The Story Series Podcast with Brandon Violette (For Writers Who Break The Rules)

Chris Gilligan is the creator and executive producer of Disney Jr.'s RoboGobo. A 35-year veteran of film, television and animation, Gilligan served as executive producer and director of Disney Jr.'s fairytale-inspired animated series Goldie & Bear. His other credits include James and the Giant Peach, Ice Age: The Meltdown, Frankenweenie, and Marvel's Spidey and his Amazing Friends.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Why creative careers are never straight lines.

• Adapting storytelling instincts across mediums.

• Developing characters more deeply than the audience will ever see.

• And why you shouldn't treat every "no" as the final rejection.

RESOURCES:

• Chris Gilligan

BECOME A BETTER STORYTELLER ✏️💥

Join my free weekly newsletter, The Rule Breaker's Dispatch, for writing insights from my conversations with screenwriters, showrunners and industry executives.

👉 Sign up at StorySeriesPodcast.com

Lorna Withrington is a highly established and approachable Executive Producer and Development Executive specializing in acquisitions and creative development of animated content with leading global brand appeal. She has developed content for global and regional broadcast platforms such as Netflix, Apple, Nickelodeon, Disney, CBBC, Sky and Cartoon Network/Cartoonito.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• How executives champion projects inside a company.

• Why the twist can be the thing that gets a project over the line.

• How executives choose writers for specific projects.

• And why writers should know their creative "happy place".

RESOURCES:

• Lorna Withrington

FIND YOUR VOICE ✏️💥

I put together a free guide called The Rule Breaker's Guide to Finding Your Creative Voice. A brutally honest roadmap built from the lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs I've collected as a professional writer.

👉 Get it for free at StorySeriesPodcast.com

CONNECT:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Helen Blakeman is a BAFTA and International Emmy Award-winning British writer, both of which she received for her TV screenplay adaptation of 'Dustbin Baby' (BBC/Kindle Entertainment). She is also the creator, lead writer and associate producer of the BAFTA nominated BBC series 'Hetty Feather', based on the best-selling children's novel by Jacqueline Wilson. Most recently, she is the co-writer on the upcoming animated feature film 'Lucy Lost' (Xilam).

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Why Helen rewrites every book by hand before adapting it.

• When a writer must leave the source material behind.

• Writing emotionally complex stories for young audiences.

• And how she's now greenlighting projects herself.

RESOURCES:

• Lucy Lost

• Helen on IMDB

FIND YOUR VOICE ✏️💥

I put together a free guide called The Rule Breaker's Guide to Finding Your Creative Voice. A brutally honest roadmap built from the lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs I've collected as a professional writer.

👉 Get it for free at StorySeriesPodcast.com

CONNECT:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Peter is the founder and CEO of Story Driven. As a manager, he supports the visions of trailblazing storytellers across the genre space and across mediums. He began his producing career in collaboration with some of the leading filmmakers of the genre space, including Tobe Hooper and Adam Wingard. Films he has produced have premiered at festivals around the world, including AFI Fest, The Rome Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. He is originally from San Diego, California.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Finding representation at the right career stage.

• What to ask before signing with a manager.

• Why your query letter is probably too long.

• And the "market signals" that help writers stand out.

RESOURCES:

• Peter Katz's Story Driven

FIND YOUR VOICE ✏️💥

I put together a free guide called The Rule Breaker's Guide to Finding Your Creative Voice. A brutally honest roadmap built from the lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs I've collected as a professional writer.

👉 Get it for free at StorySeriesPodcast.com

CONNECT:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Steve Krueger is an Emmy-nominated writer, producer, and storyteller whose career has taken him from the writers' rooms of Hollywood comedies to the world of reality television, documentaries, and podcasts. His credits include Just Shoot Me, Punk'd, Laguna Beach, and Netflix's Dating Around, along with a wide range of projects for major networks and streaming platforms. Drawn to stories about culture, human behavior, and the occasional beautiful train wreck, Steve has spent more than two decades creating content that entertains, surprises, and sparks conversation. Drawn to stories about culture, human behavior, and the occasional beautiful train wreck, Steve has spent more than two decades creating content that entertains, surprises, and sparks conversation. When he's not developing new projects, he's usually talking about television, media, politics, or whatever strange corner of pop culture has captured his attention that week.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Steve's unbelievable Larry David story.

• What he learned from David Mamet.

• Turning an ambitious TV pitch into the sci-fi audio drama SUBTERRA.

• And why "write what you know" can become a creative trap.

RESOURCES:

• Check out the audio drama: "Subterra"

FIND YOUR VOICE ✏️💥

I put together a free guide called The Rule Breaker's Guide to Finding Your Creative Voice. A brutally honest roadmap built from the lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs I've collected as a professional writer.

👉 Get it for free at StorySeriesPodcast.com

CONNECT:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Dave Ingham is one of the most prolific TV writers working today. A background in animation and as a musician has led him to an innate understanding of story and structure. His credits include Lucas the Spider, The Sound Collector, Shaun the Sheep, The Secret Show, Kipper and the Clangers. He lives on the south coast of England, likes his tea and loves his Pedal Steel Guitar.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• How songwriting shaped his approach to screenwriting.

• Finding the rhythm, balance and silence inside every script.

• Imposter syndrome and working with self-doubt.

• And the habits that build a long freelance career.

