Emerging: How to Eventually Make it in Film & TV

Even as writers, occasionally we crawl out from behind our oversized desks and trade our scripts for a camera to actually try and make something - which is exactly what both Martin's spent the summer doing. So join us for a big ol' recap of all the nitty gritty bits and pieces needed to actually put a production together, as Martin walks us through his experience writing, directing and producing his new short LICKS, on time and under its non-existent budget!This is Part 1 of our much needed summer recap, taking stock of what's been happening and what's coming up in the writing world, so don't miss next week for more production insights, and a look ahead at the upcoming scheme and competition deadlines.📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes it's more fun to "share the load" as Samwise Gamgee would say, so this week we're talking collaboration - what it means to share the writing responsbilities on a script with one or more other people!From how to make the tech work, to what a good partnership looks like, and our own experiences of both, including the several doomed attempts to write together as a trio. Ben is also namechecks a few very celebrated and successful writing partnerships if you want to do a bit of further reading/listening (Will McCormack and Rashida Jones who wrote The Invite, and Lucia Aniello and Paul W Downs who wrote Hacks with Jen Statsky). 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tray and Ben are back from the Edinburgh TV Festival, wrapping up what they saw, who they saw and what they should do next - from following up with new connections, to making the most of the inspiration. A huge thank you to the TV Foundation for having us along!And even if Edinburgh wasn't on your cards for this year, consider this a helpful checklist for how to follow-up after every other festival coming up too. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's August and Tray and Ben are on their way to the last ever Edinburgh TV Festival - the only problem is, neither of them have prepared. At all. Not even a little bit. So this week we're chatting festival and networking prep; how much should we plan ahead, and how much is just freeballing it and going with the flow? How much of the schedule is useful, how many meetings should we be chasing, which parties are worthwhile and how many Fringe shows can we squeeze in around the fun? Naturally, Martin gives his own take after doing something similar last year too, so join us for some much needed confidence-boosting!And even if Edinburgh isn't on your cards for this year, consider this ample prep for every other festival coming up too. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How fast can you write? Sometimes, whether we like it or not, we're gonna have to move fast. Whether that's coming up with ideas on the fly or turning around a fresh draft "ASAP" after a round of notes, the industry doesn't always wait or take its time in the way we want it to. So this week we're talking about SPEED, how quickly we move generally, and what methods we employ when we need to take things up a notch. This episode also marks a new bet - can Ben turn his short around before next week's drop? Only time will tell... (yes, yes he can, this is Ben writing this and he 10000% will)📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you've always got too much to do, how do you plan your work and projects to make sure you're prioritising what's important? It's one of the ultimate questions every emerging writer faces, especially when you're juggling paid work, family life and 100 scripts that all feel like they're so close to finally being done. There're only so many hours in the day!So join the three of us as we take a swing at trying to understand how we organise our lives and our priorities, between getting as many vomit drafts together, to dropping out of festivals to focus on making stuff, to watching your life disappear into evening after evening of DIY because somehow, you think once it's all done, it'll make you more productive. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A whole bonus 15 minutes with brilliant writer, producer and social media chatterer Karla Williams Posiuniene, as we take her through the last call and get some top tips about keeping your career on the move, even if you have an agent on side.And of course if you want to follow Karla's journey, you can find all her links at https://bio.site/cue.karla 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's guest will be verrrrry familiar to anyone who regularly finds themselves watching screenwriting content on TikTok - Karla Williams Posiuniene has made a name for herself sharing industry info online, and it's started to open doors in every direction. So is it worth doing? And how?On top of some A+ community-finding advice, Karla also goes into detail about her unusual journey to date, from playwright, to finding a top agent at Curtis Brown, to going out on her own when that relationship didn't work out. We also delve into the industry fallout from 2020's "BLM summer" and explore some uncomfortable truths around the effect it had on representation long term.And of course if you want to follow Karla's journey, you can find all her links at https://bio.site/cue.karla 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How're you doing with your scheduling? This week, Ben's moving house and everything's very much up in the air - so we figured we'd take a look back at how we map out our time around all those big work and family and just general life commitments, because clearly sometimes they get the better of us!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're (over) half way through the year, so what better time to catch up with everything that's been going on in the last quarter to support and celebrate each other - lord knows some of us need it (especially Ben's deeeeep unhealthy voice). Not Tray though, who's suddenly maybe the most prolific writer in the entire emerging community. Lots of fun news, upcoming shorts, new projects and Edinburgh on the horizon - all of this and more in our 69th episode! