Creative Principles

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