Have you ever wonder how to make a career as a TV & Film writer?

Join Ben Hanlin as interviews Tom Basden about his journey in filmmaking, focusing on the transition from a short film to a feature, the collaborative writing process, the challenges of production, and the role of music in storytelling. Tom shares insights on improvisation during filming, the importance of passion in writing, and offers advice for aspiring writers in the comedy genre.

What You’ll Learn

- How to move from an early version (short/idea) to a full feature without losing what made it special.



- Why finishing the script before involving “the system” can protect tone, confidence, and creative clarity.



- A practical way to think about structure: if scenes can be removed or reordered without consequences, something’s off.



- How to collaborate when two writers have different strengths (one generates fast, the other simplifies and sharpens).



- When improvisation helps and when it’s a trap (especially under extreme time pressure).



- How to handle disagreement across script, shoot, and edit without killing the vibe.



- Why momentum is the hidden fuel of film projects and what to do when it starts to stall.

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Have you ever wondered how to make a career as a Comedian?

Ben Hanlin is joined by Simon Brodkin, known for his character Lee Nelson, as he shares insights into his creative process, the evolution of comedy, and the art of pranking.

He discusses the transition from character comedy to stand-up, the impact of social media on the comedy landscape, and the challenges of self-producing comedy specials.

Simon emphasises the importance of audience engagement and the learning journey in building a successful comedy career.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how to create a global board game?

Ben Hanlin is joined by radio presenter and board game creator Matt Edmondson, discussing the tricks to becoming a successful board game creator.

He discusses the creative process behind developing board games, the importance of collaboration, the challenges of launching a game, and the excitement of expanding into global markets.

Matt also delves into the importance of format in creativity and the joy of pursuing diverse interests.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how to become a successful actor?

This week Ben Hanlin is joined by Olivier-nominated actor and writer Andy Nyman. Listen in from the empty Garrick Theatre following his performance in ‘The Producers’.

During this episode, we explore Andy’s career from starring in ‘Wicked’, working with magician ‘Darren Brown’, to writing and producing his still-touring show ‘Ghost Stories’.

He goes into depth about the audition process, where his creative ideas come from, and his key words of advice on how to make it as an actor.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how to become a best-selling author?

Join Ben Hanlin as Callie Hart discusses the rise of the romantic fantasy genre, her journey to writing 'Quicksilver', and the intricacies of character development and world-building.

Sharing insights into her writing process, the challenges of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the impact of social media, particularly BookTok, on her book's success.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever wondered how to become a viral content creator? Join Ben Hanlin as he interviews TikToker and Capital FM presenter, Niall Gray, who is best known for his parodies of British tv show such as, “A Place In The Sun” and “Top Gear”. BUT he went viral for his sound, “Catch Flights, Not Feelings”

During this episode of the podcast, they discuss how Niall creates ideas for videos, how he manages his time and sharing his love, passion and knowledge of video editing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What's The Trick to becoming a Viral Content Creator?

Ben Hanlin interviews Simon Squibb, exploring the intricacies of creativity, content creation, and the entrepreneurial journey.

They discuss the importance of community, transparency, and the role of social media platforms like TikTok in sharing knowledge.

Simon shares his insights on financial literacy, the creative process, and the significance of time management.

The discussion also touches on the impact of AI in content creation and the necessity of accountability and consistency in achieving success.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you take a spark of an idea and turn it into something original, finished, and unforgettable?

In this conversation, we sit down with some of The World’s most creative people and get geeky about their creative process. The breakthroughs, the failures, the step-by-step hard work that audiences never see.

Join Ben Hanlin as he interviews Comedians, Musicians, Writers, Content Creators and asks them, “What’s The Trick?”

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.