“I was obsessed with comedy writing as a kid,” said Nicholas Stoller. “I remember watching Saturday Night Live and not wanting to be the actors, but wanting to write the sketches. I don’t even know how I knew that was a job.”

As a screenwriter, Stoller has credits for Fun with Dick and Jane, Yes Man, Get Him to the Greek, The Muppets, Sex Tape, The Carmichael Show, Night School and Bros, many of which he also Directed, including Neighbors and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. 

“I’m excited Bros is going to be theatrically released, but a weird thing happened a few years ago where [studios] were like, ‘Comedies don’t work in theaters.’ Which is not true. Judd [Apatow] always says, ‘If The Hangover came out this weekend, it would make a billion dollars.’”

For whatever reason, studios just stopped making as many theatrical comedies. They’ve instead gone to television, limited series, and leaned in to action comedies for a broader, global appeal. “I love going to see comedy in the movie theater. You get to have that experience with an audience, laughing and reacting.”

“People say it’s a business first, but it’s not run like a business. If anyone thought about it like a business, there’s a huge hole in the comedy department.”

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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 on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep367 - Nicholas Stoller, Screenwriter ‘Bros,’ ‘Sex Tape,’ & ‘Yes Man’

“Movies and television is always what I wanted to do,” says Eric Martin. “I don’t remember it wasn’t a time it wasn’t the main interest in my life, but screenwriting is something I was a little bit late too. I was a latchkey key and I viewed writing as work, something to get done to go watch movies.”

“But there were a series of teachers who kept pulling me aside and said, ‘You’re a writer, do you enjoy this?’ It kept happening so the message finally got through to take it seriously and put in that kind of effort.” Looking back, Martin says he understood story structure just from watching so many movies. He also had a teacher teach the hero’s journey to write essays. 

“I don’t actually think about structure when I write. Use the hero’s journey. Don’t use it. I personally hate writing textbooks. Any book that tells you how to write is bullshit. I think you pick it up and inherently understand it. I think it’s baked in even if you think you’re following it. It’s just there. It’s part of the western storytelling ethic.”

Rather than obsessing over screenwriting books, Martin would tell you to “go live some life.” He adds, “Don’t try to read a bunch of things and use a theory on anything. Live some life and I think you’ll understand [life] on a deeper level. I see a lot of stuff out there and it feels hollow. People who do depthful work live interesting lives.”

This has led Martin to focus on “character and story.” As a screenwriter, this is always the focus, whether it’s his TV movie The Other Mother, the Starz series about professional wrestling Heels, or his latest project, the newest installment of Loki for Marvel and Disney. 

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. 

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 on your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!

Ep493 - Eric Martin, Screenwriter Marvel’s ‘Loki’ Season 2

In ‘Day of the Dead: Bloodline,’ “A small group of military personnel and survivalists dwell in an underground bunker as they seek to find a cure in a world overrun by zombies.” In this interview, Director Hector Hernandez Vicens discusses the masters of suspense, his love for George Romero, what makes a film truly scary, and the importance of character.

Ep 27 - Hector Hernandez Vicens, Director ‘Day Of The Dead Bloodline’

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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.

Ep493 - Eric Martin, Screenwriter Marvel’s ‘Loki’ Season 2

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