Creative Principles

Dito Montiel went from punk rocker to briefly a boxer, then a Versace/Calvin Klein model. His band Gutterboy signed a record deal with Geffen, followed by a period of homelessness. He rebounded by writing A GUIDE TO RECOGNIZING YOUR SAINTS, which became a film starring Robert Downey Jr., launching his directing career.

His latest film, RIFF RAFF, follows a former criminal whose ordinary life is turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion.

In this interview, we talk about his approach to writing, working with actors, the importance of writing strong characters even for smaller roles, and his new film RIFF RAFF.

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!

Nikki Toscano is a showrunner, executive producer, and director. She co-created and runs Peacock's LONG BRIGHT RIVER starring Amanda Seyfried, and was showrunner on Paramount+'s THE OFFER and Amazon's HUNTERS. With an extensive track record, including overall deals at major studios and credits on numerous acclaimed series, Toscano is a proven force in television.

LONG BRIGHT RIVER, follows a Philadelphia police officer as she searches for her sister, an addict who has gone missing.

In this interview, we talk about her process for developing original characters, the importance of learning how to pitch your work, how her writing changed when she learned how to produce television, her reputation for writing darker material, 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!

J.J. Bailey is the creator, executive producer and co-showrunner on the NBC drama THE HUNTING PARTY. Since 2017, he has developed several projects with UTV/NBC, which include two pilot orders for ECHO and GETAWAY. Now working under an overall deal with NBCUniversal, Bailey has his first series order with THE HUNTING PARTY.

Jake Coburn also serves as co-showrunner and executive producer on THE HUNTING PARTY. Coburn began his television writing career on ABC's critically acclaimed drama DIRTY SEXY MONEY and then segued to GOSSIP GIRL, where he rose to supervising producer. He has also written for ARROW and DYNASTY.

THE HUNTING PARTY follows a small team of investigators who are assembled to track down and capture the most dangerous killers ever seen, all of whom have just escaped from a top-secret prison that's not supposed to exist.

In this interview, we talk about how they came up with the idea for THE HUNTING PARTY, the challenges of writing a pilot episode, the business side of television and the challenges of getting a show made, 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!

Ike Barinholtz is an acclaimed comedic actor, writer, and producer. He's known for his work on shows like THE MINDY PROJECT, NEIGHBORS, BLOCKERS, and HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART II.

David Stassen is a writer, producer, and director. He co-created and runs Netflix's RUNNING POINT starring Kate Hudson. He also co-wrote and produced Hulu's HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART II with Mel Brooks, and co-wrote CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE.

RUNNING POINT follows Isla Gordon, who overlooked her whole life, is appointed President of the LA Waves basketball team, a family business. With this, she aims to prove she was the right choice despite skepticism.

In this interview, we talk about their writers' partnership, the evolution of their comedy style, the origin story of RUNNING POINT, casting Kate Hudson, 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!

Pietro Schito is an animation screenwriter and producer who turns ideas into animated adventures and helps development teams unravel their story problems. He has worked with major studios and helped storytellers coming from Pixar, Netflix, Disney, and Dreamworks develop their own projects. Some of his credits include THINGDOM, THE PIANO, and INZOMNIA.

Pietro is also the founder of the Write for Animation YouTube channel, where he and his team post videos on tips and tricks for good writing and interviews with masters of animation.

You can subscribe to his channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@writeforanimation

And access his freebies here: https://www.writeforanimation.com/freebies

In this interview, we talk about licensing IP vs. public domain IP, breaking into the animation industry, the changing landscape of the animation industry, and much more.

As a special note, this was part of our new LIVE interview series in partnership with Buzztown, a community for serious screenwriters, where students also participated in this interview. You can learn more or join the waitlist here: https://www.scriptmastermind.com/buzztown62993179

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!