RESOURCES:

• Dave's IMDB

UPCOMING SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP ⚔️

• THE HERO'S JOURNEY: FROM FILM TO TELEVISION with Brandon Violette. Using examples from my own career writing and developing animated series for Disney and Netflix, we'll dive into how one of the most enduring storytelling frameworks can be adapted across features and TV.

👉 Dates and Details at https://brandonviolette.com/workshops

CONNECT ✏️💥

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Christie Cate (she/her) is the creator and showrunner of Mermaid Mafia, an upcoming independent adult animated pilot produced through her company, Lumen Airy LLC. Inspired by the memory of her late mother, whose influence continues to shape both her life and creative pursuits, Christie founded Lumen Airy with a vision of bringing original stories and characters to audiences through animation.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• The hidden costs of making your own indie pilot.

• Moving from script to storyboard to animatics.

• Betting on yourself instead of waiting for permission.

• And how her mother's creative legacy influenced the project.

RESOURCES:

• Mermaid Mafia on Instagram

• Christie Cate

UPCOMING SCREENWRITING WORKSHOP ⚔️

• THE HERO'S JOURNEY: FROM FILM TO TELEVISION with Brandon Violette. Using examples from my own career writing and developing animated series for Disney and Netflix, we'll dive into how one of the most enduring storytelling frameworks can be adapted across features and TV.

👉 Dates and Details at https://brandonviolette.com/workshops

CONNECT ✏️💥

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Naomi Beaty is one of the industry's top screenwriting consultants. As a former development executive at Madonna and Guy Oseary's Maverick Films, she worked on projects like Twilight, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and The Stanford Prison Experiment. Later, she worked with Blake Snyder on his second Save the Cat book, and taught Save the Cat story structure workshops in Los Angeles.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• How to fix the "boring protagonist" problem.

• Why scenes work in outline but fall flat on the page.

• Direct dialogue vs. on-the-nose dialogue.

• And why writer's block just means you're asking the wrong questions.

RESOURCES:

• Naomi Beaty

• The Screenplay Outline Workbook

UPCOMING WORKSHOP IN JULY ⚔️

• THE HERO'S JOURNEY: FROM FILM TO TELEVISION. Using examples from my own career writing and developing animated series for Disney and Netflix, we'll dive into how one of the most enduring storytelling frameworks can be adapted across features and TV.

👉 Dates and Details at https://brandonviolette.com/workshops

CONNECT ✏️💥

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

After relocating countries to lead two of the world's largest media franchises for Disney, and establishing and leading a new Disney division, Simon Waters doubled the revenue and tripled the operating profit of Hasbro Consumer Products, and led Hasbro Studios as GM. He then launched a tech and music start-up called Suitcase, while establishing a consultancy, World Builder, helping clients bring their ideas and business vision to life across multiple entertainment, media and consumer lifestyle segments. Today he is President of Licensing and Entertainment for Revelyst, and delighted to be driving brand extensions with a market leading portfolio of brands and a terrific team of people.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• How stories become brands, products, and experiences.

• The creative relationship between writers and franchise teams.

• How creators can build from a small but passionate audience.

• And why creators shouldn't wait to be big before they start.

RESOURCES:

• Simon Waters

• Outro Music: "Everything Is Surprisingly Wonderful" by Simon Waters as Magic Boy

UPCOMING WORKSHOP IN JULY ⚔️

I'm hosting my first virtual workshop: THE HERO'S JOURNEY: FROM FILM TO TELEVISION. A 2-hour deep dive into how one of the most enduring storytelling frameworks can be adapted across features, pilots, shorts, and TV - with examples from my work writing and developing animated series for Disney, Titmouse and Netflix.

You'll leave with techniques you can put to work on your very next draft.

👉 Dates and Details at https://brandonviolette.com/workshops

CONNECT ✏️💥

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube

Raised in Virginia and Ohio (with a dash of Connecticut), Shane Portman is an LA-based award- winning writer/developmental producer who cut his teeth on the windy streets of Chicago's sketch and improv comedy scene. He's written for tv shows like Tumble Leaf, Shape Island, Duck & Goose, and Kinderwood as well as audio series like Hobo Code and Hollowhead Pete and the Wicked Wish. He received an Emmy nomination for writing on Tumble Leaf, won two Signal Awards for writing and producing Hobo Code, and penned an episode of Kinderwood and an interstitial short for HMH Publishing that were official selections of the Annecy International Film Festival. Since 2018, he's served as head of development for Bix Pix Entertainment, the Emmy/Annie/BAFTA/Annecy award-winning stop motion animation studio, and has developed material for Disney, Warner Brothers, Apple TV+, Nick Jr, Scholastic, the UK's Spider Eye studio, and the National Wildlife Federation.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS:

• Finding your creative voice through unexpected paths.

• Why pitching works better as a conversation than a performance.

• Writing on the award-winning Tumble Leaf.

• And Shane's upcoming graphic novel Shrub.

RESOURCES:

• You can follow the pre-launch campaign for his upcoming comic series Shrub here.

WANT MORE? ✏️💥

I put together a free guide called The Rule Breaker's Guide to Finding Your Creative Voice. A brutally honest roadmap built from the lessons, mistakes, and breakthroughs I've collected as a professional writer.

👉 Get it for free at StorySeriesPodcast.com

CONNECT:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• YouTube