should this be on the cover of the newspaper? Every time I approached a tv or movie, I asked why should this be in the world right now? I don’t think people often ask themselves that. Why is this a cool story for 2024? What’s the relevance and timeliness of a story? I think that helps it break through the clutter.” Jefferson’s move to script work is envious to say the least. He’s got credits on Master of None, The Good Place, Watchmen, and Station Eleven. Now, his new film American Fiction is the topic of many Oscar debates. The plot reads, “A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from "Black" entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of hypocrisy and the madness he claims to disdain.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Hardly recognizable from one character to the next, Alanna Ubach has starred in over 150 theater, film and television projects, including the Peabody Award-winning "Men of a Certain Age", the Oscar-winning "Coco" as Mama Imelda, the family's matriarch, and critically acclaimed "Euphoria" as "Suze." She was nominated for a SAG award for her performance as Jeanine Pirro in "Bombshell" and noted by the New York Times as "a seriously talented actress" to "keep your eye on." Her most recent role is Ted, the television series from Seth MacFarlene. She plays Susan Bennett. The plot reads, “It's 1993, and Ted the bear's moment of fame has passed. He's living back home with his best friend, John Bennett, and his family. While Ted may be a lousy influence on John, he's a loyal pal who will go out on a limb for friendship.” In this interview, we talk about comedic influences, character actors that inspired her work, why she never wanted to play herself, what she’s most known for, the comfort she gets from acting and why there’s nothing more exhilarating that earning a crowd’s laugh. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The son of Canadian TV host Elwy Host, Graham Yost grew up with a love for film, television, and books. “If I told my parents I wanted to be a doctor or lawyer, they would have said, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to be a writer?’” Graham’s impressive career began with Nickelodeon’s ‘Hey Dude’ but the movie ‘Speed’ changed his life. His credits include Broken Arrow, Hard Rain, Band of Brothers, The Last Castle, Boomtown, The Pacific, Justified, Sneaky Pete, and most recently, Silo. The Apple + series is described as, “Men and women live in a giant silo underground with several regulations which they believe are in place to protect them from the toxic and ruined world on the surface.” In this interview, Graham talks about writing unwitting heroes, how they went about adapting Silo, writing nuclear pilots, the pressure of serving fans of the IP, lessons from Charles Dickens, and how there was no showrunner on Band of Brothers. — Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I love storytelling and I think I’ve always been an observant person, when it comes to reveling in human dynamics,” says Dan Levy. “As an observer of people, writing felt like an easy outlet to express my curiosity about who people are, how they work, and the flaws and joys of who we are as people.” In addition to growing up in the business thanks to his father Eugene Levy, Dan Levy had a teacher pull him aside and encourage him in his writing. “I really attribute so much of my feeling capable and confident to that experience. In high school, you’re at a vulnerable point in your life and teachers have the capability of inspiring and instilling a drive in you to do something.” Eventually, the lane that felt home for Levy’s work was somewhere between comedy and drama, with the occasional moment of pathos. “I love the fine balance of comedy and drama. I love acting it, writing it. I think it’s truthful and life.” We obviously see this on Levy’s hit series Schitt’s Creek, but also in his latest film, Good Grief. Levy is the writer and director of the latest Netflix film. The plot reads, “When his husband unexpectedly dies, Marc's world shatters, sending him and his two best friends on a soul-searching trip to Paris that reveals some hard truths they each needed to face.” He explains, “There’s always comedy in the darkest of times. I think it’s a coping mechanism. As human beings, we have to laugh to get through things. I’ve never subscribed to the idea that you should only do one thing — only comedy or only drama — that they can’t live together. Life is both drama and comedy living together. That’s what everyday is.” “Over eighty episodes, we got to write these tender moments, hidden in the comedy of Schitt’s Creek, which was the most exciting part. Those little emotional character reveals and moments of humanity, I think that’s what made the show successful. It had heartbeat and real emotional stakes. It was because of that I felt capable of writing my take on a drama, which was about grief, but had joy, laughter, and lightness to it. I’ll always want to live in that sweet spot of comedy and drama.” — Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Tory Tunnell’s original dream was to the Editor for Vogue. In college, she interned at places like The New Yorker and Harper’s Bizarre, but she minored in Film, which started a trek to working as a Producer. These days, Tunnell is known for Holy Rollers, My Blind Brother, King Arthur - Legend of the Sword, Underground, Robin Hood, Spinning Out, and now Monarch - Legacy of Monsters. The latest series stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Anders Holm, Kiersey Clemons, and Ren Watabe. The plot reads, "Set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans, revealing that monsters are real, follows one family's journey to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to Monarch.” In this interview, Tory talks about the mechanism of film both in terms of creativity and commerce, jumping in the deep with little to no experience, how she cold called billionaires, misdirects in any career path, being persistent yet not annoying, sticking with a project until it gets made, and how to actually make money in this business. We also mention Tory’s husband and producing partner, Joby Harold, which I interviewed back in Episode 348 for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Misha Green, the showrunner for Underground back in Episode 03. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My favorite thing was going to the movies,” Emile Hirsch says about his childhood. Emile is best known for Into the Wild, but with over 70 credits to his name, you’ve seen him in The Girl Next Door, Lords of Dogtown, Alpha Dog, Speed Racer, Milk, Killer Joe, Savages, Lone Survivor, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. His latest film, Walden, Emile plays an unassuming court stenographer in a small southern town. When he discovers he is dying, he decides to exact revenge on criminals who escape prosecution. In this interview, Emile discusses the trouble with commercial auditions as a kid, how his approach to acting has changed overtime, advice from Robert DeNiro, and inspirations from Seymour Hoffman’s Capote and Ned Flanders for his latest roll. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

In the film, Eileen, the story follows a woman’s friendship with a new co-worker at the prison facility where she works, but the friendship takes a sinister turn. In the previous interview, screenwriters Ottessa Moshfegh & Luke Goebel discussed how they created this adaptation, based on Ottessa’s novel. In this interview, stars Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie discuss their interpretation of the work. We also discuss the problem in Hollywood that still exists in terms of great roles for women, which Anne noticed on Ocean’s 8 and thinks will continue to evolve post Barbie, how Thomasin researched the role, what Anne learned from James Gray on Armageddon Time, what it means to feed yourself with culture, and advice for young actresses trying to break in today. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I always wanted to write for movies but didn’t really admit it until I moved to LA and someone asked me if I wanted to write a movie,” says Ottessa Moshfegh, the novelist turned screenwriter behind Eileen. “I studied other movies and loved learning the new form.” Ottessa’s screenplay credits include Causeway and Eileen, and some of her novels are Eileen, My Year of Rest and Relaxation, Death in Her Hands, Lapvona, and McGlue. “It felt totally unnatural in the beginning,” she says of screenwriting. “There’s two versions,” says her partner Luke Goebel, in regards to their origin story. “One was the dream and one was the reality. When we met, right from the beginning, we were talking about movies, dreaming about movies, which seemed more like play. Then, there was an opportunity.” Ottessa wrote a draft of McGlue as an adaption, but Causeway, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry, broke the mold for this new craft. “Reality suddenly came knocking with a pretty loud fist,” says Luke. For their partnership, proximity is a factor, jokes the couple, but it’s also the intangible effect of a “short=hand.” Ottessa says, “It’s really easy to say something or begin to say something and oftentimes, we don’t have to finish our sentences.” “I feel comfortable saying I have this tiny shred of an idea and knowing it will be fostered and supported rather than just swatted away. In collaborating, you need to negotiate a lot. We do that constantly and it’s safe to agree or disagree, and see things from a new perspective.” This “shared psychic language” of a life together, “shared pain, pleasure and joy,” comes from “fertile grounds for seeds to grow.” For their latest project, Eileen, the story follows a woman’s friendship with a new co-worker at the prison facility where she works, but the friendship takes a sinister turn. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I love antiheroes,” says screenwriter Amber Noizumi. “As a woman, this idea of the goody two shoes girl next door has always annoyed me. The girl who looks and acts perfect. I don’t relate or find it interesting unless I’m rooting for her and against her at the same time.” “I’m more selfish about it,” added Michael Green. “Any character that has a degree of specificity that’s so unique to them that you can put them in situations and know how they’ll behave. It creates story.” In their current project, Blue Eye Samurai, which was just greenlit for Season 2, we see this anti-perfect, anti-goody two shoes, anti-hero in full color. The young warrior, Mizu (Maya Erskine) is driven by revenge against those who made her an outcast in Edo-period Japan.  But this certainly isn’t the first character Michael Green has crafted from the anti-hero psyche. His mind-boggling credits include Logan, Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049, Murder on the Orient Express, The Call of the Wild, American Gods, Death on the Nile, and A Haunting in Venice to name a few.  Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

It’s been 500 episodes! Thank you all so much for listening. As a special celebration episode, I’ve included some of the best clips from the past 500 episodes and I’m also releasing a never-before-heard episode with William Monahan, the Oscar winning screenwriter of The Departed, Body of Lies, London Boulevard, Kingdom of Heaven, The Gambler, and Mojave. But, to get us started, here’s Aaron Sorkin on the difference in character and real people, followed by Taylor Sheridan on his writing process, Veena Sud on finding the story’s “image,” Judd Apatow on risk in comedy, Kenya Barris on choosing your lane, and Whitney Cummings on rest and recovery. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’ve spent my life writing,” says Emerald Fennell. “It’s something I’ve done ever since I was a child. It’s something I would be doing whether I could make films or write books or not.” After University, Emerald wrote a pile of spec scripts to “find her voice.” During hiatus of BBC’s Call the Midwife, where Emerald played Nurse Patsy Mount for 27 episodes, she wrote three books. “My last book, Monsters, which was an adult novel, Showrunner Jessica Knappett read it and asked me to write on the fourth season of her amazing show, Drifters.” “I think I had that thing that many screenwriters had where I had a few things bought but didn’t go. It’s a constant process of nearlys until you get that first credit, which Jess gave me.” After Drifters, she wrote and directed a short called Careful How You Go that went to Sundance and helped her pitch and ultimately write and direct Promising Young Woman, a dark comedy about a young woman traumatized by the tragic events of her past. Then, Emerald wrote on Season 2 of Killing Eve and now she’s back on the silver screen as writer/director of Saltburn, where an Oxford student finds himself drawn in the world of a charming aristocratic classmate. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was ill-equipped to do anything else,” jokes Amy Sherman-Paladino. “It was survival of the fittest maybe. My father was a comic. My mother was a dancer. It was basically, pick something in show business because that’s all you got.” “We both infuriate inspiring screenwriters because we’re not the people who wrote a ton of spec. We sort of fell into,” says Daniel Paladino. “Amy was a dancer. I was a musician. I got a job as a writer’s assistant because typing in the 80s was a rare commodity because everyone wrote long-hand.” Turning these handwritten documents into typed screenplays taught Daniel the business. “I think I can do this,” he told himself. “Then, maybe the 10,000 hours of watching TV before that as a child just sort of created a natural flare for it — all the time I wasted in my youth.” Amy got a job writing for the series Roseanne, where she worked 4 years and wrote 13 episodes. A few years later, there was an opportunity to write a “comedic hour long” where she pitched several ideas. The one she spent the most time on and even optioned IP for led to crickets, but when asked if she had anything else, she replied, “Just this one with a mother-daughter where they’re more like friends than mother-daughter.” This was Gilmore Girls. “Amy had written 2-3 pilots based on mother-daughter relationships that were different than Gilmore Girls. I remember when she pitched it, thinking this should be the last mother-child pilot you write, and it was ultimately,” jokes Daniel. Gilmore Girls ran for 154 episodes on the WB and there’s a 4-part mini series on Netflix called Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life. While Gilmore Girls was on, Daniel ran Season 2 of Family Guy. In 2017, going even more personal, the screenwriters delivered The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, about a comedian in the 50s who follows her calling once her husband leaves her. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I thought I wanted to be a journalist,” said Linda Palmer. “But when I saw myself in front of a camera, I realized it wasn’t for me. I wanted to be behind the camera. I gradually went that way instead of working in news.” In this interview, we talk about Linda’s love of Halloween, telling personal stories, her company Runaway Productions, good and bad pitch videos, how to network globally online, pitching to professionals on LinkedIn, her decision to move to North Carolina, and how to get things made not being in Los Angeles or New York. ‘Shooting for the Stars’ is for those creators tired of facing rejection. “With over 25 films produced in 25 years, including feature films, short films, documentaries, and web-series, you’ll learn Linda’s process to consistently produce high quality entertainment. Using her case studies, you’ll learn what to do to avoid costly mistakes and get your film finished.” We also reference Jon Albert, documentary filmmaker behind ‘Cuba and the Cameraman’ from Episode 18 of the podcast. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I just took a poll with my team and right now, we have about 20 projects in development,” says Robert Rippberger. “I’m trying to tell stories that are speaking to something larger, less of a weekly news cycle, the role of storytelling and social impact entertainment.” In The Power of Storytelling: Social Impact Entertainment, the book follows the way we transform ourselves through storytelling, how to look at entertainment and media in positive and negative terms, and how a simple narrative can change the world. In this interview, we talk about the importance of a sense of urgency as a creative, operating in your own echo chamber, understanding which tasks actually move the needle, working on projects that are guaranteed to get finished, why filmmaking is not sustainable, why you don’t need permission, and how to be a visionary with an abundant mindset but still consider conversation and innovation for scarce resources. Learn more about Robert’s movie studio in North Carolina, Ascent Studios, back in Episode 431 of the podcast. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

‘Songs for Ivy’ is a touching and enlightening perspective on topics such as childhood and terminal cancer, alcoholism, drug addiction, work addiction, morbid obesity, family dysfunction, end-of-life issues, love and complex family relations all rolled together to reveal the complexity of the human soul. In this interview, Carlos talks about creative acts that bring joy, his radical life transformation, rediscovering his love for music and the written word, how creativity leads to healing, working with editors, and his writing process for ‘Songs for Ivy.’ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Movies and television is always what I wanted to do,” says Eric Martin. “I don’t remember it wasn’t a time it wasn’t the main interest in my life, but screenwriting is something I was a little bit late too. I was a latchkey key and I viewed writing as work, something to get done to go watch movies.” “But there were a series of teachers who kept pulling me aside and said, ‘You’re a writer, do you enjoy this?’ It kept happening so the message finally got through to take it seriously and put in that kind of effort.” Looking back, Martin says he understood story structure just from watching so many movies. He also had a teacher teach the hero’s journey to write essays. “I don’t actually think about structure when I write. Use the hero’s journey. Don’t use it. I personally hate writing textbooks. Any book that tells you how to write is bullshit. I think you pick it up and inherently understand it. I think it’s baked in even if you think you’re following it. It’s just there. It’s part of the western storytelling ethic.” Rather than obsessing over screenwriting books, Martin would tell you to “go live some life.” He adds, “Don’t try to read a bunch of things and use a theory on anything. Live some life and I think you’ll understand [life] on a deeper level. I see a lot of stuff out there and it feels hollow. People who do depthful work live interesting lives.” This has led Martin to focus on “character and story.” As a screenwriter, this is always the focus, whether it’s his TV movie The Other Mother, the Starz series about professional wrestling Heels, or his latest project, the newest installment of Loki for Marvel and Disney. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a screenwriter, Tyler MacIntyre co-wrote ‘Five Nights at Freddy’s.’ The story follows “A troubled security guard begins working at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza. During his first night on the job, he realizes that the night shift won't be so easy to get through. Pretty soon he will unveil what actually happened at Freddy’s.” As a Director, MacIntyre directed Justin Long and Joel McHale in ‘Its a Wonderful Knife.’ “After saving her town from a psychotic killer, Winnie Carruthers' life is less than wonderful. When she wishes she'd never been born, she finds herself in a nightmare parallel universe where without her, things could be much, much worse.” In this interview, we talk about the game of development, getting started as an Editor, creating an uplifting slasher movie, a good ratio for comedy-horror movies, casting people who have a history of the genre you’re creating, casting to play against type, logistical frustrations in filmmaking, and advice for making horror movies on a responsible budget. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!f

Rick Garman moved to Los Angeles at the age of 18 to be an actor. “I got out as soon as I was sure my parents couldn’t send a sheriff to bring me back,” he jokes. “I went to acting school, worked a bunch of jobs, and landed at a theater company called The Colony Theater.” “One of our cast members had just passed away from aids. They wanted to do a play about [the subject], but our audience was very conservative and there was nothing else out there. I sat down and said, I’ve been in plays, I’ve said plays, I can write a play, so I wrote a play.” The production won some awards and got performed around the country. “Writing became my passion. I wrote all the time even though I wasn’t getting paid for it.” This led to some spec scripts and pilots as Garman climbed the corporate ladder. “It was about finding the characters and the heart, which has become my hallmark for lack of a better word” he said of this ability to walk the line of tough subjects but appease all audiences. “It was less about the issues and more about the people. The way big events affect people on a personal level.” “One of my favorite themes in writing is that people are walking around in their everyday life, thinking the world is one thing, and then something happens and their world shifts. The rug gets pulled out from under them and they have to look at life and the world around them in a very different way.” He eventually sold a TV movie script to a channel called Pixel, which led to four more scripts, and then an opportunity to pitch to Hallmark. “In 2017, I quit my high-paying executive job in the internet world (places like Disney and Yahoo) and became a writer full time. I’ve written about 40 movies in the last seven years.” In 2022 alone, Garman has credits for Groundswell, Christmas at the Drive-In, and A Christmas… Present. This year, he’s got credits for Notes of Autumn and the new film, Christmas on Cherry Lane. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“The origin story feels pretty far away from where I am now,” says screenwriter Kelly Younger. “I started out in archeology. Truth be told, I wanted to be a Goonie,” he jokes. “I’m from a working class Irish family. My family went through a hard financial time. We actually lost our house when I was a kid.” “In The Goonies, the kids are about to lose their homes, but then they find this treasure map, fight criminals, there’s pirate ships, but ultimately they find the treasure that is going to save the family home. That movie really hit me at a pretty important moment.” “Then, when Indiana Jones came out, I wanted to be an archeologist. That was always my interest and facisnation. Lost civilizations and treasures. The kind of magic surrounding those kinds of stories. I was also a bit of a theater kid in middle school and high school. When it came time for school, I studied English Literature and the Classics.” Eventually, it became obvious that Younger was making career choices based on movies. “Ultimately, I moved to Ireland and studied literature, drama, folk tales, mythology, and fairy tales. I started out as a student of storytelling, but then my theater background kicked in and I started writing plays—mostly because I was broke. I wrote a play and won 1,000 pounds and got involved in the Dublin Theater Festival.” Eventually, this lead the screenwriter to Disney Animation where he worked as part of the “Story Trust,” providing feedback and advice for Moana, Cars 3, Coco, Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet, Toy Story 4, Frozen II, Onward, Aladdin, and Raya and the Last Dragon. As a screenwriter, Younger has credits on Muppets Now, Muppets Haunted Mansion, and the new Eddie Murphy comedy Candy Cane Lane. The story follows a man who is determined to win the neighborhood’s annual Christmas decorating contest until he makes a pact with an Elf who cast a spell on him which brings the 12 days of Christmas to life, and wrecks havoc on the town. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

‘Shot in the Arm’ explores the "anti-vax" movement both historically and in the angry political present, this vital account probes the divides and disinformation that threaten our future. This includes subjects like Oprah Winfrey, Del Bigtree, Robert Kennedy Jr. and Neil deGrasse Tyson. In this interview, I sat down with famed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and Director Scott Hamilton Kennedy. We talk about curiosities and responsibilities as storytellers, how to approach talent for documentaries, advice for interviewers, creating trust for viewers through a subject’s actions, how the two connected for this film, and the power of storytelling to effect change. Make sure to also look for clips from this conversation on instagram @brockswinson Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. And, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“What led me into filmmaking was being in the world and being dyslexic,” said documentarian Thom Zimny, who got into music and then editing before becoming a filmmaker. Zimny is known for his work as a music video director with Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. He’s the Director of Elvis Presley: The Searcher, The Gift: The Journey of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson & Family, and now Sly. Sly follows “the nearly fifty year prolific career of Sylvester Stallone, who has entertained millions, is seen in retrospective in an intimate look of the actor, writer, director-producer, paralleling with his inspirational life story.” In this interview, we talk about shifting from editor to director, not telling Sly in a linear fashion, not forcing a POV, themes of fathers and sons, themes that had not been overanalyzed, avoiding short-hand versions of history, and what Sly taught him about ambition. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Character actor Stephen Tobolowsky has nearly 300 credits to his name, including roles in Groundhog Day, Seinfeld, Mad About You, The Practice, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Deadwood, Californication, Glee, Silicon Valley, and The Goldbergs. Most recently, he stars in Love Virtually as Dr. Divine. The film follows four couples as they attempt to find true love in a virtual world by going to absurd extremes in a world where the meta verse is commonly used. The movie also stars SNL alum Cheri Oteri. In this interview, we talk about how he met Robert DeNiro his first day in Los Angeles, getting past teachers who try to limit you, how long Bill was actually trapped in Groundhog Day, conversations with Harold Ramis, his audition for Silicon Valley, his character’s desire on The Goldbergs, and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“We delivered six, critically-acclaimed, super long documentaries in the last five years with the help of 80,000 backers,” Robin Block told me. “We’re the leading crowdfunded factual entertainment company in the world right now.” This includes the In Search of Darkness horror trilogy, First Person Shooter, In Search of Tomorrow sci-fi documentary, In Search of Last Action Heroes, First Person Shooter and the latest installment, In Search of Darkness 1990-1994. “It’s a manifestation of fandom,” he said of these films. “We’re not going to be doing documentaries forever. Where my interest is now, is membership and community platforms. Instead of one-off, big projects that are supported by tens of thousands of backers, I want to build a never-ending In Search of Darkness.” The new project, Darkness Unlimited, will launch with 14 hours of new content, 20 hours of never-before-seen materials. “It’ll be exclusive interviews, like long-form interviews with John Carpenter. And we’ll launch that for about $29 for six months access. I want to create a community for elite horror fans who want to visit old movies and understand them and see what’s happening on new movies, on set. We want to create the most powerful horror community in the world.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Curation is creation,” Eric Jorgenson told me. “There’s this false god of originality that I just don’t buy. Maybe that’s because I stumbled into this awesome niche as a curator-editor, but I have no problem being front and center about saying this other person who is really smart said this thing and I learned from it. Here’s something I learned from Charlie Monger or Nassim Taleb and here’s what I learned from it or here’s how it conflicted with this other thing.” “If that’s borrowed authority or curation, I find it so much easier to write when I’m reacting to something or complimenting something or rephasing it. I have no problem being upfront with the reader about that. Respecting curation as a form of writing is maybe what unlocked the opportunity of these books. These books aren’t written. I’m not sitting with a blank page and generating content. Every word of this book came from a resisting resource where I’m the super-editor, trying to take everything they’ve ever said and stitch it together to make something great.”  These books include The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness and The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future. “I don’t know if it’s harder or easier, but I certainly respect it as a craft. I think it’ made me a better writer. It’s given me permission to write a shitty first draft and then edit my own work. To some people who maybe struggle with pushing themselves towards originality or getting that first draft done, I say don’t shy away from using raw material or reacting to something that’s out there or borrowing heavily and making that your source material.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I wanted to direct movies. That’s all I ever wanted to do. I never had a plan to write movies,” says BenDavid Grabinski. ‘In college one summer, I wrote a script and people seemed to like it. So I wrote a few more and moved to LA.” Initially, Grabinski was writing with the goal of making something he could direct, but then he ended up loving the process of screenwriting. “I just really enjoy that creative approach to storytelling.” “I have a very unorthodox career narrative because I moved to LA at 22 and the first thing I wrote got optioned and made in six months. The next thing was on the Blacklist and Barry Sonnenfield was going to direct, but the studio went bankrupt. I kept almost having an overnight success.” This would have been around 2005. “I know I’m a much better writer now than I was then. When I look back at that, I think that guy didn’t know anything about anything. So much about success is out of your control. You have to keep writing and opportunity will fall into your lap or it won’t.” Grabinski is known for writing Skiptrace, Happily, Are You Afraid of the Dark?, and the new Netflix series, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off. “I didn’t go to Film School. It has a lot of value for a lot of people, but my way to learn movies was watching movies, reading scripts, listening to audio commentaries. That’s how I figured out the process.” “If you read enough scripts and are excited about that kind of language and that format and that structure, I think it can only help. I think I read so many I internalized how it felt to read a script, how something is broken down versus executed, and I think I absorbed that. It helps to see the code in the Matrix.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep473 - Ink by the Barrel (Audiobook) - Chapter 5 by Creative Principles Podcast

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Welcome to Creative Principles! In this special episode, we’re sharing the audiobook version of Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers by author Brock Swinson, which is based on interviews from this very podcast. It’s our mission to give away 100,000 copies of the book in 2023! We’ve given away thousands of copies already. To help our cause, please share these episodes and you can also get the PDF version of the book here: https://www.brockswinson.com/ink Inside this book, you’ll learn groundbreaking secrets, such as… - Annihilate Writer's Block by Embracing Elizabeth Gilbert's "Playful Trickster" Mentality - Learn to Weaponize Your Anxiety with Kevin Kelly's "Different is Better" Approach - Defend Your Time with Ryan Holiday's "Calendar Anorexia" Mindset ​ - Create Ruthless Prioritization with Stephen Covey's "Urgent Versus Important" System ​ - Uncover the Truth About "Magic" with Raymond Teller's Steps to Avoid Self-Sabotage If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your Apple Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I moved out to LA in 1999 with my best friend from high school. Every summer in college, we would write a screenplay. We were waiters during the day and then at night we would write,” says Lee Eisenberg. “Primarily, we would write comedies, or at least what we were attempting to be comedies.” Eventually, the partnership dissolved. Eisenberg’s friend got a real job and he eventually landed a PA job on the film, Bedazzled. “I was the office PA and I met an intern named Gene Stupnitsky (No Hard Feelings) who was working for Harold Ramis.” “We started writing together, sold a few ideas to Larry David for Curb Your Enthusiasm, then wrote a pilot about two loser magicians who were roommates and just trying to get ahead. We were the two losers,” he jokes. “We sold it to Fox. It never got made, but that was our writing sample. We got hired on The Office. Funny enough, Harold read it, liked it, and hired us to co-write the movie Year One with him.” “When we were first starting off, I think jokes ruled. I’m very proud of that initial pilot, but it has no pathos. It could be animated to a certain extent. It had a lot of similarities to Flight of the Conchords or Arrested Development and less so, The Office.” These days, Eisenberg is best known for writing The Office, Bad Teacher, Hello Ladies, Good Boys, WeCrashed, Little America, and two new series, Jury Duty and Lessons in Chemistry.  Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The son of an actor, Australian screenwriter Abe Forsythe grew up around creatives. “I spent a lot of time backstage as a kid,” he says. “Sitting in the green room, watching Dad perform. Subconsciously, it made me realize you can have a career following your creative path.” Outside of his immediate influences, Forsythe was influenced by the early work of Peter Jackson, specially a horror film called Bad Taste. “I became obsessed with it. There was something about the fact that he made that movie on his own, shot in New Zealand over four years, playing two roles himself, doing the effects himself.” This self-reliant approach, along with watching other Jackson films like Braindead with an audience, sparked something inside of Forsythe. “Seeing his progression from Bad Taste to Meet the Feebles to Brainddead to Heavenly Creatures, I thought, ‘This guy can do anything.’” “I feel like I’m still chasing how those movies and those experiences made me feel.” In his own work, Forsythe has gained some notoriety for films like Down Under, Little Monsters, and the recent series, Wolf Like Me. “I’m trying to connect to that inner child,” says the screenwriter. Blending the personal within the lanes of genre, the show is about an emotional wreck named Gary who struggles to provide for his wife after the death of his wife. This is when he meets Mary, a woman with a secret she can’t bring herself to tell another being. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“You get to a point where it hurts more not to make than to make,” says author and writing coach Daniel Willcocks. “I know how I work best.” Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author and award-nominated podcaster of dark fiction. This is our second call, so make sure to also check out Episode 258 for more. In this interview, we talk about getting 11 million downloads, the making of Dream, fascinations with cosmic horror, his 50k writing challenge, creating communities where you serve but also get help, and how to market your work both in terms of fiction and non-fiction. Follow @WillsocksAuthor on Instagram for more info. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I met Stuart Gordon in high school,” began Dennis Paoli. “We overlapped in several ways. We had the same sense of humor and loved the same movies and books.” This led to sketch comedy in early years, but later in life, the duo focused on horror. In Paoli’s latest film, Suitable Flesh, Joe Lynch leads Heather Graham in the story of a psychiatrist who becomes obsessed with one of her young patients, who she later discovers is linked to an ancient curse. In this interview, we discuss adapting H.P. Lovecraft’s work, how partnerships helped him finish work, telling an adaptation before the title credits, the question of identity in horror, how this script was revived after 20 years, and working with Director Stuart Gordon on Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Body Snatchers. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I spent most of my career in advertising,” says George Olson. “I had always wanted to write for movies and television, but I live in Colorado, not exactly the screenwriting mecca of North America, so I started reading scripts, screenplays, and just started writing.” As a former copywriter and creative director, Olson his start really came from “writing bad screenplays.” He continues, “That’s the only way to eventually write good screenplays.” He read all of the big books on the subject and many interviews from Creative Screenwriting as a foundation. “I started entering some competitions and I won a couple of screenwriting contests. There was just enough encouragement. It’s like playing golf. You can hit terrible shots the whole day, then hit one beautiful shot, and then you love the game.” Thanks to these early wins, Olson was on a path to meet producers and pitch ideas. He eventually developed a project with Barry Sonnenfield (Men in Black) and John Turturro (The Big Lebowski). “For an advertising writer in Colorado, it was fairly heady stuff.” One particular idea gained some traction, but Olson’s reps told him to transition it to a television idea. “I read every pilot I could get my hands on, starting writing television, and found that I loved it.” The screenwriter is best known for creating the series, Surreal Estate, a series about Real Estate agents who deal with haunted houses. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I always had a camera growing up. I know that’s cheesy, but I didn’t know it could be a job,” says writer-director Anna Zlokovic. “I didn’t know what to do with that interest. No one in my family did film. No one I knew did film, so I ended up going to music school to study music-business.” While at USC, Zlokovic realized it wasn’t a fit. Across the street from music, she found Film School. She took a few classes and made a movie, but thought she might get into sound. Eventually, feeling out multiple jobs led her to writing and directing. “I got some feedback from my first project, but at the time, I was cripplingly shy. Directing and writing gave me permission to have a voice and share my perspective. I’m still trying to do it ten years later,” she jokes. The goal wasn’t always horror, as she didn’t grow up watching horror films, but she did have any interest in monster films. “My parents had a box of movies. I watched E.T. and Jurassic Park over and over and over again. I knew that’s what I wanted to do. Then I watched Eraserhead in college and thought, cinema can do this?” In Appendage, "A young fashion designer's life spirals as her darkest inner thoughts manifest into something gruesome- that won't stop growing.” Zlokovic said she saw some crossover with E.T. in her latest project. “Horror somewhat came as an accident,” she clarifies. “The first movie I made came from a very dark place, where I was trying to have a cathartic experience through my art. It was sad and dark, but people [liked it], so that sort of naturally led into horror.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Scott McConnell is a story consultant and script developer who helps ambitious producers and screenwriters develop their concepts, themes and plots to create resonant scripts in order to advance their careers. Known as “the story guy,” Scott has over 30,000 followers of LinkedIn, where he frequently publishes advice on writing screenplays and producing films. In this interview, we talk about Scott’s love for visual storytelling, how most novice screenplays miss theme altogether, his secret for researching historical scripts, where to find copyright free material, omissions in story, the beauty of Star Trek, and how to craft work that the market actually wants to buy. Reach out to Scott here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottamcconnell/ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The film ‘On Fire’ “follows a family who lives in a trailer home in the woods and are suddenly confronted by a wildfire. Survival becomes their main objective.” In this interview, director Nick Lyon and editor Don Money talk about the making of their new film, we go into the weeds about post-production, the importance of a good director-editor relationship, creating a short-hand with key team members, why speed is so important in independent films, and much more. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jennifer Hamady started her career as a professional singer. “There was no Plan B,” she said. “But I never fancied myself a writer.” She loved lyrics, started writing, and this is one piece of the puzzle that led to her writing books. “A lot of people had problems that seemed technical, but were actually emotional.” Known as “the Voice Whisperer,” she’s a coach, a counselor, a speaker, a singer, and an author. She’s recorded, performed, or toured with people like Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle, Christina Aguilera, Usher, Kid Rock, Jessica Simpson, and countless others. In this interview, Jennifer talks about her journey as an author, what singing was designed to be, the pros and cons of American Idol or The Voice, how trends change in music, practicing in the face of anxiety, along with practical and emotional pieces of being creative. Learn more or book a session here: https://findingyourvoice.com/ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Bitten by the acting bug in college, while teaching, Michael Jai White began auditioning for commercials and acting gigs on weekends and summer breaks. Michael landed the lead role of Tom Robinson in the first Off-Broadway adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird. Before long, Michael would go on to guest star on such hit television shows as Saved by the Bell, Martin, NYPT Blue, and CSI. Proving his acting ability, Michael would soon be cast for the lead role of legendary boxer Mike Tyson in the HBO biopic Tyson which solidified his legitimacy as a dramatic actor in Hollywood. Michael was then cast to play the title character in the movie Spawn which came with the distinction of being the first black superhero in a major motion picture. As he cemented his Hollywood status as a bonafide action star, more diverse roles emerged that allowed him to showcase his physical prowess as well as display his on-screen charisma and comedic ability in such films as Exit Wounds, Undisputed 2, Silver Hawk, Blood & Bone, Black Dynamite and Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married and Why Did I Get Married Too playing opposite Tasha Smith. He’s currently the star and director of Outlaw Johnny Black. The plot reads, “Hell bent on avenging the death of his father, Johnny Black vows to gun down Brett Clayton and becomes a wanted man in the process. He goes into hiding, posing as a preacher in a small mining town that's been taken over by a notorious Land Baron.” This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Writing is always something I did for my own delight and enjoyment,” said Kate Holland. “I would have these stories playing in my head, a scenario or a world, maybe mentally writing episodes of favorite TV shows.” This led Kate to some writing partnerships in the world of theater. “Then I met Marlowe in a writer’s group online. He and I hit it off right away.” “I’ve just gotten started,” said Marlow Mitchell. “I’ve been writing since I was able to writing, writing stories. I grew up in Denmark and when I was 15, I won a writing competition. That was a first since I might be quite good at it, because the competition was for adults. That was good for my ego,” joked Marlowe. The screenwriters met online during the pandemic. “During that, I got involved in this project about interviewing transmasculine people about football. I’ve done 20 interviews and an event around it. Right now, I’m editing the interviews in a long-form version.” Marlowe describes this project and their partnership as “circling the type of writing I want to do.” Their latest project is a feature called Offsiders, a trans-centered soccer rom-com that won first place in the ISA Fellowship Track. “There’s a toxic environment around trans people in sport,” said Marlowe. “I’m transmasculine and I’ve played football in the past.” “Marlowe is just one of the most thoughtful people I’ve met,” said Kate. “I think there are many ways we are similar, but I think we both have fairly esoteric interests, but then we kind of come into pop culture and interact with it through neurodiverse and queer lenses. We’re looking at tropes to find the larger story we a tell or how we can deepen the human connection.” Learn more or enter an upcoming contest here: www.networkisa.org/ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’ve always loved reading, so it started more with books than movies,” said screenwriter Ariane Hahusseau. “That’s how I developed a passion for stories. While in college, I watched a lot of BBC shows. Adaptations of my favorite novels. Coming from a literature background, I realized I could adapt my favorite novels, but also write my own stories.” Ariane, a French expatriate, embarked on her academic journey in the realms of literature, initially in Paris and later in London. She culminated her educational pursuits by obtaining an MFA in screenwriting from the American Film Institute Conservatory. Her love for art and history serves as the guiding force behind her screenplays, which invariably spotlight determined female protagonists battling societal injustices to reclaim their voices.  “It’s the stories that I feel comfortable in,” she said of the novel adaptations on BBC. “Being a big fan of Jane Austen and stories about women, I developed an interest in talking about the female condition. In screenwriting, they tell you to put as many obstacles in front of your character as you can. Putting them in the 18th Century seems like the perfect setting for a maximum of obstacles for women. Women had so much more to overcome.” This love led to themes in her own work, such as fighting against that which restricts your freedom. “These are themes I love to gravitate around. I’m very interested in what it means to be an artist, like the creation process. How does it spurt out of you? Or is it a genius element of your personality? Or just a lot of work? I love observing the rise and fall of the artist. How they’re rejected or accepted by society.” Writing female characters, she adds, raises the stakes even more in terms of  acceptance or rejection. Then, of course, the added dilemma of motherhood rises to the surface. “Women are sort of conflicted between two motherhoods: the motherhood of their work as artists and then having children of their own. How do you reconcile those two aspects? That comes back over and over in my writing.” Learn more or enter an upcoming contest here: https://www.networkisa.org/ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"I think it's very important that the film demonstrated that it was an effort not done by one individual who started working as a farm worker and became an astronaut, but rather it was an effort of a family, of community, and the importance of having that support structure. That's what allowed me to flourish," says José Hernández. A Million Miles Away is directed by award-winning filmmaker Alejandra Márquez Abella (Northern Skies Over Empty Space, The Good Girls) and starring Michael Peña ("Narcos: Mexico," End of Watch, Crash). The film is based on the inspirational true story of José Hernández, the first migrant farmworker to become an astronaut and go to space. From his humble beginnings in Michoacán, Mexico, to working in the crop fields alongside his family in California, to being selected for astronaut training by NASA (after being turned down 11 times!). "I like to think that this is a film about Earth," says Alejandra Márquez Abella. "I didn't want to get too confused by the space thing. I wanted to focus on the earth, on the trainings, on the effort that this man had to go through to get up there." Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Alex Mandel began his career as a composer at Pixar by providing the score for the Ratatouille DVD short "Your Friend the Rat" and was later selected by Pixar creatives to write two songs for Brave: "Touch the Sky" and "Into the Open Air" - which became global hits. His work spans across film (East Side Sushi); streaming (Super Giant Robot Brothers); and radio (NPR's Snap Judgment LIVE, where he performed with The Roots' MC Black Thought). Recently, he composed the score for The Inventor in addition to nine songs for the film performed by voice cast members Marion Cotillard, Daisy Ridley, Matt Berry, and Stephen Fry. The imaginative and family-friendly feature about the life of Leonardo da Vinci is written and directed by Oscar® nominee Jim Capobianco (screenwriter of Ratatouille) and co-directed by Pierre-Luc Granjon. For theater info and tickets, go to: https://www.bluefoxentertainment.com/films/the-inventor Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Paul Fairweather is a Brisbane-based, speaker, author, mentor, architect, and artist who believes we are makers at heart, and who is on a mission to get people to reconnect with their creative essence, and to clarify that artistry is not creativity, only a subset. Chris Meredith is a Sydney-based, business coach, innovation consultant, and award-winning photo artist, who utilizes this background to help people create, capture, and communicate great ideas, particularly through the art of storytelling. Together they created The Common Creative, a podcast all about bringing creativity back into everyday life, understanding the essence of creativity, and making creativity as common as a loaf of bread, and as well understood as common language. To listen to it, go to: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-common-creative/id1525162918 Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jason Hellerman is an award-winning film and TV writer. His feature screenplay, Shovel Buddies, made the top ten of the annual Black List and was purchased and produced by AwesomenessTV. Since then, he's completed feature film and television work for a variety of producers and directors. Currently, he's writing an action comedy for Sylvester Stallone's production company called My Masterpiece, which is set to star Academy Award-nominated actress Maria Bakalova. His latest spec, Himbo, appeared on the 2022 Black List. For more of his work, go to: https://nofilmschool.com/u/jasonhellerman Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Sue Ellen Thompson’s poems have been read more than a dozen times on National Public Radio by Garrison Keillor, have been featured in U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser’s nationally syndicated newspaper column, and have received numerous awards, including the 1986 Samuel French Morse Prize, the 2003 Pablo Neruda Prize, and two Individual Artist’s Grants from the State of Connecticut. She is the author of six books, her most recent one being 'Sea Nettles: New & Selected Poems' where she explores relationships between people of three generations as they evolve over decades. Currently, she also teaches at The Writers’ Center in Bethesda where she mentors adult poets. To learn more about her and her workshops, go to https://sueellenthompson.com/ In this interview, Thompson and I talk about writing poetry as a teenager, why she quit her editorial job to pursue her passion, working as a freelancer, tips for writers, her workshops, her poems, and how her students encourage her. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I moved to New York fifteen years ago. Didn’t really have much interest in drawing at that time—vaguely interested, but when I found Threadless, this whole community of artists on the internet who help each other and bounce ideas off each other, and it was a way to make money,” says Nathan Pyle. In many of the episodes in Dan Harmon’s show Community, the character Abed is actually wearing a graphic tee from Threadless, a Chicago-based design company who crowdsource unique graphic tee shirt ideas. At the time, the company paid about $2,500 for beloved designs. “It took me a long time. I think I did 100 submissions, at least, before I got my first license. Before anyone purchased anything. But, in those 100 submissions, I was learning a lot, I was making friends. That was me creating, doing something at night, while I worked another job in the day.” Over time, Pyle learned more and more about designing. Eventually, this hobby helped pay about 20 percent of his income. Eventually, it completely took over and in 2021, Pyle teamed up with Dan Harmon to create Strange Planet for Apple TV. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Melanie Figg has been writing poetry since college. Since then, her poems, essays, and reviews have been published in more than 70 print and online literary journals. Her poetry chapbook 'Hurry, Love', was published in standard & fine arts editions, and her full-length collection of poems 'Trace', won the Many Voices Project competition, and Kirkus Reviews not only gave it a prestigious Kirkus-starred review but also named it one of the Best Indie Books of 2020. She also has received six awards for Excellence in Teaching from The Loft Literary Center, the University of Utah, and the Jerome Foundation, and she currently teaches workshops at The Writer's Center, Hugo House, The Loft Literary Center, as well as at regional book festivals and in private homes in the DC area. You can learn more about her classes and workshops here: https://www.melaniefigg.net/classes--workshops.html In this interview, Figgs talks about what inspired her to start writing and creating stories, what makes a good teacher, how she balances her work, finding time to write, how students find her and how she determines who she works with, why she likes being a coach and dealing with people's inner critic and procrastination. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Rich Cohen is a New York Times bestseller writer best known for his books 'The Chicago Cubs: Story of a Curse', 'The Fish That Ate the Whale: The Life and Times of America's Banana King' & 'The Adventures of Herbie Cohen'. His new book, 'When The Game Was War: The NBA’s Greatest Season', will be published on September 5th, by Random House. In this interview, Cohen talks about what inspired his writing style, why he doesn't stick to one topic, his new book 'When the Game Was War', his writing and editing process, writing about his father, his relationship with his editor, and tips for new writers. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jesse V. Johnson is a British film director, screenwriter, and stunt coordinator, who is most known for 'Triple Threat', 'Avengement" & 'Debt Collectors". In this interview, Johnson talks about why he started writing, what he looks for in a script, why he thinks the perfect ratio for action movies is reality plus %10 fantasy, why he doesn't like to have too many fight descriptions on his scripts, how to film action scenes the right way, and the most potent tool to have as a director. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“One of the only real skills that I seem to have cultivated is patience,” jokes screenwriter Ed Solomon. “Once you realize nothing is going to happen at the pace you thought it was going to happen at, trying to rid yourself of this notion of time and rush, allows you to deal with the constant let down of it’s not ready, more notes, or actors not available, or turnaround.” “That’s part of why I started to develop that I need to work on more than one thing at a time. But once you’ve been doing it long enough, you have all of these things that are one quarter through, an idea you’ve been noodling on for four years. That becomes your day to day.” Today, however, as of the publication of this article, screenwriters are just past the 100-day mark of the current Writer’s Strike. This is the first time, in a long time, that Solomon has had some time to sit and think on projects without deadlines, without accountability, but also without the next payday in mind. “I can never work on the same part of multiple scripts. I can’t be in the middle of one script and be in the middle of another script. That’s hard for me to jump back and forth between. What I do is, work on an outline, while rewriting something else. That kind of thing, I do very naturally.” Solomon says he would not advise the same advice to new writers. “It’s not as easy to jump around when you’re new because it’s so hard just to get through one, especially the first few. You have to get the muscle memory in, so when you get lost and feel like something is not moving forward, you stay with that feeling.” Look for this article on the Creative Screenwriting website and join Solomon’s next episode here: https://linktr.ee/wordbywordbl Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jordan Morris is an award-winning producer and director of films like Nintendo Quest and multiple festival Best Documentary winner, Missing Mom. He has worked on numerous films as an actor, production designer, art director, fabricator, location scout, set decorator, and screenwriter. Since 2013, Jordan has been creating and hosting popular seminars and workshops on screenwriting, and you can find his most recent programs and services on his website thescreenplayfactory.com. In this interview, Morris talks about his origins as a theater actor, when did he start taking writing seriously, working as a coach and the process he uses with his clients, why having mentors is crucial, the most important questions to ask yourself when building a character, the life and the death story model, and his advice for people who want to be professional writers. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

