Every great film and TV maker began as a Red Carpet Rookie. In this podcast each episode you’ll learn from the life and career story of someone who’s grown to the top of the entertainment business, hearing how they mastered their craft with lessons you can apply to harness your own creative talent in your own career and everyday life.
From lessons given by Spielberg to Oscar-winners tips on imposter syndrome, and some pretty crazy on-set anecdotes thrown in for good measure…
My name is Mike Battle a film crew member turned screenwriter and I’ll be your host…and this is Red Carpet Rookies.
#51 - Ronan Bennett: Creating Top Boy, Working with Michael Mann, Following Obsession, Stamina, and Why Screenwriting is like Playing Tennis with Novak Djokovic
Today’s guest began his career writing novels informed by his experiences growing up in the troubles of 1970s Northern Ireland such as The Second Prison which was shortlisted for the 1991 Irish Times prize.
Soon after, he began writing for television and film, again bringing signature realism to his work in later projects including Michael Mann’s gangster pic Public Enemies, Gunpowder starring Kit Harrington and most notably his creation of cultural phenomenon, Top Boy, for which he was also nominated for a BAFTA.
My guest is Ronan Bennett.
8 Apr 2024
#50 - Lorien McKenna: How the The Pixar Story Department Actually Works, Creating Career Agency, Writing For Visuals, Challenging Shame and The Power of Vulnerability
Today’s guest began her creative journey in the world of theatre before moving to Pixar where she worked in the story department of hits including Ratatouille, Up, Brave, The Good Dinosaur and Inside Out.
Having now transitioned to writing and showrunning her own projects, most recently the double Emmy nominated Tab Time as well as co-hosting mega-popular podcast The Screenwriting Life alongside fellow Red Carpet Rookies alumni, Meg LeFauve, I don’t know how she finds the time!
My guest is Lorien McKenna.
19 Feb 2024
#49 - Simon Blackwell: Writing Veep & The Thick of It, Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Scary Phrase, Emergency Plane Writing, The Genius of Armando Iannucci, Sweary Grannies, & Why Parenting Makes You A Better Creative
I am lucky to introduce today’s guest who has been at the forefront of British comedy for the last two decades.
The man behind hit shows such as Back starring Mitchell and Webb and Sky’s Breeders, his career is long and celebrated but it is his partnership with Armando Innaucci for which he is probably best known.
Together they have brought movies like In The Loop and The Personal History of David Copperfield into the world as well as the now legendary sitcom The Thick of It and its ridiculously acclaimed US cousin Veep which won seventeen Emmy awards during its run. Along the way, he picked up two of them for himself, as well as four BAFTA nominations and an Oscar nomination for In The Loop.
My guest is Mr Simon Blackwell.
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