Creative Principles

Latest Episodes:

Ep663 - Gary Oldman, Actor ‘Slow Horses’ & ‘Darkest Hour’ Aug 25, 2025

Show notes

With a career spanning over 25 years, Gary Oldman is one of the most respected and recognized actors of his generation. He has earned critical acclaim for his iconic roles, including Sirius Black in the HARRY POTTER series, Commissioner Jim Gordon in Christopher Nolan's BATMAN trilogy, and Winston Churchill in DARKEST HOUR, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor. He has received numerous awards and nominations throughout his career, including three Academy Award nominations and two Emmy nominations for his recent work in SLOW HORSES. In this interview, Oldman talks about becoming typecast as a villain in films, anonymity and public life, his role in the TV series SLOW HORSES, 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!

Ep662 - Nate Bargatze, Comedian & Writer ‘Your Friend, Nate Bargatze’ & ‘The Breadwinner’ Aug 20, 2025

Show notes

Nate Bargatze is a stand-up comedian known for his clean, family-friendly humor and deadpan delivery. He gained popularity through appearances on late-night shows and has released multiple comedy specials, including THE TENNESSEE KID, THE GREATEST AVERAGE AMERICAN, and YOUR FRIEND, NATE BARGATZE. In addition to his stand-up career, he hosts a podcast called THE NATELAND PODCAST, and just published the book, BIG DUMB EYES. In this interview, we talk about why he decided to be a “clean comic,” his writing process, THE BREADWINNER, hosting the Emmy’s, his recent appearances on SNL, his company and how he helps up-and-coming comedians. 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!

Ep661 - Tony Tost, Writer ‘Americana,’ ‘Poker Face’ & ‘Longmire’ Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

Tony Tost is the showrunner of season two of Poker Face. His first feature film as a writer-director -- the modern-day western crime film Americana starring Sydney Sweeney, Paul Walter Hauser, and Halsey -- will hit theaters this summer. In this interview, we talk about challenges and rejections in Hollywood, strategies for getting films made, advice for aspiring screenwriters, 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!

Ep660 - John McKeever, Showrunner Shane Gillis Comedy, ‘Tires’ Aug 13, 2025

Show notes

John McKeever is a versatile writer, actor, and director with a diverse portfolio spanning television, stand-up, and digital media. His writing credits include work for MTV, TruTV, NBC, and Comedy Central, and as a stand-up comedian, he was recognized as a New Face at the 2014 Just for Laughs Festival in Montreal. McKeever has appeared on Comedy Central’s Adam Devine’s House Party, HBO’s High Maintenance, and was a regular on TruTV’s Almost Genius. In 2017, he wrote, directed, and starred in the Comedy Central pilot Delco Proper. He later co-wrote and directed the hugely popular YouTube sketch series Gilly & Keeves, culminating in the 2022 release of Gilly & Keeves: The Special, which he produced alongside longtime collaborator Shane Gillis. He is currently showrunning and directing Season 2 of Tires, his hit Netflix series. Tires follows Will, an unqualified heir, who attempts to turn his auto repair business around while enduring torment from his now-employee cousin, Shane. In this interview, we talk about overcoming gatekeepers and the DIY mindset; how he's learned to identify whether an idea is better suited for standup, a sketch, a TV show, or a movie; the origin and development of TIRES; scripted vs. improvised dialogue, 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!

Ep659 - Jeremy Saulnier, Director ‘Rebel Ridge,’ ‘Blue Ruin’ & ‘Green Room’ Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Jeremy Saulnier is best known for his low-budget revenge thriller BLUE RUIN, which he wrote, directed, and cinematographed. He followed up with GREEN ROOM, a claustrophobic horror film about a punk band trapped with white supremacists, starring Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart. Most recently, he directed REBEL RIDGE. The film follows a former Marine who becomes entangled in a violent conflict with a corrupt small-town police chief after an attempt to post bail for his cousin escalates unexpectedly. In this interview, we talk about self-funding and financial strategies for filmmaking, his film REBEL RIDGE, the collaborative and evolving nature of stunt choreography on set, the challenge of creating good endings, 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!

Ep658 - Jeffrey Doe, Director ‘Wick Is Pain’ Aug 06, 2025

Show notes

Jeffrey Doe is an Emmy-nominated filmmaker whose work has premiered at Sundance, Cannes, and Telluride. Starting his career as an editor of MTV Award-winning music videos, Jeff then transitioned to documentary, cutting WE SOLD OUR SOULS FOR ROCK ’N ROLL for famed “rock-u-mentary” director Penelope Spheeris and the Grammy Award-winning RUNNIN’ DOWN A DREAM for director Peter Bogdanovich, about the life and career of the late Tom Petty. Most recently, he directed WICK IS PAIN, the never-before-seen footage and story behind the John Wick phenomenon, from independent film to billion-dollar franchise. In this interview, we talk about the two types of documentaries: archival vs. verite, the importance of conflict and drama in documentaries, his latest work WICK IS PAIN, his approach to note-taking and organizing footage, 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!

Ep657 - Kristina Stanley, Author and CEO of Fictionary Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Kristina Stanley is the bestselling author of SECRETS TO OUTLINING A NOVEL, SECRETS TO EDITING SUCCESS, and SECRETS TO WRITING A SERIES, as well as the award-winning STONE MOUNTAIN MYSTERIES SERIES. In 2019, she developed a brand-new structural editing software, Fictionary. After years of outlining and editing in complex Excel spreadsheets, she designed the program she always wished she had. Since then, Fictionary has grown fast, now offering Fictionary Live!, an in-depth program of outlining, writing, and editing courses, and StoryTeller software, which supports writers through their entire writing journey. In this interview, we talk about misconceptions about writing, the importance of outlining and the different approaches, Fictionary, 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!

Ep656 - Julie Christeas, Founder & CEO of Tandem Pictures Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

Julie Christeas is the founder and CEO of Tandem Pictures. Her recent films include NUKED, a comedy starring Justin Bartha and Anna Camp, and BLACK BEAR starring Aubrey Plaza, Christopher Abbott, and Sarah Gadon. She also Executive Produced three original, short-form comedy series for NBCU/Peacock, all are slated for release Spring 2025, and produces original short-form content for some of the biggest brands in the world -- Amazon, Chase Bank, Ford Motors, Netflix, Cadillac, and many more. In this interview, we talk about strategies for de-risking film projects, changes in indie filmmaking, how she finds talent and projects, 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!

Ep655 - James DeMonaco, Writer ‘The Home,’ ‘The Purge,' 'The Purge: Anarchy' & 'The Purge: Election Year' Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

James DeMonaco is the writer and director of the feature films THE PURGE, THE PURGE: ANARCHY, and THE PURGE: ELECTION YEAR, as well as co-founder of the Man in a Tree production company along with his producing partner Sebastian LeMercier. His upcoming horror film THE HOME, starring fellow Staten Islander Pete Davidson, follows Max, who realizes that the residents and caretakers in the retirement home where he started working at hide sinister secrets. In this interview, we talk about his work on JACK, lessons learned from Francis Ford Coppola, the origin and development of THE PURGE, violence in screenwriting and directing (restraint vs. graphic), lessons from Blumhouse, 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!

Ep654 - Sam Lansky, Writer ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

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!

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