A former runaway teen mom is accidentally resurrected in her family's funeral home, giving her a second chance to raise her now-teenage daughter. This is the unusual plot behind Adult Swim’s series, Teenage Euthanasia. Alyson Levy and Alissa Nutting, the creators of the series, describe themselves as “late bloomers.” Both had roundabout paths in the business, exploring comedy and animation, until they had an opportunity to pitch the idea for this series. “This is the first show I’ve really owned the writing,” says Levy, “after working on ten series or so, leading up to this.” The series stars voice talents such as Jo Firestone, Maria Bamford, Tim Robinson, and Bebe Neuwirth. This show in particular was one that had to adapt during the pandemic. “It allows diversity in the room. Being able to have someone who is in London and someone in Boise and someone in New York — as long as everyone can agree on time. These things are now possible,” says Nutting. In an effort to create one of the first animated series made by women and do so during the pandemic, one goal for the show was to shine a light on unique voices in the industry. “It’s really hard to break through as an outsider,” says Levy. “It’s hard to be a weirdo. It’s harder to be a woman weirdo or a queer woman weirdo. Weirdo is a small lane, but there’s a community of weirdos. It’s about becoming part of that and connecting with others. I feel like us making a second season, we cleared that bar that very few women have cleared.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Brooks Elms is a screenwriter and independent filmmaker who has written over 25 screenplays, including one with Brad Peyton as Executive Producer, and one started by an Oscar-winning writer. When he is not writing, he loves coaching fellow writers who have a burning ambition to deeply serve their audiences. To learn more about his programs, check out his website brookselms-coaching.com. In this interview, Elms talks about what made him get into film and screenwriting, his work as a life coach for screenwriters, how his men's group changed his life, the biggest challenge of his job, changing mindsets to move forward and create personal and professional growth, and the most common obstacles writers face. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"I grew up playing soccer, basketball; multiple layer athlete, so I knew what I was able to learn, how coachable I was, the amount of teamwork I was able to give", says stunt woman Katelyn Brooke. "So I felt very confident that jobs were going to land, but I'm still a student. Always a student." In this interview, we talk about how she went from being in the music industry to doing stunts, how to train for certain stunts like getting hit by a car, the stunt community and the common misconceptions people have, keeping secrets as a stunt performer, and the lack of Oscar nominations for stunt actors. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"My nursery teacher called my parents and said to them 'You know, you should really take this kid to a drama school because he has something'", says actor David Gyasi. "My dad said 'I did not come to this country for my son to do concept' and we were quickly sent away to another school." In this interview Gyasi talks about what his parents thought of him pursuing acting, what motivated him and why he didn't have a safety net, working with Christopher Nolan, and his role in Interstellar and The Diplomat. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Amy Johnston is a stuntwoman, actress, and motion capture performer, best known for her work on Deadpool, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Suicide Squad. In this interview, we talk about what inspired her to start her career, her work in video games, problems that women face in the stunt industry, the backlash she has gotten for wanting to act while being a stunt performer, being introverted while in the industry and her work in 'The Mother'. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“When you are exploring with writing, particularly in the start, you don’t really know where your voice is going to go %100, so you gotta play around with a lot of things”, says author Olivia Hillier. “I’m obsessed with the female heroine, so that’s what all my stories are going to be like”. Olivia Hillier is an Australian Young Adult Author who writes Paranormal and Speculative fiction. She is mostly known for her ‘Shadow & Shifter Series’, the ‘Social Games Trilogy’, and for being the host of Writers Advice Podcast. In this interview, we talk about how she started as a writer, why she only writes for herself now, her books and her writing process, why she prefers to write series, her podcast, and how she markets herself. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Cheryl Lewis is a unique, multi-discipline performer on the stage and screen, member of SAG-AFTRA/AEA/AGVA/AGMA. She is a stunt performer, martial artist, fight choreographer, action designer, actor, dancer, circus aerialist, and puppeteer. In this interview, Cheryl Lewis talks about the difference between a stunt performer and a daredevil, how she actually instructs people to get hit by cars, the problem with diversity within stunts and stunt coordinating, and how to break into the industry today. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Michael Tennant grew up San Diego with a “disdain” for Los Angeles. “You’re taught the Dodgers are the devil,” he jokes. “LA is the worst. Don’t do this. But my brother did a play, I heard him get a laugh and that first hit of dopamine, I started chasing that. I liked the idea of performing.” In the early days, Tennant wanted to become an actor. “Good Will Hunting was a seminal movie,” he says. “These two guys just got together and wrote something? And Gus Van Sant is directing it? How did these guys do that?” Tennant says he somewhat lost track of that and focused on acting. “I got stuck in the linear idea of it for a while, but then I fell into producing.” While on set one day, a producer had lunch with Tennant and this somewhat led to work in development. “I saw the sausage getting made and it made me kind of sad.” Tennant adds, “I was watching people set money on fire, never their own but other people’s money, making movies for the wrong reasons and after a few years reading thousands of scripts, I thought I wanted to give writing a crack. Let me see if can do this.” Inspired originally by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, and more recently by the Duplass Brothers (see the speech, “The Calvary Isn’t Coming”), Tennant knew he needed to take his shot. “I keep asking other people — writers, directors, casting agents — to hand me this creative life that I want and no one is doing it. Why is no one doing it? Because you have to do it yourself.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I think it would have killed my career if I would have graduated from drama school and gotten all the lead parts and everything”, says actor Ólafur Darri Ólafsson. “I think that would have destroyed me because I really needed to just understand what we do.” Ólafur Darri Ólafsson is an Icelandic-American actor, producer, and screenwriter who is mostly known for ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’, ‘The Meg’, and ‘Severance’. In this interview, we talk about what made him get into acting, ‘Rainn Wilson and the Geography of Bliss’, why he doesn’t live in Hollywood, networking and friendships with other actors, and how he sees his career. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60 seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“When Everyone Leads it’s a book about how people — wherever you are in your organization, your community, your company, your family — how you can exercise leadership to make things better,” says author Julia McBride. Julia Fabris McBride is Chief Civic Leadership Development Officer of the Kansas Leadership Center. She is also a certified coach and co-author of two books, ‘When Everyone Leads’, and ‘Teaching Leadership: Case-in-Point, Case Teaching, and Coaching.’ In this interview, we talk about how theater helped her find her voice as a coach, the importance of soft skills in children, what true leadership is, and how we can make changes in our communities. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ali Siddiq got his start at an Open Mic in Houston, on Apollo night. In a fresh suit, like he had seen stand-ups on television wear, he “got boo’d” for the first time, his first time on stage. Two weeks later, in jeans and a tee shirt, he felt more relaxed and eventually started to host at this location. For his latest special, The NY Times writes, “In his eye-opening "The Domino Effect 2: Loss," Ali Siddiq, a revelation of a performer, adopts a different approach. Instead of self-aware jokes, he leans into stories that are easy to get lost in, especially with his jaunty, magnetic delivery.” In this interview, Siddiq talks about early influences, how he found his style as a storyteller, finding confidence and matching energy on stage, testing stories in the barbershop, how he remains prolific, the best advice he ever got from D.L. Hughley. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I don’t ever set out with a theme,” says author Dana Pettrey. “I’m gonna teach these or these is the lesson. I just write the story and where the characters land is where they land faith wise.” Dani Pettrey is the the author of ‘Coastal Guardians’ a book series that includes books like ‘The Killing Tide,’ ‘The Crushing Depths,’ ‘The Deadly Shallows,’ among others. In this interview, we talk about how to prepare yourself as an author, tips on overcoming writer's block, how she does research for her books, what makes her a Christian author in the marketplace, her writing process and how she writes characters.  Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I wanted to become a stuntman since I was eight years old,” Lauro “Lash” Chartrand-Del Valle told me. In this interview, Lash talks about his work behind Rumble in the Bronx, The Last Samurai, and Ninja Turtles - The Next Mutation. We also discuss how to break in as a stuntman, his work with Jackie Chan, how there was no script for Rumble in the Bronx, getting shot on a Chuck Norris movie two years before the Brandon Lee accident, training with Fumio Demura (The Real Miyagi), and how the stunt world is small and family oriented. In this interview, we also discuss Sharlene Royer. You can listen to her interview in Episode 413. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As an eight-year-old, Herbert James Winterstern would sneak downstairs to watch movies with his dad. These movies, classics like Planet of the Apes (1968), which inspired him to become a writer-director. In his latest film, Supercell, “A teenage boy runs away to follow his fathers footsteps, legendary storm chaser Bill Brody.” The film stars Alec Baldwin, Skeet Ulrich, and Anne Heche. In this interview, Winterstern talks about the obligation for directors to also be writers today, his partnership with Anna Elizabeth James, his experience as a storm chaser, why the profession is less dangerous than it seems, small budget blockbusters, and why he wanted to make a movie about storm chasers. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Award-winning filmmaker Robert Rippberger, filmmaker Devin Keaton, and business magnate Nathan Edwards have announced the groundbreaking of Ascent Studios, the soon-to-be largest film studio in North Carolina, amid the regions production boom. The state-of-the-art facility is located in Spring Hope, just a short drive from Raleigh, and spans on 200 acres of pristine land. The studio is being built by Nathan Edwards of Edwards, Inc., a trusted name in the region with over 35 years of experience as an industrial contractor. With an eye towards creating a world-class production facility, Ascent Studios is being built to the highest standards, with cutting-edge technology and expertly designed spaces for every aspect of film production, big or small. The landscape occupies dozens of picturesque exteriors for fields, forests, roads, barns, lakes, and manor shots. Ascent Studios will boast five production stages totaling 170,000 square feet, making it the largest film studio in North Carolina upon completion in late-2023. Productions that utilize Ascent Studios will receive a 25% tax rebate on qualifying expenses and purchases funded by the North Carolina Film and Entertainment Grant. In this interview, we talk about the origin of Ascent Studios in Spring Hope North Carolina, how they plan to collaborate with the studio in Wilmington, how tax incentives bring big movies to small towns, and what’s next for Ascent Studios. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’ve always been very interested in people. Originally, I wanted to study philosophy, but by accident, I stumbled into a psychology seminar,” said neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius. “I wanted to see how people behaved rather than thinking about how people behaved.” This led her to the study of neuroscience. Friederike is the author of ‘The Leading Brain’ and ‘The Brain-Friendly Workplace.’ The latter is a smart, science-based approach to retaining talent, finding better places to work, and making the world a better place. In this interview, we talk about how the body and the brain are connected, why sleep is a washing machine for your brain, the importance of movement and sunlight for your brain, how to break up your day for laser focus, why many deep thinkers feel drained in fast-paced jobs, internal diversity in the workplace, and ways to feel better both today and for your future self. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’d always been a big fan of the written word, from childhood, in different mediums,” says Maurice Williams. “Whether it be youthful song writing or my undergraduate degree in journalism. There’s just beauty in the creation, the alchemy of having nothing and then you have something, about writing.” In this case, the something from nothing is Entergalactic, an animated series about Jabari, a streetwear-clad artist on the cusp of success. The story is based on a location as much as it is a person, inspired by Kid Cudi, along with Williams, Kenya Barris, and Ian Edelman. “If I go all the way back, Maurice and I share this, which is why we make great partners, I think growing up as a TV kid, watching movies with my brother while our parents worked, I think even beyond that, it was growing up in New York City, going to public school and writing a bus and subway at a young age, you realize the greatest characters studies are in your backyard,” says Edelman.  Edelman packed many of these stories in his 2010 series How to Make It in America. The HBO series followed a group of 20-somethings living in New York City, and featured Bryan Greenberg, Lake Bell, Luis Guzmán, and Kid Cudi. “I wanted to tell stories about kids I knew who were leading interesting lives that were not the conventional movie, movie. We had a different way of looking at the world.” Listen to my interview with Kenya Barris in Episode 227 of the podcast. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“In the beginning, the two shows were very different, at least for me,” says Peter Gould, in regards to writing for Breaking Bad and then being the creator of Better Call Saul. “When we started Breaking Bad, when the Writer’s Room opened, Vince Gilligan had already shot and edited the pilot.” He continues, “We knew where the story began, but in a lot of ways, we were still discovering who Walter White was. There were some big surprises for us. Better Call Saul was a very unusual circumstance because we opened the Writer’s Room from what Vince and I had written, which was a two-page pitch of what the show would be, and it was a completely different show from the one you saw.” Better Call Saul, somewhat of a sequel, somewhat of a prequel, with flashes of never-before-seen Breaking Bad moments worked tremendously well thanks to a single question posed by Gould and Gilligan: “What problem does becoming Saul Goodman solve?” Warning: There are spoilers for Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul in this interview. And, the documentary I’m working on that Peter asked me about, you can find more info about here: https://www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I don’t know what made me want to be a writer, but I loved doing it a very early age,” says screenwriter David West Read. “I started making movies with my friends when I was in elementary school. I would have them over for sleepovers, then hand out out scripts.” Back then, the parodies were Jurassic Pork and David Read’s A Christmas Carol. “It’s something I gravitated towards. I thought for a long-time about doing something more stable and secure, something with a clearer path through University, but it was the thing I kept coming back to and the thing in my free time that brought me the most joy. I don’t know why we’re drawn to the things we’re drawn to, but I’ve been drawn to writing for performance for as long as I can remember.” If one were to only examine Read’s IMDb page, it looks like he came out of nowhere to land a job writing 28 episodes on Schitt’s Creek and then a showrunner credit for The Big Door Prize, but that’s certainly not the case. “I studied at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and then Julliard for playwriting.” One of the plays he wrote back then as a student, his teacher, who he somewhat apprenticed for, shared it with an agent and it was produced Off-Broadway. “[Theater] was so immediate. When you’re just starting out writing, the idea of writing a TV show or making a movie, it seems so out of reach. With stage writing, you can bring a few actors together, have them read it for a group of friends, and it already feels like a performance. It already feels closer to the finish line.” Read’s second play, The Performers, about the backstage at the adult film awards, went straight to Broadway. Read was still a student at the time. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Dana Stevens is a film critic for Slate and the author of Camera Man: Buster Keaton, the Dawn of Cinema, and the Invention of the Twentieth Century, a genre-defying work of cultural history based around the creative genius of the Great Stone Face. In this interview, we discuss the work of Buster Keaton, how the industry has changed for film critics, the letter she received from Roger Ebert at an early age, why you need to see as many movies as you can and some industry secrets for finding your voice today as a film critic. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was particularly interested in writing comedy,” says Paul Lieberstein, who is best known for playing Toby on The Office, but has writing credits for King of the Hill, The Drew Carey Show, Ghosted, Space Force, and now, Lucky Hank. “Some Woody Allen short stories and Steve Martin albums. In my twenties, I learned there was a whole industry there, and you can do that, because I had never met anyone who had done that.” Aaron Zelman, the co-creator of Lucky Hank, also realized he enjoyed writing at an early age, even though he didn’t feel he was particularly good at it back then. “It dovetailed with my interest in theater, acting, and improv. The more I did it, the more I wanted to be the one creating what I was doing.” Zelman’s additional writing credits include Law & Order, Criminal Minds, Damages, and The Killing.  Together, they have adapted Richard Russo’s 1997 novel, Straight Man. The novel can be described as follows: “William Henry Devereaux, Jr., is the reluctant chairman of the English department of a badly underfunded college in the Pennsylvania rust belt. Devereaux's reluctance is partly rooted in his character—he is a born anarchist—and partly in the fact that his department is more savagely divided than the Balkans.” The writers say the book is hilarious, but also very serious. “There are some darker, underlying currents of what defines the character of Hank and we didn’t want to shy away from that.” Lieberstein says, “Something we had to talk about a lot was the storytelling demands of the hour, like how little could we do. We just wanted to do people that are living, without soap stuff, or overarching concepts. We were stretching the boundaries of how little we could do, knowing we had an obligation to keep people interested.”  To find this balance, the writers say they rewrote every single episode about four times. “The thing that we kept coming back to, doing as little as possible, we didn’t want to implode bigger concepts. We didn’t want to throw in a murder. It was a challenge to keep the audience entertained without doing that stuff, but in my life, things feel pretty damn dramatic without a murder to solve. We wanted to have an audience go on that ride too.” To encompass all of this in one idea, the writers came up with the story driver: “The high drama of everyday life.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Diedrich Bader grew up in Paris, watching movies from Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Fred Astaire. Through some unique circumstances, he ended up performing as a Chaplin in front of a large crowd, getting a standing ovation, and he was hooked from then on to become a comedic performer. Diedrich has over 200 credits, a mixture of performances and voice work, including Office Space, Napoleon Dynamite, Veep, The Drew Carey Show, The Beverly Hillbillies, American Housewife, and most recently, AMC's Lucky Hank. This is one of three Lucky Hank interviews, so be on the lookout for my chats with actress Mireille Enos and creators Paul Lieberstein and Aaron Zelman. In this interview, we talk about Diedrich’s love for physical comedy, appreciation for child-like characters, how sitcom audiences have changed their viewing habits over the years, the scene that made him nervous in Lucky Hank, and his view on perseverance over the course of a long career. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Mireille Enos followed her brother’s footsteps into acting at an early age, which eventually led her to New York City to study acting. Today, she’s best known for The Killing, World War Z, Sabotage, Gangster Squad, Big Love, Hanna, and now, Lucky Hank. In the latest project, Lucky Hank, Mireille plays Lily, the wife Hank (Bob Odenkirk), an English department chairman at an underfunded college who toes the line between a full-blown meltdown and the offbeat chaos of his personal and professional life. This is one of three Lucky Hank interviews, so be on the lookout for my chats with actor Diedrich Bader and creators Paul Lieberstein and Aaron Zelman. We also discuss her work with Veena Sud, who can you listen to in Episode 94. In this interview, Mireille talks about dealing with rejection, feeling embraced by New York but not Los Angeles, scripts you feel like should be yours, the unusual trajectory of The Killing, using the camera as your witness, and advice for writers to create roles actors desperately want to play. And, if you haven’t seen Lucky Hank yet, there is a partially spoiler for Episode 4 around the 27:00 minute mark. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

George Tillman Jr. recalls going to see his first movie while at church summer school. “Ever since then, I caught the bug,” he told me. “I started off writing, but always considered myself a director.” This started with Soul Food in 1997.Thanks to this credibility, he was then able to make movies like Men of Honor, Notorious, Faster, and The Hate U Give. Now he’s back with another biopic, Big George Foreman. The simple description of the latest film is “the life and boxing career of George Foreman,” but it’s actually an underdog story that focuses on the two lives of the boxer, after George’s real-life religious transformation. In this interview, Tillman discusses making Soul Food and Men of Honor, working with Robert De Niro and Cuba Gooding Jr., sticking to your “why” as a filmmaker, the iconic movie brat pack, and how directors can find screenwriters to collaborate with. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Javicia Leslie was always a performer, whether that’s performing in front of family members or now, in front of millions of people. Today, she’s best known for starring in Batwoman, along with God Friended Me, Always a Bridesmaid, and Double Life. In her latest project, Double Life, the story “follows a widow who finds out from her late husband's mistress that his death was not an accident. Both women work together to unmask the truth behind the man they both loved.” In this interview, Javicia talks about Angelina Jolie and Oprah as role models, her love for martial arts, doing some of her own stunts or action scenes, the mysteries in her new film, and what she looks for in a new role. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Before getting involved with screenwriting and producing, Jemima Khan was a journalist for publications like Vanity Fair and The New Statesman. She’s best known for The Clinton Affair, The Case Against Adnan Syed, and American Crime Story. Her latest project, What’s Love Got to Do with It? Is somewhat of a twist in her career. The rom-com, which she wrote, takes place in London, where “an award-winning film-maker documents her best friend's journey into an assisted marriage in line with his family's Pakistani heritage. In the process, she challenges her own attitude towards relationships.” In this interview, she talks about getting the rights to complex true stories, her friendship with Monica Lewinsky, working on her first script for over a decade, writing fiction works that are part biographical, challenges for Indie films, and where to find the confidence to keep going as a writer. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. And, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Andrew Newman loves all things spiritual and creative. He’s written books for families - like ‘The Hug Who Got Stuck’ or ‘The Great Love of Rose and Thorn’ - to help parents connect on those hectic days of growing and learning. In this interview, we talk about “the web of sticky thoughts,” explaining complex ideas to children, characterizing “a hug,” the breathing meditations in the books, when to protect work from feedback, the importance of the last twenty minutes of the day, why he founded this independent book company, and the journey to selling 150,000 books. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a teenager, Joe Hart learned about Dale Carnegie from his father. As a young lawyer, he took Carnegie’s book, ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ to heart, eventually taking a course from the influential writer, which made him re-think his career and his future. These days, Hart is the President and CEO of Dale Carnegie Training. In addition to being a Dale Carnegie graduate, Hart worked closely with the company as a strategic partner for nearly 10 years. He attributes much of his success in business to the Dale Carnegie training he had early in his career. He’s also the co-author of Take Command with Michael Crom. The description reads, “Take Command offers powerful tools and time-tested methods to help you live an intentional life by transforming how you approach your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and future. Filled with stories of everyday people and based on expert research and interviews with more than a hundred high-performing leaders, Take Command gives you the strategies you need to unlock your full potential and create the life you want.” In this interview, he talks about Dale Carnegie being one of his first clients, delivering Carnegie’s principles to a younger audience, the importance of pursuing a stoic mindset, how obstacles can make you antifragile, the problem thinking too logically, and how to re-frame your mind for success. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Described as a “rambunctious child,” David Moscow started his acting career reading sides for ‘Stand By Me.’ While he wasn’t cast in this major film, in his second role, he was cast as Young Josh in the movie 'Big' (Older Josh, of course, played by Tom Hanks). Beyond his acting career, David found a passion around food. The series, From Scratch, “…follows actor, adventurer and urbanite David Moscow on his adventure of making meals from scratch. He teams up with various friends to hunt, gather, forage, fish, grow and then prepare and cook a meal.” The book by the same name is an effort to help us reconnect with food that sustains our lives along with “experiences taking place in over twenty countries that include milking a water buffalo to make mozzarella for pizza in Italy; harvesting oysters in Long Island Sound and honey from wild bees in Kenya; and making patis in the Philippines, beer in Malta, and sea salt in Iceland.” In this wide-ranging interview, the writers talk about producing ‘In The Heights’ from an unknown Lin-Manuel Miranda, creating digital ads for Bernie Sanders, the realities of making ‘From Scratch,’ making coconut moonshine, how the father-son co-wrote the book together, the problems with a physical distance in food production, and how to make career shifts based on your skillset. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Why do you think I get up everyday?” joked Stephen Covey, author of ‘The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.’ His daughter, Cynthia, had just asked him if he would ever write a book as good as the 1989 classic. The result? Live Life in Crescendo. Co-authored with his daughter Cynthia, Stephen Covey’s ‘Live Life in Crescendo: Your Most Important Work Is Always Ahead of You’ was the author’s mission statement in life. “Because you asked that, you have to help,” he told his daughter. In this interview, Cynthia talks about her promise to her father to finish this book after his passing, why you can contribute to the world at any age, the importance of living a life of service, why you can’t live life looking in the rear view mirror, and how to live life in crescendo. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Bill Bye, a self-described tinkerer, likes to make things. At an early age, he became a mechanical engineer, worked at Boeing, but was obsessed with comedy. When Warner Brothers had a Steve Martin lookalike contest, he entered the contest and won in the Seattle contest. Best known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, from his 1993 series, is a scientist and comedian who explored various aspect of science for young viewers. Now, along with co-creator Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy), he’s back with The End is Nye, a series to explore the myths and realities of natural and unnatural threats. In this interview, Bill talks about his origin story, the importance of listening as a comedian, how he partnered up with Seth MacFarlane, why humans are in charge of the earth now, and how to stay optimistic when facing overwhelming challenges. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“That’s the moment I realized how powerful words can be,” writer Cole Schafer told me. Cole lives by the phrase “Live fast, write often.” As such, he’s somewhat of an all-around writer, with multiple focuses, such as a blog, books, poetry, copy, and spoken word. In this interview, we talk about concrete imagery in Cole’s work, thinking in metaphors, why he recommends specializing but doesn’t do it, being inspired by Shel Silverstein, using the pen name January Black, the difference in craft writing and inspired writing and why you need to let the tigers through the door. In this interview, we also talk about Drew Birnie. You can listen to my call with Drew in Episode 390: https://on.soundcloud.com/L3EKJ Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Sharlene Royer got her start as a dancer in Canada when she was discovered for the film, The Adventures of Pluto Nash, as a stand-in for actress Rosario Dawson. The person who discovered her was stunt coordinator Alan Oliney (Mod Squad, Armageddon). In this interview, Sharlene talks about her lists of skillsets as a stunt woman, changes in the industry, the importance of relationships in the business, the importance of rest and boundaries, and why all stunts must be repeatable. This is a special interview associated with my first documentary, Daredevil Society, a series about the history of stunt performers, including everyone from Buster Keaton to Jackie Chan to Zoe Bell to Keanu Reeves. Learn more or become an investor here: https://www.daredevilsociety.com/docuseries Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

in ‘How Basketball Can Save the World,’ NYU Professor and Author David Hollander takes us out of the classroom to present a beautiful new philosophy with contributions by many of his past guests and based on values inherent to basketball, such as inclusion and the balancing of individual success with the needs of the collective. These principles move us beyond conflict and confusion toward a more harmonious and meaningful future: Positionless-ness: In basketball, players aren’t siloed into just one position or responsibility. In life, we can learn to be more adaptive to the challenges we face by embracing a positionless mindset. Human Alchemy: We talk a lot about team chemistry, but team alchemy means the creation of something totally new—a team far greater than the sum of its parts. Sanctuary: Basketball offers players a critical space to feel safe, free, and expressive. Fostering similar spaces in the real world can encourage people to be their best, happiest, and most productive selves. Transcendence: Basketball is about defying gravity, becoming weightless, and flying higher than anyone ever has before. By seeking out this principle, we can elevate ourselves and those around us to a new plane of experience. In this interview, Hollander talks about the need to encourage young writers, the dangers of AI for future generations of writers, his love for basketball, and of course, how basketball can change the world. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

In ‘When Your Mind Screams,’ filmmaker and lifelong personal growth enthusiast Christopher Glatis explores anxiety from the lens of a creative, demonstrating how anxiety makes us feel fearful and stressed in an effort to help, though it’s actually doing anything but. In fact, the instinct to run from anxiety’s uncomfortable sensations does more harm than good. Glatis explains how reworking your response to anxiety—not fighting it—is the key to recovery. In addition to discussing Christopher’s book, in this interview we also talk about using imagination for good and evil, how to find the low-hanging fruit as a filmmaker, why you don’t need permission to be a creative, advice from Steven Pressfield, and we talk some action steps on how creatives can deal with anxiety. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jesse Atlas is a writer/director that crafts high-concept, character-driven genre thrillers. His feature debut "Assassin" hits theaters in the spring of 2023. Previously, Jesse's mind-bending sci-fi short films "Record/Play" and "Let Them Die Like Lovers" have played at Sundance, Tribeca, Fantastic Fest and countless other festivals, racking up dozens of awards and accolades. Both films were picked up for feature adaptations, with "Let Them Die Like Lovers" evolving into "Assassin". Before making narratives, Jesse honed his skills as an editor of trailers, music videos, commercials, and documentaries. In this interview, Jesse talks about moving from theater to films, getting your foot in the door as an editor, influence from Martin Scorsese, fighting for attention with shorts, and why first-time filmmakers need to learn to write to make a name for themselves. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“We were interns together at A Band Apart Productions, which was Quentin Tarantino’s production company,” says Justin Halpern, about his partnership with Patrick Schumacker. “We worked in commercials and music videos…we never say Quentin, ever. Ever.” Back then, Halpern wanted to be a screenwriter and Schumacker wanted to be a commercial and music video director. “I always enjoyed writing, but I think I was more passionate about communicating through visuals, or words being secondary. That’s perhaps too reductive, but I think that’s why we make a good pairing.” As writing partners, the duo have credits for $#*! My Dad Says, Cougar Town, iZombie, Harley Quinn, and Abbott Elementary. “I come at ideas from a visual or aesthetic place and Justin comes at it from more of a character or psychological place. It works for us.” “We started out feeling like we both had to do the exact same job. We wrote stuff together. We directed together, on the side, when we still had day jobs. But when we got our own show on the air, we felt like we needed to be this two-headed entity performing the same tasks. But now, we’ve developed a system to divide and conquer.” Halpern spends the bulk of his time in the Writer’s Room focusing on story breaking. Schumacker floats between the Writer’s Room and set to oversee the filming process. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

From an early age, Nic Brown was interested in writing and playing the drums. If you listened to 90s alt rock, you’ve probably heard the song “What I Didn’t Know” from a band called Athenaeum, which Nic helped form while he was just in the 8th grade. These days, Nic is a professor at Clemson and the author of three novels. That said, somewhat haunted by his previous musical life, he decided to write about it in a new memoir called 'Bang Bang Crash.' The description reads, “A rock and roll drummer abandons his successful music career to pursue his true passion and discovers a deeper understanding of artistic fulfillment in this episodic memoir of swapping one dream for another.” In this interview, Nic talks about creativity as a process, focusing on what inspires you creatively, the pros and cons of writing memoir, physically removing yourself to recharge, and how he’s somewhat comes back to the drums. Read an excerpt called “The Yips” right here: https://oxfordamerican.org/web-only/the-yips-excerpted-from-bang-bang-crash-a-memoir Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I think if you’re a writer, you’re just hard-wired to be one,” said author C.J. Box. As a kid, C.J. said he would imagine his name on the shelves of the library as different Librarians gave him more and more difficult books to read. C.J. Box is the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of more than thirty books, including the iconic Joe Pickett series. His latest book, Storm Watch, Wyoming Game Warden Joe Pickett investigates a mysterious death at a secret remote high-tech facility in this riveting new novel. In this interview, C.J. talks about journalism as a training ground for novel writing, getting his first novel published at age 40, how the inverted pyramid is somewhat missing today, working with agents, and how he does research including a potential grizzly bear book. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Watching movies, reading graphic novels, going to DisneyLand… these things made a heavy influence on Chris McKay, the Director of films like Robot Chicken, The Lego Batman Movie, The Tomorrow War, and now, Renfield. Nicholas Hoult stars as Renfield and Nicholas Cage plays Dracula. The description reads, “Renfield, Dracula's henchman. and inmate at the lunatic asylum for decades, longs for a life away from the Count, his various demands, and all of the bloodshed that comes with them.” In this interview, McKay talks about why animation is like “making a film in slow motion,” why every step in your career is an education, the importance of trusting your gut to the right opportunities, his involvement with Dungeons and Dragons, and when to “jump on the moving train” as a filmmaker. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

'One Day as a Lion' stars Frank Grillo, Scott Caan, and J.K. Simmons. The plot reads, “Jackie Powers will stop at nothing to prevent his son from following him into a life of crime. With his mob employer in pursuit, a chance encounter at a roadside diner charts a new path.” In this interview, John talks about working with Frank Grillo on four films, what enticed him about his script from Scott Cann, how he gets movies made, why directors have to decide how much they’re willing to compromise, and how to shoot big action on an Indie budget. Listen to our first interview with John Swab on 'Body Brokers' here: https://on.soundcloud.com/wLi7i Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Anna Katherine Clemmons has always loved writing. Anna Katherine (Clemmons) Clay is a freelance writer and an Assistant Professor of Practice in the Department of Media Studies at the University of Virginia. She is a 17-year veteran writer, reporter and producer for ESPN, where she wrote everything from 5,000-word features for ESPN’s Outside the Lines to technical breakdowns for ESPN the Magazine. In addition to her continued ESPN work, Anna Katherine has written stories for numerous publications, including: The New York Times, Glamour Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, USA Today, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, Bleacher Report and more. In this interview, she talks about bringing a different perspective to sports journalism as a woman, how to make people care about sports from a human perspective, avoiding reverse pyramid as a journalist, and how to share your willingness to succeed. Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was an economics major and I thought I was going to get into investment banking,” says Lee Sung Jin (who also goes by Sonny Lee). “Didn’t feel right at any point of my entire college career,” jokes the screenwriter. “I was really flailing about, unemployed, temping a lot, and I had gotten into the NBC page program.” If you’ve ever seen 30 Rock, this is somewhat the same job Kenneth the Page had, giving studio tours for $10 an hour. “That was my first glimpse into the entertainment industry. I loved TV and movies, as we all do, and I thought, why not give it a go?” Lee taught himself screenwriting through reading books and blogs. “I started staying in most weekends. When you find your passion, you can’t help but keep working at it. So, in my early twenties, I discovered this might be a career path.” Today, Lee has credits on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Outsourced, 2 Broke Girls, Silicon Valley, and Dave. Most recently, he’s the Creator of the Netflix dramedy series, Beef, that stars Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, Maria Bello, Andrew Santino, and David Chow. The simple plot reads, “Two people let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action.” Want more? Steal my first book, Ink by the Barrel - Secrets From Prolific Writers right now for free. Simply head over to www.brockswinson.com to get your free digital download and audiobook. If you find value in the book, please share it with a friend as we’re giving away 100,000 copies this year. It’s based on over 400 interviews here at Creative Principles. Enjoy! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My father’s life was a very visible one,” says writer/director Timothy Scott Bogart, son of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, the co-founder of Casablanca Records. “That was my playground. I grew up, literally backstage at these concerts.” Neil Bogart signed such artists as Donna Summer, George Clinton, KISS, the Isley Brothers, the Village People, and Gladys Knight. “The storytelling I saw being done as a child was infectious. Everything that they did was creating something beyond just the music. I just fell in love with it.” At the age of 12, Timothy’s father died. Perhaps looking for a creative outlet, he actually wrote his first screenplay at this young age. “It was terrible,” he jokes, “but it was 120 pages, it actually had a beginning, middle, and end. I think all of it was an escape. I got lost in the fantasy and loved making little movies and writing little stories.” Timothy credits “being exposed to that extraordinary visual world [his father] created” as the foundation for what led to his career as a Producer, Screenwriter, and Director. “Almost everything I did had somebody struggling with loss,” he says in hindsight. I kept doing stories about other things, but ultimately, they were about children struggling with the loss of a parent.” Only a year or two after the death of his father, Timothy recalls people “banging on the door trying to get the rights” to his father’s life story. The family wasn’t ready to share this information. They turned down Broadway musicians, television shows, and movies. “As I started looking at this as being something I wanted to do with my life, I took on the mantle of being responsible of being the guy saying ‘No.’ Part of that was, I didn’t know what it was.” After decades of pondering what the story could be and how it might be best represented, Timothy decided to take on the responsibility himself, as the writer and director of Spinning Gold, the story of Neil Bogart. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

While working at a restaurant in Boston, as somewhat of a chef’s apprentice, Matt Ruskin decided he really wanted to pursue film. Coincidentally, the Manager of the restaurant knew Darren Aronofsky. One phone call later, Ruskin was interning on Requiem for a Dream. “It was the first movie I ever worked on it,” says Ruskin. “Just to be around such an incredible group of filmmakers and learn from them. After that, I was really bit by the bug and I knew I had to find a way to do this.” Thanks to his willingness to be an apprentice — as a chef and filmmaker — doors opened up for the filmmaker. “I never sat out to be a screenwriter. I did that by necessity, which is a big part of how things work in the independent film world. You do whatever you have to do to get something made. But, I think running right at the thing you want to do is smart. I wish I did more of that earlier.” “By spending a year in a kitchen and not in a theoretical environment, I learned pretty quickly what the reality of that business is. I realized I put more pleasure in cooking for four people at home, rather than four hundred at night. But I also try to make people my mentors.” When it comes to finding mentors, Ruskin says, “If you tell people what you want to do but you know you need to start at the lowest level, they’re willing to give you that opportunity to be around and try and earn that experience.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Fascinated by Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, Tim Roth and a friend auditioned for Dracula Spectacula. Despite being terribly nervous during the first performance, Roth fell in love with the pursuit of acting. “I was utterly terrified and then I loved it,” said the actor. Known for Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dogs, Rob Boy, Lie to Me, and Planet of the Apes, Roth has starred in over 100 films and shows. His latest film, Punch, from writer-director Welby Ings, follows a young man preparing for his first professional fight as he starts to rethink his life after tangling with a gay Maori boy who lives in a shack by the beach. In this interview, Roth talks about staging a performance in character at an early age, films for love versus films for money, why people forget gentle characters, and what inspired him about the story for Punch. Want to learn more about Magic Mind? Visit www.magicmind.co/playpen and use code playpen20 to save 20 percent! If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was not destined to be a writer,” said author Annette Lloyd. She discovered the work of silent film star Harold Lloyd at age 17 and has since written about her “hero” in a multitude of books, including ‘Harold Lloyd - Magic in a Pair of Horn-Rimmed Glasses.’ Part of the description reads, “From birth to death, Harold grew and evolved because of the things that were happening around him, and he was always aware of the importance of those events, the turning points that fashioned the magic: the coin toss that got him to California; meeting a fellow extra at Universal by the name of Hal Roach; creating his revolutionary Glasses Character; a death-defying bomb accident; not allowing his films to be aired on early television; [and] winning his Oscar.” In this interview, Annette talks about working with James Robert Parish, writing about subjects that consume you, how false truths become published facts (and how to correct this), the backstory behind the Safety Last! stunt, and how being a historian is like being an archeologist. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Michael Maren started his career as a journalist in Africa. Inspired by movies like The African Queen, Jason and the Argonauts, and Beau Geste, Maren followed an unclear dream, eventually learning to write, getting a book optioned by HBO, and then coming back to the US with a passion for filmmaking. Based on the book, Shriver, A Little White Lie stars Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson and Don Johnson. The description reads, “When a handyman living in New York City is mistaken for a famous and famously reclusive writer, he's brought to a university where he is to deliver a keynote address to save the school's literary festival.” In the interview, Maren talks about the connection between journalism and screenwriting, advice from Milos Forman (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), how to find a narrative through line, working with Michael Shannon, and how he bought the rights to Shriver for only $100 dollars. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Scott Andrew James is an instant poet. About ten years ago, Scott felt disconnected from the world, which led him to poetry, thanks to the advice of his wife. Now, he’s written over 10,000 instant poems in the last decade. In fact, in this episode, Scott actually creates an instant poem on the spot. The subject? We discuss an idea from Seth Godin about the Icarus Myth. Daedalus says to Icarus, "Don't fly too high, but more important, don't fly too low. If you fly too low, the waves will weigh you down and you will perish." In this interview, Scott talks about advice from Chris Guillebeau (The $100 StartUp), how he wrote 1,000 poems in a year, why he prefers to use an old typewriter he inherited from his grandfather, the difference between the tortured artist and the playful trickster, and how to push yourself to that which is unexpected. Note: since Scott is creating on the spot, this interview is more conversational in nature and less edited. Learn more about Scott here: https://www.scottandrewjames.com/ If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