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If like us, you need more John Jackson in your life, here's a whole extra half an hour with your new favourite working TV writer, as we cover everything from specific advice for emerging writers, to why sports movies are just THE BEST. And as before, if you want to keep up with John, he's @johnjackson5412 on Instagram, and EAST, the network we talk about which John co-founded to support British East and South East Asians in Scripted Television is https://easttv.org. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're going all-in on longevity as we sit down with the exceedingly successful John Jackson, a true journeyman TV writer with credits stretching back 25 years, on everything from Being Human, to Robin Hood, FX's Trust and Sky's Riviera. It's one thing to get those early credits, it's another to keep your head in the game for as long as John has, and this episode is FULL of exciting little tidbits of advice and weird industry stories from a very long (and still developing) career in screenwriting. Not least John's early days working on ITV's odd Twin Peaks-esque soap Night & Day which we definitely devote far too much time to but is just the most baffling 00s TV curio you might ever come across. And naturally, John is just a really good hang too, so there's lots to enjoy - all-in, it might be one of our favourite episodes ever, SO WHAT'RE YOU WAITING FOR? LISTEN. GO ON. PRESS THE PLAY BUTTON. If you want to keep up with John, he's @johnjackson5412 on Instagram, and EAST, the network we talk about which John co-founded to support British East and South East Asians in Scripted Television is https://easttv.org. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More great advice from our new favourite agent Jack Gilchrist, as we dive into the Last Call and get very specific about query emails, School of Rock and why more creatives should have grown up on Disney Channel original movies. If we didn't answer it in the main episode, we almost certainly cover it here - we well and truly rinsed Jack's brain. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After talking about our preferences and the challenges of getting an agent last week (and for a good year prior), today we've actually managed to corner one to answer all of our questions directly - so please welcome the exceedingly lovely, exceedingly patient Jack Gilchrist, an agent at Casarotto Ramsay & Associates here in the UK!How do agents realise they want to be agents? How do agents *become* agents? How many of their clients did they actually find via a cold email? What does a good agent/client relationship actually look like? Jack very kindly walks us through the answers to ALL of these questions, and many many more in what quickly became our longest episode ever. And just in case that wasn't enough, we also cover how to become a Mercedes Benz salesman, and why the Lizzie McGuire Movie has truly stood the test of time. Don't say we never spoil you!In case of interest, the PMA website Jack mentions in the episode is https://thepma.com/ 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been talking about looking for agents for as long as we've been writing, but with the British industry where it is right now, we've started asking ourselves - do we actually need an agent to progress? The answer is obviously, pretty complicated, so here's a solid hour of back and forth about not just that, but what our ideal agent would look like, and how best to approach the good ones. This episode was recorded a few months ago, just before we managed to actually track one down to come on and chat to us and tell us about all the various ways we might be missing key info... so look out for that next week. For now, let's take stock of where we writers are at, and how we can push against the old fashioned power dynamic of cold emails. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all need more Louis in our life, so here's another bonus chunk of our elongated chat with the very exciting emerging filmmaker as we take him through the Last Call. From how long your short should probably be if you want to get a festival selection (from the guy who's been to LFF, Raindance and the others!) to why no one cares how much dust is on the table in your script, Louis spills A LOT of great advice here. And as before, if you want to check out Louis' work, you'll find it all at louischanfilms[dot]com, plus he's on Instagram as @louischanwing! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An episode a long time in the making - today we're (finally) joined by the ridiculously exciting writer, director, Martin collaborator and true Simpsons connoisseur Louis Chan, one of the most name-dropped creatives in Emerging history! Louis guides us through not only his wiggly career making (very very good and very very celebrated) shorts, but also how he found the energy and nerve it took to get them made, essentially becoming the King of Hustle in the process, creating his own opportunities every step of the way. From commandeering university equipment, to co-creating a series of rough and ready comedies with his brother that got the pair a development deal, Louis knows a lot about how to get those doors open and have the right conversations. On top of directing the Martin-penned HIGHS and his many other shorts, Louis was also selected as part of last year's BBC Comedy Collective, something which boosted his TV profile in a big way, so there's plenty of talk about exciting new projects too. And if you want to check out Louis' work, you'll find it all at louischanfilms[dot]com, and he's on Instagram as @louischanwing! