Ep624 - Dito Montiel, Director ‘Riff Raff’

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 turned upside down when his old family shows up for a long-awaited reunion. In this interview, we talk about his approach to writing, working with actors, the importance of writing strong characters even for smaller roles, and his new film RIFF RAFF. 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. Enjoy! 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 of your iTunes Podcast app and click “Write Review"). Enjoy the show!