When James Traylor and Max Collins found out that they were both writing a book about author Mickey Spillane, they decided to collaborate rather than compete. For the first time ever, Traylor and Collins have completed the first biography on Spillane. The description reads, “Beginning in 1947 with I, the Jury, and continuing with his next six novels, Spillane quickly amassed a readership in the tens of millions, becoming the bestselling novelist in the history of American publishing. Surrounded by controversy for the overt violence and suggestive sexual content of his iconic Mike Hammer private eye novels, Spillane was loathed by critics but beloved by his readers.” In this interview, the writers talk about the ups and downs of Mickey’s life, how the Mike Hammer character led to Jack Reacher and countless other other characters like James Bond, some mysterious parts of Mickey’s life, the paperback revolution, and this forty year overnight success of writing this book. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was a rugby player and a ballet dancer,” said Lesley Paterson, triathlete and co-screenwriter of the Oscar nominated All Quiet on the Western Front. Dabbling in acting and producing, it wasn’t until she met her eventual writing partner Ian Stokell that she felt like screenwriting could be a path to a career in filmmaking. “To be able to act, you have to be able to write and produce your own films,” Stokell tells her. “Well that makes sense,” she says. “So that’s when I got into the writing side of things.” Having read the novel in high school, she was intrigued by the idea of adapting the iconic novel. It’s remarkable to think of Paterson writing an Oscar-nominated screenplay and training as a triathlete, but it’s because she views both as one and the same. “I get up early. I’m an early person. Not everyone is, but we do know that there is a neuroscience of the brain from training.” Paterson, along with her husband Simon Marshall, PhD, have written extensively about these topics in their book, The Brave Athlete. “You have more motivation in the morning,” she says. “There’s a part of your brain that processes emotional and physical pain and that tires out later in the day.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Honestly, I pursued acting and standup at the same time, but I never really got as many opportunities in acting. In standup, you have a little more control over your own destiny,” said Jim Gaffigan, one of the most well-known comedians alive today. “But also, the most fulfilling characters to portray, end up being dramatic roles. So, over the years, finding creative fulfillment in stand-up, writing, or acting, I selfishly choose the things that are the most rewarding,” said Gaffigan. “The roles I turn down, I know from experience, aren’t going to be as rewarding.” Past the point of “dying to be in a movie,” Gaffigan has found his own niche as “a partner in the creative process.” This was perhaps most clear while working on The Jim Gaffigan Show in 2015 and 2016. That experience inspired him to know look for the type of person he needed to make each episode a success. “It’s been an evolution. Obviously I love getting laughs, but playing Cameron and Kent in Linoleum, there’s a different level of fulfillment and complexity that is more rewarding than being in a screwball comedy.” Linoleum, written and directed by Colin West and co-starring Rhea Seehorn (Better Call Saul), the story follows the host of a failing children’s science show who tries to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage. “This movie presents these questions, like what is success, what is the true meaning of life, what are we trying to accomplish? There’s part of me that thinks this movie is just a big love story. When we talk about other people, we can see selflessness and longevity as beautiful, but when we look at it ourselves, we don’t necessarily see that.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Brian Gatewood and Alessandro Tanaka met in the Graduate program at Columbia Film School. Gatewood says, “We weren’t friends. We didn’t really hang out, but we had our first screenwriting class together and we liked each others’ writing.” “We started to talk and found we had an uncanny similarities in terms of taste, what movies we liked, writers we liked, and in our second year, we started to write together.” Working on scripts and sharing beers, just for fun, the writers eventually found a path to make a career out of their partnership. “Slowly, we stopped drinking as much as started writing more,” jokes Tanaka. “That’s how our partnership evolved.” Today, they’re known for The Sitter, Comrade Detective, Dice, Superstore, and the new Apple film, Sharper. Described as “a con film in reverse,” the new movie stars Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Sebastian Stan, Justice Smith, and Briana Middleton. The mysterious description reads, “Motivations are suspect, and expectations are turned chaos, as a con artist takes on Manhattan billionaires.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Growing up, I thought I would be either a professor of cultural anthropology or a non-fiction, long-form writer, but then I fell in love with cinema.” Combining these childhood dreams into one career, Sara found herself behind the camera on films like The Last Season, The Seer and the Unseen, and most recently, Fire of Love. In college, Sara was active in economic justice groups and saw a documentary about “the ravages of free trade in Jamaica” that combined “grandiose academic ideas” and delivered it in “human terms.” She said, “These emotional colors, so to speak, were the marriage of politics as well as art, that really moved me.” This is also known as the Mother Teresa effect, which many charities think about today when creating messages for people to act upon. The idea comes from Mother Teresa herself, who said, “If I look at the mass, I will never act. If I look at the one, I will.” Research behind this shows us that people give me to a single person charity (emotional) than to a larger cause, where they are give stats (analytical). Sara thinks about these types of things when sharping projects like Fire of Love. The description for her latest project reads, “Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.” As a storyteller, she sees all of this as one job. “It’s kin to religion for me. Connected to the world. A feeling of humanity. The questions that ignite my mind. Different types of jobs in service of the same thing: creating meaningful stories of impact.” And for Sara, this means a deep passion for the work, but also a strong team of animators, writers, and editors around her. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I grew up watching horror films,” Christopher Landon said. “I started at a pretty early age, inappropriately so, probably when I was about six. And, I was just obsessed. It was never a doubt or question it was what I was going to do.”  Landon followed the traditional route, making shorts in high school, working internships as a young adult, and pursuing the path to screenwriting. “The great benefit to the internship, which I would credit for the writing side of my career, is that I exposed to so much material, both good and bad.” This education eventually led Landon to write horror movies such as Disturbia, Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse, Viral, Happy Death Day 2U, Freaky, and five films in the Paranormal Activity Franchise.  “Script analysis inspired me to write. Any free time I had, I would sit and write and write and write. When I finally decided to step out into the world, I had spec scripts to show people. It was how I got my first job. I made a short, did a festival circuit, and a producer saw it and asked me if had anything.” Landon gives this advice to anyone trying to break in today: “if you can write, write. That is you controlling your own IP. That is you having a ticket to getting in front of people and that’s critical.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Drew Birnie was in the middle of a PDH program in neuroscience when he started working with Mark Manson. “That came out of left field,” he told me. Manson initially hired Birnie as a researcher to help the author “synthesize” complicated ideas. These days, Mark Manson is one of the most famous authors alive thanks to 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.' Birnie has been with him since the early days and currently overseas website content, SEO, and email. In this interview, we talk about being curious by nature, blurred responsibility lines with small teams, why he enjoys being a generalist, how they set up Manson’s premium account for the website and the problem with today’s market encouraging creatives to “niche down.” If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a child actor, Jason Woliner knew he wanted to be a Director. He started with a mini DV camera and set out to make a feature for Sundance. He dropped out of college, convinced a few friends to join him, and ended up making a “long student film.” The 97-minute “terrible, horrorible” project taught him a great deal about filmmaking. Over the years, Jason has worked with Patton Oswalt, Aziz Ansari, and Jon Benjamin. He’s Directed Parks and Recreation, New Girl, Nathan for You, and Last Man on Earth. Most recently, Jason has created the unusual mini series, Paul T. Goldman. The description reads, “One man's efforts to uncover the truth thrust him into a labyrinth of fraud, deception, and criminality that transform him ‘from wimp to warrior.’” Like Borat, it’s a mixture of real and unreal, focused on one unusual character. In this interview, Jason talks about his love for specific comedies, why he generally avoids “for hire” work, how he found a unique niche in the comedy industry, working for “real laughs” during a pitch, and how to execute on unique ideas to find the “best, funniest version.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Most people don’t know stand up is an indigenous art form to the states,” said Mohammed Amer. “It’s jazz, hip hop, and stand up comedy, as far as I know, which are the three indigenous art forms to the states. I saw stand up live the first time when I was ten years old and that was a moment of complete clarity for me, what I was destined to do.” Amer, who goes by “Mo Amer,” said he didn’t understand how profound that moment was until years later. “That has truly helped me filter so much pain in my life. To be expressive in a room full of strangers, to have my own expression, my own freedom of thought, whether it’s a story or observation, it created a balance in my life.” As an actor, Mo played Karim in the latest Black Adam film, and has also appeared on Ray and Crashing. These days, he’s best known for stand up work, such as Mo Amer: The Vagabond and Mo Amer: Mohammed in Texas. But he’s also starring in the series he wrote for himself, Mo, for Netflix. “I had to educate myself, learn the craft, and I fell in love with it. Then I saw the landscape of what Hollywood was at the time and knew I was ahead of myself. From the future. The only Mohammad from the self, doing stand-up pre-9/11, so my reaction from the audience was very good but also very curious.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Gabe Liedman got his start doing stand-up. Because people were familiar with his voice, he started getting writing jobs on shows like Inside Amy Schumer, Kroll Show, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, PEN15, Broad City, and Big Mouth. In this interview, Gabe talks about branding yourself with sexuality, not being fearful about your comedy, how TV shows misrepresent the writers room, why movements are stretched in network television, and how there’s freedom in “hand-crafted projects.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’m pretty sure that what started me writing was reading,” said Branden Jacob-Jenkins. “I was always bookish and I remember a day when I read something and thought, ‘I don’t think that was good’ and realized maybe I could do it better. Maybe I could tell stories.” As a teenager, Branden wrote short stories, fiction, poetry, and everything in between. He entered some young writing workshops, then found his way to other “film nerds” who he thought were the “cool kids.” Through fiction, he started to find his voice. These days, Branden is mainly known as a playwright, but following the success of people like Beau Willimon (House of Cards) and Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl) who made the jump from stage to silver screen. So when his agents asked if there were ever a TV show he would want to create, what might that be, Kindred was the answer. “I had re-read Kindred for about the fifth time in my life and I thought that it could be a TV show.” “It became this Moby Dick for me for like ten years while I was chasing the rights,” he said of the new series. “Finally, it all slowly came together.” The description reads, “A young aspiring writer discovers secrets about her family's past when she finds herself mysteriously being pulled back and forth in time to a 19th century plantation.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The Peabody and Emmy winning production company has signed a multi-year production commitment overall deal with Netflix, with a first-look component for projects developed by Irony Point, encompassing stand-up comedy, sketch, variety, alternative formats and more. Alex and Daniel will serve as executive producers on all projects.   In this interview, Alex and Daniel discuss their projects like Inside Amy Schumer, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson, Ugly Americans, and That Damn Michael Che, among others. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I started as an artist,” said Darren De Gallo. “In the back of my mind, I wanted to be an animator, so I got a job at Dreamworks as a PA in the story department. I was thrown in the deep end of a company that was just starting.” Darren pursued acting not long after, then did some work as a storyboard artist, and then started writing. While pursuing these roles, he met his future wife Amy Adams (Arrival, Enchanted). “It was my wife that pushed me to write this script.” In Sam & Kate, “a son returns to his small hometown to take care of his ailing father.” The movie stars Dustin Hoffman and his real-life son, Jake Hoffman, along with Sissy Spacek, and her real-life daughter, Schuyler Fisk. In this interview, Darren talks about shadowing Mike Nichols and Joe Wright, conversations with Spike Jonze about character, how he creates his look books, being open to all ideas, and why creators need to be grateful for stress. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I played in shitty scream-o bands. I was in the radio club in high school,” said Brandon Dermer. “My friends and I made comedy videos that played in the morning announcements. I always wanted to be creating.” Getting some attention from shorts in college, Brandon won with a fake trailer that led him to an internship and job in Los Angeles. Soon after, he was working on music videos for Major Lazer, Panic! At the Disco, and Diplo. Today, Brandon is best known for directing the series What Would Diplo Do? and his latest film, I’m Totally Fine. The description reads, “A woman in mourning who takes a solo trip to clear her head after the death of her friend. However, Vanessa's self-care vacation plans change when she's met with a situation out of this world.” In this interview, Brandon talks about his friendship with Jon LaJoie (Taco from The League), why he’s always looking for new collaborators, doing more than film school requires, working for Comedy Central, quality through quantity, and advice for getting noticed today. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Having been in acting class for as long as I did, you learn the vocabulary, how different actors approach character and that gave me a foundation. One of the things I love about Directing is what actors respond to…” Clare Niederpruem is best known for directing holiday movies for the Hallmark Channel, such as You Light Up My Christmas, The Christmas Bow, Holiday for Heroes, One December Night, and A Royal Corgi Christmas. Because of this talent to show movies with “Christmas in every frame,” Clare was approached to direct a less traditional Christmas movie. In Christmas with the Campbells, “Jesse (Brittany Snow) gets dumped right before the holidays by her boyfriend Shawn (Alex Moffat), his parents convince her to still spend Christmas with them, and Shawn's handsome cousin (Justin Long), while Shawn is away. In this interview, Clare talks about making Hallmark movies, working with Vince Vaughn on a raunchy comedy, following your inner voice as a female director, why young creators have to constantly prove themselves and the difficulties of filming on location. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Wednesday, for us, from concept until now, has been a three and a half year journey,” said Alfred Gough. “We came up with the initial idea which was teenage Wednesday Addams in boarding school. We had to track down the rights and then we pitched it to the Addams Foundation.” As screenwriters, Alfred Gough and Miles Millar are known for Shanghai Noon, Smallville, I Am Number Four, Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Into the Badlands. Their latest creation is perhaps most similar to the creation of Smallville, the Superman origin series. Listen to our conversation about Into the Badlands in Episode 52. Miles Millar said, “Tonally, this is in the pocket of Smallville. Often times, the studio comes to you, but this time, it was our idea. We put together a 15-page series treatment with photographs, descriptions, log lines for episodes, and that led to a meeting. We had to do the legwork, write the spec treatment, but we felt passionate about the project and fell in love with the idea of doing this.” “From there, we wrote the first episode, that’s when the pandemic hit. We sent the pilot script to Tim Burton’s agent, even though his agent said he’s never been interested in television,” he continued, “but the agent liked it and sent it to Tim. Four days later, we got a call, he loved it and wanted to meet.” Tim Burton told Alfred Gough and Miles Millar that he “loved the script” and “would have dated Wednesday Addams in high school.” They shot the series in Romania about a year later. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I loved movies. I wanted to be on set. I wanted to be in the mix,” said Noah Segan, who is perhaps best known for being in every Rian Johnson movie (Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Breaking Bad, Knives Out, Star Wars - The Last Jedi). Currently, Noah is the star-writer-director of Blood Relatives. The story follows “a vampire's loner lifestyle is thrown into disarray when a teenager shows up claiming to be his daughter, and she's got the fangs to prove it. On a road trip across America's blacktops, they decide how to sink their teeth into family life.” In this interview, Noah talks about lessons from Rian Johnson, his love for genre filmmaking, why actors like short scripts, why screenwriters struggle with over-exposition, and how writers can fast-track their stories with bullet outlines. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I made a fake trailer as a collage project — a remake of the shoemaker and the elves, with these evil puppets — and I think that’s when I realized I didn’t need to describe my process.” This led him to becoming a film director. Finnegan is best known for Vivarium (Imogen Boots, Jesse Eisenberg) where “a young couple looking for the perfect home find themselves trapped in a mysterious labyrinth-like neighborhood of identical houses.” His most recent project, Nocebo (Eva Green, Mark Strong) is about “a fashion designer suffering from a mysterious illness that puzzles her doctors and frustrates her husband, until help arrives in the form of a Filipino carer, who uses traditional folk healing to reveal a horrifying truth.” In this interview, Finnegan talks about doing his own visual effects early in his career, why he hates “smash cuts” in screenplays, why some directors hate “over description,” how novice filmmakers can make interesting contained thrillers and how to make a good movie with the budget you have. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I wanted to be an actor at first,” said Harry Bradbeer. “Then I was directed with some great directors in school and the way they would direct us on stage made me start to see things in frames and shapes, then I directed a play. One day I just took a left turn and made a film.” As a Director, Bradbeer is known for working on Killing Eve, Ramy, and Fleabag. But after he landed the job of directing Jack Thorne’s Enola Holmes screenplay, he fell in love with the character and started writing the story for the sequel. In Enola Holmes 2, Harry is the Director and has a story by credit for the film that gives writing credit to Thorne (The Aeronauts, Wonder) once again. The description reads, “Now a detective-for-hire, Enola Holmes takes on her first official case to find a missing girl as the sparks of a dangerous conspiracy ignite a mystery that requires the help of friends - and Sherlock himself - to unravel.” “Films sort of crept up on me and grabbed by the throat when I wasn’t expecting it. American films from the 70s — Chinatown, Midnight Cowboy, French Connection, The Exorcist — those four movies just obsessed me. The level of reality of cinema at that time made me excited about portraying veracity. It turned me off of theater actually. I wanted to take the camera to the streets.” This led to somewhat of a natural interest in television, where character-based stories live. “I started working on cop shows that were shot like a documentary or legal shows about kids living in a f flat. They weren’t bright and shiny, but gritty in real. I felt completely in my zone there. It was about performance and speed of work.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Psychology professor William Indick was teaching theories of personality when he realized his students simply weren’t getting it, so he started doing film analysis in his classes to explain these dense topics with examples from the silver screen. This led to a handful of books including Psychology for Screenwriters, Movies and the Mind, Psycho Thrillers, and Ancient Symbology in Fantasy Literature. “I wrote a book about film analysis and then Ken Lee suggested I do the same thing, but flip it. Instead of analyzing films, take these ideas from films and project them onto screenwriters. You can use these techniques other filmmakers use in your films to make more psychologically complex characters.” These books are meant to showcase an art rather than a science. “Analysis is an art. It’s the art of interpretation, so there is no truth in analysis. Psychologically is largely a philosophical field, so the attempt to make it scientific has merit but those merits are not apparent in the filmmaking process.” Indick’s first book, Psychology for Screenwriters, is about to have a 2nd edition published. “The first edition was about taking these classic theories — from Freud, Erikson, Jung, Campbell, Adler, May — and applying these to the process of screenwriting.” Each chapter uses films to explain psychology. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I used to be a professional horseback rider and professional horseback rider trainer,” said Mali Elfman. This all changed when one of her students — Missy Stabile (Ghostbusters, The Fault in Our Stars) — told her she would make a good Producer. These days, Elfman is known for being a producer, a writer, and director. In her feature debut, Next Exit, stars Katie Parker and Rahul Kohli. The plot follows “Two unhappy strangers find themselves on a road trip across the U.S. to partake in a scientist's radical experiment with the afterlife.” In this interview, we talk about being present both with horses and on set, making 31 short films for Halloween (Fun Size Horror), how to sneak drama into genre, why she believes in ghosts, and why she wants to “spread some blood all over the place” in her next horror film. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My socialization was by television,” said Steve Black, “the television of the 70s and 80s. As a lawyer, Blackman really wanted to be a writer, so following the “write what you know” model, he wrote an original pilot called The Young Attorneys. Over the past two decades, Blackman has written for shows like Wild Card, Bones, Las Vegas, Private Practice, Fargo, Legion, and Altered Carbon. He’s also the creator behind Netflix’s Umbrella Academy. You can listen to our first conversation in Episode 233. In this interview, Blackman talks about everyone writing West Wing scripts back in the day, pitching David E. Kelley in a lobby, how he landed on Fargo, where he starts the research phase, how to flex writing muscles, and why writers have no limitations. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Thomas Jane got his start by working on sets in high school, when one particular teacher inspired him to step on stage and giving acting a shot. These days, he’s known for ‘The Punisher,’ ‘Boogie Nights,’ ’The Mist,’ ’Deep Blue Sea,’ ’The Thin Red Line,’ and ‘Hung.’ Most recently, he’s starred in two films under Director K. Asher Levin (Episode 368) called ‘Dig’ and ‘Slayers.’ In Dig, “A widowed father and his daughter whose house is up for demolition, are taken hostage by a dangerous couple, who won't stop until they retrieve what lies beneath the property.” In Slayers, “A group of superstar influencers are drawn to a reclusive billionaire's mansion only to find themselves trapped in the lair of an evil vampire. The only way out is to be saved by a famous online gamer and an old school vampire hunter.” In this interview, Thomas talks about training with a vaudeville actor named Ralph Tabakin, why you can’t have a Plan B, why he loves genre, co-writing his comic book Bad Planet, and the problem with cancel culture taking over the independent voice. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As an actor and martial artist, Scott Adkins is known for starring in Avengement, along with the Undisputed Series and the Accident Man series, including the latest film, Accident Man: Hitman’s Holiday. Adkins has also been featured in Day Shift with Jamie Foxx, the Ip Man series, American Assassin, and will soon be in John Wick 4 alongside Keanu Reeves. Adkins also hosts The Art of Action, a stuntman interview series on YouTube. In this interview, Scott talks about co-writing films he wants to get made, influences in action, working with the Kirby Brothers, the problem with shaky cam, and what it means to be an entrepreneur in the stunt world. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

David Weiner originally moved to Los Angeles to get involved with filmmaking, where he mostly worked as Assistant Director. Soon after, he started writing and found journalism, where he worked for Entertainment Tonight, The Hollywood Reporter, and he even ran the Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine. There, Robin Block recruited him. Listen to the first chat with David back in Episode 294 of this series. In this episode, we talk about the third film in the Darkness franchise, lost horror films nobody talks about anymore, foreign horror movies, heavy metal horror in the most recent installment, what we can learn about indie horror movies today, and how they create content for fans between projects. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I started out as a field geologist and then I became a land-claim negotiator,” said Kim Hudson. “All of it very masculine, very linear, I would say, and then I had children and thought, ‘what do I authentically want? It was the 70s and women were doing ‘everything man can do’ but that changed when I had a child.” During this discovery phase, Hudson found a book by Julia Cameron called The Artist’s Way. The book, which was meant to “help people with artistic creative recovery” according to the description, was a major stepping stone in Hudson’s career. “I was diligent. I did everything [in the book] twice — all twelve weeks.” “Those years I spent in geology, that’s basically a hero’s journey,” said Hudson. “You’re facing fear, learning to take on challenges and conquer your own fear, and take action anyway. That was my understanding of what life was supposed to be. I got that from Father who was one of those guys.” This led Kim to write her book, The Virgin’s Promise: The Virgin’s Promise demystifies the complexities of archetypes and clearly outlines the steps of a Virgin’s Journey to realize her dream. Audiences need to see more than brave, self-sacrificing Heroes. They need to see Virgins who bring their talents and self-fulfilling joys to life. The Virgin’s Promise describes this journey with beats that feel incredibly familiar but have not been illustrated in any other screenwriting book. It explores the yin and yang of the Virgin and Hero journeys to take up their power as individuals, and includes a practical guide to putting this new theory into action. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Folk tales, fairy tales, mythology, the past…I’ve always been interested in that,” said writer/director Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse, The Northman). “I don’t entirely know why. I’m more interested in that subject matter than I am in films, maybe, in the end.” The same is perhaps true for Robert’s writing partner, Sjón, an internationally acclaimed Icelandic author who published his first book of poetry at the age of 16. Sjón said, “When I was growing up in Iceland in the 70s, there was no cinema. But if we had had filmmaking at the time, I think I would have seen that as an option.” The two met thanks to a chance encounter at a party in 2016 at the singer Björk’s home. “She invited us to dinner and said she was going to invite her friend Sjón, who she thought I would get along with.” Over home cooked salmon at Björk’s home, the two connected immediately. At the time, Robert had just premiered The Witch (also written as The VVitch), a New England folktale about the 17th Century. “Oh, I’ve just written a novel that takes place in the early 17th Century Iceland and features witchcraft and sorcery. So obviously, we realized we had something in common.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Finn Jones has wanted to be an actor for as long as he can remember. “It’s inherently been a driving factor of my life,” he told me, along with his early journey into film and television. As an actor, Finn is best known for starring as Danny Rand in Iron Fist and on Game of Thrones as Loral Tyrell. He’s also been in Swimming with Sharks, Dickinson, and Sleeping Beauty. Most recently, Finn starred in a film for Blumhouse called The Visitor, which was directed by Justin P. Lange. The plot reads, "After a series of tragedies, Robert moves with his wife back to her childhood home. After he discovers an old portrait of a man who looks like him, he goes down a rabbit hole to discover the identity of this mysterious doppelganger.” In this interview, we talk about Finn’s film work, how he originally learned camera work, what it means to have “blind faith” as an actor, working with creative role models, and how he survived failure from Netflix’s Iron Fist. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I’m a bit of a film brat,” said K. Asher Levin, who grew up in Los Angeles and has always had family in the business. Currently, he’s best known for screenwriting and directing, with films such as Dig, Slayers, and Helen’s Dead. In Dig, “A widowed father and his daughter whose house is up for demolition, are taken hostage by a dangerous couple, who won't stop until they retrieve what lies beneath the property.” In Slayers, “A group of superstar influencers are drawn to a reclusive billionaire's mansion only to find themselves trapped in the lair of an evil vampire. The only way out is to be saved by a famous online gamer and an old school vampire hunter.” In this interview, we talk about applying a voice to genre, the balance of levity and gravitas, the freedom of the Indie market, directing with a cynical eye, creating idealistic villains, and how to work with actors long-term. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was obsessed with comedy writing as a kid,” said Nicholas Stoller. “I remember watching Saturday Night Live and not wanting to be the actors, but wanting to write the sketches. I don’t even know how I knew that was a job.” As a screenwriter, Stoller has credits for Fun with Dick and Jane, Yes Man, Get Him to the Greek, The Muppets, Sex Tape, The Carmichael Show, Night School and Bros, many of which he also Directed, including Neighbors and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. “I’m excited Bros is going to be theatrically released, but a weird thing happened a few years ago where [studios] were like, ‘Comedies don’t work in theaters.’ Which is not true. Judd [Apatow] always says, ‘If The Hangover came out this weekend, it would make a billion dollars.’” For whatever reason, studios just stopped making as many theatrical comedies. They’ve instead gone to television, limited series, and leaned in to action comedies for a broader, global appeal. “I love going to see comedy in the movie theater. You get to have that experience with an audience, laughing and reacting.” “People say it’s a business first, but it’s not run like a business. If anyone thought about it like a business, there’s a huge hole in the comedy department.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I just love storytelling,” Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, in regards to how she got involved with screenwriting. “I loved writing as a kid. I wrote children’s books. I loved telling stories. I loved putting on shows in my living room. At more core, I love storytelling and the theater of it.” As a writer, Jennifer’s credits include the TV series Sweet/Vicious, and the movies Someone Great, Unpregnant, Do Revenge, and Thor: Love and Thunder. “I like playing in different genres, but what I do lean towards are stories about women and stories about trauma, told in entertaining packages.” “The sweet spot, in terms of the stories I tell, is finding these emotional stories and putting them in these heightened environments.” In her premiere series, for example, Sweet/Vicious was about two vigilantes in collect who wanted justices for campus abuse. The “guttural” idea was “what if Quentin Tarantino wrote Girls? What would that look like?” This idea excited her and stayed with her. When she sold this script, she had about ten years of experience meeting people and “trying to figure out where there’s a crack in the door where I can open the door further to step through the door.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Dennis Lehane grew up in a storytelling, bar culture. For him, storytelling was in his blood. Family would gather every week, telling stories of the Old Country. “I think I just grew up in the thrall of that,” he told me. “I wrote my first novel when I was 15.” As an author, Dennis is known for Mystic River, Shutter Island, and The Drop, all novels that have been turned into films. In addition to novels, he’s written for The Wire, Boardwalk Empire, Mr. Mercedes, The Outsider, and most recently, Apple’s Black Bird. In this interview, the author-screenwriter talks about being exposed to violence, what it means to be ceased by an idea, why he outlined Shutter Island but none of his other novels, his friendships with Stephen King and David Simon, and why good television can actually be trickier to write than novels. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was a comedy nerd kid,” said screenwriter John Hamburg. “Then I got a video camera for my 15th birthday, and I started making short films. In college, I started writing plays and monologues. Then I got serious about writing.” As a playwright, Hamburg said he learned the importance of writing and re-writing to the process. Eventually this led him to Film School and then a string of iconic comedies, like Meet the Parents, Zoolander, Along Came Polly, I Love You Man, Night School, and Me Time. In the latest film for Netflix, Hamburg is both the writer and director. The plot follows a dad (Kevin Hart) who finds time for himself for the first time in years while his wife and kids are away, so he reconnects with an old friend (Mark Wahlberg) for a wild weekend. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I can’t recall what got me into screenwriting, other than just loving movies at a very young age,” said screenwriter Matt Wolpert, who recalls watching Singing in the Rain and Funny Girl with his mom. “I don’t remember wanting to do anything else.” This led Matt to NYU Film School, where he met Ben Nedivi in a Film Production Class. “I grew up in LA,” added Ben. “My father was a set decorator and he worked on Quantum Leap. Our garage was filled with props from that show,” he joked. “Every episode a different era, location, so it was a place my sister and I would get lost in—make believe.” Ben summarized both of their childhood stories: “There’s no way I’m not doing this.” As they started to write together, eventually found themselves in staff for shows like Entourage, Fargo, The Umbrella Academy, and most recently, For All Mankind where they’re listed as Creators along with Ronald D. Moore. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was a queer kid and I didn’t really have a vocabulary for that — I don’t know what was ‘wrong’ with me — but I had this sense I wasn’t right for the world exactly as it was around me,” said screenwriter Will Graham. “So I think stories, movies, TV, comic books, novels…they were a place I could escape and process what was happening to me.” Graham continued, “I think that’s the impulse that brought me to making things. The idea of taking people somewhere outside the space of their normal lives that’s special. Not just giving them a fun adventure but something they can take back with them.” These projects include Movie 43, Alpha House, Mozart in the Jungle, and the new series A League of Their Own. The latest series is a comedy about the WWII All-American professional women’s baseball league. The ensemble stars Abbi Jacobson, D’Arcy Carden, Chanté Adams, Molly Emphraim, and Nick Offerman. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My dad used to take me to the movies every weekend,” said James Morosini, who is also the nephew of actor Christopher Reeve. You may have seen James as an actor in The Sex Lives of College Girls or American Horror Story, but he’s also known for writing and directing in films like Threesomething and I Love My Dad. About fifteen years ago, James and his dad were not really talking and when he got home one day, he had a friend request from a pretty girl. But, this girl turned out to be his dad. This is the kernel of an idea behind his latest film, which also stars Patton Oswalt, Lil Rel Howery, and Rachel Dratch. In this interview, James talks about emotional truths in filmmaking, what it means to have narrative authority, how pitching is like poker, and how to say ‘no’ when you don’t feel 100 percent on a project. Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“There were always supposed to be four seasons,” said showrunner Chris Mundy. The final season of Ozark was originally going to be ten episodes, but when Netflix up’d the ante to fourteen episodes, there were several changes in the series. Normally, this interview series goes more into the habits of writers, but in this special episode, we really go into the weeds about Ozark Season 4, making heavy decisions in terms of plot and character, and what alterations were made in the final season. You can also listen to my first interview with Chris Mundy in Episode 160: https://soundcloud.com/creativeprinciples/ep160-chris-mundy-screenwriter-ozark-criminal-minds-hell-on-wheels Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/CreativePrinciples?sub_confirmation=1 If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

When asked why she got into writing, screenwriter Bisha K. Ali joked it all started with a “teacher who gave [her] too much validation.” She said, “I wrote a short story when I was 8 and the teacher made me read it to the class. They were wondering who this kid was who had been sitting in the corner for the past six years.” This early validation, along with a family and cultural love for storytelling from her British-Pakistani background, is “fundamentally” a part of her. “Then, also the fact that I was an indoor kid raised on television and movies. That was my obsession as a child. I just didn’t know there was space for me until I got older.” Despite being a quiet kid, Bisha didn’t see herself as introverted, just “indoors.” So moving from solo projects to the Writer’s Room wasn’t particularly overwhelming for her. “I don’t know the tI’m an introvert necessarily, just an uncool kid,” she joked. “I think I feed off the energy of other writers a lot. Being in the Writer’s Room is the best. It’s more fun when you’re not the head because you’re just pitching ideas and that’s fun and exiting. When you’re the head, you have to figure out all of it.” “Even know, if there’s an opportunity to dip into a Writer’s Room, it’s the best. I love that environment. But then I also need five days of nothingness. So I need both.” As a screenwriter, Bisha is known for Sex Education, Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019), Loki, and creating the new Marvel series Ms. Marvel for Disney Plus. “It’s always been about storytelling for me, in one form or another.” We also talk about Moon Knight in this interview. Listen to my interview with Jeremy Slater here: https://soundcloud.com/creativeprinciples/ep351-jeremy-slater-screenwriter-marvels-series-moon-knight?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUux6BkhC-dtP4Vj1GcgMA If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I needed to make a change in my life,” said Andy Siara about the origin of his screenwriting career. “I was in a band with my brother for a while and we decided to call it a day in 2012. He was making responsible adult decisions, so I thought I had to do that too, so I applied to the only school that didn’t require the GRE.” Two weeks later, Siara was enrolled at AFI. “To hedge my bets, I applied to the producing program and the screenwriting program,” he joked. “I stayed up all night writing my first screenplay and I got into both programs—so I decided to do screenwriting.” Andy refers to this as the non-romantic version of his path into screenwriting, but if you go back a little further, the real fascination came when Andy was a 7-year-old and his dad took him to see Jurassic Park. “Oh, okay, this is what I gotta do now,” he said. “I saw that like nine times that summer and developed a true love for movies and then TV in the early 2000s.” Today, Siara is best known for his work on Lodge 49, the movie Palm Springs, and the recent series The Resort. “In order to not hate myself the rest of my life, I knew I had to at least try it,” he said of screenwriting. “I had to back myself into a corner and try it.” Andy’s work is all very unique in nature, giving him a signature for the unusual quite early in his career. His most recent project, The Resort, has been described as “one foot on the banana peel and the other in the grave.” It all goes back to a short story he wrote around age 12, called “Stuck in the Past.” Subscribe for video interviews on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUux6BkhC-dtP4Vj1GcgMA If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Joshua Sprague is an avid reader obsessed with mindset and productivity. In his first book, SMASH!, the author talked about breaking through productivity barriers thanks to advice he learned from six and seven-figure infopreneurs. We also discuss Joshua’s battle-tested 30 Day Book Writing Challenge, and a little about his upcoming book Create First, Consume Second, which is about a 25-minute daily ritual to make you richer, happier, and more creative. www.createfirstconsumesecond.com In this interview, Joshua talks about creating leverage to do less and make more, skiing and throwing dynamite for $12 an hour, how a mentor inspired him to write a book in 21 days, what it means to be obsessed with offers, and some of his secrets behind an infopreneur business. You can follow Joshua on Instagram (@JoshuaJSprague) to get access to his books and courses. If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“My dream was to become a film director,” said Hwang Dong-Hyuk, writer/director of Netflix’s Squid Game. “It’s a long story, but at first I wanted to write books or become a poet. I knew I wasn’t good enough for that, but in 1992, my mom bought a video camera so I could use it. I think that was the most fun thing I’ve done in my life, so I knew I wanted to become a film director.” Hwang Dong-Hyuk is also known for his work on The Fortress and Silenced. The Fortress takes place in 1636, when King Into hides in the mountains to avoid being part of the Qing Dynasty. In Silenced, a hearing-impaired deaf student is sexually assaulted by members of the faculty. Squid Game, the 9-episode series which has received 14 Emmy nominations, is much different from Hwang’s earlier work. The story follows hundreds of cash-strapped players who accept a string invitation to compete in children’s games. Inside, a tempting prize awaits, but so do deadly stakes in this survival series. “In 2008, I was trying to write a project and the project failed,” said Hwang. “I couldn’t get an investment, so -- tired and broke — I went to Comic Book stores or Comic Book Cafes as we call them in Korea, and I read a lot of comic books about survival games and gambling.” Get the TV Screenwriter Masterclass NOW for $1: https://www.scriptmastermind.com/television If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Rick Dugdale was a child actor in Canada who later found a path as a Producer, thanks to his work on The X-Files. Now, he’s a Producer and Director for the upcoming Zero Contact trilogy. The first film, shot in the pandemic, stars Anthony Hopkins, Sam Hart, and Trevor Williams. The thriller was produced in 17 different countries entirely virtually during 2020. Zero Contact will be followed up with Zero Contact: Pole to Pole and Zero Contact: The Reset. In this interview, Rick talks about “International appeal,” how he defined the limitations for a pandemic film shot on Zoom, what it’s like to virtually direct a film, and the logistics of this complex and shifting process to create a production guideline for this shoot . If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I never saw myself as a writer per se,” said author Karla Fuller, “but I loved film and discovered film while I was an undergraduate. I was looking for books that were interesting to me and I couldn’t find them. I thought I was going to have to write it myself. I found that I had a lot of say about it.” And that’s exactly what she did. Karla R. Fuller is known for two books: Hollywood Goes Oriental: CaucAsian Performance in American Film and Do the Right Thing: Five Screenplays that Embrace Diversity.” In this interview, Fuller talks about black films not about Civil Rights, the problem with cosmetic changes in scripts, how to be respectful of culture with consultants, and what it means to be universal through the specific. We also reference an interview with Black-ish screenwriter Courtney Lilly who appeared on the podcast in Episode 340, Weiko Lin who appeared in Episode 331, and Eugene Ashe who appeared in Episode 290. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“It kind of grew out of Normal People,” said Lenny Abrahamson about his new series Conversations with Friends. Both stories come from Irish author Sally Rooney. “It seemed very obvious having gone through the adaptation in episodic form. We learned how best to work with Sally’s material and we all felt like Conversations should be a series.” The series are listed as Normal People premiering in 2020 and Conversations with Friends premiering in 2022, but the process was a little more overlapping for the writer/director. “We were cranking up with breaking the episodes while Normal People was still not out in the world.” Normal People “…follows Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other's romantic lives.” Conversations with Friends is about “…two Dublin college students, Frances and Bobbi, and the strange and unexpected connection they forge with married couple, Melissa and Nick.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about making limited series instead of films, how he carried on the Normal People style, why he dislikes the Syd Field method, and what he’s learned working on adaptations. Listen to my first interview with Lenny back in Episode 229. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Molly Smith Metzler spent 15 years writing plays before stepping into television work. Around 2015, she got a job on an HBO limited series from Director Steve McQueen, which unfortunately wasn’t picked up. As a writer, Metzler is known for working on Orange is the New Black, Casual, Shameless, and Maid, where she’s also the creator. In Maid, the story follows Alex Russell (Margaret Qualley) as she tries to flee an abusive relationship with Sean Boyd (Nick Robinson). As a young mother, she finds work cleaning houses and tries to provide for her child despite the odds being stacked against her. In this interview, Metzler talks about her transition into television, her advice for climbing the ladder in television, advice from John Wells (ER, The West Wing), and how she pitched such a difficult subject matter to Netflix. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“The answer always goes back to Jaws,” said Jeremy Slater, when asked about why he got into the business in the first place. A movie he saw too young, it changed the way he saw movies and he knew he wanted to grow up to play with “giant, rubber sharks.” Slater’s rubber sharks came in the form of The Exorcist, The Umbrella Academy, Fantastic Four, and most recently, Marvel’s Moon Knight for Disney Plus. In his latest project, a six-episode series starring Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke, “Steven Grant discovers he's been granted the powers of an Egyptian moon god. But he soon finds out that these newfound powers can be both a blessing and a curse to his troubled life.” In this interview, Slater talks about smuggling exciting ideas into IP, writing words meant to be spoken and read, what it means to write Hard PG-13, and how he created six versions of Moon Knight. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Both Vanessa Bayer and Jeremy Beiler were involved with sketch groups at an early age. Working together at Saturday Night Live, Jeremy as a writer and Vanessa as a cast member, the two eventually found their way into their own lanes of comedy. In their latest collaboration, I Love That for You, the story follows Vanessa’s character, Joanna Gold, who overcomes childhood leukemia to achieve her dream of becoming an on-air host for a popular home shopping network. In this interview, the duo talks about their time at Saturday Night Live, why you can’t be too exact or precious in comedy, their mutual obsession with home shopping networks, and what it means to be ready for success. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Judd Apatow is perhaps best known for work in the film world, writing movies and television like The Ben Stiller Show, The Larry Sanders Show, Freaks and Geeks, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Pineapple Express, Funny People, and This is 40, among others. But he’s also known for mentoring rising stars, such as with Lena Dunham for Girls, Pete Holmes  for Crashing, Amy Schumer for Trainwreck, and Pete Davidson for The King of Staten Island. Somehow, between all these projects, he’s also created documentaries about George Carlin, Garry Shandling, Darryl Strawberry, and The Avett Brothers and published books of interviews called Sick in the Head. The thread through all of these avenues, however, is comedic storytelling. “It’s like a tuning fork, where it’s fun, it also services all of my other writing and all of my other projects,” he said about stand-up, specifically in regards to his 2017 special, The Return. “You really feel like you understand the audience and you’re taking in information on an unconscious level of how to be funny.” In this interview, Apatow talks about writing comedy movies today, how to make voice-driven films, lessons from making documentaries, audience validation, and his new book Sicker in the Head.

As a kid in England, Joby Harold was obsessed with movies like The Magnificent Seven. The Great Escape. Star Wars. Jaws. These movies inspired him to find his way into Hollywood and “go for it” as a screenwriter. Today, he’s known for King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Army of the Dead, and he’s got credits on upcoming films The Flash and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. For this interview, we discussed the new mini-series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. In this interview, we talk about lanes of genre, Samurai and Western influences in Star Wars, the “Daddening” of Hollywood’s most iconic characters, how to write for both studios and filmmakers, and how to build off what you’ve inherited for tent pole franchises. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Originally, Riley Stearns wanted to be a musician, but as he started to visit sets, he knew screenwriting could be his “in” to filmmaking. Today, he’s best known for being the writer-director of ‘The Art of Self-Defense’ and ‘Dual.’ In ‘The Art of Self-Defense,’ Jesse Eisenberg stars as Casey, a young man who gets attacked on the streets and decides to join a local dojo. In ‘Dual,’ Karen Gillan stars as Sarah, a woman opts to clone herself after she receives a terminal diagnoses, but once she survives her ill fate, she learns she must duel her clone to the death. In this interview, Riley talks about taking short films to festivals, mimicking Quentin Tarantino and Edgar Wright to learn the format of screenwriting, the blessing of misplaced confidence, and how he developed his dark comedic style. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“As a kid, I escaped into movies. Some movies inspired me to do something great. Some movies made me re-look at my life. Some movies made me long for love,” said Gigi Gaston. As a director, Gigi Gaston is known for her work on Rip It Off, The Nanny Murders, Fatal Memory, and most recently 9 Bullets, which stars Lena Headey and Sam Worthington. In this interview, Gigi talks about her mentorship with George Cukor (My Fair Lady, Gaslight) who told her “you will learn in the doing,” her early life as an Olympian, and how a mugging led to her career as a Producer. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Mike Roe always wanted to be a storyteller. Currently, he’s a writer for LAist, where he covers arts and entertainment. In one viral article, “Werewolf Bar Mitzvah from 30 Rock: an Oral History” Mike was approached to write a book on 30 Rock. In The 30 Rock Book, Mike interviews over 50 of the original cast members, crew, and critics. He discusses how the goofy show became an all-time classic, including who shaped the series like Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Donald Glover, who was a writer on the show. In this interview, Mike talks about jokes for one percenters, his obsession with creative ideas, how to write a book while keeping your day job, how he and his wife co-wrote spec screenplays, and surprising themes in The 30 Rock Book. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The son of Indian immigrants, Jimmy Soni grew up with his nose in a book. In high school, he was writing for the school paper. Today, he’s known as the former managing editor of The Huffington Post and is currently an author. Jimmy first published A Mind at Play about Claude Shannon, a mathematician and “the father of information theory.” His latest book, The Founders, uncovers the story of Paypal and includes interviews with Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, among others. In this interview, Jimmy talks about elegantly crafting history, his obsession with non-fiction, the logistics of his interview process, why all writers are entrepreneurs, how digital marketing has evolved beyond publishing, why writers are craftsmen not artists, and advice for writers with newborns. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“When you see things that young, they tend to be tattooed on the brain,” said author Ric Prado. “The first firefight I saw, I was seven years old.” Black Ops is a memoir by “the highest ranking covert warrior to lift the veil of secrecy and offer a glimpse into the shadow wars America fought since Vietnam.” In this interview, Prado talks about his life as a legendary CIA officer, the responsibility he felt to America as an immigrant, how he went about publishing CIA secrets and his views on taking calculated risks both in missions and in life. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I found that I really liked writing about human beings. I found I could apply my approach to anything,” said author Ian O’Connor. “I don’t feel like I write about quarterbacks and center-fielders and shooting guards as much as I write about human beings.” Ian’s most recent focus is Coach K. Mike Krzyzewski is a five-time national champion at Duke, the NCAA's all-time leader in victories with nearly 1,200, and the first man to lead Team USA to three Olympic basketball gold medals. This book is the unauthorized, yet definitive biography. In this interview, Ian talks about his mentor David McCraw, his view of what it means to be a reporter and columnist, why he writes in chronological order, and how he chooses subjects, including Bill Belichick, Derek Jeters, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“It wasn’t until acting and improvising that I really started writing,” said Brian Petsos. As a performer, he transitioned into writing and directing. Brian met Oscar Isaac early in his career and Isaac has been in all three of his films, including Ticky Tacky, Lightningface, and most recently, Big Gold Brick. His first feature, Big Gold Brick, is a story about Samuel Liston and his experiences with an enigmatic middle-aged father of two who enlists the writer to write his biography. In this interview, Brian talks about his friendship with Oscar Issac, how he moved from shorts to a feature, how writing naturally gets bigger over time, advice from Andy Garcia, what it means to make a cerebral comedy and how film is actually two different businesses. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Courtney Lilly’s writing credits include Invader ZIM, Arrested Development, Everybody Hates Chris, My Boys, The Cleveland Show, and Black-ish. In this interview, we go Ito the weeds about writing comedy, uncover the rhythms of a television, talk about universal needs in stories, discuss the writer’s room, and talk about the legacy of Black-ish as the series wraps up. You can also find more info on Black-ish when we spoke with Creator Kenya Barris in Episode 227. Both of these interviews are available on the Creative Screenwriting website. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep339 - Chris Sheridan, Creating SYFY’s ‘Resident Alien’ “I always wanted to be a writer, but I didn’t know what type of writing I wanted to do,” said Chris Sheridan, who originally thought he wanted to be a journalist until he discovered screenwriting in college. “It immediately clicked.” Sheridan’s writing credits include shows like Living Single. Titus, Yes Dear, Family Guy, and most recently Resident Alien. But, he wasn’t always thinking about a path in comedy. “I hadn’t considered comedy but one of the bartenders I worked with said he assumed I would do comedy. I had never really thought of it.” The story of Resident Alien follows a crash-landed alien who takes on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor. The adaptation is about a character dealing with the moral dilemma of why he was sent to earth, which was to destroy the planet. Sheridan’s attachment to the IP came after he started to make a shift towards drama. “Probably 8-9 years ago, I wanted to do cable drama, so I wrote a drama spec pilot that I went out with. I didn’t sell it, but I opened up that world and had to prove myself as a drama writer.” In this interview, Sheridan talks about character-based comedy, how to get un-pigeonholed as a writer, what it means for actors to police language, being respectful to IP, and advice for getting noticed today. Look for my interview with Alice Wetterlund who plays D’Arcy on the show in Episode 333 of the podcast. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Moses Storm was doing a show in the back of a comic book store when he was discovered by one of Conan O’Brien’s booking agents. Moses, along with Chris Redd (Episode 334), was asked to come improv a special show with Conan O’Brien. Over the years, Moses and Conan have become close friends where they’ve performed together and were Moses has done sets on the series. Currently, Team Coco are producing Moses’ new special for HBO MAX, ‘Trash White.’ In this interview, Moses talks about his background riffing with the audience, advice from Conan O’Brien, complications being a writer with dyslexia, how comedy is therapeutic, and how to find your voice as a comedian. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Christopher Riley and Kathy Riley met Coleman Luck, screenwriter of The Equalizer, who challenged them to an interesting idea: find the defining moment of a character. As a screenwriter, Riley has spent his life creating these moments in characters for the big screen. Now, he’s written a book on The Defining Moment to help other writers uncover these wounds and gifts that create character. In this interview, Riley talks about defining moment practices, how to start to discover yourself on an emotional level, what it means to write a satisfying story, and how to write “givens” for actors. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Mike Sielski began his career following the woman’s basketball team as a sports writer at La Salle University. As a sophomore, he realized he could write a sports story in the same way he wrote his English papers, and he was hooked. Currently, Mike works for the Philadelphia Inquirer and has published books such as ‘How to Be Like Jackie Robinson,’ ‘Fading Echoes,’ and most recently, ‘The Rise: Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality’ In his latest book, the story follows Kobe Bryant’s origin story which actually began in Philadelphia. With a focus on Kobe’s early life, Mike pitched the book as “Batman Begins for The Black Mamba.” In this interview, Mike talks about structuring sports stories for the newspaper, his lucky encounter with a mentor early in his career, how he uncovered never-before-heard interviews with a 17-year-old Kobe Bryant, and three pieces of advice for novice writers. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Films from the 70s really stayed with me,” said Tim Kirkby, Director of ‘Last Looks,’ ‘Action Point,’ ‘Fleabag,’ ‘Veep,’ and ‘Brockmire.’ His latest film, ‘Last Looks,’ stars Charlie Hunnam and Mel Gibson. The story follows a disgraced ex-cop who has a quiet life until he’s forced to return to his former life as a private eye to investigate a murder. In this interview, Kirkby talks about his fascination with storytelling, the difficulty of transitioning from television to films as a Director (particularly in England), commercials and music videos, what feeds you as a Director and the importance of good instincts. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I met with a guy and he gave me a show that was terrible,” began Chris Redd. “I went back to my talented friends who don’t do terrible comedy and said, ‘We should make a version of this.’ We kept jamming on that shit and there were four different versions, but it eventually became Bust Down.” Redd is known for his work on Saturday Night Live, Popstar, and Joker. His talented friends include Sam Jay (SNL, Pause with Sam Jay), Langston Kerman (South Side, Insecure), and Jak Knight (Big Mouth, Black-ish). The show they created is called Bust Down, a Peacock original that follows four casino employees in a dead-end job in middle America who want to find self-worth within their bad ideas. “This show, in a beautiful way, has also tracked our evolution as artists,” said Langston. “What would have been the show, years ago, would have been real bad. And now it’s pretty good.” Combining comedy styles from shows like South Side, SNL, Big Mouth, and everything in between the writers found their own unique tone with Bust Down. In this interview, the writer-performers talk about finding voice, misconceptions of comedy, the importance of story, their initial pitch for the show, and advice for writers trying to break in today. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Alice Wetterlund started her career with improv and stand-up. As a comedian, she’s performed on shows like Conan. As an actress, she’s best known for her roles on Space Force, New Girl, Silicon Valley, and most recently as D’Arcy Bloom on Resident Alien. Resident Alien stars Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, and Corey Reynolds. The plot reads: A crash-landed alien takes on the identity of a small-town Colorado doctor and slowly begins to wrestle with the moral dilemma of his secret mission on Earth. In this interview, she talks about finding her voice on stage, improv versus stand-up, her start in commercial acting, how luck factors into any career, acting within character, her private radio show for the cast, and how established archetypes can do anything. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I have been writing screenplays since I was 13 years old. I have been writing for a long, long time, back before there even were screenwriting books,” said Neal Marshall Stevens, who has 45 writing credits on IMDB (and many more unlisted). “I think I bought an old Star Trek episode, which was totally inappropriate as a screenwriting guide,” he joked. “You could order screenplays back then, but they were written after the fact so they were not at all useful.” Stevens is a graduate of NYU and began his career as a consultant and story editor for Laurel Entertainment. One of his first jobs included the pilot to the syndicated series Monsters. The veteran writer is also known for working on The Vernon Johns Story, Precious Victims, Stephen King’s The Stand, the Puppetmaster series, Hellraiser: Deader, and Dark Castle’s remake of Thirteen Ghosts. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Weiko Lin’s writing comes from a place of pain, but also a place of fear. He was already a professional screenwriter when his mother passed away, but since this monumental moment, his work became more authentic as it changed his views on writing character. In this interview, Lin talks about his new book ‘Crazy Screenwriting Secrets: How to Capture a Global Audience,’ how to write about duality, what it means to see characters through the lens of fear, and why writing is a way of life. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a literary agent early in her career, Jandy Nelson was attracted to “voice-driven work.” A poet and YA reader, she saw a path for herself in the subgenere of verse novel. “That’s when I wrote The Sky is Everywhere and fell in love with fiction.” In The Sky is Everywhere, the story follows a shy, teenage musician who tries to keep things together after the death of her older, outgoing sister. Nelson has a solo writing credit for the screenplay. “At first, we tried to make it a movie ten years ago, but ultimately, I realized I wanted to adapt it myself.” To understand this new craft, Nelson read all of 101 books on screenwriting and everything else she could get her hands on. “I found it to be a combination of novels and poetry because it has a strict structure and every word counts.” In this interview, Nelson talks about voice driven work, how to bring out an interior world, why every word counts, why she loves YA, how she invented Lennie-scapes for the film, and how to create leverage with personality-driven work. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Since elementary school, Dana Schwartz has been writing full-length books. Today, she’s known for her work as a writer, author, and podcaster. Most recently, Dana published the book Anatomy: A Love Story, which was recently chosen as a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. Set against the backdrop of 1830’s Edinburgh, this is a gothic tale full of mystery and romance. Inspired by grave robbers and the burgeoning Edinburgh surgical academic scene in the nineteenth century, this is a deliciously gruesome tale about the lengths one will go to for their passions – and the sinister twists and turns that are always lurking around the gaslit, cobblestone streets of a city where it's much more popular to die than it is to live. In this interview, Dana talks about being a prolific writer, creating leverage with Twitter, how “work begets more work,” why YA is more about marketing these days, and how novice writers can break into the industry today. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