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you taken any time off recently? Well, this week we finally are. And rather than leaving you with a big ol' blank nothing where an episode should be, we're digging through the archives (60+ episodes, we have archives now) and finding something that fits the vibe just perfectly. So here's a throwback to last year when we covered this exact topic - do we need to write every day? Taking time off is important, yo.📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If an hour and a bit wasn't enough Janice for your ears, here's a whole bonus 20 minutes with the brilliant Janice Okoh, as we walk her through the Last Call. Even more laughs, even more candid home truths from one of the UK's most exciting writers!Naturally Tray's connection failed as we got to the final hurdle so we lose him in this bonus ep, but stay tuned for some killer answers and even more love for the iconic Shonda Rhimes. And of course, if you want to follow Janice's career and hear more about her journey, she's @janiceokoh on Instagram 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The absolute gold standard of writing guests in today's episode, as we welcome hugely celebrated playwright AND the BAFTA winning creator of BBC's Just Act Normal, Janice Okoh, for a very candid chat about breaking through in a bumpy industry. Janice has done it all, from early radio commissions at Radio 4 to staging her own plays, getting a book deal and even getting fired from her episode of Casualty. She was one of the very first writers on 4Screenwriting, on top of a frankly HUGE amount of other schemes, and has had plenty of kickbacks along the way. So to say her journey is fascinating is an understatement - this is an absolute MUST LISTEN for all emerging writers. Even if it's just to hear what happened to her BAFTA literally minutes after she won it... And of course, if you want to follow Janice's career and hear more about her journey, she's @janiceokoh on Instagram 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And so we reach the marathon of all screenwriting undertakings - the original, arguably the most fun, but certainly the most complex - the feature film. Why is it so hard? Why does it take forever to make it through Act Two? And how do you make it through the whole thing without tossing the entire script out of the digital window because it's just not very good (yet)? In the third and final part of our little trilogy of episodes, we're looking at how each of us in turn approaches writing a feature, from building early mood boards and soundtracks to trying to trick ourselves with treatments. We vary a lot here too, lots of great advice within!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

TV Pilots are arguably the best bang for your buck as an emerging writer - shorter, lower stakes, highly unlikely to get made anyway, and every competition is positively frothing at the mouth for them. But how does writing an episode of TV differ from writing a feature film? And how does writing specifically a pilot script for your own show differ from writing other TV?In the next on our series about how we approach writing for different mediums, we're going all-in on those 40-page wonders, from how to prep an idea and figure out its home, to how it might differ structurally from some other styles of writing. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's one of Martin's favourite bits of advice - go off and make a short. But how do you even begin to start? What makes writing a short film totally different (and arguably, far more flexible) than writing a TV pilot or a feature? Well, in the first of a lil trilogy of episodes about how we approach different mediums, we're digging deep into exactly that. You've got an idea for a short film, now what?Included is quite a bit of tough love (is this going to help your writing career? is a short film script enough to get industry attention?) but also plenty of rock solid advice on how to go from zero to a fully-finished and festival ready short, and of course the ins and outs of why you would even bother with making one in the first place. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look at this - a whole extra 25 minutes with the supremely talented Hong Kong-born writer-director Calif Chong! We take Calif through the Last Call, learn all about the history of Stephen Chow, the most useful takeaways from Blake Snyder's Save the Cat AND how those creative goalposts are always moving, even after you've made your first feature. As with her full episode, Calif's incredibly wise and generous with her answers - if you want to follow her career, she's @califcnm on Instagram!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know we always say it whenever we have a guest on, but seriously, get ready for a true MASTERCLASS in today's episode from Calif Chong, a Hong Kong born writer-director who started in-house at HK's legendary TVB, before moving across the world to London (via Berlin), eventually making her first feature High Wire, which premiered at last year's BFI London Film Festival. Calif is incredibly generous, covering the ups and downs of making indie features, balancing it with her blossoming career as an assembly editor in high-end TV, and the challenge of language barriers as she relocated multiple times to find the right creative home. There's also a bit of talk about writing labs, since Calif is on this year's Gatecrashers lab for working-class genre writers. And as always, if you want to follow Calif's career, she's @califcnm on Instagram!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Being original can feel like the most important thing in the world for a writer, but look around - most things aren't anymore. And while we're not saying rip off Hacks, or resign yourself to never having a truly novel idea ever again, it's important to not let the quest for originality get in the way of actually making stuff. It's your voice and your perspective that's important. So let's talk about ideas, how they happen, how we chase them, and why sometimes we feel like they're lacking. And while we're at it, let's talk about this podcast too, because we've definitely been running a little dry recently... Got any burning questions or ideas for topics? Drop us a line. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So many writers suffer from imposter syndrome, especially us Brits, it's hard to feel like you belong in an industry that doesn't feel like it's built for any of us. So we asked our resident American Mr Tray Epps to help break it down; where does he find his confidence, and how exactly does one "fake it til you make it"? Cue also a little bit of important tough love. This episode also features the story of our surprising celebrity run-in in Soho during the TV Foundation's First Draft event, and again how Tray's ability to quiet the negative voices in his head lead to an encounter to remember. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sometimes the best way to learn how to write is to read how other people have done it. And we don't just mean the pros. We spend a lot of time reading each others work, scripts from friends, and the absolute smorgasbord of unproduced screenplays floating around on the internet, on top of the regular funnel of 'For Your Consideration' writing released every awards season. But what's the best way to approach reading a screenplay to get the most out of the experience? How long should it take? Where can I find scripts and how do I physically read them? All this and more within! And if you're trying to find the unproduced Michael Waldron Blacklist script we talk about, it's called 'The Worst Guy Of All Time, And The Girl Who Came To Kill Him' and like most things, it's probably out there somewhere if you look hard enough. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spring is finally here, and it's been a very busy Q1 for a bunch of different reasons; Martin's on a new scheme, Tray's spreading his networking wings, and Ben's producing(!), we're a long way from where we were a few months ago. But what does that mean for our writing resolutions? Staying on track with your goals can be hard - we set each other some pretty hefty resolutions back at the start of 2026, so here we are checking in. What's working, what's not, what have we written / worked on, what do we WISH we'd written / worked on, what are we missing, and most of all, are we *okay*? (the answer may surprise you)Checking in is important, so why not give it a go yourself?📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast is a whole year old! And even though Martin refuses to admit it, it's definitely had a big impact on the way we approach our writing and networking. So this week we're looking back - not in a clip show way, but in a reflective way - and chatting through what we've learned, how we've changed and how the show has managed to re-shape us as writers.As a bonus, we also reached out to our previous guests and asked them the same question, so dotted throughout are voice notes from some of the industry's best and brightest, who have far more interesting and exciting things to say than we do!With thanks to Beatty Smith, Mike Powell, Olivia Ababio, Thomas Burr, Hanna Tatschl, Max Krupski, Sophie Park, Rachel Flynn, Emma Sheldrick and Yuan Hu for their insight. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Oscars and BAFTAs pass us all by once again, we're digging into awards season as a whole and the very concept of awards full stop. Do they matter? Is it actually the best films that win? How do you judge if something should win an award for writing? And will WE ever actually win one?Not only are we going through the Best Screenplay nominees and winners, we're also taking a look at our favourite bits of writing from the year that didn't get anywhere near an award - we don't have to let the Academy dictate the conversation!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One final last 20 minute dive into the mind of fantastic filmmaker Yuan Hu, as we take him through the Last Call and he takes us through his best and worst creative advice, how to find motivation as a writer with inspiration from David Lynch, and why Paul Thomas Anderson is the GOAT. You can find Yuan on Instagram as @yuanwho, and watch his incredible work on his website yuan-hu[dot]com. Look out for the rest of our chat next week! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second part of our long, wisdom-filled chat with filmmaker Yuan Hu leaves Spike Lee behind in favour of going deep into the development process. After nailing his first short and scoring an agent, Yuan soon found himself developing a feature film with Film4, so here he is explaining how it works. From that first meeting with the Film4 execs, to how long it took to build out the film's treatment, attaching a production company, and how it feels receiving round after round of notes. As always with Yuan, this is a super fascinating and to the point chat that covers a lot of ground - if you've ever been interested in the UK film development process, this is the episode for you. And do not miss Part 1 of this chat, which has some frankly ludicrous showbiz experiences. You can find Yuan on Instagram as @yuanwho, and watch his incredible work on his website yuan-hu[dot]com. Look out for the rest of our chat next week! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I know we always say it, but this week you really are in for a treat - celebrated director and reluctant writer Yuan Hu joins us for a fun deep dive into what's quickly become a very exciting career for him. First making commercial films for huge fashion brands and musicians like Little Simz, before a swift handbrake turn into narrative with short Sticks of Fury, which was immediately swiped up by BFI's London Film Festival, nabbing Yuan an agent in the process.But it all started when he took a chance on a trip to New York, and what soon became a blossoming mentorship from the legendary Spike Lee. As you'll soon find, this is only Part 1 of our chat with Yuan - there was so much good stuff, cutting it back felt mad! But in this chunk we're talking more specifically about mentors and early opportunities, and how Yuan certainly made the most out of working for big names like Spike Lee and Rankin. You can find Yuan on Instagram as @yuanwho, and watch his incredible work on his website yuan-hu[dot]com. Look out for the rest of our chat next week! