Creative Principles
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“I started out in the acting world,” says Rebecca Flinn-White. “Acting, directing, theater. And that’s how Zak and I met actually. We were friends in college, didn’t date back then, but we’re married now,” she adds, about her writing partner, Zak White. Zak adds, “This is the only thing I ever wanted to do. I grew up in a small midwest town. I was a movie fanatic but I didn’t know people actually got paid to do it. I thought you had to be born in a magical world that doesn’t exist.” The duo both wore many hats until they realized how much they enjoyed the writing, specifically writing together. “Writing is the story creation,” says Zak. “It’s where I feel unbridled creativity.” “We started working together in college,” says Rebecca. “Zak actually cast me in my first horror movie. I had so much fun doing it and I loved collaborating with him.” “When we started living together, you just sort of bounce ideas off of each other,” says Zak. “Then there’s a couple things that click. You think, ‘I get this the way you get this, and—“ “Suddenly you’re pregnant,” jokes Rebecca. “Pregnant with a script,” Zak clarifies. 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 hundreds of 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 didn’t grow up in a place where I was hanging out with screenwriters,” says Melanie Marnich. “I grew up in Duluth, Minnesota. I was a voracious reader and I think that sparked something in me, but I didn’t know that that would be a career.” In college, Marnich was a journalism major with an emphasis in advertising. “I would up doing and loving TV and radio commercials.” She loved the job, but felt limited writing in spurts of 30- or 60-seconds. “Then I got the theater bug.” Feeling that she had some of the right instincts but wanting a more formal degree, she went back to graduate school to learn the ins and outs of becoming a playwright. “That was the big leap, going from advertising to being a playwright. But again, after a few years, I felt like there was something more to do.” Following her gut instinct once more, she pursued a career in filmmaking. “Out of the blue, my theater agent sent a play of mine to an agent in LA, who, unbeknownst to me, sent the play to the Showrunner of Big Love.” She went on to write 12 episodes of the hit HBO series. In addition to Big Love, Marnich has credits for My America, The Big C, Low Winter Sun, The Affair, The OA, The Son, A Murder at the End of the World, and Apples Never Fall. “I think it was an extremely necessary path and the right path for me. I think to say that advertising + theater = TV.” “I think if I had gone into TV sooner, I don’t think I would have had the tools I needed as a writer to build a career out of it. I think I learned a lot every step of the way and those various versions of storytelling that created in me someone who understood TV and had specific toolkit beneficial for 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 hundreds of 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!
Michael Jamin has been writing for television since 1996. His many credits include Just Shoot Me, King of the Hill, Beavis & Butthead, Wilfred, Out of Practice, Rules of Engagement, Lopez and Tacoma FD. He’s also served as Executive Producer/Showrunner on Glenn Martin DDS, Maron, and Rhett & Link’s Buddy System. In his debut collection of personal essays A Paper Orchestra, Michael recounts the true stories of a sensitive, anxious man searching for the things that are most important: identity, love, forgiveness, and redemption. In this interview, we talked about how he started his career, his book, the reason behind building a social media following, his thoughts on AI, and much more! For free screenwriting advice, follow him on social media @michaeljaminwriter 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 wanted to be a filmmaker for as long as I can remember,” says Dave Boyle. “I wanted to be a writer-director but after I made my first couple of independent films, I was making more of my living as an editor. I didn’t really start pursuing screenwriting as a professional until I had done a couple of micro-budget films.” This would include films like Big Dreams Little Tokyo, White on Rice, Surrogate Valentine, Daylight Savings, and Man From Reno. “That’s when I became passionate about writing as the end result. I think it was always a passion of mine, but from the beginning, I had this sort of omnivorous jack-of-all-trades approach until those things melted away.” This renaissance approach eventually led Boyle to the new Netflix series, House of Ninjas. The story follows The Tawara family, the last shinobi clan. The description reads, “It had abandoned its roots after an incident in the past, but now the family must take on the greatest crisis in Japanese history, one that threatens to shake the nation to its core.” “As I started focusing more on writing, I wrote my couple of spec scripts and finished Man from Reno, that’s when I started getting more jobs as a screenwriter. The passion was always there but it wasn’t the focus of my career for a long time.” Being an editor and director also shaped his writing. “You end up in trouble in editing because you realize if you had done this and this while writing, I wouldn’t be in this pickle right now. It definitely taught me a lot about structure. I was making some arrogant mistakes that I thought I could get through directing and editing.” This three-prong approach also changed the perspective of what he liked to write. “Eventually I realized the stuff that I was addicted to reading was the stuff I should be writing. Initially, I saw myself as a slice of life [screenwriter] for human dramas, but in everyday life, I love thrillers and detective stories. Genre, that’s my true passion and that’s what I should be writing, instead of fitting a square peg into a round hole.” 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!
Dori Zavala is an award-winning attorney and filmmaker with over 23 years of experience in the legal, business, and finance fields. She's the founder and CEO of Open For Show Business, a revolutionary consulting practice that provides high-level strategic consulting to filmmakers to guide them in the business, legal, and financing aspects of funding and distributing their films. In this interview, we talked about her work as an entertainment lawyer, how being a producer has helped her writing process, her current project 'Pharma', how to get investors and 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!
Chad Feehan’s parents took him to the movies nearly every single weekend. “They didn’t have much of a filter,” he joked about seeing heavy movies at a young age. “In my early teens, Tarantino exploded with Reservoir Dogs and Robert Rodriguez exploded with El Mariachi. I saw that not only did people get paid to make movies, but they could come from Texas.” As a screenwriter, he’s known for Paranormal Activity 4, Southland, Rectify, Banshee Origins, Banshee, Ray Donovan and Lawmen: Bass Reeves where he’s also the creator. The recent story follows, “Legendary lawman Bass Reeves, one of the greatest frontier heroes and one of the first Black deputy U.S. marshals west of the Mississippi River.” In this interview, Feehan talks about low budget single setting films, going to AFI as a producer with Sam Esmail, getting discovered on the Blacklist, early mentors in the business, understanding the vernacular of Texas, and how shows from people like Taylor Sheridan are tapping into unmet needs for a hopeful, optimistic audience. 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!
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 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!