Martin Campbell is a filmmaker known for directing two acclaimed James Bond films, GOLDENEYE and CASINO ROYALE. He gained recognition in British television with REILLY: ACE OF SPIES and the BAFTA-winning EDGE OF DARKNESS. His Hollywood career includes hits like THE MASK OF ZORRO and VERTICAL LIMIT. Renowned for his dynamic action sequences and ability to revitalize franchises, Campbell played a key role in launching Daniel Craig’s Bond era.

His most recent film, CLEANER, follows a group of radical activists as they take over an energy company's annual gala, seizing 300 hostages in order to expose the corruption of the hosts. Their just cause is hijacked by an extremist within their ranks, who is ready to murder everyone in the building to send his anarchic message to the world. It falls to an ex-soldier turned window cleaner, played by Ridley, suspended 50 stories up on the outside of the building, to save those trapped inside, including her younger brother.

In this interview, we talk about his experience directing the James Bond films, his new film CLEANER, the evolution of villains in film, working with Jackie Chan on THE FOREIGNER, 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!

Andrew Buss has carved out a niche for himself as a pop culture expert, with a heavy emphasis on comedy. He has written for publications like Vanity Fair, New York Magazine’s Vulture, The Daily Beast, Consequence of Sound, and The Laugh Button, where he served as editor for five years.

As a journalist, Andrew has conducted interviews with some of the most prominent names in entertainment, including Mel Brooks, Seth Rogen, Nikki Glaser, Conan O’Brien, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, Andy Samberg, Brendan Fraser, Jonah Hill, Bo Burnham, and countless others.

In this interview, we talk about his writing and journalism journey, his new book I AM MCLOVIN, the legacy of SUPERBAD. When Superbad was released on August 17th in 2007, it proved itself to be a massive success right out of the gate, especially for those in the film’s target millennial demographic. The film wound up dominating at the box office, bringing in $170 million dollars worldwide, against a $20 million dollar budget. It also launched the careers of Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Emma Stone, Bill Hader, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Seth Rogen whose careers are all thriving to this day.

It further proved that Judd Apatow is now one of the most successful film producers of his generation, bringing the world hit after hit. Superbad remains, to this day, a beloved comedy film for millennials who grew up with it. This is because, unlike other comedies of that era, it embraced the awkwardness of the characters, particularly with someone like Michael Cera. Unlike the cartoonish representations of an 80s comedy like Revenge of the Nerds, Superbad presented itself with depth to the characters that enabled millennials (and other generations) to bond with the movie in a more meaningful way.

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!

Lol Crawley is a cinematographer known for his work on films such as THE BRUTALIST, WHITE NOISE, and 45 YEARS; and he is particularly recognized for his frequent collaborations with director Brady Corbet.

His most recent work, THE BRUTALIST, follows a visionary architect and his wife who fled post-war Europe in 1947 to rebuild their legacy and witness the birth of the modern United States.

In this interview, we talk about his breakthrough with the film BALLAST, his cinematographic style and approach, working on THE BRUTALIST and the creative process behind it, 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!

Jarin Blaschke is an acclaimed cinematographer best known for his work with director Robert Eggers. His striking, atmospheric visuals define films like THE WITCH, THE NORTHMAN, and THE LIGHTHOUSE which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

His latest work NOSFERATU, follows a gothic tale of obsession between a haunted young woman and the terrifying vampire infatuated with her, causing untold horror in its wake.

In this interview, we talk about his relationship with Robert Eggers, storyboarding and pre-production, how they approach camera movement, lighting, and other technical aspects during filming, 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!

Philip Gelatt is a writer, director, and producer best known for his contribution to Netflix’s animated anthology LOVE, DEATH & ROBOTS.

His most recent work, FIRST WORD ON HORROR, featuring Stephen Graham Jones, Paul Tremblay, Elizabeth Hand, Laird Barron, and Mariana Enriquez, is a fifteen-part documentary series that profiles five of the finest horror writers working today.

Across multiple episodes, each author discusses their life, their inspirations, their philosophies, and their writing techniques while reading one of their short stories.

In this interview, we talk about the process of creating FIRST WORD ON HORROR, the decision to use Substack as the primary platform for the series, insights into the horror genre and writing, 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!