Instead of focusing on one guest, one project, or one creative journey, Ben steps back and looks at what the first 10 episodes of What’s The Trick? have actually revealed. The result is a smart, generous roundup of the ideas, habits, decisions, and mindset shifts that keep showing up across very different creative worlds.

Across these first conversations, the people featured have built companies, books, films, comedy careers, social media brands, stage shows, and creative bodies of work that took years to sharpen. This episode exists to pull the best lessons back into focus: not as a greatest-hits package, but as a practical guide to how creative work really gets made.

If you are new to the podcast, this is a useful entry point. If you have been listening from the start, it is a strong reminder that the real value is not just in hearing a great story once, but in noticing the patterns underneath it.

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In this episode, Ben Hanlin sits down with animatronics expert and robot inventor Matt Denton to unpack the craft behind some of modern cinema’s most memorable practical creations, most notably BB-8 from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but also work connected to Harry Potter, Project Hail Mary, and the wider world of robotics and film effects.

This conversation exists because great screen characters are rarely “just designed.” They’re engineered, tested, puppeteered, compromised, rebuilt, and refined under pressure. What emerges here is not just a story about robots or puppets, but a deeper look at how technical problem-solving becomes emotional storytelling.

If you’ve ever wondered how a sketch on a Post-it note becomes an iconic film character, or how practical effects still survive in an increasingly digital world - this episode is a fascinating look behind the curtain.

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FOLLOW MATT:

SUBSCRIBE: https://www.youtube.com/@UCbOrJwJsd4vFS4aLIILa_7Q

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INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/mantisrobot

TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@mantisrobot

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Ben sits down with Irwin Sparkes and Al Sharland to explore what was actually made: a band, a body of songs, a number one album, and eventually a career that had to survive both momentum and disappointment. The conversation is not really about fame. It is about craft, resilience, taste, identity, and the pressure that arrives once something works.

What makes this episode worth your time is how honest it is about the gap between potential and execution. They talk about the decade of floundering before things clicked, the producer who forced them to get better, the brutal feedback that changed the band, and the real difference between making something good and making something that connects.

If you care about how creative work gets shaped over time, how hits are written, how standards get raised, and how people keep going after the first wave passes, this is a deeply useful conversation.

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Jack, the artist behind albums like Singing to Strangers, Europeana and his latest release We Will Always Be the Way We Were, didn’t follow the typical “signed → success” path. Instead he spent years relentlessly touring building audiences room by room and deliberately chose independence over industry control. This approach ultimately led to two UK number-one records.

This conversation delves into the true requirements of a music career, encompassing songwriting, navigating the industry, discovering your unique voice and ultimately building a lasting career spanning decades rather than fleeting months.

For those curious about the real-world construction of creative careers beyond the glitz and glamour, this episode offers a rare glimpse into the craft, perseverance and mindset necessary to create enduring art.

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We Will Always Be The Way We Were’ - The new album from Jack Savoretti coming 10th April 2026 | Pre order here - https://jacksavoretti.orcd.co/wwabtwww

Follow Jack Savoretti:

Sign Up: https://JackSavoretti.lnk.to/SignUpID

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http://jacksavoretti.com/

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Dom didn’t just star in the show. He built it from scratch. No writing room. No committee. No grand career plan. Just a £1,000 camera, a friend behind the bar who became his cameraman, and an instinct for what made him laugh.

I wanted to have this conversation because Trigger Happy TV felt raw, anarchic, and completely of its time and yet 25 years later, it still works. This episode explores how it was actually made, where the ideas came from, how it was sold to 80+ countries, and what it cost Dom creatively and personally.

If you’re interested in how comedy is built, not in theory, but in practice, this conversation pulls the curtain back.

This is about making comedy without a script.

About trusting instinct over consensus.

About luck, timing, hunger, burnout and the price of creativity.