At age 25, Mike Mills found filmmaking through music videos, following the path of Spike Jonze, and eventually working with musicians like Moby and The Beastie Boys. Mills launched his career with Thumbsucker, an adaptation of Walter Kirn’s novel by the same name, followed by Beginners, and most recently, C’mon C’mon. The plot follows a woman who asks her radio journalist brother to help look after her son. In this interview, Mills talks about working with Joaquin Phoenix for this film, his obsession with “moments,” why it takes 5-6 years to make a movie, when a script becomes “sticky,” and how to “communicate with strangers in the dark room.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Screenwriter James Vanderbilt returns for the third time to talk about his new film Scream. Look for James in Episodes 50 and 163 of the podcast for more great advice. In the new film, Scream, the plot reads, “Twenty-five years after the original series of murders in Woodsboro, a new Ghostface emerges, and Sidney Prescott must return to uncover the truth.” In this interview, James talks about writing secret projects, why he doesn’t chase ideas, why writing is a marathon until it’s a sprint, spinning multiple plates, and what separates Scream from other slasher films. Note: near the end of this interview, around 30 minutes, we also discuss Spider-Man: No Way Home and Vanderbilt’s experience with the Marvel franchise. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Rebecca Sonnenshine “came to screenwriting last,” after making short films, capturing images, and attending Film School. After trying her hand at screenwriting, she discovered she loved the process. As a writer-producer, she’s best known for working on The Vampire Diaries, Outcast, The Crossing, The Boys, and now, James Wan’s Archive 81 for Netflix. In her new series, the description reads: “An archivist hired to restore a collection of tapes finds himself reconstructing the work of a filmmaker and her investigation into a dangerous cult.” In this interview, Rebecca talks about getting immersed in character, what she learned as a script reader, how to create improv with yourself, what separates great from average, and common pitfalls for novice writers. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“As a kid, I was so moved by these things,” said author Christopher Vogler about the world of cinema. “What made stories so exciting? I followed that trail to Film School at USC, where I encountered some of the ideas of Joseph Campbell.” Vogler’s Professor encouraged him to further explore the mythological signs that stood out to him, which led him to Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. This collection broke down the “universal motif of adventure” that runs through essentially all storytelling. Vogler later turned this idea in a 7-page memo that summarized the “Hero’s Journey,” explaining how to use Campbell’s ideas in modern storytelling. “That went viral, in primitive means at the time, by fax machines, but it went all over Hollywood.” The memo led Vogler to a job at Disney working on The Lion King. “It seemed new and fresh to them, so that was good timing for me.” Over the years, Vogler has worked on films like 101 Dalmatians, Fight Club, Courage Under Fire, Volcano, and The Thin Red Line. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“Necessity,” said Bashir Salahuddin, about his path to screenwriting, as he and his writing partner Diallo Riddle were limited in which roles they were given, even in sketch comedy performances in LA. The duo felt like there had not been a “boisterous black sketch comedy show in LA” since Keenen Ivory Wayans’ In Living Color (1990-1994). “We had goofy sketches, like Malcolm X doing stand-up and then we started doing some video and viral stuff. That was how David Alan Grier and Jimmy Fallon found us, and helped us get our WGA cards.” One of their first paychecks actually came from Bernie Mac. “I believe he gave us $750," said Riddle, “which at the time felt like we were millionaires. That buys a lot of wigs and make-up,” he added, as they put all of their money back into the business. Eventually, the writers landed jobs on shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Maya Rudolph Show, Maya & Marty, The Last O.G., and Sherman’s Showcase, with Co-Creator credits for the new sketch comedy show South Side. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Andrew Herr spent the bulk of his childhood playing hockey, until he moved senior year, and got involved with acting and theaters in the new environment. Herr is best known as Jonesy on ‘Letterkenny,’ where he plays one of two bumbling hockey players in a small town in Canada. The character-based series is made up of “hicks, skids, hockey players and Christians.” In this interview, Herr talks about how ‘Letterkenny’ inspired him to get into screenwriting, the positive limitations of low-budget writing, his favorite recent horror movies, the benefits of writing with partners, and what’s next for the series that is currently on a live tour. Make sure to also read our interview with ‘Letterkenny’ co-creator Jacob Tierney on Creative Screenwriting’s website. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Rachel Shukert grew up in the Omaha theater scene, where she absorbed plays by Tennessee Williams as an actress, before landing at NYU, where she began to find her voice as a writer. As a writer, she’s known for working on Supergirl, GLOW, Cursed, and Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club, where she’s also been producing since 2019. In the 2020 series, the description reads, “Based on the book series of the same name focusing on a group of young girls who start their own babysitting service.” In this interview, Rachel talks about writing period pieces from the writer and producer POV, how screenwriting is like a piece of string, how her spec script Wendy Darling got her noticed, and why “everything is possible” and “nothing is possible” as a screenwriter. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Valerie Armstrong always wanted to be a writer, but quickly discovered there was no clear path to becoming a screenwriter. That said, she knew she had to give it a shot, and she eventually landed a job as a Writer’s Assistant on ‘Masters of Sex.’ These days, she’s known for ‘SEAL Team,’ ‘Lodge 49,’ & ‘Kevin Can F**k Himself,’ where she’s also the Creator for this AMC series. The plot is about “the secret life of a sitcom wife” but the real pitch of the show is within the manipulation of genre. In this interview, Valerie talks about advice from Michelle Ashford, why females in the industry need to bring others up with them, the truth about “story math,” writing with a singular voice in mind, and the necessity of “discussing moments” in the writer’s room. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As far back as he can remember, Aaron Augenblick has been obsessed with cartoons and animation. As he pursued his passion, he quickly decided to open his own studio at the age of 22. Aaron is best known for working on Daria, Ugly Americans, The Jellies!, Death Hacks, Teenage Euthanasia, and The Adventures of Drunky, which stars the voice talents of Sam Rockwell, Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Coogan, and Nina Arianda. The plot reads, “Drunky is a barfly who finds himself in the middle of a cosmic bet between God and the Devil over the fate of the Earth. With his life destroyed, Drunky must travel through Heaven and Hell to rescue the girl he loves and save the world.” In this interview, Aaron talks about different animation styles based on comedy and visual language, his appreciation for visual descriptions in screenplays, live action versus animation, his thoughts on creativity within corporations, and secrets to a network pitch. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Camille Griffin has credits in the Camera and Electrical Department for movies like Layer Cake, Star Wars: Episode 1, and Jojo Rabbit, before making her first film Silent Night. The new film stars Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Roman Griffin Davis. The plot for her debut reads, "Nell, Simon, and their son Art are ready to welcome friends and family for what promises to be a perfect Christmas gathering. Perfect except for one thing: everyone is going to die." Warning: there are plot spoilers near the end of this interview. In this interview, Camille talks about having “misery guts,” advice from Matthew Vaughn, how to deliver on a challenging tone, making movies outside the system, and when it’s time to turn an idea into a spec script. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“From the very first moment I saw Annie, I knew I wanted to do that.” Kourtney Kang got her start acting and singing before moving into screenwriting and playwriting. Today, she’s best known for creating the Disney Plus reboot ‘Doogie Kamealoha M.D.,’ and writing for major shows like ‘Fresh Off the Boat,’ and ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ In Doogie Kamealoha M.D., the story follows Lahela "Doogie" Kamealoha, “a teenaged wunderkind juggling her high school life with an early medical career.” In this interview, Kourtney talks about positive limitations in playwriting, why writer’s rooms are sacred, advice from Danny Zuker, writing with the heart in mind, and how she uses notebooks to craft personal stories for the silver screen. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

On her first day on set, Danis Goulet knew she wanted to be a filmmaker. As she transitioned from casting to head a film festival in Toronto, she saw a potential path to making her own shorts, like Spin, Divided by Zero, Wapawekka, and Barefoot. Her first full feature as the writer-director, Night Raiders, the story focuses on a mother who joins an underground band of vigilantes to try to rescue her daughter from a state-run institution. In this interview, Danis talks about approaching films as experiments, failures and successes making shorts, how she used history to write a futuristic film, and her thoughts on being an indigenous storyteller. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“It stretches back at least 10 years,” said Edgar Wright about the story idea for Last Night in Soho. Edgar, who is well known for his musical taste, in movies like Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim, and Baby Driver, seems to write, direct, and edit with the score or soundtrack in mind. With this setting in mind, Edgar eventually crafted the character of Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer who discovers she can enter the 1960s, essentially through the life of a dazzling wannabe singer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), until the glamour of this world “splinters into something darker.” Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who has writing credits for Penny Dreadful and 1917, was introduced to Wright while he was editing Baby Driver by Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917). “Sam is a mutual friend and said we should get together.” In this interview, the writers talk about their detailed outlining process, stories that haunt you, how soundtracks can change the writing process, and how to write surgical bits of dialogue. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I had a story I wanted to tell,” said Eleanor Coppola, filmmaker and wife of Francis Ford Coppola. “Some of it was a little bit personal and I didn’t want to make a documentary out of it, so I made a fiction piece.” Prior to her fiction features Paris Can Wait and Love Is Love Is Love, Eleanor made documentaries such as Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker’s Apocalypse, A Visit to China’s Miao Country, and Making of ‘The Virgin Suicides’ about her daughter Sofia’s film. In this interview, Eleanor talks about writing for underserved audiences, how she crafts personal stories, her writing process with Karen Leigh Hopkins, and advice for being diligent and creative at any age. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Cousins Ryan Firpo and Kaz Firpo both felt a deep connection to storytelling, but it wasn’t until they formed a partnership that they were able to break into the industry. Their script Ruin, about a nameless ex-Nazi captain after WWII who hunts down the surviving members of the SS Death Squad, actually won the 2017 Black List (and is now listed as pre-production with Margot Robbie attached and Justin Kurzel set to direct). Originally, Eternals was going to be the first film of Marvel’s Phase Four (before Black Widow and Shang-Chi), but quarantine scheduling pushed back the release date. Regardless of the release date (originally November 2020) which pushed the movie to be the 26th Marvel movie, the screenwriters had a truly unique situation when writing the film. Basically, they had to craft an Avengers-like movie without the benefit of having ten other movies to develop characters. Rather than getting to Tony Stark and Steve Rogers over time, we were introduced to Sersi, Ikaris, Thena, Ajak, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Druig, Makkari, Gilgamesh, Karun, and Dane Whitman all at once. In this interview, the Firpo Cousins talk about how Hollywood bleeds into creative pursuits, Marvel’s Phase Four, how screenwriting emerges the creative mind with the engineering mind, and when to cross boundaries as a writer. There are some partial spoilers in this interview if you haven’t seen Eternals and you can also find the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As an actress, Justine Bateman is best known for her early television role as Mallory Keaton on Family Ties, but she also starred on Lois & Clark, Men Behaving Badly, Still Standing, Desperate Housewives, and Arrested Development, alongside her brother Jason Bateman. But, since the age of 19, she’s wanted to be a director. After graduating from UCLA a few years ago, she made two shorts - Five Minutes and PUSH - before raising the money to make Violet. Bateman’s debut film stars Olivia Munn and Luke Bracey, where Justin Theroux guest stars as “The Voice.” The plot reads, “Violet realizes that her entire life is built on fear-based decisions, and must do everything differently to become her true self.” In this interview, Bateman talks about directing as a visual collage, how she created an in-depth character piece, why the viewer is the most important character, and how her stories “bake” over time. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt is best known for his role as Tommy on 3rd Rock from the Sun and for movies like 500 Days of Summer, Inception, 50/50, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper, Lincoln, and Snowden. In this interview, we discuss Joseph’s work as a writer-director, for the film Don Jon and the new series Mr. Corman. In the 2013 film that co-stars Scarlett Johansson, “A New Jersey guy dedicated to his family, friends, and church, develops unrealistic expectations from watching porn and works to find happiness and intimacy with his potential true love.” In Mr. Corman, the story follows the life of a public school teacher in San Fernando Valley. In addition to creating the series for Apple, Joseph also stars as Josh Corman. Debra Winger plays his mother. Juno Temple plays his ex. Arturo Castro plays his roommate. During this interview, Joseph talks about how underlying themes create characters, luck versus hard work, adapting stories to include real-world events, balancing a multitude of creative urges with Hit Record, and how to write dialogue actors want to read. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

In ‘Mayday,’ Ana is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins an army of girls engaged in a never-ending war. Though she finds strength in this exhilarating world, she realizes that she's not the killer they want her to be. The films stars Grace Van Patten, Mia Goth, Yoko, and Juliette Lewis. In this interview, Karen talks about untraditional filmmaking styles, how to protect your voice and natural instincts, the secret to being diligent with your time as a filmmaker, how she finds inspiration for her films outside of filmmaking and what it means to approach inspirations diagonally. Also, look for Episode 245 where we sat down with Karen’s Cinematographer Sam Levy. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

"We were thinking about a comedic version of Psycho,” said Justin Long (Live Free or Die Hard, Dodgeball), about his latest project, Lady of the Manor, which he co-wrote and co-directed with his brother, Christian Long (Hop, Accepted). This idea morphed into more of a buddy comedy, involving a ne’er-do-well played by Melanie Lynskey and the ghost of a mansion, played by Judy Greer. The two meet when Lynskey’s character ends up working as a tour guide in the historic estate Greer’s character haunts. The brothers were inspired by movies like What About Bob? and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, and wanted to put a spin on the buddy comedy, the obnoxious character being a modern pot-head ne’er-do-well and the straight man being a proper woman from the 1870s. In addition to Melanie Lynskey and Judy Greer, the comedy also features Ryan Phillippe, Patrick Duffy, Angela Alise, Luis Guzmán, and Justin Long stars in a supporting role as Max. In this interview, the brothers talk their love of the Marx Brothers, why comedies need to be specific in their humor, how to ground heightened stories, and why Judy Greer referred to the movie as a “fart-warming comedy.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

For twenty years, Marina Zenovich has been making documentaries about subjects that interest her. Past subjects include Lance Armstrong, Robin Williams, Roman Polanski, and Richard Pryor. For her latest project, What Happens in Hollywood, the series takes a candid look at Hollywood’s role in framing society’s overall view of sex and sexuality. Subjects include Robin Wright, Minnie Driver, and Bobbi Banks. In this interview, Marina talks about trusting gut instincts, why she avoids pre-interviews, the secret to great conversations, how to make first contact with a subject, the problem with cancel culture, and her interest in “difficult men” as a documentary filmmaking. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

While in college, Tracy Oliver was interested in the performing arts, but she eventually realized she was often the “sassy, funny sidekick and not the lead.” This realization - and her mother - actually inspired her to start writing rather than wait for someone to cast her. Oliver was tired of being the “cigarette-smoking friend” or in the “slavery movie,” so she started to write about herself. “That, weirdly, was revolutionary to write about the normalcy of black life.” As a writer, she’s now known for Survivor’s Remorse, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Girls Trip, Little, First Wives Club, and the upcoming series Harlem. In this interview, Oliver talks about black normalcy in film and television, what led her to becoming a writer-producer, how to craft IP for black stories, and the most important trait to stay employed as a writer. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Husband-and-wife writing and directing team Aron Gaudet and Gita Pullapill met while working in local television news. Despite being at competitive stations, they both despised local television news and wanted to find a more creative path to “visual storytelling” where they weren’t “forced to tell a story in 30 seconds.” Together, the couple has credits for documentaries like The Elephant Bath, The Gambling Man, Lifecasters, and features such as Beneath the Harvest Sky, Queenpins, and an upcoming film called Crook County. Their current project, Queenpins, follows a pair of housewives who create a $40 million coupon scam. The surprisingly true story stars Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Vince Vaughn, and Paul Walter Hauser. In this interview, the duo talks about their discovery process, feeling undervalued in the industry, how they conduct research as former journalists, advice on breaking in, and why every finished script is an asset to your career. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Michele Civetta got his start making commercials and shorts. This taught him the balance of creativity and commerce, while also teaching him a technical background to eventually move into features. In his first project, Agony, the movie focused on psychological uncertainty within past traumas. In his latest film, The Gateway, a social worker assigned to care for the daughter of a single mother intervenes when the dad returns from prison and involves the family in his life of crime. In this interview, Civetta talks about his love for 70s cinema, where characters belong in terms of TV versus film, the dangers of compartmentalizing stories and characters, the pros and cons of shooting too much or too little, and how to show your point-of-view on screen. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

After working as a writer-director on her first film, Timer, Jac Schaeffer discovered she could land more jobs as a screenwriter. The description of Timer reads, “If a clock could count down to the moment you meet your soul mate, would you want to know?” After Timer, she worked on a handful of screenplays, created a short called Mr. Stache, and even worked on the short Olaf’s Frozen Adventure for Disney. This relationship - along with a Blacklist spec script - eventually led her to working on The Hustle, WandaVision, and Black Widow. WandaVision “blends the style of classic sitcoms with the MCU, in which Wanda Maximoff and Vision - two super-powered beings living their ideal suburban lives - begin to suspect that everything is not as it seems.” Black Widow follows Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) as she confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy that ties her back to her past. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Growing up on comedies like Monty Python, Trent O'Donnell has always been fascinated with “dumb comedies.” He got his start making shorts, commercials, and eventually landed some work in television. As a writer-director, he’s known for The Moodys, No Activity, and most recently, the movie Ride the Eagle. Trent O'Donnell met Jake Johnson while directing episodes of New Girl for Fox. In their latest collaboration, Jake Johnson stars as Leif. The description reads, “Leif is left with a conditional inheritance when his estranged mother Honey dies. Before he can move into her picturesque Yosemite cabin, he has to complete her elaborate, and sometimes dubious, to-do list.” In this interview, O'Donnell talks about making friendships rather than networking, how he got a movie made during the pandemic, writing with creative limitations, putting pressure on “the word,” how to edit improv based on story, the lack of comedy movie stars today, and how to keep minimal environments visually interesting. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky met doing comedy in New York, where they eventually landed jobs together on Broad City. Today, they’re the Creators of the new comedy series, Hacks, for HBO. For the series, Jean Smart stars as Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian who begrudgingly takes an outcast 25-year-old named Ava (Hannah Einbinder) under her wing. In this interview, the trio talks about writing sketch comedy, how opposing characters can attract one another, cultural forefronts on the page, how to create a strong pilot, and their advice for novice writers staring careers today. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Neill Blomkamp grew up in South Africa before he moved to Canada to work in VFX, and found his natural path into filmmaking. Known for the science fiction fable, he’s created iconic movies like District 9, Elysium, Chappie, and most recently, Demonic. In District 9, an extraterrestrial race is forced to live in slum-like conditions on earth. In Elysium, the wealthy live in a man-made space station while the poor live on a ruined earth in 2154. In Chappie, crime is controlled by a mechanized police force. In his latest film, Demonic, “A young woman unleashes terrifying demons when supernatural forces at the root of a decades-old rift between mother and daughter are ruthlessly revealed.” In this interview, he talks about leaving Hollywood to create Oats, his interest in sociopolitical topics, the importance of creative limitations, rules more important than structures, and making films for hyper specific audiences. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Tim Long got his start writing for magazines where he eventually landed a job writing for Bill Maher on ‘Politically Incorrect,’ and then ‘Late Night with David Letterman,’ where he eventually became the head writer. Today, Long is best known for writing for ‘The Simpsons’ and he’s just created a movie about his life as a teenager. In ‘The Exchange,’ the fictionalized Tim Long is played by Ed Oxenbould and the movie directed by Dan Mazer (Da Ali G Show). The plot is described as, “Hoping to find friendship with a French exchange student, an awkward teenager discovers that the student is not as sophisticated and cultured as he assumed.” In this interview, Long talks about the mistake of firing people too early in television, how to write 40-50 “passable” jokes in an hour, what it means to create a “hot sheet” for monologue jokes, how to eradicate self-consciousness as a writer, and the evolution of his latest movie ‘The Exchange.’ If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Bruce Miller spent the first part of his career penning movies that rarely got made, until he started writing television movies. All of a sudden, his stories were coming to the silver screen and then he moved to television. Today, Miller is best known for writing on ‘ER,’ ‘Everwood,’ ‘Medium,’ ‘The 4400,’ ‘In Plain Sight,’ Alphas,’ ‘The 100,’ and now, he’s the creator of ‘The Handmaid’s Tale.’ On Hulu’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ the story opens in a dystopian future, where a woman (played by Elisabeth Moss) is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. In this interview, Miller talks about the quick feedback of television, the importance of “writing well fast,” writing emotionally difficult scenes, learning curves in television, misconceptions within the industry, and how he fills the Writer’s Room. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Alena Smith got her start as a playwright, which she believes “uniquely prepares you for what it takes to be a creator and show runner of a television show.” This background, of being a collaborator and visionary, helped Smith and many of her Yale peers transition to television work. She’s known for working on Aaron Sorkin’s ‘The Newsroom’ and fellow alum Sarah Treem’s ‘The Affair.’ In her most recent project, she’s the creator of Apple TV’s ‘Dickinson.’ In the Hailee Steinfeld-led series, Smith invites audiences to see an inside look at the world of Emily Dickinson. In this interview, Smith talks about the unique perspectives of ‘The Affair,’ how ‘Louie’ inspired the style of ‘Dickinson,’ her take on a contemporary Emily Dickinson, her unique writer’s room for this historical fiction piece, and her recipe for being a prolific writer. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jeffrey Paul King’s creative pursuits came from an interest in opera at an early age. While in boarding school, he spent time writing and in college, he had a play accepted to the Fringe Festival in Scotland. Then, he moved to LA, worked his way up from being an assistant, and eventually interning at ‘Grey’s Anatomy.’ King’s first gig was on the series ‘Elementary,’ where he worked for seven seasons writing for Johnny Lee Miller (Sherlock Holmes) and Lucy Liu (Dr. Joan Watson). He then wrote a TV movie called ‘Republic of Sarah,’ which he later turned into a series. In ‘The Republic of Sarah,’ the description reads, “Faced with the destruction of her town at the hands of a greedy mining company, rebellious high school teacher Sarah Cooper utilizes an obscure cartographical loophole to declare independence.” In this interview, King talks about various stepping stones in a screenwriter’s education, the logistics of being a writer-producer, how to creatively solve problems, when leaders should follow, his obsession with cartography, intellectually discussing politics through character, and how to deal with premise landmines. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Rachel Dickinson writes about travel, history, bits of science, and anything else that interests her from her home in perpetually cloudy Upstate New York. One non-fiction book took her to the wilds of Southern Indiana to research ‘The Notorious Reno Gang,’ an account of the world's first train robbers. In ‘Falconer on the Edge,’ she followed a hardcore falconer through a hunting season in Wyoming. In this interview, Rachel talks about pitching to editors, advice that transformed her writing, researching historical non-fiction versus first-person non-fiction, structuring books, the value of “lost time,” and how to work with agents to discover marketable ideas. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a kid, Aaron Rahsaan Thomas could be described as the good kid living vicariously through his bad kid friends. Essentially, he took this perspective with him to the page. Thomas, who has worked on shows like Friday Night Lights, Numb3rs, CSI:NY, Southland, The Get Down, and S.W.A.T., says he has a love/hate relationship with human beings, which comes alive in his silver screen characters. Thomas’ series S.W.A.T comes from intellectual property but has a new spin on it. The description reads, “Follows a locally born and bred S.W.A.T. sergeant and his team of highly-trained men and women as they solve crimes in Los Angeles.” The series stars Shemar Moore, Alex Russell, and Lina Esco. In this interview, Thomas discusses auteur filmmaking moving into television, nurturing creative pursuits, lessons from iconic showrunners, a skillset collection from Kobe Bryant, doing your research for entrepreneurial climbs, and his hopes for future proteges. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

At Robin Block’s company Creator VC, the company focuses on “community-powered entertainment.” The independent producers work on crowdfunded content for superfans. ‘In Search of Darkness’ is described as “An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.” ‘In Search of Tomorrow’ is described as “A nostalgic journey through '80s Sc-Fi films, exploring their impact and relevance today, told by the artists who made them and by those who were inspired to turn their visions into reality.” In this interview, Block talks crowdfunding $1 million dollar campaigns, fair use complications and attorney fees, accepting risks on projects, the “3 C’s” of fan entertainment, and why he feels like he’s pioneering a new industry. Listen to our interview with Director David Weiner (‘In Search of Darkness’ & ‘In Search of Tomorrow’) in Episode 294. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

David Weiner originally moved to Los Angeles to get involved with filmmaking, where he mostly worked as Assistant Director. Soon after, he started writing and found journalism, where he worked for Entertainment Tonight, The Hollywood Reporter, and he even ran the Famous Monsters of Filmland Magazine. There, Robin Block recruited him. At Block’s company Creator VC, the company focuses on “community-powered entertainment.” The independent producers work on crowdfunded content for superfans. Weiner’s job is to interview, write, and direct. ‘In Search of Darkness’ is described as, “An exploration of '80s horror movies through the perspective of the actors, directors, producers and SFX craftspeople who made them, and their impact on contemporary cinema.” ‘In Search of Tomorrow’ is described as, “A nostalgic journey through '80s Sc-Fi films, exploring their impact and relevance today, told by the artists who made them and by those who were inspired to turn their visions into reality.” In this interview, Weiner talks about how to cold contact subjects, how to percolate new stories with subjects, how to hang on to creative control, and what it means to be a nostalgia curator. Stay tuned for our interview with Robin Block in Episode 295. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Originally a painter, Daniel Minahan wasn’t a fan of the solitary nature of painting, which led him to documentary filmmaking and then television. He’s best known for working on ‘Six Feet Under,’ ‘Deadwood,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘House of Cards,’ and most recently, ‘Halston.’ The 5-episode series ‘Halston’ stars Ewan McGregor. The story follows a man who leverages his single, invented name into a worldwide fashion empire synonymous with luxury, sex, and fame, defining an era. In this interview, Minahan talks about exploring museums with Cinematographers, limited series versus long-form dramas, difficulties in making period pieces, letting actors inspire camera movements, advice directors should ignore, and how creatives should think about their imprint. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Anna Konkle followed a typical pursuit into acting until she and Maya Erskine (Wine Country, Plus One) decided to created their own web series. Now, the series is on Hulu, where the duo plays middle school girls. On Pen15, the description reads, “The comedic story of middle school seen through the eyes of two 7th grade girls dealing with the awkwardness of being a teenager.” In this interview, Anna talks about working on ‘Man Seeking Woman,’ influence from Lena Dunham, writing weird ideas, creating a non-traditional writer’s room, breaking a season in two days, and writing emotional truths in comedy. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

As a kid, Eytan Rockaway would film toy soldiers in an effort to model his hero, Director Steven Spielberg. By the time he was twelve, he was shooting short films with friends, then after the army, he went to NYU to study film. In his new film ‘Lansky,’ Harvey Keitel stars as Meyer Lansky. The description reads, “When the aging Meyer Lansky is investigated one last time by the Feds who suspect he has stashed away millions of dollars over half a century, the retired gangster spins a dizzying tale, revealing the untold truth about his life as the notorious boss of Murder Inc. and the National Crime Syndicate.” In this interview, Rockaway talks about the constant battle to make Independent Films, his obsession with mixed genres, how he spends time between films, how he creates “the Director’s Bible,” and the scene he hated to cut in ‘Lansky’ that might have changed the movie. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Eugene Ashe first entered the filmmaking business as a recording artist, where he landed on soundtracks for Free Willy and The Bronx Tale. While reading these scripts, and others, he started to see movies and television in a songwriitng sense. As a screenwriter, Ashe has credits for the documentary Home Again and films Homecoming and Sylvie’s Love. In the latest project, the story follows a young woman who meets an aspiring saxophonist in 1950s Harlem. In this interview, Ashe talks about making movies rooted in humanity rather than trauma, writing screenplays to music, his formula for making Indie films, how to change the energy in pre-production, and why creatives need tunnel vision to make work at the best of their capabilities. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Patrick Hughes said he knew he wanted to become a filmmaker when he saw the Coen Brothers’ film, ‘Raising Arizona.’ The action-comedy led Hughes down a path to make similar films. Hughes is best known for his work on ‘Red Hill,’ ‘The Expendables 3,’ and the ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’ films. In the sequel, Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) continues his friendship with Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson) as they try to save Darius’ wife Sonia (Salma Hayek). In this interview, Hughes talks about making 35 short films, how to write villains with no dialogue, how action-comedies fit the “big screen experience,” why great action sequences are often designed on location and how to elevate action with stuntmen and modern editing. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Malcom Spellman spent seven years writing before he broke into the industry. Even then, he struggled for another five years, lost his representation and had to start all over. Then he sold the script for ‘Our Family Wedding.’ Today, Spellman is best known for ‘Empire,’ ‘The Falcon and the Winter Soldier’ and two upcoming features, ‘Muscle’ starring Vin Diesel and then Captain America 4, which will be a follow-up from the Disney Plus series. On the Disney series, the plot is listed as: Following the events of 'Avengers: Endgame,' Sam Wilson/Falcon and Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier team up in a global adventure that tests their abilities -- and their patience. In this interview, Spellman talks about his relationship with Brian Koppelman, how ‘Empire’ was metaphorically his first real gig in the business, how to pitch “failures,” how he pitched for Disney, how to write for “firepower” series and why voice beats concept. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Follow us on Instagram: @creativeprinciples If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Australian actor-writer-director Josh Lawson always wanted to be involved in filmmaking. While in drama school and then college, he always kept up his writing as he moved into sitcoms and movies, like TV Burp, Kinne, The Little Death, and most recently, Long Story Short. You’ve also seen him in the new Mortal Kombat as Kano, along with roles in The Eleven O’Clock and Anchorman 2. Lawson is the writer-director of the romantic comedy, Long Story Short. The movie stars Rafe Spall and Zahra Newman. The description reads “Teddy wakes up the morning after his wedding to discover that every few minutes he's jumping forward to the next year of his life.” In this interview, we discuss high-concept comedies, why comedy films are often overlooked today, creative editing versus reshoots, lessons from James Burrows (Cheers, Will & Grace), why he dislikes mumblecore, and how to embrace adventure with magical realism. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Josh Bycel got his start writing for The Onion in college, before he moved to television, writing for Veronica’s Closet, American Dad!, Psych, Scrubs, and now, Solar Opposites. Mike McMahan wrote for Axe Cop and Star Trek: Short Treks before writing for Rick and Morty. Since writing for the iconic series, he’s also worked on Star Trek: Lower Decks and is the Co-Creator of Solar Opposites alongside Justin Roiland. The Hulu series Solar Opposites is about a family of aliens who moved to middle America, where they debate whether life is better there or their home planet. In this interview, the writers talk about the history of animation, how they find unique voices for the writer’s room, the story behind the undercover C-story “The Wall,” how to write “controlled dumb,” and tactical advice for screenwriters trying to break in today. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

David Weil grew up amongst storytellers. His grandparents, his parents, his siblings. He loved the idea of being able to transport listeners - or viewers - to new, untold worlds. Weil carried this passion for years, acting and writing with people like Darren Aronofsky and J.J. Abrams, until he finally got his first projects made, Hunters and Solos, both for Amazon. Hunters: In 1977, in New York City, a troubled young Jewish man bent on revenge is taken in by a secret group of Nazi hunters fighting a clandestine war against the cabal of high-ranking Nazi officials in hiding who work to create the Fourth Reich. Solos: Seven unique character-driven stories. Each character will set off on a thrilling adventure in an uncertain future and they'll come to reckon that even during our most isolated moments, we are all connected through the human experience. In this interview, Weil talks about scholarships and the Blacklist, writing specs as calling cards, how to lead with details, what he learned conducting research for Tom Hardy, and why the story demands what the story demands. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Crystal Moselle got her start making documentary films like ‘The Wolfpack’ and ‘Our Dream of Water.’ Soon after, she took this visual following style with her to make fictional works like ‘Skate Kitchen’ and now, HBO’s ‘Betty.’ In ‘Betty,’ the series stars Dede Lovelace, Kabrina Adams, and Nina Moran. The description reads, " A diverse group of young women navigating their lives through the predominantly male oriented world of skateboarding.” In this interview, Crystal talks about researching the world of female skateboarders, how she follows inspirations to create look and feel of a show or movie, how she brings improv to the series, and how she shoots the new series like a documentary with purposeful imperfections. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Influenced by Madonna, Tina Turner and Prince, Bonnie McKee always knew she wanted to be a pop singer. Bonnie is known for songs like “American Girl” and “Sleepwalkers.” She also co-wrote “California Gurls,” “Roar,” and “Teenage Dream” with Katy Perry. She has additional credits for Kesha, Cher, Christina Aguilera, Adam Lambert, and Kelly Clarkson. Most recently, Bonnie has created the short film, April Kills the Vibe, where she’s the writer, director, editor, producer, star, and score creator. The story is based on sexual assault and alcoholism, along with slut shaming and victim blaming. In this interview, Bonnie talks about making this short during the quarantine, her transition from music videos to short films, how to direct on a limited schedule, how music videos are being made today, and the importance of finding the right collaborators for any project. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

The biographical musical drama Clouds is based on the memoir Fly a Little Higher: How God Answered a Mom’s Small Prayer in a Big Way by Laura Sobiech. In the film, a young musician named Zach Sobiech (Fin Argus) discovers his cancer has spread and he only has a limited time to make his dream come true of becoming a musician. “It started out seeing Zach’s video,” said Casey La Scale. “My wife had seen the video online. I was blown away, then randomly, a month later my manager said he found an interesting book and it happened to be Zach’s story.” Since Casey had previously produced another movie in the same realm, A Walk to Remember, his manager suggested turning the story into a movie. Casey sent the book to Patrick Kopka, who also felt an immediate connection to the book. “Every studio had already passed on it. They saw it as Fault in Our Stars, and even Warner Brothers passed on it. Luckily, I had a relationship with them, but sort of as the last favor I had, we overturned that pass.” Casey and Patrick took a swing at the screenplay, but they felt like something was missing. “We did the family version, then the teen version, but we ended up finding Kara. She came in with fresh eyes and then we started getting some momentum, which was great.” Kara, who had worked on Soul Surfer and Carrie Pilby, had also been following the real life story of Zach Sobiech. Thanks to her relationship with Director Justin Baldoni, she was invited to take a look at the screenplay. “I watched the documentary and felt kind of overwhelmed. It was such an incredible story and incredible character, but it’s so sad and there are so many parts to it.” That said, when she asked herself “Who’s story is this?” She changed the perspective to Zach’s POV and pieces of the story fell into place. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Brad Lewis produced the Oscar nominated “How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World,” the critically acclaimed conclusion of the trilogy. He also produced Storks, The Lego Batman Movie, and worked at Pixar on films like Ratatouille, Cars 2, among many other successful movies. P.J. Gunsagar is an entrepreneur at heart. After starting his career in finance, working as an investment banker at UBS Warburg and early-stage investor at Intel Capital, he focused his career on building companies at the intersection of technology and media from the ground up. Spire Animation Studios is the fourth company co-founded by P.J. In this interview, Lewis and Gunsagar discuss “technology to wow the world,” live action ideas versus animated ideas, the extended story process for animation, how they think about big ideas and original stories, the importance of creativity and risk, and they share a few details about an upcoming project with funnyman Danny McBride. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

After college, Chris Brancato realized he had “no marketable skills whatsoever.” He joked that his “lack of options” led him down the path of becoming a screenwriter. “That helped demystify the process,” he said. The next step in uncovering the path to Hollywood came from a friend who landed a job on The Equalizer. “He showed me the script and I thought, ‘I just figured out what I want to do.’” Brancato first landed writing jobs on Beverly Hills, 90120 and The X-Files. These days, he’s best known for his work on Hannibal, Narcos, Narcos: Mexico, Godfather of Harlem and has a credit on Sherlock Holmes 3. In this interview, Brancato talks about screenwriting as a mystical career, candy-colored loglines, how to think about latitude storytelling, how some writer’s rooms can actually feel limiting and how to create a “pitch tsunami” for executives. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Originally, Neil Cross wanted to be a novelist. Describing his path as “wandering” and even as an “accident,” Cross has published several books, but is best known for his work on the small screen, where he’s got credits for MI-5, Doctor Who, Crossbones, Luther, and now, The Mosquito Coast. Cross said he grew up an admirer of Han Solo, but more specifically, the anti-hero. “It’s a taste where the origin of which is a mystery to me,” he said about this preference, “but I’m thematically chained to it. I can see that running through everything I’ve written on the page.” In The Mosquito Coast, the apparent anti-hero is Allie Fox, played by Justin Theroux (and Harrison Ford in Paul Schrader’s 1986 film), and the original book comes from author Paul Theroux (Justin is Paul’s nephew). The basic plot is a bit of mystery, listed as “An idealist uproots his family and moves them to Latin America.” In this interview, Cross talks his obsession with anti-heroes, writing yourself into a corner, how to adapt characters to modern times, crafting a non-traditional writer’s room, hiring candid writers, and which episode was cut due to COVID which might end up in the next season. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

R.J. Cutler loves the “narratives of the real world,” but spent the first few years of his career as a theater director. These days, he’s best known for his documentary work, such as The War Room, A Perfect Candidate, and The World According to Dick Cheney. Most recently, he’s tackled a documentary on comedian John Belushi, a documentary on musician Billie Eilish, and the new Apple series Dear… which chronicles the “biographies of iconic figures in society by using letters written by those whose lives have been changed by the work.” In this interview, Cutler discusses being compelled by subjects, why he avoided “talking heads” for Belushi, what it was like to discover Marlon Brando’s secret recordings, what he learned from biographer Walter Isaacson, details on an upcoming Martha Stewart documentary, and his Wayne Gretzky approach to filmmaking. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jim Demonakos, founder of Seattle’s annual Emerald City Comicon, met Kevin Konrad Hanna, an artist and film director, at the annual event. Two lifelong comic book fans, the duo tried a handful of projects together until something hit, a documentary about Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. In ‘Mike Mignola: Drawing Monsters,’ Jim and Kevin uncover the story behind Mignola, as told from icons like Neil Gaiman, Doug Jones, Victor LaValle, Adam Savage, Patton Oswalt, and Guillermo del Toro, among others. In this interview, the directors talk rock star comic book creators, thinking of yourself as a storyteller not a filmmaker, opening the door for subject conversations, the entrepreneur mindset, and how their Kickstarter campaign raised over $500,000 from a $58,000 goal. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Richard Melville Hall, better known as Moby, is a musician, songwriter, singer, producer, and animal rights activist. His music has been featured in over 200 movies and shows, like The Saint, The Beach, and The Bourne Identity. In his latest project, Moby Doc, the musician teamed up with former music video editor Rob Gordon Bralver to create a “surrealist biographical documentary” about Moby’s life being an animal rights activist and a trailblazing electronic musician. In this interview, Moby talks about his friendship with David Lynch, his view on surrealism, how he thinks about open vulnerabilities as an artist, positive and negative mentors in life, creativity in philanthropy, and how he approaches creative collaborations. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Jon Meacham is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author. He’s known for ‘The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels,’ ‘American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House,’ ‘Franklin and Winston,’ ‘His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope,’ and a book co-written with country star Tim McGraw called ‘Songs of America.’ His newest project is a podcast called ‘Fate of Fact’ and the premise is meant to explore how fear conquered truth, the history and origins of the strong grip misinformation and disinformation have on our politics, and how we got here today. In this interview, Meacham talks about his three tests to choose a book subject, how to focus on durable projects that take a great deal of time, the commitment of fact-checking, and how all books are part of an “unfolding conversation.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Originally, to honor his immigrant parents, Bao Nguyen thought he was going to become a lawyer. As a small child, he worked in his father’s shop behind the register, where he spent his time between customers sketching and drawing what he now sees as storyboards. Working as a Director and Cinematographer since 2009, Nguyen worked on projects like ‘We Gon’ Be Alright’ and ‘Live from New York!’ before tackling his largest project to date, a documentary about the personal life of icon Bruce Lee. The official description reads, “Rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to Hong Kong to complete four films. Charting his struggles in two worlds, ‘Be Water’ explores questions of identity and representation through rare archive, intimate interviews, and his writings.” In this interview, Nguyen talks about his father’s secret dream to become an architect, why he avoided “talking heads” for the film, why documentarians should seek humility, how to account for every frame in a doc, and how we went about humanizing Bruce Lee. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Indonesian actor Joe Taslim fell in love with Judo, where he won his first National Championship in 1997. About 15 years later, he took his MMA repertoire to the big screen, eventually landing roles in major Hollywood films. Taslim is best known for roles in The Raid: Redemption, Fast & Furious 6, Star Trek Beyond, Warrior, and now, Mortal Kombat, where he stars as the iconic character Sub-Zero. In this interview, Taslim talks about his transition from judo to acting, how action stars can better portray energetic characters without using doubles, why he trains twice per day for “violent dances,” and why Asian movies train for months for those amazing action sequences. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Australian Director Simon McQuoid got his start in the commercial world, making spots for all sorts of companies and games, including Star Wars, Call of Duty, and Halo 3. Eventually, he was asked to make the jump to film, with his debut film being Mortal Kombat. The description for the reboot reads, “MMA fighter Cole Young seeks out Earth's greatest champions in order to stand against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.” In this interview, McQuoid talks about drawing movie posters as a kid, how he transitioned from commercials to features, why he did a Halo 3 ad for free, the power of accepting ideas from anywhere, and why he nearly avoided doing a video game adaptation for his first movie. Stay tuned for our next interview with Mortal Kombat star Joe Taslim (Sub-Zero)in Episode 273. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Former Entertainment Weekly editor Mark Harris was an editor and journalist for publications like The New York Times, Fortune, The Guardian, and Slate, until he dared himself to submit a book proposal on his 40th birthday. These days, he’s best known for his entertainment-based books, such as Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood, Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War, and his latest book, Mike Nichols: A Life. In this interview, Harris talks about his career as an editor, how he chooses subjects worthy of a book such as Director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Charlie Wilson’s War), how he uses the Bird by Bird approach, and how he and his husband Tony Kushner (Munich, Lincoln) encourage each other as writers of different mediums. Currently, Harris is working with Turner Classic Film Festival to introduce Nichol’s first movie, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966) and a documentary called Nichols and May, a story about Nichols’ life before he became a Director, as an improv comedy group. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Emma Needell grew up on a solar-powered cattle ranch in Colorado. While they didn’t have television, they did have movies. “They had everything from Tora! Tora! Tora! to Do the Right Thing,” said Needell about her parents’ movie collection.  “Rural Colorado is cowboy country and I’m a nerdy Jewish girl who is allergic to horses,” she joked. “I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, but movies were proof that there was an outside world full of different people and different ideas.” Needell eventually used this imaginative nature to create her own worlds. Most recently, she’s created The Water Man, about a boy who goes on a quest to save his ill mother by searching for a mythic figure said to have healing powers. In this interview, the screenwriter talks about The Water Man and Songs of the Damned, why she loves collaboration, how to write grounded fantasy, how to avoid “shinecrafters,” and why sometimes the obstacles provide the best answers. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Thanks to an early interest in film from his father, Nick Stagliano, went down a road of being a fan, then a creator of cinema. Focused on character-driven drama, Stagliano is known for The Florentine, Good Day for It, and most recently, The Virtuoso. The latest film stars Anthony Hopkins, Anson Mount, and Abbie Cornish. In this story, “Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.” In this interview, the Director talks about why good actors are more important than big budgets, what makes him stop turning the page while reading a script, why juxtaposing characters are vital, and how to beef up side characters for a better film. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