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In maybe our most meta episode to date, this week we start procrastinating while talking about every writer's worst enemy - procrastination. It happens to us all, and sometimes it is unavoidable. So let's talk ways to not only understand why it's happening, but how to embrace procrastination too. Distractions are everywhere, and controversially, sometimes you need them (except when a deadline is literally staring you in the face obvs.)And ultimately remember that often procrastination is a sign of something bigger - a really big project that you care a lot about, or the exact inverse, a sign that what you're writing isn't really where your heart is. All of this and more in a shorter, messier, equally as fun little episode!And as always, if you have any insight, any questions, or just want to yell at us and tell us we're wrong, get in touch!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are so many screenwriting and industry terms, sometimes it feels like people are just messing with us. But why does a one pager need to be one page? And where does an outline become a treatment? And when does THAT become a bible? And does any of it really matter?Ultimately, not really. But it's important to know what someone's asking for, and the right way to communicate. Especially if it turns out a producer might be asking you for a very very long document, without offering to pay you first. So get clued up as best you can, and never be afraid to ask about exactly what you're expected to deliver!BBC's scriptwriting glossary is a very useful resource (though as we mention, not entirely fool-proof): https://www.bbc.co.uk/writers/resources/scriptwriting-glossary/ And as always, if you have any insight, any questions, or just want to yell at us and tell us we're wrong, get in touch!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We still don't have a little bell sound effect for The Last Call, but we DO have a whole extra 25 minutes with brilliant screenwriter Sophie Park, delving into the very nature of taking advice and how Kill Bill Vol. 2 can change your life.If you haven't caught up with our longer chat with Sophie yet, it's well worth a listen, and if you want to follow her wider journey, Sophie's @sophiejanepark on Instagram, and all of her films are available on her website sophiejanepark[dot]com📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look! Another guest! This week we're joined by filmmaker turned editor turned screenwriter and fellow New Writers Collective alum Sophie Park, to talk through not only her own journey into writing, but also that overhanging anxiety we all feel about identifying as a writer. Like many of us, Sophie's had a bunch of different day jobs, from working in advertising scripting big budget social adverts, to cutting trailers and short films for MUBI, all of which have given her a pretty unique perspective on writing. If you want to follow Sophie's journey she's @sophiejanepark on Instagram, and all of her films are available on her website sophiejanepark[dot]com. The book we talk about is Jeff Hiller's incredible autobiography Actress of a Certain Age.📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It doesn't matter how established a writer you are, at some point you'll find yourself in a meeting being asked the immortal question "Yeah, but who is it for?". Audience doesn't always mean demographics (age, gender, location), it can run so much deeper - so this week we're digging into just how we figure out who our projects are for, and how involved they need to be in the writing process. Do you write for your audience directly? Or do you write from the heart and figure out who you're selling it to after? Which genres attract which audiences? And at what stage in the process do you need to have a really, super tight idea of exactly who's going to watch your film or TV show? All of this and more in a slightly shorter, but even punchier episode!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you loved our chat with fascinating producer and entrepreneur Emma Kyung Mi Sheldrick, you're in luck - here's a whole extra 30 minutes of chat, as we take Emma through our (updated) Last Call, and accidentally go quite deep on AI and it's many uses in the film industry.As you'll soon find, Emma has a hand in a production start-up looking to use AI tools in a sensible and human-friendly way, and there's a very different and informative little section all about it buried in here. So dive in!If you want to follow what Emma's up to, she's @emma.kyungmi on Instagram, or check out her production company PLUS EIGHT TWO at plus-82[dot]com.📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're very very lucky to be joined by another killer guest this week in producer extraordinare Emma Kyung Mi Sheldrick, whose work (including famed short Tamagoyaki) has been split across the UK, South Korea and the US. Emma's as much an entrepreneur as she is a producer, and we go deep on not just the ways producers and writers overlap creatively, but how her many different side hustles factor into her filmmaking too.We also chat quite a bit about AI and vertical dramas too (Emerging gets topical!) so enjoy a slightly longer, but thanks to Emma - even more informed - episode than usual!If you want to follow what Emma's up to, she's @emma.kyungmi on Instagram, or check out her production company PLUS EIGHT TWO at plus-82[dot]com.📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's January, we're hitting the refresh button and with it, comes 2026's new year's resolutions - but with a twist. Rather than just looking at ourselves and where we think we should be, we're zooming out and asking our friends. So what're our resolutions for each other? How do we think we can help each other improve? Cue a surprisingly emotional and heartfelt episode about not only getting the most out of our writing practise, but how we can be kinder to ourselves too. How to back ourselves, and where we think we should be pushing each other. So why not get together with your writing community and lean on each other's insight a little more in 2026. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Xmas and the festive mess is over, so let's get writing! (if only it was that easy). This week we're back at our desks after 2 weeks of monstrous overeating, relentless childcare, and otherwise doing very little, so we're talking not only 2026 resolutions and our goals for the year ahead, but how we get back into the swing of things too. Taking time off is important, but getting back to work can feel incredibly daunting after the fact. So let's go slow, plan big, but be realistic. Use that January energy to try new things and new routines, but not completely reinvent the wheel either. What're your big plans for 2026?📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another year's nearly in the can, so we're looking back at 2025, and our professional wins and lessons learned from 12 months of continuing to emerge as a screenwriter in film and TV. Where did we succeed? What did we wish we did more of? And why is Tray still upset with Joe Barton? And to top things off, we're also looking back at our favourite movies and TV shows from 2025, and what we learned from them - not just about writing, but the industry too. See you in 2026!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at Emerging - and to celebrate, we figured we'd open a few presents, toss a few insults and unwrap our 4 favourite films and TV shows in this extra long special festive-themed episode!Yes, Tray breaks all of the formats, but we wouldn't have him any other way. Have a safe and relaxing festive break!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another extra 15 mins with the brilliant Chloë Mi Lin Ewart as she takes on the all-important Last Call! So what's the best and worst writing advice she's ever received? What's the TV show that most deserves to be erased from existence forever? And why is E.T. the best movie ever made? And if you didn't catch our full episode with Chloe, all about her emerging journey, have a listen - it's a real fun time. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered what happens on the fabled Channel 4 Screenwriting scheme? Or how one goes straight from that to signing with Mr Casarotto himself? This week's guest Chloë Mi Lin Ewart is not only full of answers, but great chat too. A veteran of SO MANY schemes, from 4Screenwriting, to The Residency and the BBC, Chloë's now a very successful writer with credits on Beyond Paradise, All Creatues Great and Small, and her own series very nearly on the horizon. So it's safe to say she's become a total expert at seizing every opportunity that's come her way!So join us for another long and winding chat through Chloë's emerging journey, from her start as a working class, Eurasian actor on soaps like Coronation Street, to breaking through with her first few pilot spec scripts. And if you want to follow Chloë's career, she's coincidentally found under @chloeewart on Instagram too! 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Joe Barton, creator of Black Doves, The Lazarus Project and the upcoming Amadeus (among so many others) is back with us to answer the all-important Last Call. So what's the best and worst writing advice he's ever received? What's the first story he ever wrote? And why does he love Love Actually so much?And if you didn't catch our even fuller chat with Joe, all about his emerging journey, from when and how he signed with his agent, to how he found success writing movies like The Ritual and shows like Giri-Haji, listen back! It's genuinely a great chat. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a fun one - we convinced BAFTA-nominated screenwriter Joe Barton, creator of Black Doves, Giri/Haji and Sky's upcoming Amadeus (among so many others) to join us for a chat about his own emerging journey!From his first few jobs on McFly's long forgotten vampire movie and a MySpace original series (yes, MySpace once made TV), to how he signed with his agent, his experiences in LA, and how his work on films like The Ritual hit differently to writing for TV, there're A LOT of great insights from Joe's career buried in here. Join us later in the week for his answers to The Last Call too... With thanks again to Joe for joining us the night before the Black Doves Season 2 shoot kicked off(!), if you want to follow his career and support a plucky young upstart, he's @joebarton_ on Instagram, and his new show AMADEUS lands on Sky on 21st December. 📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A special bonus chat this week - inspiring producer, filmmaker, production co-ordinator and all-round multi-hyphenate Sonia Wargacka sits down with Ben to talk about her very new, very different talent agency Powerhouse and how she hopes to change the world of agenting for the better. If you want to follow Sonia's progress, she's @leaveitwithsonia on Instagram, and her agency is @this.is.powerhouse!📬 Get In Touch:Email us: [email protected] us on Instagram: @theemergingpodBen is @bmlrobinsMartin is @bananabreadfilmTray is @ByTrayepps✨ Support the Show:If you enjoyed the episode, please rate and review! And share it with a fellow emerging writer who needs a boost (or a laugh). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.