Creative Principles

Sam Lansky is making his feature film screenwriting debut with Sony's I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER. This highly anticipated new installment of the cultural phenomenon franchise boasts an all-star cast, including Madelyn Cline, Chase Sui Wonders, Tyriq Withers, Jonah Hauer-King, and Sarah Pidgeon. Additionally, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr. will reprise their iconic roles from the original films.

Sam is the author of two critically acclaimed books: THE GILDED RAZOR, a satirical memoir of his misadventures as a New York City teen; and BROKEN PEOPLE, a novel set in the world of Los Angeles neoshamanism.

In this interview, we talk about the challenges of breaking into the film industry without connections or financial support, the role of journalism and online platforms (like Twitter) in building a writing career, the approach to updating the I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER franchise for a new generation, 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!

Widely recognized for his roles as Lucius Malfoy in the HARRY POTTER film series, Jason Issac’s extensive career includes various film and television appearances such as THE OA, STAR TREK: DISCOVERY, and the third season of THE WHITE LOTUS.

In this interview, we talk about shadowing people for roles and asking "awkward" questions, THE WHITE LOTUS and his character Timothy Ratliff, speculation on what happens to the family after the show's ending, 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!

Tony McNamara is an Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and playwright, whose most recent film, POOR THINGS, earned his second Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.

POOR THINGS marked the second creative collaboration between McNamara and director Yorgos Lanthimos, and it is the third collaboration for McNamara and star Emma Stone. The film was released in theaters in December 2023 and was the second-most Oscar-nominated film of the year.

McNamara’s unique blend of humor, drama, and social commentary can also be seen in the Academy Award-nominated film THE FAVOURITE, which was also directed by Lanthimos and starred Stone. The film earned him a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

In his latest project, THE ROSES, the picture-perfect facade of a couple crumbles, igniting a tinderbox of competition and resentment, after the husband's professional dreams are shattered.

In this interview, we talk about his approach to historical and adapted material, the state of comedy films, advice for writers, his latest project, THE ROSES, 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!

Stephen Murphy is a cinematographer known for his work on MR. & MRS. SMITH, ATLANTA, and HEART EYES.

In 2025, Murphy received a BAFTA TV Craft nomination for Photography & Lighting in Fiction for the mini-series SAY NOTHING, as well as a nomination for Best Cinematography from the Irish Film and Television Awards for the same project.

He currently presides on the Board of Governors for the British Society of Cinematographers and is the former president of the Irish Society of Cinematographers.

In this interview, we talk about prep vs. spontaneity in cinematography, how he got involved in ATLANTA and MR. & MRS. SMITH, changes in the industry, 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!

Matt Tyrnauer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose acclaimed works include the Oscar-shortlisted VALENTINO: THE LAST EMPEROR, STUDIO 54, and WHERE'S MY ROY COHN?

Chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa is a globally renowned Japanese chef who revolutionized modern cuisine by blending traditional Japanese techniques with Peruvian ingredients. His partnership with Robert De Niro created the Nobu empire, which now encompasses over 50 restaurants and 15 hotels worldwide.

This pairing brings together Tyrnauer's intimate documentary storytelling with Matsuhisa's extraordinary journey from a troubled youth in Japan to global culinary icon, with Tyrnauer's upcoming documentary NOBU capturing the chef's philosophy and relentless pursuit of culinary perfection.

In this interview, we talk about Tyranuer’s approach to documentary filmmaking and Chef Nobu's philosophy and creativity. We also talk about mentorship and passing on knowledge, personal reflections and emotional moments during the film, 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!

Shannon Lewis is making her Broadway debut as choreographer for the musical JUST IN TIME. The show stars Tony Award winner Jonathan Groff as Bobby Darin in an immersive experience featuring iconic hits like "Beyond the Sea" and "Mack the Knife."

As a choreographer, she's well-known for her work on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, creating viral video dances, and has choreographed projects for THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON and LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER.

In this interview, we talk about the experience of choreographing for Pete Davidson's "I'm Just Pete" sketch, comedy in choreography, her involvement in JUST IN TIME, working with Jonathan Groff, 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!

David Koepp is a highly successful screenwriter best known for his work on some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. With a career spanning decades, he has worked on the scripts for iconic films such as JURASSIC PARK, MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, SPIDER-MAN, and WAR OF THE WORLDS.

His latest work, JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH, follows the story five years after JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION. In it, an expedition ventures into isolated equatorial regions, aiming to extract DNA from three massive prehistoric creatures for a groundbreaking medical breakthrough.

In this interview, we talk about the original JURASSIC PARK film and his process for adapting the later films, his experience working on SPIDER-MAN and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE, the longevity of franchises, 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!

Justin Spitzer is a co-creator and executive producer of ST. DENIS MEDICAL. Prior to that, he created and ran NBC comedies SUPERSTORE and AMERICAN AUTO.

Eric Ledgin is the showrunner and co-creator of ST. DENIS MEDICAL. He is an Emmy award-winning writer and producer, whose TV credits include SUPERSTORE, IT’S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA, AMERICAN AUTO, and LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON.

Their show ST. DENIS MEDICAL follows an underfunded, understaffed hospital where the doctors and nurses try their best to treat patients while maintaining their own sanity.

In this interview, we talk about how they got into TV writing, how sitcom writing has evolved, how they prepared for showrunning, their show ST. DENIS MEDICAL, 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!

Peter Craig is behind some of the biggest box office successes of the past decade writing screenplays for such hits as THE TOWN, THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY (part 1 and 2), BAD BOYS FOR LIFE, THE BATMAN and TOP GUN: MAVERICK which earned Craig an Oscar and WGA nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Craig also wrote GLADIATOR II, which received a BAFTA nomination for Outstanding British Film of the Year. Craig’s films have generated over four billion dollars at the global box office.

Most recently, Craig created, directed, and was the showrunner for the Apple TV+ series, DOPE THIEF, which follows long-time friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob a house in the countryside, but end up unintentionally revealing and unraveling the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.

In this interview, we talk about his transition from novelist to screenwriter, the making of THE TOWN and the lessons he learned from working with Ben Affleck, the adaptation process for various projects like THE BATMAN and THE HUNGER GAMES, his new show DOPE THIEF, 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/pr

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!

Luke Cormack is a skilled GSS, Shotover, U-Crane Arm, Aerial, and Phantom operator, and is at home shooting underwater, in the air, long lens, macro, or with A-list celebrities.

He has won an Emmy, Panda, and Grand Teton Awards for cinematography and has had the pleasure of working on many Emmy and BAFTA-nominated shows.

His latest work was on DAVID BLAINE DO NOT ATTEMPT, where Magician David Blaine travels globally, connecting with masters and performers who share unique skills and secrets. His journey spans Brazil, Southeast Asia, India, the Arctic, South Africa, and Japan.

In this interview, we talk about wildlife cinematography and its evolution, skillsets required for cinematography, working on DAVID BLAINE DO NOT ATTEMPT, orchestrating complex stunts, 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!