George Gallo sold his first screenplay at age 19, despite not knowing anyone in the business. “The movie never got made,” he said about the lucky break, “but I had a possible vocation as a screenwriter. So then I just started writing a lot of scripts.” Eventually, one of Gallo’s scripts did get made. The comedy-crime movie Wise Guys, starring Danny DeVito and Joe Piscopo revolved around two errand boys from the mob. This was the beginning of a string of action-comedies from the screenwriter/director. Following the “tough movies with humor” category, Gallo eventually sold scripts for movies like Midnight Run, Bad Boys, The Whole Ten Yards, Middle Men, and most recently, Vanquish and The Comeback Trail. In this interview, Gallo talks about how technology now influences heist plots, how to write action sequences, his lifelong relationships with Morgan Freeman and Robert DeNiro, and why it’s more challenging to get an original script made today. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Craig Zobel got started by making shorts and videos for people like Iggy Pop. Now, he’s best known for films like Compliance, Z for Zachariah, and The Hunt. Currently, he’s the Director for HBO’s new series, Mare of Easttown. Mare of Easttown stars Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce. In the naturalistic series, “A detective in a small Pennsylvania town investigates a local murder while trying to keep her life from falling apart.” In this interview, Zobel talks about how television is similar to Indie films, how he shot The Hunt as a satirical horror film, how everyone wants you to succeed, and his philosophies on prepping a shot versus being spontaneous on set to find “the shape of the scene.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

While his Central Saint Martins classmates were learning InDesign, Price James wanted to learn to shoot on 16mm Bolex and explore more tangible film effects. Soon, he was working on dark comedy shorts like 'Action Man: Battlefield Casualties,' which stars Matt Berry, and music videos for bands like Incubus. In his latest movie, ‘You Cannot Kill David Arquette,’ the Writer-Director partnered with David Darg (Body Team 12, Fear Us Women) for an unusual idea about the rocky return of actor David Arquette to the sport of wrestling, which nearly ruined his Hollywood career. In this interview, Price talks about his roundabout path to DIY filmmaking, stop motion versus animation, how to create a heightened reality for a documentary, and how explore brutal ideas in filmmaking satire. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Michael Jacobs and Joshua Z. Weinstein met on the festival circuit in 2008 where both were presenting original documentaries. Most recently, they teamed up for Marvel’s documentary, Behind the Mask. The premise? Meet the writers and artists behind characters like Black Panther, Miles Morales, Ms. Marvel, Luke Cage, the X-Men, Captain Marvel, and many other characters in the Marvel Universe, highlighting their impact on pop culture and media. In this interview, the duo talks about moving from film to digital, working with Barry Jenkins, shooting Blackballed for Quibi, how budgets change a documentary, and how to be ethical as a documentary filmmaker. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Originally, Aaron Schneider wanted to work for ILM, or Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects company founded by George Lucas in 1975. While taking a special effects class, his peers told him everything was going to computers, so he shifted his focus to cinematography. Soon, he was working on music videos for Cypress Hill, then movies like Kiss the Girls and Simon Birch. In an effort to shift his career, his put his life savings into a short called Two Soldiers in 2003. The short won an Oscar in 2004 and made him a director. These days, Schneider is known for Get Low (Bill Murray, Robert Duvall) and Greyhound (Tom Hanks). Get Low is somewhat of a folk tale about a Tennessee hermit and Greyhound is the true story of a U.S. Navy Commander in World War II. In this interview, Schneider talks about discovering Two Soldiers as a short story, the romance of historical fiction, how to get slow burn movies made, and how they shot the amazing submarine battle for the new film Greyhound. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Early in his studies, Drew Dernavich was bewildered by the many paths to become an artist, and the many interpretations of what makes art good or bad. This led him to a more simple path: creating humorous art such as a one-panel cartoon. Recently, Drew’s work was featured in Seth Godin’s book, The Practice, which showcased his ability to be prolific, eventually becoming one of the most published cartoonists in The New Yorker in recent years, even though the majority of his submissions are often get rejected. In this interview, Drew talks about the difference between a Jackson Pollock painting and a cartoon, how to balance creative work with paid work early in a career, how The New Yorker taught him to be funny, and how to make your daily work a practice to build a fulfilling career. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

A few years ago, when there were 12 Blockbusters still open, Director Taylor Morden (Here’s to Life: The Story of The Refreshments, Pick It Up! - Ska in the ‘90s) approached his friend Zeke Kamm (Dexter’s Laboratory, The Weird Al Show) about making a documentary on the dying Blockbuster franchise. Coincidentally, the true last Blockbuster was in Morden and Kamm’s town of Bend, Oregon. In this interview, the duo talk about their four year journey to make the film, how their documentary outline accidentally predicted the future, the magnetism of Sandi Harding, how to cold call celebrities, and we get into the weeds a little on copyright law and the realities of making a documentary feature. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com Follow us on Instagram for updates: @brockswinson If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“I was very lucky to enter publishing in the 90s when there was a black books boom,” said novelist Tananarive Due (My Soul to Keep, The Good House). “Genre had an easier road for me than if I had tried to enter publishing as a horror writer, as a black woman, previously.” “Comparatively, I was a Johnny-come-lately because I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until I was about eight,” joked author Steven Barnes (Tennyson Hardwick mystery series). “I started publishing in the 1980s—published 30 novels—and worked in television and film.” “What drove me to writing was a love of storytelling and making connection with people. Reading my stories aloud to groups and watching the groups respond emotionally convinced me this was the path that I wanted to walk,” added Barnes. Due and Barnes, along with Ira Madison III, Geoffrey Thorne, and Mohale Mashigo, make up the writing team behind the new audiobook and e-book series Marvel’s Black Panther: Sins of the King, the latest extension of the Marvelverse. In Black Panther: Sins of the King, the story follows as an army of undead threatens Wakanda, and the Black Panther turns to his long-lost father in the fight against his most lethal opponent yet—the demons of his past. Look for the print interview of this conversation on the website for Creative Screenwriting Magazine. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples
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 Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Tiller Russell grew up spending time in courthouses, at the request from his lawyer father, which led him to a career in crime-related journalism. Thanks to a few chance encounters with Errol Morris (The Fog of War, The Thin Blue Line), Russell decided to quit his job at the newspaper and get into filmmaking. In this interview, we hop back and fourth between Russell’s most recent projects, the mini-series documentary Night Stalker, for Netflix, and the fictional retelling of Silk Road, which stars Nick Robinson, Jennifer Yun, and Jason Clarke. Russell discusses how he chose to make Night Stalker as a documentary versus Silk Road as a film, what it means to have a nose for stories, how he ended up working on The Deadliest Catch, what it’s like to write for Dick Wolf, and how to present a story to an audience with no preconceived judgements. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples —
 Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Mike P. Nelson has always loved old horror movies. As a kid, he spent his summers making horror movies and the winters practicing stop motion. But, at the time, he was only allowed to see pre-70s horror movies, so when he reached the R-rating age of 18, his world opened up dramatically. In Nelson’s latest film, he tackles the latest installment of Wrong Turn (2021), which comes from the original writer Alan B. McElroy. In this film, “Friends hiking the Appalachian Trail are confronted by 'The Foundation', a community of people who have lived in the mountains for hundreds of years.” In this interview, Nelson discusses the different decades of the horror genre, what it means to make a “violent movie with heart,” how to carefully shift a franchise film, and how many of the best directors begin in the horror genre. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples
 — This episode is brought to you by Author Builder. Whether you are an experienced author with an established base of fans, or a new author looking to cultivate a following, Author Builder provides you an easy way to build a website, showcase and sell your book, and engage with your community. This all-in-one approach saves authors a ton of time and money, because you don’t have to worry about purchasing separate monthly plans for a website host, a storefront, an email list, and everything in between. Author Builder does all that for you, plus you can get multiple layout and theme options specifically designed with authors in mind. Visit www.AuthorBuilder.com to sign up for FREE today. —
 Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Daniel Willcocks is an international bestselling author and award-nominated podcaster of dark fiction. He is one fifth of digital story studio, Hawk & Cleaver; co-founder of iTunes-busting fiction podcast, 'The Other Stories';’ CEO of horror imprint, Devil’s Rock Publishing; as well as the lead host of the 'Great Writers Share' podcast, and the co-host of the ‘Next Level Authors’ podcast Willcocks is furiously passionate about all things story. He has written 40+ books in four years for himself and on behalf of ghostwriting clients. Dan now also provides book coaching services designed to help authors take the stories that they are dying to tell, and getting them out onto the page. In this interview, we discuss why Daniel never published his first novel, how he created an accountability group of horror writers, what made him take the plunge into writing as a business, how he schedules creative writing, and why the process is more important than the results. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.brockswinson.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples
 — This episode is brought to you by Author Builder. Whether you are an experienced author with an established base of fans, or a new author looking to cultivate a following, Author Builder provides you an easy way to build a website, showcase and sell your book, and engage with your community. This all-in-one approach saves authors a ton of time and money, because you don’t have to worry about purchasing separate monthly plans for a website host, a storefront, an email list, and everything in between. Author Builder does all that for you, plus you can get multiple layout and theme options specifically designed with authors in mind. Visit www.AuthorBuilder.com to sign up for FREE today. —
 Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

“We jumped into this life by watching other people on YouTube who were doing it,” Taylor Cluster told me, after her boyfriend Scott proposed they sell everything and move into a van to travel full-time. While on the road, Scott also encouraged Taylor to pursue her first love: writing. The former teacher decided to give writing another shot and actually created her first novel, ‘The #Vanlife Murders.’ In the novel, Hailey Andrews loses her job and decides to make a change in her life. She sells everything and heads out for a life on the road. But, when Hailey realizes there are young #vanlife women disappearing along her route, she decides to investigate and discovers clues of a serial killer. In this interview, Taylor talks about her decision to go full-time in #VanLife, what it’s like to publish through Amazon’s dropshipping program, how would-be writers can face their fears of publishing, and also what it’s like to write while living in an RV during quarantine. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples
 — This episode is brought to you by Author Builder. Whether you are an experienced author with an established base of fans, or a new author looking to cultivate a following, Author Builder provides you an easy way to build a website, showcase and sell your book, and engage with your community. This all-in-one approach saves authors a ton of time and money, because you don’t have to worry about purchasing separate monthly plans for a website host, a storefront, an email list, and everything in between. Author Builder does all that for you, plus you can get multiple layout and theme options specifically designed with authors in mind. Visit www.AuthorBuilder.com to sign up for FREE today. —
 Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

In 2013, author James McBride published a remarkable book about Henry Shackleford, an enslaved person who united with John Brown and his abolitionist mission. The book was called 'The Good Lord Bird.' Producer Jeremy Gold (Sharp Objects) encouraged 'Hell on Wheels' screenwriter Mark Richard to read the book. “He put the book in my hands, and I read it in one sitting,” said Richard. Little did Richard know, Gold had also spoken to actor Ethan Hawke (Training Day, Before Sunrise) about the book, which he and his wife had also read in a single serving. Thanks to their mutual love for the book, a brunch meeting was set up and by 2020, the limited series his Showtime. In this interview, Hawke and Richard discuss their love for Sam Peckinpah, how to introduce a character like John Brown, the challenges of writing a tragicomedy, why you must be passionate about an adaptation, and what it means to play the fool. — Look for the print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com You can also now find us on Instagram: @CreativePrinciples — This episode is brought to you by Author Builder. Whether you are an experienced author with an established base of fans, or a new author looking to cultivate a following, Author Builder provides you an easy way to build a website, showcase and sell your book, and engage with your community. This all-in-one approach saves authors a ton of time and money, because you don’t have to worry about purchasing separate monthly plans for a website host, a storefront, an email list, and everything in between. Author Builder does all that for you, plus you can get multiple layout and theme options specifically designed with authors in mind. Visit www.AuthorBuilder.com to sign up for FREE today. — Also, if you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts? It only takes about 60-seconds and it really helps convince some of the hard-to-get guests to sit down and have a chat (simply scroll to the bottom on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Screenwriter/Director Anna Kerrigan grew up in a creative home. Her dad worked in visual effects. Her mom worked as a poet. After working in the theatre for a few years, eventually, Kerrigan’s journey led her back to Los Angeles in what she would describe as a “calling.” She made a handful of shorts, including The Rub, Hot Seat, The Jury, and Fridays. In Kerrigan’s film debut, Cowboys stars Steve Zahn, Jillian Bell, and Sasha Knight. The movie follows a troubled but well-intentioned father who runs off with his trans son in the Montana wilderness after his ex-wife refuses to let their son be his authentic self. In this interview, Kerrigan discusses how the story reveled itself to her, how to write a modern outlaw, how to play with Western tropes, and why people are hungry for personal stories. Look for the print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Here’s the description for Body Brokers: Brought to Los Angeles for treatment, a recovering junkie soon learns that the rehab center is not about helping people, but a cover for a multi-billion-dollar fraud operation that enlists addicts to recruit other addicts. If you’re a listener of the show, you can probably tell I’m starting this episode a little different, because this story is so insane, especially since it’s true. Here’s a statement from writer-director John Swab: “I was a street junky for over a decade. During my early attempts at recovery, I went through countless rehabs and detoxes all over the country. In that time, I was “brokered” and then taught how to broker bodies. This is the true story of the multi-billion dollar insurance scandal within the substance abuse treatment industry…. “The FBI recently raided several of the largest treatment centers in Southern California for body brokering and insurance fraud - with more to come. With the opiate epidemic being a central topic of conversation, people need to know about the predatory nature of the proposed solution to the problem: treatment. This is a film about where capitalism fails addicts.” If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Eve Hewson, daughter of U2’s Bono and Ali Hewson, is an Irish actress who landed her first major role in 2011’s This Must Be the Place, opposite Sean Penn. Since this role, she’s been in an array of films and shows, like Enough Said, Bridge of Spies, The Knick, Robin Hood, Tesla, and The Luminaries. Eve’s most recent project is called Behind Her Eyes. Simona Brown plays Louise, a single mother who has an affair with her psychiatrist boss David (Tom Bateman). Her life takes a strange turn when she later befriends his wife Adele (Eve Hewson), and she finds herself caught in a web of secrets and lies where nothing is what it seems. In this interview, Eve talks about growing up in a creative world, the benefits of having an Irish accent, how characters choose you, why she didn’t like the character of Lucy in The Knick, how to play the Hollywood game, and how to look for mentors in any career. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

In the femme fatale genre, an attractive or seductive woman is often the protagonist. Her goal? To cause distress or disaster to a man who becomes involved with her. This is the underlying subject of the new dark comedy Me You Madness from Louise Linton. The film stars Louise, where she’s also the screenwriter and director. The second half of this two-hander, Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl, White Gold) plays Tyler Jones, the unfortunate prey of the protagonist. Officially, the description reads, “ A young thief cases an architectural dream house in Malibu, not realizing it is the home of an eccentric female serial killer.” In this interview, Louise talks about her influences for the film, what she loves Hollywood fast-speak , and why it’s so important to have a top-notch Assistant Director. Ed talks on the surprising innocence of the film, what attracted him to the role, and gives advice for young actors. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Dana Kaye, founder of Kaye Publicity, is a life-long entrepreneur who believes in the power of storytelling and authentic personal branding. Known for her innovative ideas and knowledge of current trends, she coaches her clients on how to identify and establish their unique personal brands. Dana is also the author of two books - Your Book, Your Brand: The Step-by-Step Guide to Launching Your Book and Boosting Your Sales and The Personal Brand Workbook - and serves on the advisory board of Propel PR. In this interview, we discuss Dana’s winding journey to entrepreneurship, when to hire a publicist, why competition for authors isn’t really that important, how to sell yourself as an author, what it means to be local famous, and how to reach beyond die hard fans. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

What separates the hobbyist writer from the prolific professional? That’s the question my new book, Ink by the Barrel, aspires to answer, thanks to a decade of research, and these 250 episodes on the podcast. Here’s a quick teaser for this audiobook sampler: For the first decade of my career, I felt like a hobbyist, posing as a professional. If you enjoy writing - or even despise it but feel drawn to the page - you probably know the feeling. Incomplete scripts and outlines fill your computer... Notepads of half-written, half-baked ideas fill your desk... Your mind constantly races with “what if” ideas when you fall in love with a new genre... Unfortunately, all of these scenarios are nothing more than the dreams of hobbyist. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with being a hobbyist. It gives you something to do. But, it doesn’t really get you anywhere... It’s not remarkable... It’s not particularly rewarding... It’s also not very fulfilling... To move from the amateur to the professional, it’s quite a jarring journey because it feels like something is simply... well, missing. What’s missing can be developed by using the “Creative Principles” from within Ink by the Barrel. If you wish to finish your first fulfilling project... If you wish to become a professional... If you wish to be prolific... Then it’s time to buy your ink by the barrel. 
 — Buy the book, join the email list, and stay up-to-date on all my work at www.writerfieldnotes.com

Writer-Director Mike Cahill credits his early fascination with filmmaking to the Fisher-Price Pixelvision, better known as the PXL-2000, a black-and-white toy camcorder from the late 1980s. “I totally loved it,” he joked. “It was my favorite toy of all time. No one was teaching me how movies or film, or how the medium worked, but I was discovering you hold down the button, it records, and you let go, and it stops recording. Then, there’s a natural edit to the way it works.” Describing this early experience as “exhilarating,” Cahill said that even though he took many different paths in his life, he always returned to filmmaking. Clearly, the passion has paid off. Cahill is best known for his work as a writer/director on the documentary Boxers and Ballerinas, and films like Another Earth, I Origins, and Bliss. His latest feature, Bliss, stars Owen Wilson and Salma Hayek. The description for the Amazon release reads, “ A mind-bending love story following Greg who, after recently being divorced and then fired, meets the mysterious Isabel, a woman living on the streets and convinced that the polluted, broken world around them is a computer simulation.” In this interview, the writer-director discusses film as a visual language, high-concept ideas about second chances, how filmmaking is like catching an exotic animal, and how he chooses to chase inspiration. Look for the print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Thomas Sadoski describes his path to acting as an “accumulation of growing up reading big epic stories.” His father read epic myths and he grew up in Texas, a natural storytelling culture. This, along with an obsession with actors like Jimmy Stewart and Charlie Chaplin guided his journey. The actor is known for roles in movies like ‘Wild’ and ‘John Wick,’ along with television work such as ‘The Newsroom’ and ‘Life in Pieces,’ but his most recent film is ‘The Mimic.’ In the feature written and directed by Thomas F. Mazziotti, a man suspects his friend may be a sociopath, so he goes to extreme lengths to uncover the truth. In this interview, the actor talks about his love for the immediacy of theater, how he was mentored early on by Mark Ruffalo, the challenge and joy of playing a character from Aaron Sorkin, and why it’s so important to do that which inspires you. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Fisher Stevens grew up with an acting class in his living room. The teacher invited him to attend, so by age 15, he was already auditioning and working in the business. These days, Fisher is known for Short Circuit, Lost, Damages, Hail Caesar!, The Night Of, Succession and The Blacklist. But, the actor is also making a name for himself behind the camera, winning an Oscar for the documentary The Cove, and Directing Stand Up Guys and now, Apple’s Palmer. In Palmer, Justin Timberlake plays an ex-convict who strikes up an unlikely friendship with a boy from a trouble home. You can also listen to my interview with Cheryl Guerriero, the screenwriter of Palmer, in episode 246 of the podcast. In this interview, Fisher talks about forming discipline from rejection, how Matthew Broderick helped advance his acting career, how to self-start a documentary, why he’s attracted to second-chance movies, what he learned from Garry Marshall, and how creatives can strive to create social change. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

For the bulk of Cheryl Guerriero’s life, she was involved heavily with sports. She was a Nation Lacrosse Champion, then worked for a sports agent, and a sports apparel company. Despite this success, Guerriero felt unfulfilled and wanted to move back to her true passion: writing. Guerriero got the idea for Palmer in 2007. The description reads, “An ex-convict strikes up a friendship with a boy from a troubled home.” Since the initial concept, however, there’s been many ups and downs to get the movie made. In this interview, the screenwriter talks about the importance of perseverance as a writer, why Palmer was a God-inspired script, how to sell a personal story, and how stamina can beat rejection. Look for the print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Before he entered filmmaking Cinematographer Sam Levy would not have described himself as a technical person. He didn’t have the J.J. Abrams Super 8 childhood that many other creatives grew up with. Instead, Levy pitched this missing piece as an asset, not a liability. Levy’s ability to leap without worry of what was underneath him has lead to an impressive career, where he’s shot for directors like Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, and worked on projects for Jerry Seinfeld, Judd Apatow, Norman Lear, and Kanye West. This background led to Levy’s latest project, Mayday, which was written and directed by Karen Cinorre. The story, which is the first project of this scale produced by Levy, is about a girl who is transported to a dreamlike and dangerous land where she joins an army of girls engaged in a never-ending war on the coast. In this interview, the Cinematographer talks about the 1992 documentary Visions of Light, how work ethic is often more important than experience, his fascination with the film Citizen Kane, why creatives should compartmentalize ambitious goals, and how to choose team members who have creative stamina. If it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

As a kid, Cooper Raiff thought he was merely a fan of movies, but when he wrote his first story, he realized he had an ear for dialogue. These days, he’s known for being the star, screenwriter, and director of the film Sh*thouse, loosely based on his time in college. Cooper stars as Alex Maimquist, a homesick college freshman who goes to a party at Sh*thouse, where he spends the evening with a sophomore RA, played by Dylan Gelula. In this interview, Cooper talks about his protege-like relationship with Jay Duplass (Togetherness, Room 104), why personal stories are universal stories, how themes can actually represent arguments, and why he hates audience winks and overly structured movies. Also, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

From an early age, April Mullen was obsessed with the idea of storytelling. Originally an actress (88, A History of Violence), Mullen soon realized her state of mind was better in the Director’s Chair. For her latest film, Wander, she’s crafting a story about a man hired to probe about a suspicious death in the small town of Wander. This conspiracy film stars Aaron Eckhart and Tommy Lee Jones. In this interview, Mullen discusses the instincts as a Director, how to collaborate with actors (from the POV of a former actor), how to decipher character moments for a film, and how she comes up with her shot list based on theme and location. Also, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

As a script-reader, Scott Kroopf read thousands of scripts before he started to climb the ladder in Hollywood, ironically thanks to the original movie, ‘Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure.’ Kroopf suggested the script in an interview, not knowing the company he was interviewing with had just optioned the screenplay. Thanks to this lucky break, Kroopf took his knowledge of producing a play into the world of movie making. In this interview, the producer talks about how Bill & Ted Face the Music came to life, thoughts on the cross-pollination of theater and film, why producers must be proactive, and why movies like ‘Jumanji’ and ‘The Last Samurai’ take a decade to get made. If you want more Bill & Ted news, make sure to also check out my interview Alex Winter who plays Bill in episode 232 and also episode 46 where I speak to screenwriter Ed Solomon. Also, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at the link below… Join the email list here: www.writerfieldnotes.com

Xan Parker is a seasoned documentary producer, obsessed with character. Across her career, she’s worked on projects like The Hill, Racing Dreams, Big Men, Tigerland, and most recently, Rebuilding Paradise. The latest story, directed by Ron Howard, focuses on the community of Paradise, California, a town in the Sierra Nevada foothills and their attempt to rebuild after the wildfires of 2018. In this interview, Parker talks about the history of documentary filmmaking, how to quickly make decisions or pivots as a true story unfolds, how to choose subjects within a story, and how to tell the truth about the spirit of what happens. Also, if it’s your first time listening, make sure to subscribe and visit my new website for information on the YouTube channel, the blog, this podcast, and my new book ‘Ink by the Barrel’ which takes advice from these 200+ interviews at www.writerfieldnotes.com

I’m Your Woman is a 1970s-set crime drama that stars The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Rachel Brosnahan. The story follows a woman when she’s forced to go on the run with her baby when her husband betrays his partners. The film is directed by Julia Hart, and co-written by Hart and her husband Jordan Horowitz. The duo have also created films like Fast Color, Miss Stevens, and Stargirl, among others. In this exclusive interview, Julia and Jordan discuss how their writing partnership works logistically, why writing partners need the same outlook on life, how to properly write a gender-bending film, and why Hollywood has such as a misconception around it as an industry. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

A self-described theater brat, Tara Miele realized there was a storyteller behind her favorite films when a friend invited her to come watch a series of student films. “I grew up a blue-collar kid in Long Island and never assumed that was a job you could do.” At the event, however, she said “it was like somebody pulled back the curtain on Oz. I just knew I was going to be a filmmaker.” The following week, she marched into the Film Studies office and announced she wanted to make a movie. Her first student film premiered at Slam Dance in 2000. “Taking a film to Sundance this year, after 20 years on the journey, was a really special thing for me.” In Miele’s latest film, Sienna Miller and Diego Luna star in Wander Darkly. According to the description, “New parents Adrienne and Matteo are forced to reckon with trauma amidst their troubled relationship. They must revisit the memories of their past and unravel haunting truths in order to face their uncertain future.” In this interview, Miele talks about how Sienna Miller ability to be a chameleon actress, what it means to work with nurturing creative partners, how her circular process works, why creatives need to “make time for their heart,” and what it means to have integrity as an artist. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

When Sarah Goldfinger saw her first play produced, she knew she wanted to become a screenwriter. She decided to move to Los Angeles (because it’s better to be poor in warm weather), where she worked as a nanny until earning her first job on a new show called CSI. Goldfinger wanted to write character-driven stories, which led her to a spec script and then on other shows like Brothers & Sisters, Hawaii Five-O, Grimm, Parenthood, then Jane the Virgin, Charmed and now, Trinkets. In the latest series, Trinkets, the story follows three teenage girls in Portland, Oregon, who meet at a Shoplifters Anonymous meeting. In this interview, Goldfinger discusses how to create a cozy writer’s room, why writers should lean into their skillset, the difference between writing as a group and as an individual, the benefits of group-think, and how YA genre stories can best approach their audience. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a teenager, Sam Boyd would make short films and write screenplays with friends. This led him to eventually making the short “In a Relationship” at NYU with Nicholas Braun (Succession) and Dakota Johnson (50 Shades of Grey). “That was where I learned to cut stuff together, how to Direct, and I was able to make it into a feature a couple years later with Emma Roberts (We’re the Millers) and Michael Angarano (Almost Famous).” This work eventually led him to the spec script for Love Life, which is now an anthology series on HBO Max. In his latest series, Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) stars as Darby, where audiences are invited to follow her through an anthology series about first love and lasting loves. In this interview, Boyd discusses taking the pressure off of drafts and shorts, why he appreciates humanistic filmmaking, how to push the boundaries of television real estate, and why profoundly simple truths make the best stories. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Natalie Krinsky always knew she wanted to become a writer. In college, she started writing a column at the Yale Daily News. Since it was 2002 at the time, these sex-column articles were published online, sort of like a blog. Readers enjoyed the articles so much they started to forward the column to friends at other colleges. “I sort of began to have this real following based on my silly student sex column. So I then I wrote a novel based on the column.” The novel was called Chloe Does Yale, which was published after she graduated. These days, she’s best known for working on shows like 90210, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, Red Band Society, and the new film, The Broken Hearts Gallery. In Krinsky’s latest film, Geraldine Viswanathan (Blockers) stars as Lucy Gulliver and Dacre Montgomery (Stranger Things) stars as Nick. The story follows Lucy after she decides to leave past romance trinkets in an art gallery, based on the Museum of Broken Relationships in Croatia. In this interview, Krinsky discusses writing character point-of-view as prose first, her fascination and pet peeves about rom-coms, why working in a writer’s room is invaluable for a writer, and how to create daily victories as a screenwriter. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a kid, Richard Tanne was rewarded for good behavior with a movie on the weekend. He quickly developed a love for Tim Burton films, then short stories, then plays, but the entire time, he knew he wanted to one day become a filmmaker. In this interview, Tanne discusses his first two features, Southside With You, about when the Obamas met in 1989 Chicago, and his latest film, Chemical Hearts, a high school romance built around pain and mortality. In this interview, the writer-director discusses dialogue-driven screenplays, why everyone should write a play or contained thriller, how to remove variables in the screenplay, and what it means to follow your inner compass as a creative. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a kid, Mattson Tomlin felt like he was the last one of his friends to give up on the idea of play. While they were chasing girls or getting into sports, he still wanted to run around in the woods in a Batman costume. Luckily, he discovered that if he made movies, he could inspire his friends to stick around, because they had a new reason to play. He then made a career out of this. As of 2020, the screenwriter has credits on the Jamie Foxx action-thriller Project Power, with additional credits on upcoming films like Little Fish, Capcom’s Mega Man, and Matt Reeves’ new film, The Batman. The Project Power description reads, “When a pill that gives its users unpredictable superpowers for five minutes hits the streets of New Orleans, a teenage dealer and a local cop must team with an ex-soldier to take down the group responsible for its creation.” In this interview, Tomlin discusses what made him start writing ten screenplays per year, how the vision of his career changed when he became prolific, what it means to write your way to the table, how to learn confidence of craft, and which writing rule he got tattooed on his hand. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Steve Blackman was working as an attorney when he decided to use his experience and turn the environment into a spec script. When he sold the script, he quit his job that day to pursue his dream of becoming a professional screenwriter. Over the past two decades, Blackman has written for shows like Wild Card, Bones, Las Vegas, Private Practice, Fargo, Legion, and Altered Carbon. He’s also the creator behind Netflix’s Umbrella Academy. The latest series comes from a graphic novel by the same name, which reveals a family of former child heroes who have grown apart but are forced back together when new dangers enter our world. In this interview, Blackman discusses his love for dysfunctional and broken characters, how to balance a heightened reality with grounded drama, his love for subverting expectations in genre, how to subliminally present character, and why each script ends with a “tone pass.” If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Alex Winter got started on Broadway at a very early age, where he landed roles in productions of The King and I and Peter Pan, which led him to NYU Film School and eventually to Hollywood. These days, Winter is best known for his role in the Bill & Ted franchise, where the most recent film Bill & Ted Face the Music comes out this year. However, when Winter is not playing a role, he’s often behind the camera, working on documentaries such as The Panama Papers, Zappa and HBO’s latest film, Showbiz Kids. In Winter’s latest film, “ A documentary about the highs and lows of children in show business, featuring interviews and examinations of the lives and careers of the most famous former child actors in the world.” In this interview, Winter discusses his experience as a “showbiz kid,” why he structures documentaries in a narrative fashion, how docs show subtle misconceptions (and misperceptions), why he sets parameters on his work, how docs deal with the “true nature of humanity” and fluid storytelling, and what it was like to step back into the shoes of Bill S. Preston. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Early in his career, Gavin Rothery’s goal was to have two jobs: one that pays your bills and you that you enjoy. Then, simply transition the one you enjoy into the one that pays your bills. Starting in the Art Department, Rothery worked on games like Grand Theft Auto III, Battalion Wars, and movies like Moon, which starred Sam Rockwell. All of this, of course, led to Rothery writing and directing his first feature. In Archive, Theo James and Rhona Mitra unlock the year 2038. In the film, “George Almore is working on a true human-equivalent AI. His latest prototype is almost ready. This sensitive phase is also the riskiest. Especially as he has a goal that must be hidden at all costs: being reunited with his dead wife.” In this interview, Rothery discusses how he used his skills as a comic artist to move into the game industry and eventually filmmaking, how story relates to visual art, his fascination with Mythbusters, why you should hang on to ideas, and what he learned from Duncan Jones on the set of Moon. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Last time we spoke with Eric Newman (Ep 162), we discussed his work on ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ ‘Children of Men,’ ‘In Time,’ ‘RoboCop,’ and ‘Hemlock Grove.’ This time, we break down his fascination with the world of ‘Narcos.’ The new series stars Diego Luna and Scoot McNairy. It focuses on “The rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the danger of targeting narcos in Mexico.” In this interview, Newman discusses bad guys and very bad guys, self-preservation versus self-elevation in character, why his favorite character is Pacho Herrera, and why you should be empathetic to monsters. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Lenny Abrahamson describes his path to filmmaking as a “wandering” journey. Obsessed with books and storytelling, a few friends inspired him to create a “filmmaking society” at Trinity College near Dublin, Ireland. Abrahamson is known for the Brie Larson film ‘Room,’ the Michael Fassbender film ‘Frank,’ and now, the BBC romance series ‘Normal People,’ which is set in Ireland. The new series follows “Marianne and Connell, from different backgrounds but the same small town in Ireland, as they weave in and out of each other's romantic lives. “ In this interview, Abrahamson discusses his obsession with projects between genres, tensions versus attention, what makes undefined characters so appealing, how to make character POV in a contained space, how excess metaphorical scaffolding in the script disrespects the viewer, and why you need to think beyond rule-based approaches to directing. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Megan Ganz was introduced to comedy by her father, who would show her Marx Brothers movies and let her stay up late to watch David Letterman. Then, as she started to write as a teen, she fell in love with The Onion and the idea of satire. In college then did an internship with Mad Magazine, but then landed a job at The Onion soon after. Today, Ganz’s credits include ‘Community,’ ‘Modern Family,’ ‘The Last Man on Earth,’ ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,’ and Apple’s new series, ‘Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet.’ In this interview, we break down all of the shows mentioned above, and discuss writing character-driven, impactful jokes, the goal of good satire, what it means to have a strong comedic vision, why dialogue comes last, and why she’s always been obsessed with ‘Always Sunny.’ If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Kenya Barris jokes he only started writing screenplays because he was a “kid with asthma.” But in reality, storytelling found Barris because of his love for reading. One of Barris’ first jobs was writing for The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show, followed by writing gigs on Soul Food, Girlfriends, Are We There Yet?, and America’s Next Top Model. But, he’s most known for creating Black-ish, Grown-ish, Mixed-ish, and #BlackAF. On the road to selling Black-ish, Barris wrote and pitched about 19 different pilot episodes, with no success, but it taught him how to build worlds and how to create characters to inhabit those worlds. In this interview, Barris discusses his undiscovered pilot Urbanity, how writers can mine from the lanes they know, why he prefers just talking over breaking story in the writer’s room, how narration can haunt you, and how to defend statements as a writer. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Veena Sud, screenwriter behind Seven Seconds, The Killing, and Cold Case returns to discuss her latest venture, Quibi’s short-form series, The Stranger. Quibi is a short-form mobile platform from founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, the producer of movies like Shrek, The Prince of Egypt, and The Road to El Dorado. In a previous interview, we spoke with Sud about “slow burn storytelling,” which applied to the rhythm and tone of our work. The Stranger, of course, is somewhat the opposite of her previous formula. With all of these parameters in mind, Sud created The Stranger, a story about an unassuming rideshare driver who picks up a nightmare passenger. In this interview, Sud discusses writing for phone viewers meaning horizontal and vertical viewing, how Quibi programming is a hybrid of movie and TV writing, how to weaponize an audience, how she uses the zeitgeist of headlines for inspiration, and three ways to trick yourself out of writer’s block. If you haven’t seen the series, watch for some light spoilers around the 16-minute mark, and make sure to also go back and listen to my original conversation with Sud in Episode 94 of the podcast. Both versions are also on the Creative Screenwriting website. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Ramy Youssef has always been a creative person. The New Jersey native didn’t see showbusiness as an achievable goal, but an underlying passion directed him to create more and more, eventually encouraging him to edit, to act, and to write. Eventually, Ramy moved to Los Angeles, where he landed roles on shows like See Dad Run and Mr. Robot, along with a small role in the James Franco-Bryan Cranston holiday comedy, Why Him? Fast forward to 2019 and Ramy Youssef landed a special with HBO called Feelings and a series on Hulu, where he plays a fictionalized version similar to himself in Ramy. The new series is described as: “In New Jersey, Ramy, son of Egyptian migrants, begins a spiritual journey, divided between his Muslim community, God, and his friends who see endless possibilities.” In this interview, Ramy discusses writing personal material, the pressure cooker of creating earnest Muslim material, the difference in stand-up and writing a series, his obsession with ego and faith, and how comics should spend their free time during the quarantine. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Mark Bomback’s screenwriting education came from reading hundreds of screenplays. While working in the mailroom, he volunteered to read and provide coverage on submitted scripts, which taught him how to write, but also how not to write. These days, he’s known for Live Free or Die Hard, Unstoppable, Total Recall, The Wolverine, The Art of Racing in the Rain, the recent Planet of the Apes prequels, and Apple’s new series, Defending Jacob, starring Chris Evans. The 8-episode story behind Defending Jacob started with a 13-page treatment based on the novel. The story is a character-driven thriller about an assistant DA who’s world is shattered when his son is charged with murder. In this interview, Bomback discusses how writers can self-educate, how he uses something called the “silent partner,” why writing is a craft not an art, why writers need to occasionally just write the bad version of the scene, and how to improve bulletproof drafts. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Michael Tucker always wanted to be a filmmaker. After attending Film School, he joined some friends for what became Finite Films, a small production company focused on short films. “We spent a year making short films and web series,” he said, “then realized that short films and web series don’t pay the bills.” Tucker spent a few years doing editing work and helping with documentary films and small features. After working in this field for a few years, he decided he wanted to get back into creative work. With Lessons from the Screenplay, Tucker wanted to make videos that analyze movie scripts to examine exactly how and why they are so good at telling their stories. Part educational series and part love letter to awesome films, Lessons from the Screenplay aims to be a fun way to learn more about your favorite films and help everyone become better storytellers. In this interview, Tucker talks about how to be authentic on YouTube, how to avoid toxic messages on the platform, favorite software and apps, how Patreon works with fans of the channel, and the misconceptions of having a popular YouTube channel. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Shannon Burke is the author of ‘Safelight,’ ‘Black Flies,’ and ‘Into the Savage Country.’ Recently, he decided to partner with his screenwriting friends - Brothers Jonas and Josh Pate - to write a coming-of-age action adventure story. The idea of Outer Banks came from an article about a power outage on the Outer Banks. Pate said, “There was a photograph taken at dusk of these darkened mansions. It was just this evocative image that stayed with me.” Pate mentioned his fascination with this idea to Burke, and they started to unlock the story that would later become the Netflix series. “We wanted to do something based on memories from high school and that period of adolescence.” According to the description, the series is about, “a group of teenagers from the wrong side of the tracks stumble upon a treasure map that unearths a long buried secret.” In this interview, the writers discuss their fascination with 19th Century novels, how to cut the safety net to write professionally, lessons from Dennis Hopper, when to burn a bad novel, and why writers need resignation not confidence to build a career. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

For nearly a decade, Benjamin Hardy felt a lack of purpose in his life. But, thanks to a church mission, he started journaling, found an interest in psychology, and then decided to become an author (while raising a family and acquiring his doctorate), despite the odds of achieving this goal in traditional publishing. In 2015, Hardy started blogging because he knew it was a potential route to becoming an author. Through Medium, he built a massive following (literally becoming the #1 writer on the platform), and achieved his goal of finding an agent and publishing books in a traditional manner. In addition to his first book, ‘Willpower Doesn’t Work,’ the author has recently published ‘Personality Isn’t Permanent.’ In the book, he “draws on psychological research to demolish the popular misconception that personality—a person’s consistent attitudes and behaviors—is innate and unchanging. Hardy liberates us from the limiting belief that our ‘true selves’ are to be discovered, and shows how we can intentionally create our desired selves and achieve amazing goals instead.” In this interview, Hardy discusses deliberate practice, why writers often avoid goal-setting, lessons from Ryan Holiday, how to reverse engineer goals to find a process, why writers must be authentic today, strategic ignorance, and why kids shouldn’t take the Myers-Briggs personalty test. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

While living in Mexico City, John Grillo saw an opportunity to work on a film set, so he came on as a translator for a Disney film. While meeting the crew, he was drawn to the lifestyle. These days, Grillo is a Cinematographer known for ‘Westworld,’ ‘The Leftovers,’ ‘Snowpiercer,’’ Preacher,’ and various Michael Mann projects such as ‘Luck,’ ‘Miami Vice,’ ‘Ali,’ and ‘Collateral.’ In this interview, Grillo discusses what he learned from Michael Mann, how to see subtext in images, how filmmaking is like jazz, what drew him to television, the importance of paying attention on set, and why you don’t need film school. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion met while working on animation projects. They created a short film in the horror-comedy genre (called ‘Boob’) that was accepted at SXSW. Thanks to this film, Elijah Wood’s company called to see if the duo wanted to pitch about a project called ‘Cooties.’ Thanks to their perseverance, they eventually landed the job (more on this in the interview). For their latest project, ‘Becky’ is about a teenager's (Lulu Wilson) weekend at a lake house with her father takes a turn for the worse when a group of convicts wreaks havoc on their lives.” In this interview, the Directors talk about pace and character, what makes a good horror comedy, how to enhance the premise, how they divide up responsibilities as a Directing duo, and how Joel McHale and Kevin James came on board for ‘Becky.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Anna Winger has done a little bit of everything. She got her start in photography, where she did some commercial work and some documentary work, then wrote a novel, but if you have to summarize her career, she’s a storyteller. The writer-producer is known for Deutschland 83, Deutschland 86, Deutschland 89, and the new Netflix series, Unorthodox. Her latest project is the “story of a young ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman who flees her arranged marriage and religious community to start a new life abroad.” In this interview, Winger describes her journey from photographer to novelist to screenwriter, trusting intuitive instincts, writing her first screenplay at age 40, an interest in humor and curiosity, and her fish-out-water formula for finding intriguing characters. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Between 2018 and 2021, Matt Liberman will have 9 features in the works. We spoke with Matt about the “creepy” and “kooky” 'Addams Family' not long ago for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, but now we’re catching up some of his other films like 'The Christmas Chronicles' (and it’s sequel), 'Scoob!,' and the new Ryan Reynolds comedy, 'Free Guy.' In this interview, Liberman discusses how he’s so prolific, including why he’s a high-concept writer, the ironic hook of every idea, writing a script in 7 days, how to write wish fulfillment, separating writing from editing and “idea mode,” and why there is no blank page. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Australian Director Justin Kurzel got his start in the theater. He started working on short films and made music videos with his brother. Eventually, he made the jump - thanks to his clips - and started making films. Kurzel was hesitant to take on the first project he was offered, ‘The Snowtown Murders.’ Essentially, the story uncovered true events, revolving around a local murder and a spree or torture. Regardless, he made the movie (in the area where the event happened), and continued to take on challenging films, such as ‘The Turning,’ ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Assassin’s Creed,’ and now, ‘True History of the Kelly Gang.’ In this interview, the writer-director talks about making bold decisions, how toxic masculinity plays into the film, the history of Ned Kelly, why they chose to use the word “True” in the title, and the difference between Australian and American Westerns. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Trevor Forrest was a painter before he came a photographer. Even in his early days, he knew he wanted to tell stories with his photos. Eventually, this led him to a job in Cinematography. These days, the English DP is known for work on ‘Underground,’ ‘The Leisure Class,’ TNT’s ‘I Am the Night,’ and Hulu’s ‘Little Fires Everywhere.’ The mini-series is based on Celeste Ng's 2017 bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere, and it follows the intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and the enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. In this interview, Forrest discusses his unique journey to Cinematography, how to capture moments like a Documentarian, how to rest the creative mind, and why the best mentor comes from within. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

