Earl Newton.com » Interviews

Me – On Art

Earl Newton — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 03:43:32 +0000

Last week I spent a few days in Auburn, Al, catching up with Doc Waller, executive director for the Layman Group. He did an interview with me (as Board Emeritus for the group) about art, the Layman Group, and their collective futures, and you can see the best pieces of it here:

Earl Newton on Art

Destin Log article

Earl Newton — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 04:20:21 +0000

An article about my entré into filmmaking was recently published in the Destin Log in Destin, Florida. It talks a lot about what first drew me into storytelling. Fraser Sherman penned the article, and you have to hand it to him: it has a killer opening line:

When Earl Newton was 10, he convinced his friends he was born on another planet.

The article hasn’t been posted on the Destin Log’s website, so I’m linking to a repost of it on TMCnet.com.

Read the full article here.

True Stories: Rachel White

Earl Newton — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:40:37 +0000

“True Stories” is a series of videos examining the thoughts and feelings of artists as it relates to their art. I produced this series for the Layman Group, featuring select members of the board of directors.

I thought Rachel White’s comments were especially on-the-mark. Listen close when she starts talking about “being the right puzzle piece.”

Stranger Things fans will also recognize Rachel as Madeline from Disconnect.

Unquiet Desperation: The Creative Process (interview)

Earl Newton — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 22:19:37 +0000

Chris Miller should get extra points for having this interview posted before I’d had time to even compose the blog post linking to it. We literally recorded this interview two hours ago. Madness.

In this piece, Chris and I talk about the creative process, about what I’ve learned since starting Stranger Things, and what’s gotten me into blogging regularly (short answer: a beautiful woman).

While you’re poking around Chris’ site, check out my favorite episode of his: Conversion, about a Southern Baptist preacher who converted to Judaism. Fascinating stuff, and his interview subject is very well-researched.

Disconnect, Screenwriting, and Storytelling (Interview)

Earl Newton — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:38:05 +0000

A few weeks back, J.C. Hutchins invited me to come on his program “Hey Everybody!” to talk about our collaboration on Disconnect, the nature of storytelling, and the process of making a low-budget film.

It runs about 45 minutes long, and is one of the more in-depth discussions I’ve ever recorded about these topics. If you’re a filmmaker or know one, it’s worth a listen.

Click here for the interview.

While you’re at it, consider picking up a copy of J.C. Hutchins’ Personal Effects: Dark Art. This isn’t a paid endorsement, but I think as a storyteller it’s important to keep up with where the craft is going, and what J.C. is doing with Personal Effects is close to revolutionary. It’s worth your time, if only for a master class in storytelling.

Adapting Prose to the Screen (interview)

Earl Newton — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:41:00 +0000

Earlier this evening I was part of the Dead Robots’ Society roundtable discussion on adapting prose to the screen. Along with me were top-tier storytellers Matt Wallace and Patrick McLean.

Questions came both from the terrific hosts (PG Holyfield, Justin Macumber, Terry Mixon, and Ryan Stevenson) as well as the audience questions I had mentioned before.

The interview ranges from lessons learned in the world of commercials and advertising, the challenges in switching from prose to screenwriting, and what it takes to preserve a good story from the page to the screen.

You get a chance to get to know the hosts in the beginning, the actual interview begins around 15:20 in. You get to hear me at my most silly, so take it while you can get it.

For the original Dead Robot Society show notes, click here.