Trigger Happy TV 25th Anniversary Tour tickets

https://www.domjoly.tv/live/ 

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Pulp Kitchen began as a simple idea: talk about films every week. No built-in audience. No fame. No production team. Just consistency, shared enthusiasm, and a decision to commit long-term. Over time, that weekly habit turned into a full-time creative career with live shows, brand partnerships, junket interviews, and a growing audience.

This conversation exists for anyone wondering: How does something like that actually happen? Not the highlight reel. Not the viral moment. But the mechanics. The risk. The mindset. The turning points.

If you’ve ever thought about starting something creative, a podcast, a channel, a product, this episode is about what it really takes to make it work.

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FOLLOW PULP KITCHEN:

YOUTUBE:  @pulpkitchenpodcast 

TIKTOK: www.tiktok.com/@pulpkitchenpodcast

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/pulpkitchenpodcast/

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Not the vanity version. Not the “10k followers in 30 days” version. The real version.

Together, they explore how Amelia built her company from zero to £4 million in three and a half years, why it nearly broke her, and what she believes now about creativity, positioning, storytelling, and reputation in the modern world.

This conversation exists because “personal brand” has become a buzzword - and Amelia has actually done it. Built it. Scaled it. Burned out from it. Rebuilt it. If you care about ideas, visibility, creative work, or building something under your own name - this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn:

-Why a personal brand is simply “a reputation at scale” - and why that changes everything

-How to test and refine an idea while still employed (and effectively “get paid to learn”)

-What fast growth really costs - beyond the headline revenue numbers

-Why most content doesn’t convert (and what separates visibility from revenue)

-A simple three-bucket framework for content that actually builds authority

-Why storytelling only works when someone can say “me too”

-How to overcome fear of posting, speaking, or putting yourself forward

-The difference between execution problems and positioning problems

-Why followers don’t matter nearly as much as you think

-How to choose which ideas to pursue - and which to let go

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Ben sits down with a producer and songwriter Owen Cutts work spans hip-hop, soul, pop, and British music culture, someone who has built a long career behind the scenes, helping artists turn unfinished thoughts into finished records.

This conversation exists to answer a deceptively simple question:

- What does it really take to make meaningful creative work that lasts?

- Not just to start, but to sustain.

- If you’ve ever wondered how ideas move from instinct to execution, or how creative people balance art, ego, money, and longevity, this episode is for you.

What You’ll Learn

- Why the music industry isn’t actually about money - and what it is about instead

- How professional creators build trust fast enough to do vulnerable work with strangers

- What a “day-one demo” is - and why it has to be album-ready by the end of the day

- How changing the perspective of an idea can unlock originality

- Why chasing trends almost guarantees you’ll arrive too late

- How great producers think in terms of environments, not just sounds

- What old music can teach modern creators about invention and courage

Why This Conversation Matters

- Most people talk about creativity as inspiration.

- This episode treats it as craft, judgment, and responsibility.

- It pulls back the curtain on the invisible decisions that shape creative work - the moments that don’t make headlines but determine outcomes.

- The value of saying no.

- The cost of rushing.

- The discipline of putting the work before the ego.

- Whether you make music, build companies, write, design, or lead teams, this conversation reframes creativity as something done deliberately, not magically.

Who This Episode Is For

- Creatives who want to understand how ideas become finished work

- Founders balancing vision, collaboration, and real-world constraints

- Makers who care about longevity more than virality

- Anyone curious about how trust and taste operate under pressure

- People who love culture, but want to understand how it’s constructed

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In this episode of What’s The Trick?, Ben Hanlin sits down with Scott to talk about what Scott has actually made: a sustainable stand-up career, a writing practice that runs like a job, and a set of repeatable methods for turning everyday life into material that lands in rooms full of strangers.

It’s a conversation about creative risk when you’ve got a mortgage and kids, and about what happens when you treat creativity like a system, not a mood. You’ll hear how Scott writes (and rewrites), how he engineers punchlines without killing the life in them, and how he handles the psychological weight of being judged in real time.

