Emerging: How to Eventually Make it in Film & TV

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).

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: TheEmergingPodcast@gmail.comFollow 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).