After serving in the Army in Israel, Gideon Raff went to acting school and quickly realized it wasn’t a fit. He then got into advertising and then landed in the world of filmmaking. In the early days of his career, he worked in the horror genre, but then moved to espionage and political thrillers, like 'Prisoners of War' and 'Homeland.' In Raff’s latest series, 'The Spy,' Sacha Baron Cohen stars as the Israeli spy, Eli Cohen. In the six episode series, audiences are invited to look at the intense life in this remarkable true story. He felt like a 2-hour version would have felt too much like a James Bond movie, so he expanded the idea to six hours, focused on character and identity. In this interview, Raff discusses how stories stay within you, why everything he does puts character first, the differences between Homeland and Prisoners of War, why the story dictates the length, and how screenwriters need to show compassion for themselves. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Liz Feldman landed her first writing opportunity at the age of 16, on the Nickelodeon series, ‘All That.’ Years later, she got involved with the Groundlings and Second City, eventually meeting her manager, and stepping into a career as a screenwriter. Feldman has credits for writing on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show’, ‘The Oscars,’ ‘One Big Happy,’ and ‘2 Broke Girls,’ but she’s also the creator of the new hit series, ‘Dead to Me,’ for Netflix. The series stars Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. In this interview, Feldman discusses what she learned writing jokes for Ellen DeGeneres, what it means to be a perfectionist in the Writer’s Room, the difference between a great writer and a decent writer, dealing with rejection, and the importance of finding comfort being vulnerable. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Mike Reiss’ new book 'Springfield Confidential' isn’t exactly a tell-all, but this is because there’s nothing to tell. After writing the book, Reiss thought in hindsight that the confrontation-free Writer’s Room is perhaps “one reason for The Simpsons’ success.” He added, “There is no dirt. There is not friction. It’s very rare in TV that everyone is pulling in the same direction. Everyone is trying to make the best show they can.” In this interview, Reiss discusses the origin of his book, how Al Jean interprets fan comments, how writing the show has changed over 30 years, why screenwriting is Darwinian, and why hard work is recognized. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jeff Cronenweth grew up in a family of filmmakers. His grandfather, Edward, worked on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ with Lon Chaney. His father, Jordan, was the cinematographer on ‘Blade Runner.’ “My father recommended that I stop school and go work with a production company,” he said. After getting accepted into the Union, Cronenweth went to Film School at USC and then started working in the industry. These days, he’s best known for working with David Fincher, on projects such as ‘Fight Club,’ ‘The Social Network,’ ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ and ‘Gone Girl.’ Currently, he’s the Cinematographer on Amazon’s new series, ‘Tales from the Loop.’ For the latest series, Cronenweth worked on the episode “Loop.” According to the description, “The townspeople who live above "The Loop," a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe, experience things previously consigned to the realm of science fiction.” In this interview, the Cinematographer discusses working with David Fincher, rules he learned from his father, how he first reads a screenplay, how to get the best of every moment, why you should shoot as much as you can early in your career, and why creatives need a full arsenal of looks to showcase creative work. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“We wanted to create a human story with foam and rubber,” said Director Louis Lettier. The son of a director and a costume designer, Leterrier originally wanted to be a musician, but eventually followed his passion for movies and became a director. These days, he’s best known for directing ‘The Transporter,’ ‘Unleashed,’ ‘The Incredible Hulk,’ ‘Now You See Me’, and the Netflix series ‘The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.’ In this interview, the creative discusses how he became a director by accident for ‘The Transporter,’ why he’s obsessed with world building and unlikely heroes, how filmmakers (and characters) need hero moments, why he prefers to take the lead on things never done before, and how ideas can grow into truths. ‘Dark Crystal’ fans, make sure to also listen to Episode 209, where I spoke with Creators Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews, who suggested a handful of the questions in this interview. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews originally contacted the Jim Henson company to pitch a sequel idea for 'Labyrinth,' and while that idea wasn’t in the cards even for a pitch meeting, they were invited to come up with an idea for a 'Dark Crystal' prequel series. The official description for the 10-episode Netflix show reads, “Returns to the world of Thra, where three Gelfling discover the horrifying secret behind the Skeksis' power, and set out to ignite the fires of rebellion and save their world.” To create this world, the screenwriters spent a great deal of time on the opening sequence, making sure audiences new and old would understand the 30 years of history prior to the 10-episode story, but also the layered world and class system. In this interview, the writers discuss telling big stories in an economical fashion, writing for fans new and old, how they figured out how to run a Writer’s Room, what it means to write for budget, and how to “count mouth flaps.” If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Scott Teems grew up and went to Film School in Georgia, and he is best known for early work with Hal Holbrook on ‘That Evening Sun’ (along with producing Holbrook in the Mark Twin story ‘An American Odyssey’), plus episodes of ‘Rectify’ and ‘Narcos: Mexico,’ and the new film ‘The Quarry.’ The co-writer and director of ‘The Quarry,’ Teems uncovers the story of a drifter, played by Shea Whigham, who kills a traveling preacher and takes his place in a small-town church. But, upon his arrival, the police chief, played by Michael Shannon, suspects something is wrong. Teems is heavily influenced by Eastern European and Polish cinema (but more so towards the Coen Brothers for his latest film). And, he has a writing credit on the upcoming film, ‘Halloween Kills,’ the latest installment of the Michael Myers franchise. In this interview, we discuss personal Southern stories, how Georgia became a film hub, why he’s intrigued by religion and violence in story, where to find exterior tension in a story, why he hates agenda-driven stories, and what audiences can expect from Halloween Kills. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Originally, Jessica Sharzer emerged herself in Russian studies. While in school, she transferred to Film and essentially went to Graduate School twice. Fascinated by the original tragedies, she now carries this mindset into her new works. Known for American Horror Story, Nerve, A Simple Favor, and Apple’s Amazing Stories, she loves to focus on genre. Essentially, she believes, when writing genre, it’s not like starting a blank page because there are guidelines to follow. In her latest work, she was assigned “The Cellar,” which was an idea from Steven Spielberg that premiered as the first episode of Apple’s Amazing Stories reboot. The episode stars Dylan O’Brien (The Maze Runner) and Victoria Pedretti (The Haunting of Hill House). In this interview, Sharzer discusses how to reflect the times rather than preach social issues, why she loves writing genre, why writers needs to write quickly, how she feels about Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000 hour rule, and she addresses the rumors about ‘A Simple Favor’ turning into a limited series. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“I loved writing about TV and speaking to people I admired to learn how the sausage was made, but I wanted to leave [entertainment journalism] and work on getting a spec made,” said screenwriter and former critic Andy Greenwald. In addition to writing for publications like Entertainment Weekly, Spin, ESPN: The Magazine, and The Washington Post, Andy Greenwald is the author of Miss Misery: A Novel and Nothing Feels Good: Punk Rock, Teenagers, and Emo. Greenwald decided he no longer had the same passion for music, but really carried about the types of stories being told on television. “I really cared how the story got made and the process. It was really a lightbulb moment. I had always had this interest, but didn’t put two and two together.” After interviewing Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion), Greenwald was invited to come write for ‘Legion.’ Thanks to the success of this job, Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot, Homecoming) reached out to see if Greenwald had any samples, so his agent sent over the spec for Briarpatch. On the new USA series, Rosario Dawson stars as Allegra Dill, an investigator who returns to her hometown in a Texas border town to try and solve the mysterious death of her sister, a police officer who died in a car bombing. In this interview, Greenwald discusses lessons he learned from Sam Esmail, how to expose genre, what he loves about the surrealist world of ‘Twin Peaks,’ how his career as a critic influenced his showrunner position, and why screenwriters need to take big swings and make risky, artistic choices. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“I was really influenced by punk bands in the 80s and 90s. I liked they were screaming about things I had in my head,” said Philip Harder, who got his start as a music video director. Working with artists like The Cranberries, Foo Fighters, Incubus, and Prince, he learned how to tell stories and capture emotions in short formats. “I joined a band, bought a Super 8, and that led to a music video career.” In Harder’s latest film, ‘Tuscaloosa,’ college graduate Billy Mitchell (Devon Bostick) finds his plans change when he falls in love with an inmate who has multiple personalities (Natalia Dyer), who lives at his father’s mental institution. Based on the novel by Glasgow Phillips, the story stood out to Harder because of the way it “weaved a love story with humor during a pretty intense racial time period in the early 1970s.” He added, “This was something I felt would make a fascinating movie.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about involuntary spontaneity on set, how Prince’s “Cinnamon Girl” influenced ‘Tuscaloosa,’ how to work in “overtime mode,” the importance of total immersion, how to survive the “witching hour,” and why casting is everything. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

In ‘Escape From Pretoria,’ writer-director Francis Annan uncovers the true story of how two real-life political captives escape from Pretoria during the tumultuous apartheid days of South Africa. The film stars Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) and Daniel Webber (11.22.63). In this interview, Annan discusses creating empathy in these characters, why these real life subjects debated the issue of escaping or staying, how he made the jump from shorts and docs to a full feature, dealing with overtime, and why Daniel Radcliffe loves the process of acting. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

‘Seberg’ is inspired by true events about the French New Wave darling and Breathless star, Jean Seberg (Kristen Stewart), who in the late 1960s was targeted by the FBI because of her support of the civil rights movement and romantic involvement with Hakim Jamal (Anthony Mackie), among others. In Benedict Andrews’ noir-ish thriller, Seberg’s life and career are destroyed by Hoover’s overreaching surveillance and harassment in an effort to suppress and discredit Seberg’s activism. In this interview, the director discusses the importance of defending your time to work, his transition from live theatre to evergreen filmmaking, why you make a film three times, and how wonderfully difficult it is to bring ideas to the screen. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Wes O’Donnell is a writer, a TED speaker, a multi-branch military veteran, a journalist, and a speaker for veterans. But, above all else, he’s a storyteller. As such, Wes writes on a little of everything, from military issues to personal productivity to intermittent fasting to content strategy to data journalism and unstructured data, along with how to become a public speaker. In his latest book, ‘Own the Crowd,’ the author discusses the moments in life that must be pursued. Wes believes, “Public speaking is much more than delivering content from a podium. If you want your ideas to be memorable, you must become a performer.” In this interview, Wes discusses emotional responses behind the written word, his work as a veteran speaker, why he started IF, and why the best ways to be productive are actually priceless. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

A product of the Spielberg era, Anthony Jerjen directed shorts like ‘The End,’ ‘Trained’ and ‘Immersion,’ before he stumbled upon a script called ‘Inherit the Viper.’ As a European, Jerjen wasn’t particularly familiar with the opioid crisis, but he saw a universal connection with the story. Andrew Crabtree’s script for ‘Inherit the Viper’ is a crime thriller about three siblings in the Appalachian Mountains who get by as local opioid dealers. Somewhat forced into the family business, the kids try not to get lost in the spiral of violence from the business. This is essentially the debut film for the screenwriter and director. The movie stars Josh Hartnett, Bruce Dern, Owen Teague, Margarita Levieva, and Chandler Riggs. In this interview, Jerjen discusses his jump from shorts to a full feature, what attracted him to the story for ‘Viper,’ how large crews mean compromise, why we romanticize films, and why he shoots in a traditional manner. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Charles Randolph is intrigued with things that frighten him. Complicated, yet unusual subjects with unique internal conflicts make up his films. Amongst these hard hitting character studies, Randolph has credits such as ‘The Life of David Gale,’ ‘The Interpreter,’ ‘Love & Other Drugs,’ ‘The Big Short,’ and now, ‘Bombshell.’ In the latest movie, the story focuses on a group of women who conspired to take down Fox News head Roger Ailes for the toxic atmosphere he created within the conservative network. The film stars Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, and Margot Robbie as the composite character Kayla Pospisil. In this exclusive interview, Randolph discusses modern villains, societal obstacles for character, how he uses a thematic toolkit, a writer’s contract to the audience, balancing real and unusual, and how to make politics entertaining. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jon Avnet has directed, written, and produced dozens of motion pictures, television movies and Broadway plays, winning Oscars, Emmys, Tonys, Peabody's, DGA Awards, the Humanitas, Golden Globes and the AFI's Franklin Shaffner Medal. Avnet is known for his work as a director on movies like ‘Fried Green Tomatoes,’ ‘The War,’ ‘Up Close & Personal,’ ’88 Minutes,’ and ‘Righteous Kill.’ Recently, he’s also directed shows like ‘Rake,’ ‘Justified,’ Sneaky Pete,’ and ‘Manhunt.’ The director’s latest film deals with identity, but also schizophrenia. ‘Three Christs’ follows Dr. Alan Stone who is treating three paranoid schizophrenic patients at the Ypsilanti State Hospital in Michigan, each of whom believed they were Jesus Christ. Based on a book, the film stars Richard Gere as Stone, and Peter Dinklage, Walton Goggins, and Bradley Whitford as the patients. In the interview, Avnet discusses the differences and similarities of the characters in ‘Three Christs,’ why he’s “frustratingly slow” at casting, why some TV shows aren’t as good as they should be, why he produced ‘Black Swan,’ why filmmakers should appreciate rejection, and how obsession helps with career longevity. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

In ‘The Mandela Effect,’ a man becomes obsessed with facts and events that have been collectively misremembered by thousands of people. Believing the phenomena to be the symptom of something larger, the character’s obsession eventually leads him to question reality itself. In this interview, writer-director David Guy Levy discusses why he’s obsessed with big ideas in film, what it means to make a smart horror movie like ‘Would You Rather,’ and how to make an audience use their imagination to fill in holes of a story. Levy also discusses intriguing hooks in storytelling, when to cut aspects you love, how he puts himself into the story, how to show thinking on film, and why movies are more about questions than answers. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

In ‘The Longest Wave,’ audiences are invited to see a rare glimpse into what motivates an athlete who has everything to lose to push his body and mind to the limit. A film about surf legend Robby Naish. Writer-director Joe Berlinger is known for documentaries on Metallica, Oprah, Tony Robbins and Ted Bundy. Recently, he also directed the Netflix fictionalized movie, ‘Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,’ where Zac Efron stars as Ted Bundy. In this interview, Berlinger discusses commitment to a subject and how themes may not arrive until a year into the process. Robby Naish discusses trust and vulnerability as the subject of a documentary, hurdles as an athlete focused on longevity, and why he was a reluctant participant in the documentary. Then, both men discuss career longevity, knowing when to pivot, what it takes to live a life of passions, and why nothing comes easy. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Phedon Papamichael Jr. grew up surrounded by creativity. His father was a Greek cinematographer best known for working with John Cassavetes. Through various influences, Papamichael got involved with photography and then filmmaking. The cinematographer is now known for working on movies like ‘Sideways,’ ‘Walk the Line,’ ‘The Weather Man,’ ‘3:10 to Yuma,’ ‘W.,’ ‘The Descendants,’ ‘Nebraska,’ ‘Downsizing,’ and now, ‘Ford v Ferrari.’ In this interview, Papamichael talks film school through with stripper vampire films, why he shoots in a traditional sense, why he didn’t initially connect with the script for ‘Sideways,’ how luck plays into any career, and his involvement with the new Aaron Sorkin film. For more details on ‘Ford v Ferrari,’ listen to Episode 195 with screenwriter Jason Keller and Episode 192 with stunt coordinator Darrin Prescott. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

While attending college in London, Jason Keller discovered he wanted to be a screenwriter. Soon, he fully committed to the profession and moved to Los Angeles with no connections and little to no safety net. Over the years, he worked every job imaginable on a set while studying scripts at night. During his first decade in Los Angeles, he experienced what’s known as “development hell.” Keller sold an array of scripts to people like Mel Gibson and Michael Mann, but didn’t receive his first credit until ‘Machine Gun Preacher’ in 2011. The next few years, he sold ‘Mirror Mirror,’ ‘Escape Plan,’ and ‘Ford v Ferrari.’ James Mangold directs Matt Damon and Christian Bale in the latest film, which is described as “ American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.” Make sure to also listen to Episode 192, where we speak with Darrin Prescott, who worked on the racing stunts for the film. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Andrew Lyman-Clarke grew up with experimental filmmakers. At a very early age, he started making shorts and even persuaded a teacher to accept a film rather than a term paper. Over time, he worked as a gaffer, best boy, and grip to steal some time on set. In college, Andrew made the feature, ‘Have You Seen,’ then entered the short ‘Follow the Leader’ in a handful of festivals. Soon after, he decided to commit the feature, ‘Night Sweats.’ Based on an unusual, true story producer Seth Panman experienced, the new film stars John Wesley Shipp and Allison Mackie. The description reads, “A skateboarder investigating the mysterious death of his roommate is led into the inner workings of a self-help company, and the pharmaceutical lab behind it.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about his love for ‘Requiem for a Dream,’ how to be observant as a storyteller, why it’s good to occasionally be obsessive as a creative, and why he invested 9 years into this debut film. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

At an early age, Alice Waddington learned it was possible to create something in and around your small town, that could affect people around the globe. When the financial crisis hit Spain in 2008, she made the decision to pursue her dreams of becoming a screenwriter and filmmaker. Hoping to pay homage to the female heroine, Waddington began a career somewhat in the modern fairy tale, with ‘Disco Inferno’ and ‘Magical Girl.’ In her new film, ‘Paradise Hills,’ she’s taken this mindset even further. The new films stars Emma Roberts, Danielle Macdonald, and Awkwafina. According to the description, "Uma wakes up in an apparently idyllic school for young ladies called Paradise, meant to reform her and her new friends. But there's a darker secret behind its walls." In this interview, she discusses best treatment practices, advice from Guillermo del Toro and Edgar Wright, why she writes for a pre-teen version of herself, and how to make a parable without preaching. If you enjoyed this interview, join millions of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Darrin Prescott was attracted to the challenge of stuntwork. Early in his career, he doubled for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hugo Weaving, thanks to his training in martial arts, driving, motorcycles, and snowboarding, he even competed in the 2001 X-Games. Moving from stuntwork to stunt coordinator, he worked on projects like ‘Eraser,’ ‘Fight Club,’ Jackass,’ ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith,’ ‘Spider-Man 2,’ ‘The Bourne Ultimatum,’ ‘Drive,’ ‘John Wick,’ ‘True Detective,’ ‘Baby Driver,’ and ‘Black Panther.’ Now Prescott is using his talents for the James Mangold film, ‘Ford v Ferrari.’ American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference, the laws of physics and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford and challenge Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.” Prescott also plays racing legend Bob Bondurant in the film. In this interview, Prescott talks about misconceptions in stunt work, how they used Car Fu in ‘John Wick’ car chases, why Jackie Chan uses his environment to increase production value, how they shot the chase scenes in ‘Drive,’ and how budget is less important than rehearsal time in action sequences. Stay tuned for more interviews on ‘Ford v Ferrari’ coming soon, and if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Fencing, rugby, and martial arts led Nick Powell down a path to stunt work. Over time, he found himself working as an actor and stuntman on ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Goldeneye,’ ‘The Mummy,’ ‘The Bourne Identity,’ ‘Gladiator,’ and ‘The Last Samurai.’ Thanks to his work helping other first time directors, he eventually came to direct the new film, ‘Primal.’ Starring Nicolas Cage, the movie follows a big-game hunter and trapper who captures a rare white Jaguar, but ends up on a ship with a political assassin. In this interview, Powell discusses working with Matt Damon on ‘Bourne,’ why proper fight editing creates authenticity, how he trained Tom Cruise for seven months on ‘The Last Samurai,’ why well-choreographed fights can be shot from every angle, and how they shot the extensive Coliseum fights in Ridley Scott’s ‘Gladiator.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Monty Whitebloom never planned to be a filmmaker. Studying English Literature at University, he was actually sucked into the rave movement in London. While making short films, he started making videos to play along in rave clubs. This unusual journey led him to work with the Sound System, Soul II Soul. Eventually he started making music videos for Duran Duran, Seal, Paula Abdul, Spice Girls, Lauryn Hill, Madonna, and the Rolling Stones. This led to advertising and eventually he was asked to read the script for ‘Love is Blind.’ In the new film, “A woman with selective perception, who cannot see her mother, is prescribed by her psychiatrist to spend time with a suicidal man that has fallen in love with her - but she cannot see either.” In this interview, Whitebloom talks about storytelling across different mediums, his unique approach to capturing scenes, why he makes music playlists for all of the actors to show character, how he surprised Mathew Broderick on set, and how to best collaborate with a composer. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Luke Bracey wanted to be a professional rugby player, but fell into acting by chance. Over time, the Australian actor found himself on the long running soap opera, ‘Home and Away.’ His background in the physical and rigorous sport soon guided him into action roles, such as ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation,’ ‘The November Man,’ ‘Hacksaw Ridge,’ and the reboot for ‘Point Break.’ In the new film ‘Danger Close,’ the actor stepped into the role of Sergeant Bob Buick. The story uncovers a Vietnamese rubber plantation called Long Tan where 108 young and inexperienced Australian and New Zealand soldiers fought 2,500 Viet Cong. In this interview, Bracey discusses his role as Utah in ‘Point Break,’ when to call in the professionals for stunt work, how he researches a role, and why ‘Danger Close’ was so personal for him. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Gregory Allen Howard’s cousin introduced him to “what was underneath the movies.” While his cousin wasn’t in the business, he taught Howard that there was so much more underneath the service of something he previously viewed as pure entertainment or escapism. Over the years, the screenwriter used his voice to write and create stories for ‘Remember the Titans,’ ‘Ali,’ and ‘Harriet.’ The latest film uncovers “The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes, whose courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.” In this interview, Howard discusses a conversation with John Woo about writing the “male weepy,” why Michael Mann wanted ‘Ali’ to be R-rated, how it took 25 years to get Harriet made, and why persistence is the key to long screenwriting career. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube video essay series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a character actor, William Fichtner is known for playing roughneck characters, in films like ‘Crash,’ ‘Drive Angry,’ ‘The Dark Knight,’ ‘Armageddon,’ and ‘Black Hawk Down.’ Recently, he’s also landed a frequent role as Adam on the series, ‘Mom.’ In his writer-director debut, Fichtner took the reins for the film, ‘Cold Brook.’ The story, which follows two ordinary guys in a small town, is a story of adventure. Fichtner stars alongside Kim Coates (Sons of Anarchy) and Harold Perrineau (Lost). In this interview, Fichtner discusses how he chooses a role, why lessons from directors are sometimes subconscious, what separates him from “big movie stars,” how ‘Cold Brook’ got started back in 2001, and what he learned from working with Ridley Scott. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Logan Mashall-Green was born in the arts, with two parents who taught theater. As an actor, Logan landed jobs in ‘Upgrade’ ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming,’ and ‘Prometheus,’ plus he just stepped into his debut role as writer-director for ‘Adopt a Highway.’ The simplistic description of the new film is, “An ex-felon discovers a live baby left in a dumpster,” but the film is really an experiment. Working with Ethan Hawke, the writer-director wanted to capture something on film that was honest and real. In this interview, Logan discusses his childhood as a theater brat, the moment he truly felt like an actor, what he learned working with Ethan Hawke, how to avoid crutches as an actor, and why most creatives play it too safe with their work. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Michael Grady spent his 20s shooting shorts and working as an electrician and gaffer. His active approach paid off, as a few shorts got into Sundance, and then he worked his way up through $100,000 movies and new television shows. By immersing himself in the culture, Grady was able to make a career by being relentless. His credits include ‘Easy A,’ ‘Faster,’ ‘Friends with Benefits,’ ‘The Leftovers,’ ‘Ozark,’ and the new Apple series, ‘Morning Show.’ The new series on the new network stars Jennifer Aniston, Steve Carell and Reese Witherspoon. The show takes “An inside look at the lives of the people who help America wake up in the morning, exploring the unique challenges faced by the men and women who carry out this daily televised ritual.” In this interview, Grady talks about how new television is like the Indie film world, why the script tells you how to shoot it, how being creative should be an obsession, why there’s no excuse not to make your movie, and what it’s like to work with Apple. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Aron Eli Coleite describes himself as a “classic nerd.” Since the age of 11, he’s been going to the comic book store each week when new issues come out, and he grew up digesting comics, film, and television. Stepping into the fandom he so adored, the screenwriter started writing on ‘Crossing Jordan,’ but then moved into writing the series, ‘Heroes,’ which was one of the first hero-centric genre series. In 2017, he got the chance to work on ‘Star Trek: Discovery,’ and now he’s the creator and writer on Netflix’s new multi-genre series, ‘Daybreak.’ Described as an apocalyptic dramedy, ‘Daybreak’ is about a high school outcast named Josh who is searching for his missing girlfriend in post apocalyptic Glendale. The series stars Colin Ford as Josh Wheeler, along with Matthew Broderick as Michaell Burr. In this interview, the screenwriter discusses missing genres and paying homage, how ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ segmented great episodes, why he doesn’t want viewers to be ahead of the narrative, how to hide Easter Eggs, why he studies ‘Rick and Morty,’ why Showrunners can’t isolate themselves in their work, the myth of the draft, and why he’s never content, which makes the writing better. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a kid, Tom Eagles didn’t have a television, but he loved going to the movies. As he entered the business, he started cutting trailers and promos. As an Editor, he learned that he could shape stories in a creative manner. While cutting drama for television, Eagles eventually met writer-director Taika Waititi. The duo worked together on ‘What We Do in the Shadows’ in 2014, followed by ‘Hunt for Wilderpeople,’ and now ‘Jojo Rabbit.’ In the latest film, “A young boy in Hitler's army finds out his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their home.” In this interview, Eagles talks about the editor-director relationship, how to edit improvised films like ‘What We Do in the Shadows,’ the New Zealand method of pacing comedy, how the films are connected thematically, and how to avoid second guessing creative impulses and be open to all ideas. To hear more about ‘Jojo Rabbit,’ listen to Episode 178, where we speak with author Christine Leunens, and if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new video essay YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

George Lucas and Steven Spielberg taught Dan DeLeeuw how visual effects lights up an audience. He went to college to learn more and then got a job at Dream Quest, which included miniatures and models. In the 1990s, DeLeeuw worked on films like ‘The Three Musketeers,’ ’The Rock,’ ‘Deep Rising,’ ‘Armageddon,’ ‘Mighty Joe Young,’ ‘Bicentennial Man’, ‘102 Dalmatians,’ and ‘The Skeleton Key.’ As visual effects started to become the norm, he stepped into a supervisor role for movies like ‘Night at the Museum,’ ‘Iron Man 3,’ ‘Captain America,’ and then the Avengers films, “Infinity War" and “Endgame.” In this interview, the specialist talks about growing with the Marvel franchise as a storyteller, working with the Russo Brothers, the difficulties of aging and de-aging actors, how they showcase Marvel personalities in a fight, the process from script to final product, and the future of visual effects. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Ben Smithard spent his childhood watching movies. When he decided to enter the business, he made his way into Cinematography with commercials and music videos. He struggled, but eventually made his way into TV and film, with credits including ‘The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,’ ‘Goodbye Christopher Robin,’ ‘Blinded by the Light,’ and ‘Downton Abbey.’ In this interview, Smithard talks about research before meeting the director, how he uses paintings to describe the hypothetical look of film, what it means to “refine ideas” during pre-production, why storyboarding isn’t always necessary, how he collaborated with Costume Designer Anna Robbins (Episode 175), the unique visual differences between the PBS series and the film, and how the industry has changed with excessive special effects. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Now in its 26th year, the Austin Film Festival was founded by Barbara Parker in 1993. At the time she had no film experience, but through her leadership the festival has been at the forefront of uncovering new voices in the film industry from all over the world. Plus, the festival sees over 20,000 attendees each year, and notable past participants including Ron Howard, Harold Ramis, Oliver Stone, David Simon, Judd Apatow, Vince Gilligan, and Norman Lear. In this interview, Morgan discusses why filmmaking shouldn’t just be a hobby, why festivals don’t try to predict the industry, how making shorts can be like film school, why every choice in a movie matters, why filmmakers need to know math for career longevity, and why persistence is everything. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Timothy Greenberg was almost a scientist. Like many people, from an early age, being making movies didn’t seem like a real career until he met someone in the business and gave it a shot. Around the age of 30, he taught himself how to write screenplays. While writing features as a practice, he also started making short films, and then directed commercials, and eventually got a job on The Daily Show. After 11 years on the show, he decided to pursue fiction writing once more. Currently, Greenberg’s credits include The Detour, Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas, and the Paul Rudd-led Netflix series, ‘Living With Yourself.’ The description reads, " A man undergoes an experimental treatment to improve his life, only to be replaced by a new and improved version of himself, and must fight for his wife, his career, and his very identity.” In this interview, the writer-director talks about the differences in short form and long form content, how every project can be made a little tighter, why writers should think about projects that make money, how he handles idea creation, what to do when you lose touch with your own projects, and why big premise concepts are universally enjoyed. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Christine Leunens describes herself as a “very, very bookish child.” She started writing 20-page letters to friends and they were so long that her grandfather said, “I think you’re going to be a writer one day.” While living in Paris, she started writing comedy and dramedy scripts as plays. After some frustrations due to major changes to her work, she decided to give up her contracts and focus on novels. “It felt so meaningful for to me to go and write the story I wanted to tell.” The New Zealand-Belgian novelist is best known for 'Primordial Soup,' 'A Can of Sunshine,' and 'Caging Skies,' which was recently adapted into a film by writer-director Taika Waititi, under the name 'Jojo Rabbit.' In this interview, Leunens describes her no-safety-net approach to writing, where she got the idea that for 'Caging Skies,' what’s at the heart of 'Jojo Rabbit,' how every novel is different, and why writers need to cut their work for the big picture. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

In the latest film from Henry Alex Rubin, Leighton Meester, Finn Wittrock, and Jay Courtney star in ‘Semper Fi.’ In the story, A police officer who serves in the Marine Corps Reserves is faced with an ethical dilemma when it comes to helping his brother in prison. This idea has been rattling around the mind of Rubin for over a decade. While working on the documentary, ‘Murderball,’ the writer-director got lost in the idea of telling future stories about soldier dealing with PTSD. In the documentary, ‘Murderball,’ audiences are invited to watch quadriplegics who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, as they overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. In this interview, the director discusses his commitment to a subject, how documentaries differ from films, when it’s time to shelve an idea, how to find spontaneity on set, and how writing a script is like ironing out the wrinkles of a shirt. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Matt Eskandari believes filmmakers learn by doing. While making shorts like “The Taking,” he was chosen by Mark Burnett and Steven Spielberg to participate in the Fox Filmmaker Competition, On the Lot. Soon after, he filmed a handful of Indies, like ‘Victim’ and the contained thriller, ’12 Feet Deep.’ Now, Eskandari is working directly with Bruce Willis on two films: ‘Trauma Center’ and ‘The Long Night.’ The first is about a woman trapped overnight in a trauma center, while two men are out to silence her. In the second, Willis stars as Frank, a disgraced doctor held hostage by criminals on the run. In this exclusive chat, the writer-director talks about creating your own opportunities as a filmmaker, how making shorts unveils strengths and weaknesses, why film school is all about relationships, when to put a project aside, and how to create internal monsters in cinema. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Anna Robbins made an unlikely shift from Scottish law to costume design, which began as an attempt to satisfy a creative urge and then move back to something “more sensible.” With credits such as ‘Perfect Sense,’ ‘Your Highness,’ and ‘The Eagle,’ Robbins is best known for her work on the series and film, ‘Downton Abbey.’ Like the series, the costume designer works to incorporate authentic wardrobe from the 1920s into the film, but finer details can be seen in cinema that aren’t necessarily noticeable on television. In the 2019 film, audiences are invited to watch “The continuing story of the Crawley family, wealthy owners of a large estate in the English countryside in the early 20th century.” In this interview, Robbins discusses her views on storytelling through costume design, how to adapt literature to the big screen through love, how to collaborate with costume designers on set, and the emotional mood while wrapping the series and film versions of ‘Downton Abbey.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas forged her own path to become an agent, a screenwriter, and a producer. With role models like Sue Mengers and Toni Howard, she battled to become an agent while most women were forced into the role of secretary. Soon, she helped represent Julia Roberts, Andie MacDowell, Susan Sarandon, Madonna, and Jennifer Lopez. For these female stars, it was equally as important as saying “yes” to films and saying “no” to films. Then, she produced films like ‘Maid in Manhattan,’ ‘Mona Lisa Smile,’ and ‘Perfect Stranger.’ The latest film from the duo is called ‘Hustlers.’ Jennifer Lopez plays Ramona, alongside Julia Stiles and Constance Wu. “Inspired by the viral New York Magazine article, Hustlers follows a crew of savvy former strip club employees who band together to turn the tables on their Wall Street clients.” In this interview, Elaine discusses her producing partnerships with Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry, what she looks for in a project, why people need to reinvent themselves, how the marketplace is looking for events, and why she doesn’t see Hollywood as male or female, but story driven. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Filmmakers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods first met as sixth-graders in their hometown of Bettendorf, Iowa.  Known for ‘For Always,’ ‘Her Summer,’ and ‘ Spread,’ their big break came from the success of ‘A Quiet Place,’ where “a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.” In the new film, ‘Haunt,’ “A group of friends encounter an extreme haunted house that promises to feed on their darkest fears. The night turns deadly as they come to the horrifying realization that some nightmares are real.” In this interview, the screenwriters talk about their career after the success of ‘A Quiet Place,’ why horror doesn’t need to be elevated, their early influences in the horror genre, thoughts on PG-13 versus R horror, working with Eli Roth, and how they divide time between writing, directing, and big picture brainstorming. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5 Plus, read our previous interview on 'A Quiet Place' for Creative Screenwriting here: https://creativescreenwriting.com/silent-films-dont-lean-on-the-crutch-of-dialogue-bryan-woods-scott-beck-talk-a-quiet-place/

When Jonathan Eig realized there hadn’t been a biography on Muhammad Ali’s entire life, he knew he found his next project. With other books on Al Capone, Lou Gehrig, and Jackie Robinson under his belt, he felt confident in his task, but also didn’t know anyone in the world of boxing to begin. Eventually, Eig was able to launch conversations with the key people from Ali’s life, including his three surviving wives and past managers. Conducting over 500 interviews to gather information for the unauthorized biography, he even uncovered thousands of pages of unreleased FBI and Justice Department files on one of the most popular men of all time. Now he’s working with Ken Burns on an official documentary series. In this interview, Eig shares the role of “happy accidents” in the life of Muhammad Ali, his views on the value of biographies and autobiographies, how he determines fact from fiction in his research, why a massive index is crucial, and he shares a few details about his next challenge, a biography on Martin Luther King, Jr. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Ric Roman Waugh got his start as a stuntman. Working on films like ‘True Romance’ and ‘Days of Thunder,’ he got to know experts like Tony Scott and Jerry Bruckheimer, which led to him writing and directing films like ‘Felon,’ ‘Snitch,’ and ‘Shot Caller.’ Now, he’s in the director’s chair for the third installment of the Gerard Butler trilogy, ‘Angel Has Fallen.’ In the new film, “Secret Service Agent Mike Banning is framed for the attempted assassination of the President and must evade his own agency and the FBI as he tries to uncover the real threat.” Along with Butler, Morgan Freeman returns and additional cast includes Danny Huston and Piper Perabo. In this exclusive interview, Waugh discusses why he writes every single day, his focus on moral ambiguity in storytelling, advice from Jerry Bruckheimer, how to walk the line between franchise and stand-alone movie, why the theme of a script is everything in filmmaking, and he shares a few details about his upcoming apocalyptic film, ‘Greenland,’ which also stars Gerard Butler. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“The Man in the High Castle” is based on Philip K. Dick’s science fiction novel depicting an alternative history where the Axis powers won World War II. Mercifully this is a “what if” scenario which meant Production Designer Drew Boughton and his team had to solve their own complex, hybrid equation of addition, subtraction and reconstruction to produce this new reality. It is literally world building. He completely remixed history by building three cultures that are somewhat familiar in history, but completely original and grafted onto modern society. Injecting the theme of “the banality of evil” underscores both the common threads and the unique variance between these three worlds. In this interview, Boughton shares his early love for building sets and creating backdrops, how the industry has changed with CGI, his love for the groundbreaking film ‘Blade Runner,’ how he begins his process with the director, and the many complications in creating a Nazi-centric series. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Writer-Director Mike Gan was born in Beijing, China before moving to the United States. With two working immigrant parents, Gan spent much of his time in movie theaters to stay out of trouble. Now, he’s known for ‘No Evil,’ ‘Into the Dark,’ and the new thriller, ‘Burn.” ‘Burn’ stars Josh Hutcherson and Suki Waterhouse. According to IMDB, “When a gas station is held at gunpoint by a desperate man in need of cash, a lonely and unstable gas station attendant, tired of being overshadowed by her more outgoing co-worker, finds an opportunity to make a connection with the robber.” In this interview, Gan discusses when he realized he wanted to make films, his love for 90s movies, how to recognize the filmmaker in a movie, why he loves to make grounded or flawed characters, the greatness behind restrictions, and how a random article inspired the psychological plot behind ‘Burn.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

At a very early age, Wayne Roberts knew he wanted to be involved with filmmaking. Inspired by Tim Burton and Stanley Kubrick, he loved the idea of creating new worlds. But, outside of film, he was inspired by Ernest Hemingway and various other classic authors. Roberts’ is relatively new to the scene, but his first two films have made a big impact. In ‘Katie Says Goodbye,’ Olivia Cooke, Christopher Abbott, Mireille Enos, and Mary Steenburgen star in a film about a 17-year-old waitress-prostitute who wants a better life. In his latest film, ‘The Professor,’ Johnny Depp takes the lead opposite Rosemarie DeWitt in a comedy-drama about a college professor who takes a reckless turn in life once he discovers he’s been diagnosed with a terminal illness. In this interview, the writer-director talks about doing right by the characters, how a flash can turn into a full feature, the logistics of his creative process, the necessity of a powerful screenplay, why films should focus on emotion, and why it’s vital to avoid the trends of cinema. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Nick Hamm loves working with actors. With a background in theater, he’s very familiar with proper blocking, on set relationships, and the dynamics of storytelling. The British director is perhaps best known for the Robert DeNiro film ‘Godsend,’ ‘Killing Bono,’ and now, ‘Driven.’ In his latest film, audiences are invited to uncover the story of John DeLorean, his vehicle creations, and his unusual involvement with big business, narcotics, and the FBI. The thriller comes from screenwriter Colin Bateman and stars Jason Sudeikis, Corey Stoll, Lee Pace, and Judy Greer. In this interview, Hamm discusses his transition from theater info filmmaking, the single most important thing he learned in the theater, what he looks for in a screenplay, how to play the top of the emotion, how to find thread in a complex narrative, and how the crew filmed in the aftermath of a hurricane. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As an actor, improvisor, and photographer, Jason Winer took an adventurous route that led to his work as a director. Winer is known for his work on ‘Arthur,’ ‘New Girl,’ ‘The Crazy Ones,’ ‘Life in Pieces,’ and for directing the pilots for both ‘Modern Family’ and ‘Don’t Trust the B—— in Apartment 23.’ His latest film, ‘Ode to Joy’ is a fresh take on the romantic comedy. Starring Martin Freeman and Morena Baccarin, the story actually comes from a segment on Chicago’s “This American Life.” The official summary reads, “Charlie suffers from cataplexy, a symptom of narcolepsy that causes sudden bouts of paralysis whenever he experiences strong emotions - in particular, joy. He develops a variety of techniques to deny himself too much pleasure and happiness, but they're put to the ultimate test when he falls in love.” In this interview, Winer discusses his route to the director’s chair, why technical aspects can wait, how directing television helped him make decisions quickly, the complications of the studio business, the importance of camaraderie on set, and how to make an original obstacle in a genre film. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“We never knocked on a door. We built our own house,” said the writing team behind ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon.’ Newcomers Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz wanted to create a Mark Twain-inspired story set in the outer banks of North Carolina. In the latest film, Zak runs away from his care home to pursue his dreams of becoming a wrestler. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Bruce Dern, John Hawkes, Thomas Haden Church, and Zack Gottsagen in the lead role. In this exclusive interview, the team discusses building your own industry, how to write a low budget feature, the necessity to be able to tell stories at various lengths, why you should use what you have to tell a story, how a proof of concept - like ‘Whiplash’ - can get a film made, and how a willingness to fail leads to success. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Writer-director Aaron Harvey was drawn to film at an early age. Inspired by complex characters with unique arcs, the creator often starts with a thematic idea, then moves into character. His new film stars Luke Grimes (Yellowstone) and Frank Grillo (Captain America), but he’s also known for ‘The Neighbor’ and’ Catch .44.’ For ‘Into the Ashes,’ “Nick Brenner believed he had safely escaped his violent, criminal history. But his old crew hasn't forgotten about him or the money he stole, and when they take what Nick now values the most - his wife - he has nothing left to lose. Confronted by the town sheriff, who is also his father-in-law, Nick must decide if he will stay on his new path or indulge in his need for revenge and force his enemies to pay for what they have done.”
 In this interview, Harvey discusses paying homage to favorite films like ‘Taxi Driver,’ why he doesn’t subscribe to the Syd Field method of screenwriting, why he chose to be the writer and director for his storytelling, the pros and cons of making shorts, and his appreciation for the craft of filmmaking. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

We originally spoke with James Vanderbilt for his film ‘Truth’ in Episode 50, along with his other films such as ‘Zodiac,’ ‘Basic,’ ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ and ‘Independence Day: Resurgence.’ In Vanderbilt’s latest film, ‘Murder Mystery,’ Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston team up again for the romantic comedy. The Netflix original re-creates the classic who-done-it murder mystery. In this interview, the screenwriter talks about his 10-year journey to bring ‘Murder Mystery’ to audiences, his love for mystery, how to make an original movie without IP, the importance of genre deconstruction, how he battles procrastination, and a future project he’s working on with John Cena and The Rock. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Eric Newman got his start as a PA on the comedy, 'Wayne’s World.' Working his way into the role of Producer, Newman took on jobs like ‘Dawn of the Dead,’ ‘Children of Men,’ ‘In Time,’ ‘RoboCop,’ and ‘Hemlock Grove.’ Then, in 2017, he started to use his knowledge to write scripts for ‘Narcos’ and ‘Narcos: Mexico.’ For the sequel to Netflix’s ‘Narcos,’ Newman and company wanted to create something familiar, but original to the Pablo Escobar world. Specifically, the newest version discusses the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel as an American DEA agent learns the dangers of targeting Narcos in Mexico. In this exclusive interview, Newman discusses the importance of authenticity, why steadfast rules to writing are irrelevant, why it pays to have zero expectations, the importance of ‘The Godfather,’ why surprises are worse than bad news, and the rise of the anti-hero in American cinema. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Steven Canals found screenwriting an escape to a difficult childhood in the 1980s Bronx. While working on a documentary in high school, a classmate was shot and killed. The horrific event encouraged Canals to pursue a life of educational and inspiring storytelling. Inspired by movies like 'Flashdance,' 'The Terminator,' and 'The Color Purple,' the screenwriter knew he wanted to create an authentic story to help others feel seen and heard. Eventually, he created a series about the never-before-seen world of New York’s ball culture world. In 'Pose,' the story looks at the juxtaposition of various segments life and society in 1987 New York City. The story interweaves between a luxurious world, the downtown social and literary scene, and the iconic ball culture world that showcases Black, Latin, gay and trans culture. In this exclusive chat, Canals describes his childhood, the responsibility of a storyteller, what it’s like to get your work rejected over 150 times, why he knew his story should be a series rather than a movie, and why he needed a "disruptor" to push his story to mainstream audiences. If you enjoyed this interview, look for the print version on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

“Deadlines take away writer’s block,” said screenwriter Chris Mundy. The writer started his career writing for Rolling Stone, before he made the transition into film and television. Known for ‘Cold Case,’ ‘Criminal Minds,’ ‘Hell on Wheels,’ ‘Low Winter Sun,’ ‘Bloodline,’ and the hit new series ‘Ozark.’ For ‘Ozark,’ Mundy is fascinated with the character of Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman). The father of the series, a man who launders money for his survival, is the type of person focused on logic rather than emotion, almost to a fault. In this interview, Mundy discusses the similarities between magazine profiles and characters, how the writers keep the Byrde family in new predicaments, why Marty isn’t necessarily an anti-hero, and what’s the importance of understanding where you lack knowledge about your series. Find out more about Ozark in our interview with Alyson Feltes in Episode 124. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Wendy Chuck got her education on the job. Lessons like “don’t take anything too personally” and “collaborating on ideas” helped her find her footing as she learned to share ideas, create wardrobes, costumes, and designs. Chuck’s early assignments included ‘Varsity Blues,’ ‘Election,’ ‘About Schmidt,’ ‘Bad Santa,’ ‘Sideways,’ ‘The Descendants,’ ‘Nebraska,’ ‘Spotlight,’ ‘Downsizing,’ and now, Matthew Weiner’s ‘The Romanoffs.’ For the hit Amazon mini-series, the ‘Mad Men’ creator wrote an anthology of 8-episodes that revolve around descendants of the Russian Royal Family. The star-studded cast includes Diane Lane, Aaron Eckhart, John Slattery, Corey Stoll, and Christina Hendricks. For this interview, Chuck discusses questions to ask actors about wardrobe preferences, the design opportunity of a lifetime, the importance of preparation, her most difficult character, and the importance of taking time off. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

After leaving his career as a criminal prosecutor to volunteer with rescue animals, Glen Zipper eventually found his way to producing films so he could better defend issues he believed in. Rather than describing himself as an advocate filmmaker, Zipper is someone who likes to highlight issues, uncover injustices, and simply discover the truth. That said, he’s also uncovered tales about Bill Murray, Elvis Presley, Pauline Kael, and now Muhammad Ali. Directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day), HBO's ‘What’s My Name’ is an interesting documentary, because it’s a story completely told from the voice of Ali. There are no talking heads, but rather, Ali telling his story over the decades through sound bites and clips. In this interview, Zipper discusses the responsibility of a documentary platform, his fascination with dogs, what attracts him to a project, building a story brick-by-brick, and why Muhammad Ali will always be a fixture in American history. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Like many costume designers, Claire Anderson got her start in theater. After experiencing “creative exhaustion” on a film, she fell in love with the industry and actually bumped into someone who offered her work at the BBC. Fast forward and now Anderson has worked on two projects from Neil Gaiman books. Both ‘American Gods’ and ‘Good Omens’ are interesting genre pieces, where the audience expects a great deal from production. In the latest series, Amazon’s take on ‘Good Omens,’ audiences are invited to see Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm, and Frances McDormand in a tale of comedic Armageddon angels, demons, and an 11-year-old Antichrist. In this interview, Anderson discusses her start in the industry, how to dress over 380 speaking characters, creating wardrobes from a good script, making outfits stylish yet comfortable, and the importance of rest between creative pursuits. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jed Mercurio worked as a hospital doctor for three years before he joined the Royal Air Force and learned flying training and aviation medicine. He was originally hired as a script consultant, before he was asked to write episodes on his own. Credits include ‘Cardiac Arrest,’ ‘Bodies,’ ‘Line of Duty,’ and now ‘Bodyguard.’ In his latest series, a 6-episode mini-drama, Richard Madden (Game of Thrones) stars as David Budd, a Specialist in the Protection Branch of London’s Metropolitan Police Service assigned to protect the ambitious Home Secretary, Julie Montague, portrayed by Keeley Hawes. In this interview, the screenwriter discusses his journey from medicine to screenwriting, why he originally chose to write under a pseudonym, how to write a real-world political drama, and the difference between American and English political dramas. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

