Creative Principles
Welcome to Creative Principles, I'm your host Brock Swinson. Here I'll be speaking with writers, directors, actors, musicians and more. We'll discuss the habits, routines, and methods of a creative life.
Episodes
October 13, 2025 • 29 mins
David DiGilio is the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of Amazon’s hit series THE
TERMINAL LIST, starring Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, and Taylor Kitsch, and based on the
NYTimes best-selling novels written by former Navy SEAL, Jack Carr (see Episode 548).
The show’s character-driven action and authenticity have sparked not just a second season, but also a prequel titled THE TERMINAL LIST: DARK WOLF, starring Kitsch, Pratt,...
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October 10, 2025 • 28 mins
Craig Davidson has published five books of literary fiction, including RUST AND BONE, which was the inspiration for a Golden Globe–nominated feature film of the same name; the Scotiabank Giller Prize–nominated novel CATARACT CITY; and the novel THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB, which was a finalist for the Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize.
He also writes horror fiction under the name Nick Cutter: THE TROOP, THE DEEP, LITTLE HEAVEN,...
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Ep668 - Best of Horror with James DeMonaco, Drew Hancock, Bruce Campbell, Sam Lansky & Philip Gelatt
October 8, 2025 • 38 mins
It’s almost Halloween! To celebrate, we've curated a compilation of the best moments from our interviews with the masters of horror.
First, we have James DeMonaco, who shares with us the origin of THE PURGE, which was inspired by a real-life road rage incident. Then we have Drew Hancock talking about his film COMPANION, which he describes as “Barbie with bloodstains,” followed by Bruce Campbell, who details the dangerous stunts fr...
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October 6, 2025 • 26 mins
Emmy-nominated writer Seth Reiss made his feature film debut with Mark Mylod’s THE MENU in 2022, which he co-wrote and executive produced with Will Tracy, and received a WGA nomination for Searchlight Pictures. He is currently a supervising writer on LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS, for which he has received five Emmys and five WGA nominations.
Reiss’ new writing and producing project includes Sony Pictures’ A BIG BOLD BEAUTIFUL JOUR...
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September 26, 2025 • 42 mins
Brad Ingelsby is an EMMY AWARD-NOMINATED writer, producer, and creator. He gained widespread acclaim as the creator, writer, and executive producer of HBO's hit limited series, MARE OF EASTTOWN, which starred Kate Winslet.
Ingelsby has since created and written the new HBO limited series, TASK, starring Mark Ruffalo and Tom Pelphrey. His recent film work includes the Apple TV+ thriller ECHO VALLEY and THE LOST BUS, an adaptation ...
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September 12, 2025 • 26 mins
Abigail Rubenstein has over a decade of experience writing and editing. She got her start at Law360, a news service for business lawyers.
Abby also helped run the newsroom at two digital media startups focused on business and academic research.
In this interview, we talk about Morning Brew's identity and content, their editorial process, the challenges around the news industry, and much more.
Want more? Steal my first book, INK...
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August 26, 2025 • 20 mins
David Gelb is an award-winning director and producer. He is best known for directing the critically acclaimed documentary JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, which ushered in a new wave of food-focused cinematography and storytelling.
Following the success of Jiro, Gelb went on to create Netflix’s longest-running series, Chef's Table, now in its tenth season, as well as a new companion series, Street Food. The series has been nominated for mult...
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August 25, 2025 • 21 mins
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...
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August 20, 2025 • 25 mins
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...
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August 15, 2025 • 33 mins
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 o...
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August 13, 2025 • 30 mins
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 TruT...
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August 8, 2025 • 27 mins
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...
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August 6, 2025 • 26 mins
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 Pet...
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August 1, 2025 • 25 mins
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,...
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July 30, 2025 • 40 mins
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...
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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 h...
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July 24, 2025 • 31 mins
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 ...
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July 18, 2025 • 22 mins
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 th...
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July 17, 2025 • 25 mins
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-no...
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July 11, 2025 • 27 mins
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 ...
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