Creative Principles

Seth Meyers is an Emmy Award-winning comedian, writer, producer, and television host. He is currently the host of NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, where he delivers a nightly blend of political commentary, celebrity interviews, and clever comedic segments. Alex Baze is a highly respected comedy writer and producer, best known for his extensive work on NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS. As the sh...

Emmy and PGA award-winning screenwriter and producer Charlie Brooker created the critically acclaimed anthology series BLACK MIRROR. The highly anticipated seventh season premiered April 10th on Netflix. In this interview, we talk about the conception and evolution of BLACK MIRROR, his writing process and habits, advice on writing pilots/standalone episodes, and much more. Want more? Steal my firs...

Paul Giamatti is an award-winning actor best known for films like AMERICAN SPLENDOR, SIDEWAYS, and THE HOLDOVERS. Most recently, he appeared on Episode 5 of the newest season of BLACK MIRROR, called “Eulogy,” where an isolated man is introduced to a groundbreaking system that allows its users to step inside old photographs. In this interview, we talk about BLACK MIRROR, such as how they stepped in...

Anna Camp is an actress best known for her role as the unforgettable Aubrey Posen in the PITCH PERFECT film series. She has built an impressive resume with notable roles in popular television shows such as THE MINDY PROJECT and TRUE BLOOD, and most recently, she played Maddie & Reagan Lockwood in the last season of Netflix’s YOU. In the epic fifth and final season of YOU, Joe Goldberg returns to N...

Todd Harthan is currently the executive producer and showrunner on ABC’s HIGH POTENTIAL. In recent years, he has been executive producer on the Disney+ series CROSSOVER, ABC’s THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, and FBC’s THE RESIDENT. HIGH POTENTIAL follows a single mom with three kids who helps solve an unsolvable crime when she rearranges some evidence during her shift as a police department cleaner. In this...

Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson are the creators, showrunners, writers, and executive producers of the hit Showtime drama series, YELLOWJACKETS. YELLOWJACKETS, equal parts survival epic, psychological horror story and coming-of-age drama, is the saga of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors of a plane crash deep in the remote northern wilderne...

Freddy Macdonald is a Student Academy Award winner and the youngest Directing Fellow ever accepted to the AFI Conservatory. Freddy’s AFI admission film, SEW TORN, was acquired by Searchlight Pictures, and it received an Oscar-qualifying theatrical release nationwide alongside READY OR NOT. SEW TORN follows a seamstress who gets tangled in her own thread after stealing a briefcase from a drug deal...

Jonathan Tropper is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the internationally best-selling author of six novels that have been translated into over thirty languages. Most recently, he created the Apple TV+ Series YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS, which follows a hedge fund manager who resorts to burglary after losing his job, targeting wealthy neighbors to maintain his family's lifesty...

Luke Barnett is an actor, writer, and filmmaker. On the acting front, Luke recently wrapped season 5 of AppleTV+'s critically acclaimed sci-fi drama FOR ALL MANKIND, where he recurs as suit supervisor Mike Shaw (we also spoke with the creators of this series back in Episode 363.) This year, his short film THE CROSSING OVER EXPRESS, which he wrote, directed, and starred in, went viral on X (formerl...

Jon Shaivitz is an LA-based writer and director. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2009, he's earned recognition in prestigious competitions such as the Academy Nicholl Fellowship (Top 50), StoryPros (Runner-Up), and the Atlanta Screenplay Awards (Best Feature). His work has led to multiple script options, industry collaborations, and a growing reputation as a bold, innovative voice in filmmaking. In...

Lang Fisher and Tracey Wigfield are the dynamic duo behind the highly anticipated Netflix comedy series THE FOUR SEASONS, a show they co-created with Tina Fey, inspired by the classic 1981 film. Fisher previously co-created the hit NEVER HAVE I EVER and wrote for BROOKLYN NINE-NINE and THE MINDY PROJECT, and Wigfield created SAVED BY THE BELL, GREAT NEWS, and won an Emmy for writing the 30 ROCK fi...

Katie Robbins and Sarah Sutherland are the showrunners of Hulu's highly anticipated limited series, GOOD AMERICAN FAMILY, starring Ellen Pompeo and Mark Duplass. The series follows a Midwestern couple who adopts what they believe is a little girl with dwarfism as they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, falling into a battle fought in the tabloids, the courtroom, and ulti...

NYU roommates Dan Berk and Robert Olsen, established a working partnership through their love for genre films. Their filmography includes the thrillers BODY, THE STAKELANDER, and the critically acclaimed VILLAINS, starring Bill Skarsgård and Maika Monroe. They continued their success with SIGNIFICANT OTHER and their newest action-comedy film NOVOCAINE. NOVOCAINE follows a man, incapable of feeling...

Ian Seabrook is a highly acclaimed Director of Photography, celebrated for his mastery of underwater cinematography. His recent work includes lensing both underwater and main unit photography for the upcoming thriller LAST BREATH starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole. Seabrook's extensive filmography features blockbuster hits like INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY and DEADPOOL 2. H...

David Carson is a counter-intuitive thinker and creative problem-solver with a knack for uncovering genius where others see nonsense. Known for transforming unconventional ideas into groundbreaking solutions, he has helped global brands like American Express, Nike, Coca-Cola, and IKEA build human connections, captivate audiences, and redefine what’s possible. As the author of Dumbify and creator o...

Andy Bobrow is a seasoned TV comedy writer with over two decades of experience on hit network shows like MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE, COMMUNITY, and BROOKLYN NINE-NINE. He also served as Executive Producer and Co-Showrunner for Fox’s LAST MAN ON EARTH and currently writes for Fox’s KRAPOPOLIS. Guy Goldstein bridges screenwriting and technology, renowned for creating WriterDuet, the pioneering real-time...

Mark Dent is a senior writer and editor at The Hustle, where he writes feature stories about business and the economy. Mark's work has also appeared in outlets like the New York Times and Wired. He's the author of KINGDOM QUARTERBACK, a book about Patrick Mahomes and the fall and rise of midwest cities. In this interview, we talk about his early career and influences, his transitioning from sports...

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 tu...

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 Phila...

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 HUNT...

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 CEN...

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 An...

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 ke...

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, includin...

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...