From an early age, Donna Zakowska had an appreciation for vintage fabrics. Her childhood love for clothing led to a fascination with dance, studies at Yale, and the overall joy of a collaborative art. As a costume designer, Zakowska’s credits include ‘Harriet the Spy,’ ‘Forces of Nature,’ ‘John Adams,’ ‘TURN: Washington’s Spies,” and the new Amazon hit, ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.’ In this interview, the costume designer talks about wardrobe as an intellectual activity, characters who say things about society, how to learn about character through wardrobe, dressing a world of characters, and how clothing brings Midge Maisel alive. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Michael Tolajian got his start on 'NBA Inside Stuff,' but additional credits include 'Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,' '30 for 30 (Once Brothers),' 'The Drive: Pac-12 Football,' and now the FS Sports documentary, 'Q Ball.' With the help of Golden State Warrior Kevin Durant, Tolajian and company was able to move forward with his documentary on a prison basketball team, which consisted of teammates and inmates at “the Q,” as well as their journeys of redemption. In this interview, Tolajian discusses how he got the permission to film in San Quentin, how sports can bring people together, the work it takes to build rehab programs, and what criteria he looks for when creating a sports documentary. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a young stuntman, Jesse V. Johnson learned the ropes of directing on films like ‘Total Recall,’ ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘War of the Worlds,’ ‘Mission: Impossible III,’ ‘Hell or High Water,’ and dozens more. In this interview, Johnson discusses the various types of stuntmen (including his “ground-pounder” days), how life experience brings something extra to the film, how actor-stuntmen like Keanu Reeves or Matt Damon have changed over the years, and what it’s like to work with world-class stunt performers like Scott Adkins and Tony Jaa. We also discuss Johnson’s films ‘Triple Threat’ and ‘Avengement.’ In the latter, Adkins stars as Cain Burgess. “While released on furlough from prison, a lowly criminal evades his guards and returns to his old haunts to take revenge on the people that made him a cold-hearted killer.” If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Luke Davies is a poet, novelist and screenwriter, known for ‘Lion,’ ‘Candy,' 'Life,' 'Beautiful Boy,' and now 'Catch-22.' His books have won many awards, including the inaugural Prime Minister's Literary Award for Poetry for his volume Interferon Psalms, and the Age Book of the Year prize for his volume Totem. A fan of 'Catch-22' from an early age, it was Davies’ original idea to turn the story into a series. Finding a way through the craziness of the novel was the first challenge. Joseph Heller’s story takes place during World War II, specifically from 1942 to 1944. It follows the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. Most of the events in the book occur while the fictional 256th Squadron is based on the island of Pianosa, in the Mediterranean Sea, west of Italy. The novel looks into the experiences of Yossarian and the other airmen in the camp, who attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home. In this exclusive interview, Davies discusses removing the clutter to adapt the story for Hulu, writing emotional beats for actors, the psychology of character, taking the audience on an emotional journey, why your treatments should be engaging, and the equal importance of discipline and rest as a writer. If you haven’t seen 'Catch-22,' there are some potential spoilers in this interview. There’s also a print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Alan Elliott is a man of perseverance. After working with Warner Brothers Records, along with Steven Bochco, and on the infamous television musical ‘Cop Rock,’ Elliott sunk his teeth into Sydney Pollack’s (Out of Africa, Tootsie) abandoned project, ‘Amazing Grace.’ The documentary presented Aretha Franklin and a choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles, January of 1972. After Pollack’s successful film ‘The Way We Were’ launched Barbra Streisand’s film career, the studios promised Franklin a similar journey. For various reasons, the film fell apart. Decades later, Elliott decided to pick up the pieces. Specifically, these pieces were boxes and boxes from Pollack’s private collection. To the buyer’s surprise, the films were disorganized, not linked in terms of audio and visual, and utterly a complete mess. In this interview, the composer turned director discusses discipline, why insanity is necessary for a creative mind, the responsibility of a filmmaker, why creativity is so personal, the modern infrastructure of the music business in terms of making and publicizing art, a favorite moment with Mick Jagger, and his ongoing fascination with the Queen of Soul. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Fascinated by Stephen King, Brian De Palma, and Steven Spielberg, Mike Flanagan grew up making movies with friends. Around the time he got to college, he started making shorts, digital features, and skits until he realized his fascination with the horror genre. As the creator of 'The Haunting of Hill House,' Flanagan wanted to create something unique for the streaming platform, Netflix. The description for the 10-episode series reads, “Flashing between past and present, a fractured family confronts haunting memories of their old home and the terrifying events that drove them from it.” In this exclusive interview, Flanagan talks about creating a horror series on the foundation of a family drama, how to weave together complicated narratives, the twists and turns of the series, the necessity of rewatchability and Easter eggs, what’s next for the series in Season 2, and how he plans to approach 'Doctor Sleep,' which is Stephen King’s sequel to 'The Shining.' The print version of this interview is also available on Creative Screenwriting’s website, and if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Iain Canning has an impressive resume. Currently, his films include ‘Hunger,’ ‘The King’s Speech,’ ‘Shame,’ ‘Slow West,’ ‘Life,’ ‘Macbeth,’ ‘Widows,’ and now, ‘Mary Magdalene.’ In the latest film, Rooney Mara stars as Mary Magdalene, with Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus. Directed by Garth Davis (Lion, Top of the Lake) and written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, the movie showcases a different point of view on the classic, biblical tale. In this exclusive interview, Canning discusses his love for film, what he looks for in a project, the connection between journalism and true story films, time jumps in film, emotionally sensitive endings, the responsibility of filmmaking, and how to create an amazing team around you. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

As an entertainment journalist, Felicia Pride wrote several books, including a YA novel and a collection of essays in The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs. In addition to her written work, she taught freshman comp for a decade, opened and closed a consulting business, worked for a film distribution executive, and was selected as a Film Independent Screenwriting Fellow. Currently, her screenwriting credits include The End Again, Really Love, and an episode of Queen Sugar. In this interview, Pride discusses source material, black female directors, gaps in the market, writing for micro audiences, and how to have a business mind in a creative world. The print version of this article is available on Creative Screenwriting’s website. Plus, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Since 2001, Ayanna Floyd has been working on shows like 'Gideon’s Crossing,' 'Private Practice,' 'Hit the Floor,' 'Hannibal,' 'Empire,' and now she’s producing, writing and show running Showtime’s 'The Chi.' Originally created by Lena Waithe (Master of None), the new series is a character drama that follows the lives of four men in South Side Chicago after a fateful turn of events shocks their community. In this exclusive interview, Floyd discusses a character piece without a hook, finding your voice, advice from Vanessa Taylor (The Shape of Water), going beneath the surface with character, the state of the industry, and we briefly discuss her upcoming mini-series, 'The Cotton Club.' The print interview is also available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Daniel Farrands made friends by making movies. As a kid, he would write plays and shoot shorts with a Super 8. With horror movies somewhat banned from his household, he eventually gravitated to a love for slasher films like John Carpenter’s 'Halloween.' At age 24, Farrands got the opportunity to write 'Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers.' Since his debut, he’s worked in the genre on other films such as 'The Haunting in Connecticut,' 'The Amityville Murders,' and now, 'The Haunting of Sharon Tate.’ As the writer-director was intrigued by a different angle for the new film on Sharon Tate (Hilary Duff). According to the description, “Pregnant with director Roman Polanski's child and awaiting his return from Europe, 26-year-old Hollywood actress Sharon Tate becomes plagued by visions of her imminent death.” In the exclusive interview, Farrands talks about being invited to write for a franchise like 'Halloween,' the difference in studio and independent films, the rules of slasher films versus possession films, and the Hitchcock rules of suspense. Also, Farrands warns about SPOILERS around the 12-minute mark in this interview if you haven't seen the film. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

John Fusco needs know introduction. Known for lonesome Westerners and wandering swordsman, Fusco’s credits include ‘Young Guns,’ ‘Young Guns II,’ ‘Thunderheart,’ ‘The Babe,’ ‘Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron,’ ‘Hidalgo,’ ‘The Forbidden Kingdom,’ ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,’ ‘Marco Polo,’ and the new Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson film, ’The Highwaymen.’ His latest film comes from director John Lee Hancock and has been in the works for sixteen years. In fact, the screenplay was originally meant to be a vehicle to complete the third film starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. The Highwaymen uncovers the untold story of a pair of police offers who were brought out of retirement to catch the outlaws, Bonnie and Clyde. In this exclusive conversation, we discuss priceless lessons from Fusco’s mentors Waldo Salt (Midnight Cowboy) and Ring Lardner Jr. (MASH), similarities between Westerns and Kung Fu films, how he made a movie for Jackie Chan and Jet Li, his conversations with Redford and Newman, and the importance of virtuous characters in cinema. Look for the print version of this interview on Creative Screenwriting’s website. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

From an early age, Josh F. Huber knew he wanted to be involved with cinema. Inspired by Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, he went on a path that eventually led him to film school. Amongst the novice directors, he realized most of his peers didn’t write their own scripts. Huber noticed writing is the one thing he could do on his own and improve each session. Eventually, he produced a film with his brother called ‘Smoke Filled Lungs.’ Then, he started the screenplay for an Indie film, which became ‘Making Babies.’ The new film stars television personalities Steve Howey (Shameless) and Eliza Coupe (Happy Endings). According to the description, “After years of manually trying to conceive, John and Katie Kelly put their bodies, wallet and marriage through the ringer of modern infertility treatments.” In this conversation, we discuss writing comedies for the Indie world, getting jokes “off the page,” choosing jobs out of necessity, how American comedies have changed, the truest form of cinematic vision and taste in Hollywood, and advice for novice filmmakers, including why you should write something “they’ll let you direct.” If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Since 2005, David Farr has been pursuing his passion as a screenwriter. As a staff writer on shows like ‘MI-5’ and ‘Outcasts,’ the English writer’s work has entered more of a solo career with the 2011 film version of ‘Hanna,’ which starred Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, with Joe Wright in the director’s chair. Since the theatrical version, Farr penned the series ‘The Night Manager,’ a movie called ‘The Man With the Iron Heart,’ and he has additional credits for ‘McMafia’ and ‘Troy: Fall of a City.’ Now, he’s working on the reboot, televised version of ‘Hanna’ for Amazon. This time, the 8-episode first season stars Esme Creed-Miles, Joel Kinnaman and Mireille Enos. Essentially, the plot for the film and televised version “follows the journey of an extraordinary young girl raised in the forest, as she evades the relentless pursuit of an off-book CIA agent and tries to unearth the truth behind who she is…” In this interview, Farr discusses his love for existential spies, journeys of identity within character, best practices for longevity in television, and why it’s important to always understand the essence of story as a storyteller. The print version of this conversation is also available online at Creative Screenwriting. And, if you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Scott Conroy got his start writing political journalism on the 2016 campaign trail, mainly in New Hampshire. Milking the experience, he eventually wrote two books, 'Sarah From Alaska: The Sudden Rise and Brutal Education of a New Conservative Superstar and 'Vote or Die: The New Hampshire Primary,' and then created a comedy series about his experience, called 'Embeds.' As for 'Blackout,' the original idea came from a TV pilot Conroy wrote years earlier. Thanks a friend in the business, he decided to consider turning the story into a podcast. The thriller stars Mr. Robot’s Rami Malek and is a “suspense story about a small-town radio DJ who must fight to protect his family and community from a coordinated attack that destroys the power grid and upends modern civilization.” In this interview, Conroy discusses working across various mediums as a storyteller, the differences in television and podcast stories, the pros and cons of an untapped market, writing sound rather than visual cues, grounding a large story with character, and how he regularly takes advantage of opportune moments when they arise. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Mark Steven Johnson grew up as a huge fan of Saturday Night Live. Mesmerized by comedy, he thought he could make it as a writer from an early age. Eventually, Johnson found his voice from reading scripts and watching new films. Soon, he wrote ‘Grumpy Old Men,’ which brought a fresh voice to Hollywood as most people were unaware ice fishing even existed. As the writer-director made a transition from character films to Marvel movies, he noticed the theme of the underdog stood out in all of his work. As he writer, Johnson has credits for the ‘Grumpy Old Men’ series, ‘Simon Birch,’ ‘Daredevil,’ ‘Ghost Rider,’ and ‘Christopher Robin.’ In his newest film, he’s back in the director’s chair for ‘Finding Steve McQueen.’ The ironic true story heist film takes place in 1972. According to IMDB, “A gang of close-knit thieves from Youngstown, Ohio attempt to steal $30 million in illegal contributions and blackmail money from President Richard Nixon's secret fund.” In this interview, Johnson discusses the missing middle movie in today’s film world, the key to original characters, the importance of a backstory, the importance of character limitations, and why writing what you feel may be more important than writing what you know. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre grew up in a film family and wanted to be an actress from a very early age. After creating her first play, however, she realized her entrepreneurial mindset pushed her to want to become a director rather than an actor. Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre was attracted to animal therapy with criminals, which led her to direct the short, 'Rabbit.' As she dove into the subject further, she then decided to create a full length feature on the same subject, known as ‘The Mustang.’ In her directorial debut, audiences are invited to follow the story of Roman Coleman, a violent convict who is given the chance to participate in a rehabilitation therapy program involved with wild mustangs. In this interview, the writer-director-actress discusses her “obvious” calling, her fascination with equine therapy, the blessing of the Sundance community, the importance of silence in her emotional film, the theme of violence, and the threat of isolation for criminals who wish to rehabilitate. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Mickey Duzyj started his career as an artist and illustrator. Over the years, he was invited to create some animated sequences for ESPN’s 30 for 30, “You Don’t Know Bo,” about the legend of Bo Jackson. Duzyj’s new series, 'Losers,' is really an ensemble of stories about perseverance. The athletes included involves a boxer, a soccer team, an Olympic figure skater, a curler, an ultra marathon runner, a dog musher, a basketball star, and a golfer. In this interview, the director talks about choosing his subjects, the perspective failure brings to a “loser,” the tone of the candid series, how to react to a major public loss, and finding a style in your works to make it stand apart. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Tone Bell started stand-up when he moved to Dallas to pursue a corporate marketing job. Looking for a creative outlet, he discovered the diverse audience in the area. With influences like George Carlin, Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, and Chris Rock in mind, he found his voice. In this exclusive interview, Bell discusses a traditional special compared to modern hooks, writing personal stories with a message, how standup is like solving a Rubik’s cube, advice from Wanda Sykes, his pre-stage music and playlist, and an animated special he’s currently working on. The new Showtime special, ‘Can’t Cancel This,’ airs on Showtime on February 22, 2019 at 10pm. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Judith Godrèche started working as a child actor. Throughout her career, she’s been in fifty projects including 'The Man in the Iron Mask,' with a goal of working to to consistently redefine herself as an actress. For her latest project, she stepped on to co-write and help find financing for ‘Under the Eiffel Tower.’ Godrèche joins ‘Veep’ stars Matt Walsh and Reid Scott for her new film. According to the description, “ Stuart is a having a mid-life crisis. Desperate for something more in life, he tags along on his best friend's family vacation to Paris - then proposes to his friend's 26-year-old daughter, Rosalind, while standing under the Eiffel Tower.” In this interview, she discusses throwing yourself into a project like a “blind warrior,” being driven by cinema, how to find investors and budget a project, being spontaneous during a scene, liberating a character from stereotypes and the importance of being bold as a creative, which is what led her to work with the Duplass Brothers on ‘The Overnight.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Nicolas Pesce was heavily influenced by horror films of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Known for his dark comedic style, movies like ‘The Eyes of My Mother’ and ‘Piercing’ are made with particular audiences in mind. Based on the novel by Japanese author Ryû Murakami, the story follows a man who kisses his wife and newborn baby goodbye. Then, he goes through with his plan to kill a stranger in a hotel. The film stars Christopher Abbott and Mia Wasikowska. In this exclusive interview, the young director talks about making Indie films with the audience in mind, making cheap shorts to showcase style, staging movies with miniatures, and taking advantage of the freedoms of filmmaking. This print interview is also available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website and make sure to also follow our new YouTube Channel, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Michael Caton-Jones is a director who appreciates family stories and stories about manhood. Known for films like ‘The Jackal,’ ‘Rob Roy,’ ’This Boy’s Life,’ ‘Doc Hollywood,’ ‘Memphis Belle,’ and ‘Beyond the Gates,’ the Scottish director is passionate about making iconic dramas. In his new film, ‘Asher,’ Ron Perlman stars in the title role, opposite Richard Dreyfus and Famke Janssen. According to the official description, “ An aging hitman's last job goes sideways, forcing him to redeem himself.” In this exclusive interview, the director talks about movies for men, father-son relationships, how to make dramas in today's Hollywood, and loosening up on the throttle to let the filmmaking process take over. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Robert D. Krzykowski appreciates movies that are entertaining, but still say something. Over the past decade, he’s been working as a storyteller, creating shorts, producing films, and writing as a journalist. In his directorial debut, the creative has combined science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction in a mythic way. In ‘The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot,’ icon Sam Elliott stars as “A legendary American war veteran who is recruited to hunt a mythical creature.” In this interview, the writer-director discusses the importance of a character with regret, his fascination with Mr. Rogers, storyboarding various timelines with intent, not being too rigid with an independent film, and his passion for the paranormal. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, reporter, columnist, radio host and television producer and analyst. He is the author of three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies”(2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope (2006). Since 1996, Alter has been an analyst and contributing correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC. In his documentary debut, Alter joined John Block for 'Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists,' an HBO film. The story follows two swashbuckling newspaper columnists who spoke for ordinary people and brought passion, wit and literary merit to their brilliant reporting about their city and nation. Interviewees include Tom Wolfe, Robert De Niro, Spike Lee, and Shirley MacLaine, among others. It captures the charm of the old New York, while probing explosive issues of race, class and the practice of journalism that resonate powerfully in our own time. In this interview, Alter discusses the “wonderful chaos” of documentary filmmaking, what the national news taught him about story compression, the difference between important stories and interesting stories, what he has learned from interviewing eight American presidents, and how growth as a writer may not be linear. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Colin Stetson knew he wanted to be a performer at a very early age. When it was time to choose an instrument in school, he picked the saxophone. Over the years he has worked extensively live and in studio with a wide range of bands and musicians including Tom Waits, Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, TV On The Radio, Feist, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, LCD Soundsystem, and David Gilmore. Meanwhile he has developed an utterly unique voice as a soloist, principally on saxophones and clarinets, his intense technical prowess matched by his exhilarating and emotionally gripping skills as a songwriter. Recently, he’s been asked to compose scores for Hereditary, Blue Caprice, and Hulu’s The First. His music has also been featured in Electric Dreams, The Rover, Bad Times at the El Royale, Arrival, and 12 Years a Slave. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Meredith Danluck started her career as a visual artist. She soon moved into directing, starting with music videos and now feature films. Thanks to female directors like Kathryn Bigelow, Danluck knew it was possible to make it in a predominantly man’s world. Her latest film, ‘State Like Sleep’ stars Katherine Waterson, Luke Evans, and Michael Shannon. The plot follows a woman grappling with the consequences of her celebrity husband's double life after he commits suicide. In this interview, Danluck tells fans that millions of dollars isn’t necessary to make a film if the team stands behind the project. We also discuss transitioning careers, the benefits of note cards, keeping a low overhead as an artist, and the importance of fleshing out supporting characters. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Duncan Skiles grew up in a movie-loving family. He started off making movies with friends and family, before he took a stab at professional films. For this feature, he teamed up with Christopher Ford - hot off the script for ‘Cop Car’ - and they paired up for ‘The Clovehitch Killer.’ The mystery stars Charlie Plummer and Dylan McDermott and exists within the vein of ‘Rear Mirror’ or ‘Disturbia,’ with a twist. The official plot reads, “ A picture-perfect family is shattered when the work of a serial killer hits too close to home. McDermott stars in this chilling portrait of all-American evil.” In this interview, Skiles discusses his love of cinema, the origin story and influences behind ‘Clovehitch,’ making a disturbing movie set in daytime, the necessity of trial and error, moving from over-the-top to reserved works, and creating outcasts in film. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Melissa Miller Costanzo launched her career in the art department, working on projects like ‘Precious,’ ‘Rubicon,’ ‘The Fighter,’ ‘The Magic of Belle Isle,’ ‘The Affair,’ and the recent films, ‘Rebel in the Rye’ and ‘If Beale Street Could Talk.’ In her directorial debut, ‘All These Small Moments’ stars Molly Ringwald, Jemina Kirke, and Brendan Meyer. The story follows “A teenage boy's infatuation with a woman he sees on the bus further complicates his already tumultuous adolescence.” Back up plans in the field, misconceptions about locations and the art department, being flexible as a director, getting a project off the ground, the problem with heavy titles, arcs in small scenes, how to pace yourself as a director, and what she learned from Barry Jenkins while working on ‘If Beale Street Could Talk.’ If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: bit.ly/2FARJz5

Haley Joel Osment’s career started at a vert early age. By chance, he was cast in a Pizza Hut commercial which led to being cast in the final scenes of 'Forrest Gump.' Soon after, he was on sitcoms, and then earned an Oscar nomination for the horror classic, ‘The Sixth Sense.’ In this interview, Osment talks about his early appreciation of the craft of being an actor, lessons from icons like M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, and Robert Zemeckis, the luxury of preparation time on set, his decision to come back to film after attending college, and what it’s like working on comedies with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig. In his latest film, 'Clara’s Ghost,' Joel stars as Joe. The official description reads, “Set over the course of a single evening in the Reynolds family home in suburban Connecticut, Clara's Ghost tells the story of Clara Reynolds who, fed up with constant ribbing from her self-absorbed showbiz family, finds solace in and guidance from the supernatural force she believes is haunting her.” If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: http://bit.ly/2FARJz5

Brothers Ari and Ethan Gold tackled the coming-of-age story, 'The Song of Sway Lake,' as a writer-director and composer. The film can be described as, “Music collector Ollie Sway recruits his only friend, a rowdy Russian drifter, to help him steal a 78 record from his own family's estate.” Both brothers are interested in music and filmmaking. Ethan, the composer, has directed music videos. Ari, the writer-director, has been in various bands and created music. Together, the focus is always on story and “rowing in the same direction.” In this interview, the duo discusses tapping into shared emotional experiences, real life inspirations for character, composing based on theme, the benefits and risks of working with siblings, how disagreements can lead to elevation, how to dig into yourself, and the truth about their friend Adrian Grenier and the character Ari Gold on 'Entourage.' If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: http://bit.ly/2FARJz5

As a photographer turned filmmaker, Vladimir de Fontenay started shooting on Super 8 to learn about filmmaking. Eventually, he made a short, also called Mobile Homes (2013), which would guide him to the new film, which stars Imogen Poots. Because of the short, he was able to get into festivals, meet producers, and connect with the future stars of the film. The official description reads, “A young mother drifts from one motel to the next with her intoxicated boyfriend, and her 8-year-old son. The makeshift family scrapes by, living one hustle at a time, until the discovery of a mobile home community offers an alternative life.” The original idea came when the director was driving and noticed a mobile home being transported. He realized the struggle to find a home was a universal need. Soon, characters started to materialize within his mind. In this interview, Fontenay discusses images that stick with you, the struggles of storytelling, his appreciation for 'The Florida Project,' his the method in which he dives into a character’s mindset, and writing universal stories. If you enjoyed this interview, join thousands of viewers for the new YouTube series, Creative Principles, which dissects new films, series, and more: http://bit.ly/2FARJz5

Ep125 - Andrew Jenks Talks #1 Podcast & Partnering With The Rock Chris Christie's Bridgegate scandal, Michael Jordan's early retirement and Britney Spears' infamous 2007 meltdown. These are a few of the topics Andrew Jenks tackles in his hit podcast, "What Really Happened?" The series takes deep dives into historical or widely-publicized events over the past century, such as the lazy coverage of Princess Diana’s death, Muhammad Ali talking a man down from suicide, and the real reason Dave Chappelle quit his iconic comedy series. In our conversation, Jenks discusses campfire stories, the importance of facts and substance, what it’s like to work with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and upcoming stories coming to his #1 podcast. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In ‘Ozark,’ a financial adviser drags his family from Chicago to the Missouri Ozarks, where he must launder $500 million in five years to appease a drug boss. The Netflix series stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney. In this interview, screenwriter and producer Alyson Feltes discusses her role on the series, the Ozarks as a setting, the importance of avoiding television tropes, how intimacy can save a character, and she gives a few details about an upcoming project based on memoirs from Chelsea Clinton. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the movie ‘Final Score,’ Dave Bautista stars as Michael Knox, an ex-soldier who must deal with deadly terrorists who take his niece hostage at a professional soccer match. The movie also stars Pierce Brosnan and Ray Stevenson. The film comes from Scott Mann, director of ‘Heist’ and ‘The Tournament.’ Mann grew up as a fan of movies like ‘Commando’ and the film ‘Terminator 2’ is still his favorite movie of all time. In this interview, the director talks about working with Dave Bautista, seizing opportunities or using assets as a filmmaker, making fun movies that don’t take themselves too seriously, how he avoids the safe zone of not making certain films, and how to turn weaknesses into strengths. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

The film ‘Blindspotting’ moves from buddy comedy to dramatic reality. As such, the film needed a nimble score to make it powerful and relatable to audiences across the globe. In this interview, movie composer Michael Yezerski discusses working with Oakland natives, filmmakers, and stars Daveed Diggs and Rafael Casal on ‘Blindspotting.’ In addition, the composer gives advice on responding to visions and inspiring visions, what it means to have gut-instinct musical responses, how repetition can hurt a composer, and what it means to add emotional layers to the big screen. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Lisa Dapolito started her career as an actress before she moved into commercial production. After meeting up with leaders of Gilda’s Club, the filmmaker decided to make a documentary about the iconic comedian and her cancer foundation. In the film, comedienne Gilda Radner looks back and reflects on her life and career. Weaving together recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with her friends, rare home movies and diaries read by modern day comediennes, the movie offers a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story. During our conversation, the director discusses Gilda’s ongoing presence at her foundation, how she acquired interviews with SNL alums like Amy Poehler, Lorne Michaels, Bill Hader, Chevy Chase, Melissa McCarthy, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, and countless more during this four-year project. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Todd Berger wouldn’t describe himself as a comedy writer. Known for 'It’s a Disaster,' 'The Scenesters,' and a handful of Smurfs and Kung Fu Panda shorts, Berger’s latest film, 'The Happytime Murders,' has just cemented the screenwriter into a world of “writers who write comedy.” Fifteen years in the making, the film somewhat follows Berger’s idea to remake Heat with puppets. According to the official description, “When the puppet cast of an '80s children's TV show begin to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet takes on the case.” Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Banks, and Maya Rudolph star in the film, which is led by Director Brian Henson. The son of Jim and Jane, Brian Henson has additional directing credits such as 'The Muppet Christmas Carol,' 'Muppet Treasure Island,' and 'Muppets Tonight.' But, 'The Happytime Murders' is no Muppets movie. In fact, the marketing campaign focuses on the “Hard R” rating, just to make sure no parents accidentally take their children into the film. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

From an early age, actor Chris Messina looked up to icons like Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, and Robert DeNiro. His fascination with flawed characters led to intriguing roles in films like ‘Away We Go,’ ‘Argo,’ ‘Ruby Sparks,’ ‘Live By Night’ ‘The Newsroom,’ ‘Damages,’ ‘Six Feet Under,’ and countless other titles. In Messina’s latest project, HBO’s ‘Sharp Objects,’ he plays Detective Richard Willis, opposite Amy Adams (Arrival). The mini-series comes from ‘Gone Girl’ writer Gillian Flynn, Creator Marti Noxon, and ‘Big Little Lies’ Director Jean-Marc Vallée. The story follows a reporter down a path of psychological demons as she returns to her hometown to cover a violent murder. In this interview, Chris Messina discusses lessons from Directors Sam Mendes and Ben Affleck, how to elevate as an actor, living a life of ridicule, creating your own work, taking your career in your own reins, and pursuing work that “scares the shit out of you…” During this conversation, we also discuss past guests Marti Noxon (Episode 88) and Bryan Sipe (Episode 6). Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

For over 25 years, Jonathan Watson has been a fundamental assistant director and shepherd within Hollywood. After working on films like ‘Bad Boys,’ ‘The Amazing Spider-Man,’ ‘The Disaster Artist,’ ‘La La Land,’ and 'This Is the End,’ Watson finally received his big break thanks to Danny McBride. The film, ‘Arizona,’ takes place during the 2009 housing crisis. The story follows Cassie Fowler (Rosemarie DeWitt), a single mom and struggling realtor whose life goes off the rails when she witnesses a murder. In this interview, Watson describes his long haul to the director’s chair, his unique relationship with actor-comedian Danny McBride, changing his mindset from time management to storytelling, and the joy of making movies and television. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Screenwriter Boaz Yakin has helped create films such as 'The Rookie,' 'Prince of Persia,' and 'Safe,' along with franchise films like 'Now You See Me' and 'Max.' These movies allowed for him to pursue passion projects as a screenwriter. In his latest film, 'Boarding School,' he’s developed a horror-inspired hero’s journey for adolescents. “Those are writing jobs where you’re like one of twenty writers on any one of those movies. Maybe you contributed enough to have a screen credit, but none of those things that I have tried to make or been more personally [involved with] like 'Fresh,' 'A Price Above Rubies,' or 'Death in Love,'” said the screenwriter. “These are movies I wrote and directed that came from me.” The writer-director would prefer to only make independent films, but the balance between projects allow for him to get the smaller films on the big screen. “In order to pay the bills—in order to pay for these movies—I’ve had to make more commercial movies and write things like that and put money back into these things..." In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

Nicole Stojkovich is a production executive at LD Entertainment with credits like the Oscar-nominated biopic ‘Jackie,’ starring Natalie Portman. She began her career in Vancouver, working in physical production on feature films such as ‘Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer,’ ‘This Means War’ and ‘The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.’ As an Executive Producer, she has helped bring films like ‘Megan Leavey,’ ‘Forever My Girl,’ ‘The Miracle Season,’ and now ‘Dog Days’ to the big screen. In the most recent film, Ken Marino directs the story about interconnected people in Los Angeles connected by their canine counterparts. In this interview, Stojkovich describes ‘Love Actually’ for dogs, her jump from miscellaneous crew to EP, how to organize an ensemble cast, and what LD Entertainment looks for in a human interest story, and knowing when to take the leap in filmmaking. Listen to actor Alex Roe talk about the LD Entertainment Film ‘Forever My Girl’ in Episode 108 of the podcast. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘The Crown,’ led by director Stephen Daldry and screenwriter Peter Morgan recently got a 10-year approval to build and expand period London streets with the aid of cinematographer Adriano Goldman (Jane Eyre, Sin Nombre, Xingu, Trash). The Brazilian cinematographer helped create the film-like atmosphere on the television series. With Daldry the two have developed a creative partnership to inspire cast and crew. Goldman’s tone-setting work on “Smoke and Mirrors” episode swept the Emmys and Golden Globes, making him an ASC Award Winner. In this interview, Goldman discusses how his career ambitions shifted from director to cinematographer, how he got involved with ‘The Crown’ on Netflix, how they created a realistic look and tone, dealing with time on set, and what fans can expect from new characters and a new look this season. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Screenwriter Matt Leslie was involved in website design when he discovered the book, 'Story,' by Robert McKee. Soon, he went with a friend to see McKee at a seminar. Leslie’s writing partner, Stephen Smith, was originally interested in animation when he discovered screenwriting. In 2011, the duo teamed up to start writing professionally, which consists of around eight spec scripts, a pilot, and “a million treatments.” In their new film, 'Summer of 84,' a group of teenage friends suspect their police officer neighbor is actually a serial killer. As the group starts to uncover the truth, their findings get more and more dangerous. The film stars 'Mad Men’s Rich Sommer, along with newcomers Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, and Caleb Emergy. In addition to the team of screenwriters, there was also a team of directors attached to this project. RKSS (Turbokid), made up of François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell, where they describe their hive mentality as directors as family. In both collaborations, the screenwriter duo and the director trio understand that “everything you do should be for the good of the film.” This helped Matt Leslie and Stephen Smith pen the story and RKSS get in the right mindset to shape up this film. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the Netflix hit, ‘To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before,’ a teenage girl’s secret love letters are exposed, which wreaks havoc on her life. Based on the YA Novel by Jenny Han, the film stars Lana Condor, Noah Centineo, and Israel Broussard. Director Susan Johnson describes her process for the new film, in addition to insight from her directorial debut, ‘Carrie Pilby,’ from 2016. In this interview, Johnson describes putting on blinders to become a director despite often hearing the word “No,” finding a way to tell the stories that speak to you, and what it means to be an old school director within the Zeitgeist of Netflix. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the film, 'Damascus Cover,' a spy navigates the precarious terrain of love and survival during an undercover mission in Syria. The film stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Olivia Thirlby, and John Hurt. Writer-Director Daniel Zelik Berk discusses how to avoid a red herring, breaking rules for low-budget filmmaking, making a book adaptation personal, the key to great value and looks from shooting overseas, and how to solve things where you can’t throw money at the problem. Finally, Berk discusses a touching final moment with actor John Hurt (The Elephant Man, 1984) before he passed away after this film was finished. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Philip Ruddy is a depth psychotherapist with a masters degree in Counseling Psychology, who also happens to have fifteen years’ experience working as a writer and producer. As such, he is well-equipped to understand the creative mind, and he works with writers, artists and performers to help them with creative blocks, anxiety, depression, and the unique stresses of the film and television industry. We spoke with Philip about breaking down writer’s block through exploring the unconscious, Active Imagination, and courage. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

'Nossa Chape' tracks the rebuilding of the Chapecoense football club in Brazil after a November 28, 2016 airplane crash left only three players alive. Through exclusive access to the families of the deceased, the new team and three severely injured recovering players, the documentary investigates the community’s many challenges in the aftermath of tragedy. The town finds itself divided by a desire to respect the memory of those they lost while also preparing to move the club into its future. The citizens and team must find a way to unite around a common identity. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

“Some people say their brain is in their hand. Mine is definitely in my head,” said animator turned director, Jennifer Yuh Nelson. Perhaps best known as the first female solo-director of a Hollywood animated film for 'Kung Fu Panda 2' and 'Kung Fu Panda 3,' Yuh has recently moved into live action with the young adult film, 'The Darkest Minds.' The animator knew she wanted to follow this career at a very early age. She went to school as an Illustrations Major, but she actually drew live action storyboards as a kid. When she decided to learn about filmmaking and storytelling, she reached out to her older sister Gloria, who got her a job as a PA at an animation studio. In this interview, Yuh talks about hand-to-hand combat in animation, the transition from animation to directing, the emotional core of the story, and being ready for great opportunities. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

Written and directed by newcomer Elijah Bynum, the film ‘Hot Summer Nights’ stars Timothée Chalamet, Mailka Monroe, and Alex Roe. The coming of age story takes place in Cape Cod. In this interview, actor Alex Roe discusses his latest role as the weed-dealing local cool guy, Hunter. Roe also led the film ‘Forever My Girl,’ and has been in recent hits like 'The 5th Wave,' 'Rings', and Freefall’s new series, 'Siren.' Roe also spoke about the importance of having thick skin as a young actor, the play/praise that made him take the work seriously, and his preparation for various roles, which involves total immersion into character. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the new film, ‘Siberia,’ an American diamond trader's Russian partner goes missing, so he journeys to Siberia in search of him, but instead begins a love affair. The film, which partially mimics the gritty movies from the 1970s, stars Keanu Reeves and comes from the mind of Reeves, Stephen Hamel (Passengers) and Scott Smith (A Simple Plan). In this interview, director Matthew Ross talks about his eight-year journey to create his Michael Shannon-Imogen Poots film debut, ‘Frank & Lola.’ As a former writer for Filmmaker Magazine, Ross tells us about his journey into the business, conversations with iconic directors, his influences like Hitchcock and Kubrick, and the lure of psychosexual thrillers. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Written by Penn Jillette of magician duo Penn & Teller, ‘Director’s Cut’ is the unusual story of Herbert Blount. The aspiring director wants to make a movie on his own so he kidnaps the lead actress of a crowdfunded film and inflicts horror upon her. Director Adam Rifkin got interested in filmmaking and horror storytelling thanks to Chicago’s Svengoolie spoofster. Rifkin is also known for ‘Look,’ ’Chillerama,’ and ‘The Last Movie Star,’ which features icon Burt Reynolds. In this interview, Rifkin talks about his early influences like ‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’ and ‘Smokey and the Bandit,’ along with the unusual conversation that led to ‘Director’s Cut, the intrigue of an unreliable narrator, the intimacy of the Director’s Cut commentary, and his overall experience with crowdfunding an Indie film. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In 'The Confirmation,' Anthony is on the fence about spending time with his hapless, alcoholic father. Equally unsure of their upcoming time together, Walt, a freelance carpenter, picks up his son for what he assumes to be a calm weekend while his ex-wife and her new husband go off on a Catholic marriage-counseling retreat. Starring Clive Owen and Jaeden Lieberher, the father-son story was written and directed by Bob Nelson, best known for his Oscar-nominated screenplay, 'Nebraska.' Much like the acclaimed 2013 film, 'The Confirmation' also has an all-star cast of side characters including Maria Bello, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tim Blake Nelson, and Robert Forster. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

Inspired by the dialogue-heavy screenplays of Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead teamed up to create innovative films for hungry audiences. In ‘The Endless,’ two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought. During our conversation, the writer-directors discuss innovation without confusion, figuring out the facets of a great mystery, thinking of the camera as an omniscient force, how homage is the opposite of innovation, and why filmmakers should stop waiting for others to greenlight their projects. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Emmy and Peabody award-winning director Eugene Jarecki is interested in American justice, poetry in film, journalism, and Elvis Presley. In his latest documentary, 'The King,' Jarecki jumped behind the wheel of Elvis’ Rolls Royce to drive cross-country on a musical road trip in an effort to explore the loss of authenticity in America. “We’re at a time where we’re looking very closely at what the American dream really means. Who is there that any of us can think of who more poetically represents the American dream than Elvis Presley?” As a musician, Elvis began from humble roots but soon had a meteor-like career and the film is meant to highlight these parallels with America. The director added, “I think Elvis is a person who got lost and he got lost at the height of his power. Isn’t that America, too?” In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the Icelandic comedy, ‘Under the Tree,’ Baldwin and Inga's next door neighbors complain that a tree in their backyard casts a shadow over their sundeck, what starts off as a typical spat between neighbors in the suburbs unexpectedly and violently spirals out of control. In this interview, writer-director Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson discusses his transition from shorts to full-length features, his early determinations to make a film, how to balance tone through intuition and the importance of knowing limitations but surprising them anyway. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Matt Osterman was heavily influenced by ‘The Twilight Zone’ as a kid. By the time he got to college, he realized directing films could be a real opportunity for him to tell stories. In his latest film, ‘Hover,’ Osterman teamed up with screenwriter and actress Cleopatra Coleman (The Last Man on Earth) for a futuristic film that revolves around an environmental strain that led to agricultural drones that turn dangerous. In this interview, Osterman discusses the problem with movies written by corporations, his take on 70s thriller for ‘Hover,’ creating your own luck as a writer-director, and knowing when to twist the knot or build proper tension in film. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

While attending film school at UCLA, Paul Schrader saw the film, 'Pickpocket' (1959), which essentially formed the path of his career. During his stay at the university, Schrader thought there was a major difference between critics and filmmakers, but this film helped him understand the artistic view of each. “I looked down on them,” he said about his time as a critic. “I’m sure they looked down on me. But, I thought what they were doing was trivial. I thought what I was doing was superior to what they were doing. But, when I saw this film Pickpocket, it hit me for the first time that there could actually be a place for me.” “I could make that film,” he thought to himself in the theater. “I saw that there was a bridge between my theological upbringing and my current love of the movies,” said Schrader. In the film, a man commits crimes and then goes and writes about those crimes in his diary. “Two years later, I wrote Taxi Driver, which is exactly that film...” In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

“USS Callister” is the first episode of the fourth season of Netflix’s ‘Black Mirror.’ The episode follows Robert Daly (Jesse Plemons), a reclusive programmer and co-founder of a multiplayer online game. But, the overlooked designer takes out his frustrations by copying his co-workers’ DNA to create digital clones of them in a fictional world aboard the USS Callister. In this interview, Stephan Pehrsson tells us about the basics of what it’s like to be a cinematographer. Specifically for this episode, Pehrsson and director Toby Haynes discussed the two worlds of Daly’s life, the different tones on the spaceship, and how they tried to use the different worlds of ‘Star Trek,’ such as the original, the Next Generation and J.J. Abrams’ futuristic look. Also, the cinematographer discussed breaking into the business, the importance of who you know versus what you know in the beginning, dealing with rejection, how to make connections and how to progress together, and the last minute decision to include a ‘Breaking Bad’ reunion in the episode. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Julie Delpy is a French-American screenwriter, actress, and director. As a graduate from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Delpy has been in over 30 films, perhaps best known for work in Richard Linklater’s 'Before'-Trilogy, co-starring Ethan Hawke. Within her many ventures, she has been nominated for two Academy Awards. In 'Lolo,' Delpy co-writes and stars as Violette, a 40-year-old workaholic with a dominant career in the fashion industry and little time for love. Coincidentally, she falls for a software geek named Jean-Rene and the two try to make it work, despite an unknown force that keeps getting in the way. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

In Disney Animation, story is king. For the film 'Zootopia,' seven creators worked to shape the story that began in the mind of Byron Howard. In the later portion of their five-year battle to bring the Zootopians to life, major plot changes occurred while they remained true to an idea of discussing prejudices frankly, through film. Thanks to the aid of the writer’s room and the guidance from Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter along with the infamous Story Trust, 'Zootopia' found its place among an ongoing list of Disney classics. In the following order, we spoke with co-director Byron Howard, producer Clark Spencer, and co-director Rich Moore about the pop culture references in the movie, the Disney collaboration model, and serious themes in animated films. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live (In VLOG 6, we actually dove into the "Pixar Brain Trust" mentioned in this episode).

'Gold' stars Matthew McConaughey as businessman and modern-day prospector Kenny Wells. Eager for his lucky break, Wells will do just about anything to find gold. And after experiencing a “foretelling,” he teams up with a geologist (Édgar Ramírez) to search for gold in the uncharted jungles of Indonesia. Screenwriters Patrick Massett and John Zinman were inspired to write the script after Massett saw the story featured in a light-night documentary, and decided to take their chances on writing it on spec. A gamble which paid off, when it was developed by Paul Haggis, and eventually directed by Stephen Gaghan (Syriana, Traffic). We spoke with Massett and Zinman about watching movies with the script in your lap, the rhythm of a scene, not sending out your first script, and why working in Hollywood is like prospecting for gold. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

York Shackleton got his start in professional snowboarding and commercial advertising. As York moved into documentary films, he quickly realized it’s more important to show the authenticity of the event rather than express in an opinion on screen. The audience needs to decide on their own. In the fiction world, the director actually reverse engineers much of his work. He puts distribution in place before he get financing. He also creates a lists of musts, such as actors, genre, and so on, before he fully develops a new idea. This how ‘211’ came to be. York’s latest film stars Nicolas Cage, Sophie Skelton, and Michael Rainey Jr. The movie has been described as ‘End of Watch’ meets ‘Black Hawk Down.’ The true story comes from the police code that references “Shots fired!” and the movie is about the “longest and bloodiest bank heists in history,” which took place in 1997 North Hollywood. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

'Seven Seconds' is arguably one of the boldest stories on Netflix. The 10-episode drama comes from 'The Killing' showrunner Veena Sud. The story begins with a hit-and-run of an African-American teenager by a Jersey City cop. The mostly white police force covers up the incident, which causes public controversy. “My son laid in the cold, in pain, for hours,” said Regina King’s character, Latrice Butler. “And, whoever did this is free.” What’s perhaps most interesting about Sud’s take on this type of story is all of the research involved and the in-depth look at how everyone suffers from such a tragedy. We sat down with Veena Sud to talk about her fascination with mystery, slow-burn storytelling, the Statue of Liberty as symbolism, and her passion for research along with the importance of plucking images from real life. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

Theresa Bennett knew she wanted to make movies early in life. She worked in a movie rental store and started writing scripts in notebooks. Even though she couldn’t afford screenwriting software, she found a way to create scripts. Eventually, this led to the new film, 'Social Animals.' In the movie, a childless, single, broke stoner attempted to salvage her failing business and love life while falling in love with a married man. The comedy-drama stars Noël Wells (Master of None), Aya Cash (You’re the Worst), Samira Wiley (Orange is the New Black), Carly Chaikin (Mr. Robot), and Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother). In this interview, Bennett tells her story of a young girl who wanted to make films and how she became a first-time writer-director. She also discusses character creation, the power of limited resources, and the benefits of a speedy first draft. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice and watch our weekly YouTube series at www.creativeprinciples.live

“I haven’t always done the right thing,” said the subject of 'John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls.' “But you will never talk to anyone that is as fortunate as John McCain.” The Senator, who has lost two Presidential elections, survived as a Vietnam POW for five years, and received a brain tumor diagnosis, is surprisingly optimistic, potentially the last of his kind, and the latest subject for Kunhardt Films. As a production company, Kunhardt Films specializes in documentaries “about the people and ideas that shape history.” In the past three years, the directors and producers have made films like 'King in the Wilderness' about Martin Luther King Jr., 'The Newspaperman' about Ben Bradlee, and 'Becoming Warren Buffet.' Producer George Kunhardt said, “We had done a similar documentary [in 2009] when Teddy Kennedy announced that he had brain cancer. Teddy, when he read it in the news that McCain had been diagnosed with this, we thought it was a natural [progression], since McCain was the other line of the Senate and had a long life that paralleled the last half-century of American history.” Three weeks after the diagnosis, the producers started working on the film. Kunhardt Films, which launched in 1987, consists of six-time Emmy Award winner Peter Kunhardt and his two sons, George and Teddy. In this interview, the three creators talk about John McCain as a character, how to gain trust as a filmmaker, and the importance of subjects that you’re willing to spend a year with. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the comedy ‘Book Club,’ four lifelong friends have their lives changed when they decide to read ’50 Shades of Grey’ in their monthly book club. The film stars veteran actresses Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen. Writer duo Bill Holderman and Erin Simms met while working with actor Robert Redford. Holderman wrote the script for ‘ A Walk in the Woods’ and Simms originally worked as Mr. Redford’s assistant. At Wildwood Enterprises, the writing duo had the idea for ‘Book Club’ in 2012 when Holderman sent his mother the ’50 Shades’ trilogy as a gag gift for Mother’s Day. In this interview, the creators talk about writing human storylines and universal themes, their goal of showcasing veteran actresses, the importance of listening to an actor’s opinion on set as well as within the casting process, and the importance of committing to the project fo the long-term. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In his film Handsome Devil, Irish writer-director John Butler urges young people to find their own voice. The film follows the lives of Irish schoolmates Ned (Fionn O’Shea) and Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), as they are forced to share a bedroom at their boarding school. One is a music-loving loner, the other a popular rugby star. But the film transcends classroom drama, as it explores the characters’ sexual identities. We spoke with Butler about the personal origins of Handsome Devil, the distinction between autobiography and emotional truth, and importance of exercise - or anchor fitness - as a writer. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger are the minds behind the hit animated trilogy, 'Kung Fu Panda.' With a cast including Jack Black, Bryan Cranston, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Simmons, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, Kate Hudson and many more, the series has become a staple of the family films genre. In the third installment, Po must face two epic threats: one supernatural and one that deals with his long-lost family and a kingdom of pandas. Underneath the colorful animations and intense fight scenes, the heart of the film deals with some tough issues, touching on feelings of exclusion, loss, and even what it’s like when someone new enters the family. Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger discuss what television taught them about character-based stories, the most difficult step in the writing process, and how to write for a panda that sounds like Jack Black. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Netflix has been pushing the envelope with their new releases. And after '13 Reasons Why,' which shined a light on teen suicide, comes the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-nominated movie 'To The Bone,' which highlights the brutal truth about eating disorders.' To the Bone' is written and directed by Marti Noxon. Perhaps best known for her work as writer and producer on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' in 'To the Bone' she explores issues that she herself once dealt with. The result is an oft-times dark, sometimes funny story about Ellen (Lily Collins), a young woman battling anorexia. Noxon describes getting beneath the surface issues, writing based on your own life, and leaning into your idiosyncrasies. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Sollers Point’ tells the story of Keith, a twenty-four-year-old newly released from prison, who is under house arrest in Baltimore. He’s trying to establish himself, but he’s having problems breaking free from bonds of being behind bars. Writer-Director Matthew Porterfield realized he was fascinated with Baltimore while working on his first screenplays at NYU. The is his fourth film and all are connected by the setting where he grew up. In this interview, Porterfield talks about the city as an inspiration, writing characters that can erupt at any time, being true to the community of the project, and how novice filmmakers can create movies in their area by using the resources he or she may have. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

After his marriage fails, a man who spent his twenties seducing older women discovers he’s no longer the prize he used to be. Forced to move in with his estranged sister, he finally learns about life and family. 'How To Be A Latin Lover' stars Eugenio Derbez and Salma Hayek, along with an all-star cast of comedians. Chris Spain and Jon Zack co-wrote the film, which was directed by actor-comedian Ken Marino. We spoke with the screenwriting duo about the influence of farce, how to ground jokes for an audience, and how to tell the story through the jokes. In addition to this audio format, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In 1930s Sweden a young reindeer-herding Sámi girl faces racism and prejudice. To fit in at boarding school she wants to leave her rural roots and break all ties with her culture, but her actions threaten to tear her family apart. ‘Sami Blood’ is written and directed by Amanda Kernell, and is her first feature film. To date it has collected ten awards at film festivals and been nominated for many more, while the short film it was based upon, Stoerre Vaerie, was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance festival. In this interview, Kernell discusses the importance of conveying how a situation feels, filming in a language only a few hundred people speak, and the extraordinary casting process for her film. In addition, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Thanks to the success of the solo album from Steven Tyler in 2016, a documentary has followed the milestone event. In the film, ‘Out on a Limb,’ the Aerosmith singer and many of his colleagues discuss his jump to country music. Steven Tyler revealed, “Most people would rather be certain they’re miserable, than take a risk and be happy… I feel like I’m doing something new again.” It’s somewhat insane for a rock star as popular as Tyler to make such a change. In an exclusive interview, filmmaker and longtime friend Casey Tebo discussed how he originally met the band Aerosmith and the details behind Tyler’s risky move to country. Look for the print version of this interview in the classic rock section of the website, Monday Monday Network, and stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Director Vaughn Stein knew he wanted to be a filmmaker while taking a class called “From Hitchcock to Spielberg.” After working on films like ‘World War Z’ and ’Sherlock Holmes,’ Stein was soon writing a screenplay of stylized characters for Margot Robbie, Simon Pegg and Mike Myers. ’Terminal’ follows two assassins with a sinister mission, a fatally ill teacher, an enigmatic janitor and a waitress with a double life. Murderous consequences unravel as their lives meet at the hands of a criminal mastermind wanting revenge. The writer-director said he wanted to explore his “unhealthy obsession” with sci-fi noir, dystopian cinema, and world-class literature. This means using the setting as an additional character, similar to films like ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Seven,’ or ‘Brazil.’ In this interview, Stein also describes his fascination with ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and the darkness of fairy tales, how to define characters through voice, the importance of discipline as a writer, and his best advice for first-time directors on set. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Jason Fuchs looks familiar. It’s either his youthful optimism or the fact that you’ve seen him repeatedly over the last two decades on episodes of 'Law & Order,' 'The Sopranos,' in 'La La Land,' and opposite Elijah Wood in 'Flipper.' While truly enjoying his acting career, Fuchs has found a new spotlight in screenwriting. After selling a handful of scripts and being brought on to chisel out 'Ice Age 4,' his new project is one of lifelong obsession. Fuchs’ passion project hit the big screen with the guidance of his pen and the masterful direction of Joe Wright. Currently, Fuchs is also working on ’I Still See You,’ ‘Minecraft: The Movie,’ and ‘Luna Park,’ which comes from a Mark Bowden story, along with his story credit for 'Wonder Woman.' In addition, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Jonathan Ames is becoming a television staple, writing comedic television with depth. The New York native first made his presence known as a novelist and essay writer, before moving his self-deprecating stories into the realm of television. On his first show, ‘Bored to Death,’ Jason Schwartzman played a novelist also named Jonathan Ames, who began an unlicensed detective agency, alongside his friend Ray (Zach Galifianakis) and mentor George (Ted Danson). The show lasted three seasons on HBO and still has a positive cult following online. In his newest creation, ‘Blunt Talk,’ Patrick Stewart stars as Walter Blunt. The show follows a British newscaster who recently moved to Los Angeles with an alcoholic, eccentric manservant named Harry. The duo try to navigate showbusiness, news, and the ins and outs of life behind-the-scenes of a talk show. Ames also wrote the book ‘You Were Never Really Here,’ which was just turned into an award-winning drama starring Joaquin Phoenix. We spoke with Jonathan about the unlikely inspiration for his new show, writing about friendships, his rules of screenwriting, and ideas for a film of Bored to Death. In addition, the print interview for this conversation is available on Creative Screenwriting’s website. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘Nice’ is a new indie pilot from director Andrew Ahn (Spirit Award/Sundance winner for his debut film ‘Spa Night’) and creator/star Naomi Ko (‘Dear White People’). The new half hour series is a touching coming of age story about Teddy Park, a 20-something Korean American living in Minnesota, who must deal with the consequences of keeping her breast cancer a secret from her friends and family. In this interview, Naomi Ko and Andrew Ahn some about the three-year journey to get this pilot made, the pros and cons of shooting in rural Minnesota, the importance of finding the right team, and how vital it is to have team members push new ideas or lift restraints off the project. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the film, ‘Supercon,’ a rag-tag group of former television stars and comic book artists, who make their living working at conventions, decide to steal the loot from a crooked promoter and an overbearing television icon. We sat down with Zak Knutson, director of ‘Milius,’ ‘Marvel 75 Years,’ and ‘Marvel’s Captain America,’ to talk about his new comedy, ‘Supercon.’ In the interview, the filmmaker discusses the importance of making movies just to make people laugh, making a pop culture movie within complex copyright laws, improv with comedians, how John Milius influenced his work, working with Kevin Smith, and how the core idea behind Supercon came from a real robbery. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Elan Gale describes himself as a strange person. As the executive producer of ‘The Bachelor,’ ‘The Bachelorette,’ ‘Bachelor in Paradise,’ and several live shows, he’s also a social media provocateur and author. His antics have led him to be featured in the NYTimes, UsWeekly, Huffington Post, People Magazine, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and countless other publications and blogs. He has already published two books under his nom de plume, ‘Unspirational Texts from Your Ex,’ ‘Tinder Nightmares’ and the upcoming ‘Your Shitty Family.’ In this interview, Gale talks about his new book, ‘You’re Not That Great: But Neither Is Anyone Else.’ He discusses the problem with self-help books, the importance of optimism through pessimism, the way people unintentionally lie to themselves, how people get into hurtful patterns, how life is about how you approach your world, and how to be in charge of your future. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

’20 Weeks’ follows a young couple navigating their first pregnancy, who during a routine scan discover a health condition that could gravely impact their baby, which forces them to re-examine their relationship and their future. The film is particularly timely as the right to choose is being threatened in today's political climate and currently in the US, 43 states have enacted abortion restrictions at different stages of pregnancy. The film stars Anna Margaret Hollyman (Mr. Roosevelt) and Amir Arison (The Blacklist). Pendharkar's first feature, ‘Raspberry Magic,’ which starred Bella Thorne and Alison Brie, screened in more than twenty-five festivals, winning numerous awards. In this interview, the writer-director talks about her early interest in journalism, documentaries and filmmaking. In addition, she talks about drawing on personal experiences, thinking of film imagery in daily life, fiction versus documentary filmmaking, and how to tackle the grey areas and taboo subjects as a filmmaker. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘And Then I Go’ highlights the cruel world of junior high. The protagonist, Edwin, suffers from anxiety and alienation, along with his only friend Flake. Together, they come up with a terrifying idea to get vengeance. The story comes from Jim Shepard’s novel, ‘Project X.’ The book and film showcases an unflinching look at adolescent through childhood friends and an effort to find belonging, even when it means life or death. In this interview, Director Vincent Grashaw discusses his passion for film at an early age, how writers can grow out of material, the tipping point for a character with elevated emotions, how to make a story truly relatable and the importance of focus, lighting, and point-of-view to highlight the headspace of a protagonist. Make sure to also listen to our interview with the screenwriter of ‘And Then I Go’ back in Episode 29, where Brett Haley spoke about ‘The Hero.’ Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the Netflix movie ‘Kodachrome,’ Matt Ryder (Jason Sudeikis) is convinced to drive his estranged and dying father Benjamin Ryder (Ed Harris) cross country to deliver four old rolls of Kodachrome film to the last lab in the world that can develop them before it shuts down for good. Along with Ben’s nurse Zooey (Elizabeth Olsen), the three navigate a world changing from analog to digital while trying to put the past behind them. In this interview, Screenwriter Jonathan Tropper talks about characters with a lack of filter, an understanding of screenwriting 101, finding peers as an artist, why creators need to create, his seven-year journey to create the Netflix film, ‘Kodachrome’ and a few details about his new Cinemax project, ‘Warrior.’ Also, don’t forget to listen to our first chat with Jonathan Tropper for ‘Banshee’ and ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ in Episode 31 of the series. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

After a series of short films, Director Brad Silberling was hired under contract like his eventual mentor, Steven Spielberg. Thanks to his style and attention to detail in his television work, Silberling was asked to direct ‘Casper,’ which was the first character-sync dialogue CGI characters. Since his first film he’s also directed movies like ‘Land of the Lost,’ ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,’ ‘Moonlight Mile,’ and ‘City of Angels.’ In this interview, Silberling talks about avoiding being pigeonholed as a director, finding your passion as a creative, his inspiration to humanize a war criminal, and the importance of making dramas for grown-ups. In ‘An Ordinary Man,’ an infamous war criminal and former general (Ben Kingsley) spends his life on the run from international authorities when he is suddenly moved to a new hideout, where he develops a relationship with the maid that looks after him.  But when he discovers there is more to her story, he makes a decision that will drastically change both of their lives. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘Sweet Country,’ which stars Sam Neil (Jurassic Park), Bryan Brown (Cocktail), and newcomer Hamilton Morris is an Australian Western set in Northern Territory frontier in the 1920s. The film is a story about justice being put on trial when an aged Aboriginal farmhand shoots a white man in self-defense. Then, the man is forced to run as a posse gathers to hunt him down. In this interview, director Warwick Thornton talks about his award winning film, the importance of playing with time in movies, how to engage and disengage an audience, and the importance of removing music to highlight the landscape and tone. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘Chappaquiddick’ highlights Ted Kennedy’s involvement with a fatal car accident from 1969, where young campaign strategist Mary Jo Kopechne lost her life. The new film was directed by John Curran (The Painted Day, Tracks) and stars Jason Clarke (Zero Dark Thirty) and Kate Mara (House of Cards). In this interview, screenwriters Andrew Logan and Taylor Allen talk about taking opportunities as they are presented, their long distance writing partnership, knowing which industry connections to use in terms of voice, the problem with writing genre movies, and what inspired them to create the first movie about Senator Ted Kennedy. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Ben Schwartz (Parks & Recreation) and Noël Wells (Master of None) star in the Netflix hit, ‘Happy Anniversary.’ Written and directed by Jared Stern, the film highlights a couple on their third anniversary, but they are having seconds thoughts about proceeding with their relationship. Jared Stern talks about his many writing credits, such as ‘Mr. Popper’s Penguins,’ ‘The Watch,’ ‘Wreck-It Ralph,’ ‘The Internship,’ ‘The LEGO Batman Movie,’ and his new film and directorial debut, ‘Happy Anniversary.’ In this interview, Stern discusses early mentorships, saying “yes” to work versus saying “no” to work, the myth of the one-page-one-minute trick, his morning visualization process, why he wanted to be Steven Spielberg and not Indiana Jones as a kid, and his upcoming animated project, ‘Green Eggs and Ham.' Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Filmmaker Peter Kunhardt chronicles the last few years of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and portrays a conflicted leader who, after the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965, faced an onslaught of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Thanks to revelatory conversations with his inner circle of friends, the film unearths a stirring new perspective into Dr. King’s character, his radical doctrine of nonviolence, and his internal philosophical struggles prior to his assassination in 1968. In this interview, we speak with Trey Ellis. The EP is an American Book Award Winning novelist, Peabody-winning and Emmy-nominated screenwriter, playwright and Associate Professor of Screenwriting in the Graduate School of Film at Columbia University. One of Mr. Ellis’ first screenplays, 'The Inkwell,' was sold to Touchstone Pictures and produced. He was nominated for an Emmy for writing the HBO film, 'The Tuskegee Airmen' starring Lawrence Fishburne and Cuba Gooding, Jr. The film went on to win a Peabody and several NAACP Image Awards. His screenplay for the Showtime film 'Good Fences,' which starred Whoopi Goldberg and Danny Glover and was produced by Spike Lee, was shortlisted by PEN Center West for best teleplay of the year. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Screenwriter and Emmy-winning actor Michael Imperioli has just published his first novel, 'The Perfume Burned His Eyes.' The story follows a 17-year old who has been compared to Holden Caulfield, minus the cynicism. But, the most appealing aspect of the book is arguably the author’s fascination with rock icon, Lou Reed. In the story, protagonist Matthew is a teenager who doesn’t know his father. His mother decides they should move from the Queens apartment to Manhattan, circa 1976. There, he meets a fictionalized version of Lou Reed, who later becomes somewhat of a mentor and somewhat of a father-figure. The book has received praise from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and even author Joyce Carol Oates. The author described the debut novel as “Vividly imagined, compelling, and sympathetic… 'The Perfume Burned His Eyes' convinced with the force of its emotional intensity.” Most fans will recognize Michael Imperioli from his days on 'The Sopranos,' but his ever-extending resume also includes 'Goodfellas,' 'Summer of Sam,' and 'The Lovely Bones.' In addition, some of his more recent television appearances include shows like 'Blue Bloods,' 'Lucifer,' and the new comedy, 'Alex Inc.' In this exclusive interview, Michael Imperioli talks about his evolution as a writer, the difference in prose and screenplays, some of his favorite authors, and of course, his fascination with rock legend, Lou Reed. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Inspired by his father to become a filmmaker, Emanuel Hoss-Desmarais got his start as an actor and writer, before he got into editing and directing. By wearing many hats, he got to learn every angle of the process. His new film, ‘Birthmarked,’ stars Matthew Goode and Toni Collette. In the movie, two scientists try to raise three children contrarily to their genetic tendencies in an effort to prove the truth about nurture over nature. In this interview, the director talks about proper communication with cast and crew, shooting what’s essential, his writing process with Marc Tulin, knowing entry and exit points for a scene, and proper blocking, storyboarding, and beyond. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

The book, 'Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine' is the story of one man’s ego, 1960s youth culture, and the history of rock and roll, all jammed into one. Like the magazine, the book covers power, fame, and politics through unbelievable stories involving icons of rock. The book provides vivid details about John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards, Pete Townsend, Yoko Ono, Billy Joel, Cameron Crowe, Lorne Michaels, Andy Warhol, Dan Aykroyd, Bette Midler, and Rolling Stone contributor, Hunter S. Thompson, among others. Rolling Stone creator and editor Jann Wenner gave exclusive access to Joe Hagan for this book, even if that meant making himself look bad on occasion. Wenner, often described as both a promoter and backstabber, gave Hagan access to conversations and images from the greatest superstars in history. In this exclusive interview, author Joe Hagan talks about his chance encounter with Jann Wenner in a coffee shop, his career as a journalist, 1960s counterculture, and finally, the importance and danger of “grasping at greatness.” Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Joe Kelly came up with the idea for ‘I Kill Giants’ during a visit to the hospital. In the movie, “Barbara Thorson struggles through life by escaping into a fantasy life of magic and monsters,” but there’s much more to the story. Kelly is the writer behind ‘Ultimate Spider-Man,’ ‘Avengers Assemble,’ ‘Deadpool,’ ‘Ben 10’ and ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.’ In this interview, the writer talks about having the nugget of an idea and allowing his mind to free flow, the importance of thorough outlines, what it’s like to collaborate on a comic book, and the divide between education and information when writing for young readers. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Lars Kepler is the pseudonym of the critically acclaimed husband and wife team Alexandra Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril. Their internationally best-selling Joona Linna series has sold twelve million copies in forty languages. They were both established writers before they adopted the pen name Lars Kepler, and have each published several acclaimed novels. They live in Stockholm, Sweden. In this interview, the couple discusses their new book in America, ‘The Sandman,’ how they made the important and difficult decision to work as collaborators, how writing together can be like jazz, and the logistics of writing fiction 8-10 hours a day, every day, for a year. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

‘The Forgiven’ is a story about compassion. When director Roland Joffé saw the play by Michael Ashton, he knew he wanted to turn the conversation into a film. In the movie, it’s the end of Apartheid and Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Forest Whitaker) meets with a brutal murderer (Eric Bana) seeking redemption. Director Roland Joffé is perhaps best known for his Oscar-nominated films, ‘The Mission’ (Robert DeNiro) and ‘The Killing Fields’ (Sam Waterston). In this interview, he talks about the realism in his films, his complex and personal casting process to find an actor’s “flow,” and the importance of forgiveness, compassion, and human connection in life. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

From creators Paul Rust, Lesley Arfin and Judd Apatow comes the Netflix show 'Love,' which explores the relationship between Mickey Dobs (Gillian Jacobs) and Gus Cruikshank (Paul Rust), following them through that delicate period between meeting someone you like, and making it work with them. Paul Rust’s previous writing credits include 'Pee-Wee’s Big Holiday,' 'Comedy Bang! Bang!,' 'Arrested Development,' 'Rob & Big,' and he’s also been seen on screen in 'Super Fun Night,' 'Parks and Recreation,' and 'Inglorious Basterds.' In this interview, Paul Rust talks about 'Love,' writing with Judd Apatow, and the freedom of Netflix. Season 3 is now available to stream. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the film, ‘Beast of Burden,’ Sean Haggerty only has an hour to deliver his illegal cargo. An hour to reassure a drug cartel, a hitman, and the DEA that nothing is wrong. An hour to make sure his wife survives. And he must do it all from the cockpit of his Cessna. Swedish director Jesper Ganslandt talks about his previous films, ‘The Ape’ and ‘Jimmie.’ In addition, he describes his influences for ‘Beast of Burden,’ the importance of a score like ‘Sicario,’ big concepts in a single location, how to properly withhold information from an audience for tension, and how to create devices for uncertainty and suspense. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the film, '7 Guardians of the Tomb,' an innocent discovery of a mummified Emperor from 200 BC China unearths a 2000-year-old nightmare. The film stars Kelsey Grammar (Fraiser), Li Bingbing (Transformers), and Kellan Lutz (Twilight). In this interview, director Kimble Rendall talks about how he started as an apprentice and musician in Australia and made his way from music videos to commercials to film. He also describes how one song can change a movie, the ins and outs of the global marketplace, and how he created a punk rock version of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” for the movie. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

The documentary ’Survivor’s Guide To Prison’ features two former California inmates (Bruce Lisker and Reggie Cole) who were accused of crimes they didn't commit. Audiences get a harrowing look at how barbaric the US justice system works - today you're more likely to go to prison in the United States than anywhere else in the world. The film ultimately asks how we can survive the prison model at all, and looks at better solutions for conflict resolution, harm reduction, crime and more. In this interview, filmmaker Matthew Cooke discusses the difference between artists and entertainers, how he collaborated with artists like Danny Trejo, RZA, Ice T, and Susan Sarandon, and the importance of compassion for our whole human family. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In The Cured, “A disease that turns people into zombies has been cured. The once-infected zombies are discriminated against by society and their own families, which causes social issues to arise. This leads to militant government interference.” In this interview, writer-director David Freyne talks about his childhood influences, the real-life headlines that shaped this film, how to make the jump from shorts to full feature, and the importance of always focusing on the character. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the Nicolas Cage-driven film, ‘Looking Glass,’ a couple buys a desert motel where they find very strange and mysterious events take place. Leading up to this film, director Tim Hunter has worked on dozens of TV shows like ‘Hannibal,’ Mad Men,’ ‘Twin Peaks,’ & ‘Breaking Bad.’ In this interview, he talks about how directing television is great training for making independent films, career longevity in Hollywood, why noir films should have an “unexpected complexity,” and non-cinematic influences in filmmaking. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the new film, ‘Midnighters,’ Lindsey and Jeff Pittman are driving home from a New Year’s party when they accidentally cover up a terrible crime that entangles them in a Hitchcockian web of deceit. In this interview, writer-director brothers Julius Ramsay and Alston Ramsay discuss their storyboarding process, loopholes for an Indie thriller, what it was like to be a professional speechwriter, and the director talks about his work on ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Outcast,’ and ‘Battlestar Galactica.’ Find out more information here: http://gwi.io/9yom1l Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In ‘Holy Air,’ When Adam hears that his wife Lamia is pregnant and his father falls very ill, he evaluates his life and realizes that he has not achieved much. Despite all his failed business ideas, he makes one last attempt to try to make it big. In this interview, producer Ilan Moscovitch and writer-director-actor Shady Srour talk about inspiration for this personal story, influences as a creator, how this story changed from a documentary to a fictional story, the importance of career and family support, and why young filmmakers should be “stubborn as a stone” when it comes to their work. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Whitney Cummings is a comedian, actor, writer, and producer. In her directorial debut, Whitney partnered with Neal Brennan (Chappelle’s Show) to adapt a nonfiction neurology book called ‘The Female Brain’ into a comedy. Along with Whitney, the film also stars Sofia Vergara, Toby Kebbell, James Marsden, Cecily Strong, Will Sasso, Deon Cole, and Blake Griffin. In this interview, the writer-director talks about her personal traps of motivation, the importance of brain rest, why she likes having other comedians on set, hacking your body to improve stress, and how she balances the many pieces of her profession. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In ‘Entanglement,’ Thomas Middleditch’s character Ben Layton survives a failed suicide and then accidentally falls in love with a girl who was very nearly, almost his sister. In this interview, director Jason James talks about his love for projects that are beautiful and weird, tonally different and all-together great. James also discusses what he looks for in an audition, why he chose to have a real psychiatrist diagnose his protagonist, his love for the movie 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' and an unusual secret for beating a creative block. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Holly Sorensen got her start writing for magazines after a series of odd jobs. At Premiere, she rose to Senior Editor and got what she described as a “graduate course in Hollywood.” She’s best known for her work on teen dramas like ‘Make It Or Break It’ and ‘Recovery Road,’ but she’s recently signed on to be the showrunner for YouTube Red’s first drama, ‘Step Up: High Water,’ loosely based off the ‘Step Up’ dance franchise that began with Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan Tatum. In this interview, Sorensen describes her advice from William Goldman (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), the truth about the infamous Hunter S. Thompson letter, and how to write inspirational work for young adults. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Alfred Gough and Miles Millar have been bringing martial arts into the American mainstream for nearly twenty years. Their ongoing list of screenplays include 'Lethal Weapon 4,' 'Shanghai Noon,' 'Spider-Man 2,' 'I Am Number 4,' 'Smallville,' and now, 'Into the Badlands.' Starring Daniel Wu as Sunny, AMC’s 'Into the Badlands' is the first American martial arts television series. The story follows a warrior who searches for enlightenment in a colorful yet dystopian future, where the sword is king and feudal barons rule the land. We spoke with Alfred Gough and Miles Millar about keeping the martial arts authentic, why a fight scene is like jazz, news of a third 'Shanghai Noon' film, and writing for Jackie Chan. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

After the success of screenwriting software Final Draft, creator Ben Cahan shifted gear to create his newest industry innovation, Talentville. Ideally, the program is much like an enhanced version of a University screenwriting course that allows for writers to share, read, network, learn, and potentially find footing in an overcrowded industry while working within an ocean of peer feedback. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Based on the memoir, 'Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power' by Mary Mapes, James Vanderbilt’s 'Truth' is a behind-the-curtain retelling of the happenings that occurred at 60 Minutes II in 2004. Essentially, Mapes ran a team of reporters to uncover a story regarding George W. Bush’s time in the National Guard. At the film’s heart are the consequences of the relationship between Dan Rather (Robert Redford) and Mary Mapes (Cate Blanchett). Despite your opinion on the news story, Vanderbilt insists that his 'Truth' is a film rather than a documentary. In this interview, Vanderbilt discusses building a career, the unknowable center and how to shift genres. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

'The Founder' tells the story of Ray Kroc, a businessman once described as a “Chamber of Commerce Gordon Gekko” by Matt Zoller Seitz. Played by Michael Keaton, Kroc sluggishly but deliberately breaks bad in an attempt to acquire the McDonalds fast-food chain, and take for himself a chunk of the American dream. Written by Robert Siegel, 'The Founder' has a similar underdog theme to his 2008 film, 'The Wrestler.' Beautifully-crafted, 'The Founder' follows Kroc as he sheds his Willy Loman skin to become a Charles Foster Kane. In doing so, he only needs to crush anyone who gets in his way. We spoke with Siegel about making your protagonist be your antagonist, using research to get into your characters’ heads, and writing for outsiders. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Joshua Marston’s first film, 'Maria Full of Grace,' won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. His second, 'The Forgiveness of Blood,' won Best Screenplay at the Berlin International Film Festival. But his third, 'Complete Unknown,' is perhaps his most ambitious yet. Written with Julian Sheppard, the film stars starring Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon, and explores the life of Alice Manning, a woman with multiple identities and a remarkable past. We spoke with Marston about the idea for this unique character study, the underlying theme behind the film, and why screenwriters need to get out more. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Danish painter Einar Wegener pioneered the fight for gender-reassignment surgery at the break of the century. Played by Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything, My Week with Marilyn), Wegener, who became Lili Elbe, was one of the first to undergo the controversial and risky surgery and did so with the support of her wife, Gerda. Directed by Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables), 'The Danish Girl' is beautifully written by Lucinda Coxon as it invites the actors to exist between any expected clichés of a transgender film. Rather than dwell on sexual scenes or medical queries, the film is a romance, inviting audiences to follow along as two people love one another. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Writer Ed Solomon got started writing jokes in college, which eventually led him to working on ‘Laverne & Shirley’ and then the ‘Garry Shandling’s Show.’ As he moved into film, movies like ‘Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey,’ ‘Men in Black,’ and ‘Now You See Me’ have conquered the box office. In this interview, Solomon discusses changing with the audience, sticking with a project longer than anyone else, the myth of inspiration, and his latest project, ‘Mosaic.’ The app and mini series for HBO was directed by Steven Soderbergh (Ocean's 11) and stars Sharon Stone, Garrett Hedlund, and Paul Reubens. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Alexander Nevsky was just a “skinny kid is Moscow” before he started bodybuilding and won Mr. Universe three times. Occasionally known as the Russian Arnold Schwarzenegger, Nevsky is now an actor, writer, and producer. In this interview, he describes the origin of his discipline, why he doesn’t want to ever play the cliche Russian bad guy, and the backstory behind his new action film, ‘Showdown In Manila.’ Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Making the transition from a prose writer and journalist, Sam Shaw has shifted into becoming an expert in suburban deception, metaphorical slang, and the relevant period piece. As somewhat of a combination of 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'Mad Men,' Sam Shaw’s 'Manhattan' is masterfully written, both in structure and character. The WGN show lives as a drama, based on the lives of the world’s smartest scientists as they calculated the possibilities of the first atomic bomb, on blackboards in the desert. Set in Los Alamos, New Mexico, the show is mainly fictional but based in great detail on real events and individuals in 1940s America. 'Manhattan' has since come to an end, but Sam Shaw is currently working on 'Castle Rock' for Hulu. The new series comes from the mind of Stephen King. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In 'Chapter & Verse,' reformed gang leader S. Lance Ingram (played by Daniel Beaty) returns to Harlem after a ten-year prison sentence. Despite getting a computer degree while in prison, Ingram is unable to find a qualified job and ends up delivering meals for a local food bank. Ingram befriends Ms. Maddy (played by Loretta Devine and inspired by Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur), and through her meets boy whom he chooses to try and mentor. Through these new relationships, Ingram finds hope and starts to relearn the joys of life, despite his many hurdles from society. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In the Sundance hit 'The Discovery,' Robert Redford stars as Dr. Thomas Harbor, the man who discovers definitive, scientific proof that an afterlife exists. As thousands contemplate suicide to move to the next life, Thomas’ son Will (Jason Sege) falls for Isla (Rooney Mara). Following on from the success of their previous film 'The One I Love,' writer-director teamed up once again with co-writer Justin Lader to create this fascinating sci-fi romance. McDowell spoke about making exposition interesting, the importance of regret, writing for your actors, and news of an upcoming adaptation of Don DeLillo’s novel 'Zero K.' Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

Brian Taylor never considered a career outside of filmmaking. In this interview, the writer director discusses being a show runner for 'Happy!' on SyFy and his new horror film, 'Mom and Dad.' Taylor talks about his influences (Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, George Romero), how he chose to go big with 'Mom & Dad,' directing two very different sides of Nicolas Cage, and how to get oddball movies to the fans that love them. Stay up-to-date on other creative advice at www.creativeprinciples.live

In Ben Younger’s 'Bleed for This,' Miles Teller steps into the ring to play Vinny Pazienza, the Rhode Island boxer who won three titles after breaking his neck in a horrific car accident. Best known for his work on 'Boiler Room' (2000) and 'Prime' (2005), writer-director Ben Younger connected with the uplifting comeback story after his own ten-year hiatus from Hollywood. Younger discussed the pros and cons of taking ten years off from screenwriting, boxing films as parables, and choosing what story to tell. Read the print version on www.creativeprinciples.live

Netflix’s action-comedy, 'True Memoirs of an International Assassin,' stars Kevin James (King of Queens, Hitch) as novelist Sam Larson. When Larson’s latest book is published as nonfiction, he is mistaken for a real assassin, and has to take on the role of his own character to survive. In this interview, screenwriter Jeff Morris discusses writing characters into a corner, collaborating with a single goal in mind, and how to balance action and comedy. Don’t forget to also check out the print interview, which also has comments from director Jeff Wadlow on the website, www.CreativePrinciples.Live

Chef Vivian Howard started working in restaurant kitchens because she was interested in food writing. Her first cookbook, 'Deep Run Roots,' is the culmination of that pursuit. This book won the Cookbook of the Year Award and the Julia Child First Book Award. In addition, she is the Peabody Award- Winning Cocreator of the PBS series, 'A Chef’s Life.' In this interview, she tells us about the foods that define her, the recipe that made her feel like a professional, the unusual tools and ingredients that she must have in her kitchen, and about her new restaurant in Wilmington, North Carolina.

'From Nowhere' follows three undocumented Bronx teenagers, who are on the cusp of graduating high school while also trying to earn their papers that will keep them in the United States. Based on the play by co-writer Kate Ballen, the film is directed and written by Matthew Newton. The Australian actor-writer-director discusses going home with your characters, the importance of the “leaning forwards” moment, and the constant process of revelation in childhood.

'The Man Who Knew Infinity' stars Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire, The Newsroom) as Srinivasa Ramanujan, an unparalleled genius of mathematics who earns a seat at Cambridge University during World War I, where his theories are mentored by professor G. H. Hardy, portrayed by Jeremy Irons (The Man in the Iron Mask, Batman V. Superman). The British biographical drama is based on the 1991 book by Robert Kanigel and it took writer and director Matt Brown over ten years to get his screenplay written and produced.

Led by Ethan Hawke, 'Born to Be Blue' is trying to expand beyond the limitations of past music biopics. The film opens with legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis approaching musician Chet Baker to develop a film about Baker’s life. At the time, the jazz musician was down on his luck in Europe and jumped at the opportunity. Using a film-within-a-film style of storytelling, writer and director Robert Budreau invites audiences to watch a black-and-white documentary-style performance before cutting away to reveal a scene within a scene.

The Hollars screenwriter Jim Strouse is a storyteller who collects life’s intimate moments, weaving his films from the fabric of the everyday: the way a wife speaks to her husband, a simple haircut, a tire swing. The resulting films 'New York, I Love You,' 'The Winning Season,' and 'People Places Things,' can almost be said resemble family photo albums brought to life. In 'The Hollars,' directed by and starring John Krasinkski (The Office), John Hollar is forced to return to his hometown after news of his mother’s illness, and there reconnects with his dysfunctional family.

In this interview, screenwriter Andrew Bergman talks about how ‘Blazing Saddles’ got made and what led to his Criterion Collection film, ‘The In-Laws.’ Bergman describes working with iconic director Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, along with what happened when Marlon Brando called him about a bizarre Michael Jackson movie idea that never got made. Make sure to also check out our print interview with Mel Brooks over at the Creative Principles website. http://creativeprinciples.live/

Writer-Director Michel Franco penned the script for ‘Chronic’ after his grandmother got terribly ill. In the film, Tim Roth’s character David is a home care nurse who works with terminally ill patients. When Franco and Roth met at Cannes, it was clear that the actor wanted to be involved with the director’s next project. For this collaboration, the duo wanted to talk about end of life.

Jonathan Tropper started writing books, but after several of his novels were optioned for films, he got into screenwriting. In this interview, Tropper discusses ‘This Is Where I Leave You’ and the Showtime series, ‘Banshee.’ He dives in to the differences between prose and film, writing for actors portrayals versus your own character descriptions, and why he loves ‘The Count of Monte Cristo.’

Pamela Romanowsky is a writer-director who fell in love with film and even left medical school to pursue it. In this interview, Pamela tells us about her start in documentary film, how she made friends with actor James Franco, the importance of satellite relationships in film, and the intense psychology behind her adaptation, ‘The Adderall Diaries.’

In ‘The Hero,’ actor Sam Elliott plays a heightened version of his cowboy persona. The story follows “an ailing movie star comes to terms with his past and mortality.” In the interview, writer-director Brett Haley discusses the disposability of actors, the difficulty of working a creative profession, and why he chose to use dream sequences around a cautious, closed-off character.

Gloria Calderon Kellett started writing material for herself in a non-Latino Hollywood. In this interview, the writer-creator talks about working as Cameron Crowe’s (Jerry Maguire, Vanilla Sky) second assistant, moving from plays to television, self-studying television pilots at the Paley Center, writing for ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and working with the iconic Norman Lear (All In The Family, The Jeffersons).

In ‘Day of the Dead: Bloodline,’ “A small group of military personnel and survivalists dwell in an underground bunker as they seek to find a cure in a world overrun by zombies.” In this interview, Director Hector Hernandez Vicens discusses the masters of suspense, his love for George Romero, what makes a film truly scary, and the importance of character.

Duncan Falconer talks about his life as an author and as the man they send into conflict zones and hostile environments. In the interview, he discusses how he got the British Ministry of Defense approval to write his life stories, how he made friends with Superman actor Henry Cavill, how he finally got ‘Stratton’ on the big screen and he leaks some info on the new Stratton book trilogy.

Christopher Radcliff and Lauren Wolkstein discuss their unusual mystery, ‘The Strange Ones.’ In the movie, “Mysterious events surround two travelers as they make their way across a remote American landscape. On the surface all seems normal, but what appears to be a simple vacation soon gives way to a dark and complex web of secrets.” In the interview, the duo talks about how they took a short and turned it into a feature, what it’s like to push one another as co-directors, and how to leave the audience wanting for more.

Michael Lannan got personal for the HBO series, ‘Looking.’ Now, the screenwriter wants to remind writers that no one really knows anything. To elaborate on his thinking, you’re the expert when it comes to creating your own world. Lannan discovered this and more when he finally started to defend his time to write.

After he left his acting job on ‘Sons of Anarchy,’ Taylor Sheridan wrote the dark thriller, ‘Sicario.’ The writer talks about finding your value as a creator, telling his own stories, where he finds the subject matter for his timely films, writing movies you want to see, and how to write so you “don’t waste a word.” Sheridan has also written ‘Sicario 2: Soldado,’ which will come out in 2018.

Jamie Greenberg discusses his new film, ‘Future ’38,’ along with his television work as a writer on the children’s series, ‘Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?’ In this interview, the writer-director talks about writing a film with a low budget, knowing how to set rules for yourself in a genre, determining whether or not you’re willing to spend years on a project, and the difference between films like ‘Quiz Show’ and ’Cool Runnings’ for historical fiction.

Michael Hirst discusses his love for historical fiction, where he’s known for ‘Vikings,’ ‘The Tudors,’ ‘Elizabeth’, and ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age.’ In this interview, Hirst talks about the immersion of research, an open mind to the material, historical accuracy versus historical plausibility, and how poetry and footnotes can shape screenwriting. 'Vikings' is currently in it’s fifth season on the History Channel.

Writer-Director Sherwin Shilati discusses his new film, ‘People You May Know.’ In the movie, an introvert named Jed realizes he can become whomever he wants to be on the Internet. Shilati discusses how becoming a parent made him less overwhelmed to do his work, along with the debate of creating a film as a time stamp, and how to follow your own voice to accomplish your goals while working with people who you admire.

Writer-Director Jake Goldberger discusses his new film, ‘Almost Friends.’ In the movie, Freddie Highmore’s character Charlie is an unmotivated man in his mid 20s still living at home with his mother, who falls for a young woman who has a serious boyfriend. Goldberger discusses the importance of being both the writer and director, avoiding genres as well as expectations, and films that should not be pigeonholed.

Documentary filmmaker Jon Alpert talks about why he originally went to Cuba in the 1970s, the first time he met Fidel Castro, and what made him return again and again over the past fifty years. In this first-hand look, Alpert talks changing technology over the years, first-person versus third-person filmmaking, and the importance of having a good editor.

In this interview, documentary filmmaker Jacob Kornbluth talks about personal storytelling, archival material, why he was attracted to big ideas as a filmmaker and how to find the authentic moment. 'Saving Capitalism' follows former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich as he takes his book and his views to the heart of conservative America to speak about our economic system and present big ideas for how to fix it. The film is now streaming on Netflix.

Jon Lucas and Scott Moore talk about their writing partnership that led to 'The Hangover,' 'Four Christmases,' and 'Bad Moms.' In this interview, the writer-director team talk their writing team logistics, guys movies versus mom movies, knowing who your audience is, when a joke works, and why great concepts aren't that funny.

Zachary Cotler and Magdalena Zyzak discuss their new film, 'Maya Dardel.' In this interview, the writer-director team talk their literary influences, dying breeds of writers, complicated personalities for characters, and the importance of a strong female lead.

In this collection of interviews, the screenwriters and directors behind 'I.T.,' 'Lavender,' and 'Rupture' discuss the horror genre. These writers talk about collaboration, writing to direct, the realities of showbusiness, haunting as a metaphor, when the genre misfires, writing for female leads, Hitchcock-level tension, captivity movies, the power of fear, and why filmmaking is a disease.

In this collection of interviews, the screenwriters and directors behind 'The Diabolical,' 'Reversion' and 'Backtrack' talk about making horror films, the power of technology, the writing process, learning what you need or don't need, why smaller budgets mean greater freedom, original takes on old tropes, and when to let go of ideas.

Director Joe Lynch talks 'Mayhem,' starring Steven Yeun ('The Walking Dead') and Samara Weaving ('Ash Vs. Evil Dead'). In this interview, Lynch discusses his influences like 'A Clockwork Orange' and 'The Blob,' how he didn't storyboard for this new film, bad advice in the movie business, and the evolution of a director, along with his ongoing love for the horror-comedy genre.

Canadian Director Jordan Canning discusses creative guilt, shooting on film versus digital, little achievable bites of work in a day, and getting started on shorts to create a tone on set as a director. In her new film, 'Suck It Up,' she takes on an emotional story with an energized, all-female cast.

In Episode 10, Cary Fukunaga discusses his love for screenwriting from an early age. The director behind 'True Detective' Season 1 talks about his Netflix film, 'Beasts of No Nation,' which stars Idris Elba. Currently, Fukunaga is also working on 'The Alienist' and 'Maniac' for television and he also has a writing credit for the new Stephen King adaptation 'It.'

Director Greg McLean talks about his love for the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, Martin Scorsese's filmmaking techniques, and what led to his film, 'The Belko Experiment.' In his newest film, 'Jungle,' actor Daniel Radcliffe ('Harry Potter') is put to the test mentally and physically in an unbelievable true story.

Bombadil musician James Phillips talks about chipping away at songs, creative influences and collaborations, personnel changes and the future of the band, performing in Durham, North Carolina, and how one of their songs made it into Judd Apatow's movie, 'Trainwreck.' Stay tuned after the interview to hear the single "Amy's Friend" from the film.

Author Jill Chamberlain tells us about her book, 'The Nutshell Technique.' Specifically, she dives into story versus situation, the importance of studying movies, infinite possibilities within restraints, difficult choices in storytelling, the writer's secret, and what's wrong with 99 percent of failed screenplays. The book is available on Amazon and the charts mentioned plus the transcription are available on Creative Screenwriting Magazine's website.

While working in demolition, Bryan Sipe realized that once you tear everything apart, you can see how it's put together. After a few self-proclaimed "failures," Sipe got serious about writing and learned how to become a screenwriter at UNC Wilmington. Similarly, in the film, 'Demolition,' Jake Gyllenhaal suffers loss and discovers who he is along the way. In this interview, Sipe talks non-linear storytelling through letters, the connective tissue of the film, and working with 'Big Little Lies' director Jean-Marc Vallee and his love of music in real-time.

In this episode, Dan DeFilippo tells us about his new film, Dementia 13. This is Dan's first credit as a writer on IMDB, but he's read over 30,000 scripts while working in the business. In this interview, he tells us about the difficulties of writing an 8-act structure, what makes a horror film believable, the importance of working a day job in the business, and how to reimagine a Francis Ford Coppola film, as this movie was based on the 1963 film by the same name.

Author Neal Thompson describes his deep dive into journalism and his discovery to want to tell longer stories. After a few published magazine stories, he then moved on to writing Americana books, that include stories of astronauts, how Georgia moonshine led to NASCAR, a winning football team, and a biography on Robert Ripley from Ripley's Believe it or Not.

Misha Green, the showrunner for WGN's Underground. Green's first script landed on blacklist and led her to several writing gigs on shows like Heroes, Sons of Anarchy, and Helix. As the co-creator of Underground, Green wanted to sink her teeth into a series about runaway slaves and the underground railroad.

Keith Harris talks about acting in a rural area, working on The Walking Dead, Halt and Catch Fire, Matlock, Dawson's Creek, and filming a movie about dirt-track racing on a shoe-string budget.

Aaron Sorkin tells us about his mentor William Goldman, why the first 15 pages of the script and the last 15 minutes of a movie are vital, and the importance of failure. He also gives specific examples from his scripts for The Social Network, Steve Jobs, and The West Wing. Finally, he talks his official Master Class and his next film, Molly's Game.