If you’re trying to build any craft-based career, comedy, content, design, music, writing, performance, this is an honest look at the unglamorous part: the work that makes the work possible.

What You’ll Learn

• How to know when the “what if” feeling is the real signal, and when it’s just noise
• Why doing two lives at once (job + craft) can make you average at both, and what changes when you commit
• A practical rule for timing your leap: why quitting too early creates pressure that dilutes the dream
• How to write faster by removing unnecessary “scene setting” and getting to the point sooner
• A simple method for building routines: context first, then punchline, and how to test if the setup is doing its job
• Why putting yourself at the centre of the story makes material more relatable (and usually funnier)
• How audience expectations “tether” your voice, and what happens when you shift gears too hard
• Scott’s approach to crowd work as a writing tool, not a random gamble
• What to do when a room feels quiet: the mindset shift that stops you from unraveling mid-set
• The one “trick” Scott credits for longevity: treating comedy like work, not inspiration

Why This Conversation Matters

Most people love the idea of making something - a show, a set, a body of work, a creative life - but get stuck on the parts that don’t look romantic from the outside: repetition, uncertainty, slow progress, and the reality that the room doesn’t owe you anything.

Scott’s value here isn’t motivation. It’s clarity. He breaks down the mechanics of getting good - how ideas become routines, how the right sentence replaces ten weaker ones, how you earn confidence by building evidence. And he’s honest about the trade: you can build a life doing what you love, but you don’t get to skip the psychological load that comes with it.

This episode is a reminder that “creative success” often looks like structure, consistency, and decision-making - not lightning bolts.

Who This Episode Is For

• You’re building a creative career alongside a job and want a realistic framework for when (and how) to leap
• You perform, speak, teach, pitch, or present — and you want to handle rooms more confidently
• You’re writing anything (stand-up, scripts, content, talks) and want tighter setups and cleaner structure
• You’ve got momentum but struggle to balance drive with the feeling that you’re never “there yet”
• You’re allergic to hype and want the unglamorous truth about craft, pressure, and progress

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In this episode of What’s The Trick?, Ben Hanlin sits down with TV writer and creator Matthew Barry to unpack the real mechanics behind making large-scale drama - from writers’ rooms that barely involve writing, to the invisible maths of scheduling, budgets, and momentum that quietly shape every story you see on screen.

Matthew has written for some of the UK’s most demanding long-running shows, worked in major American writers’ rooms, and created original dramas that made it all the way through commissioning, financing, and broadcast. This conversation exists to strip away the mythology and talk honestly about how things actually get made - not just the ideas, but the systems around them.

If you’ve ever wondered how a TV series moves from a blank page to a finished broadcast, or how creative careers are sustained over decades rather than moments, this episode is a rare, clear-eyed look behind the curtain.

What You’ll Learn

- Why a “writer’s room” is mostly about pitching, conversation, and decision-making, not typing.

- How TV seasons are structurally planned using character boards and episode grids

- Why pitching ideas is a completely different skill from writing them

- How scheduling, availability, and logistics quietly dictate story choices

- What makes dialogue feel authentic, and why character voice can’t really be taught

- Why some of the most powerful story setups are intentionally never paid off

- How commissioning, funding, and timing actually determine whether a show gets made

- A practical, repeatable method for beating procrastination and finishing drafts

Why This Conversation Matters

Most creative conversations focus on inspiration or talent. This one focuses on process.

Matthew’s career sits at the intersection of craft and constraint, where creativity isn’t just about having good ideas, but about navigating systems, rooms, notes, budgets, and timing without losing your voice. That tension is familiar far beyond television: founders, makers, and creatives in every field face the same challenge of turning ideas into reality inside imperfect structures.

This episode isn’t about shortcuts or hacks. It’s about understanding the real game - so you can play it with more clarity, patience, and resilience.

Who This Episode Is For

- Writers and creatives curious about how professional TV actually gets made

- Founders and makers working inside complex systems they don’t fully control

- Anyone interested in storytelling, structure, and audience expectation

- Creators struggling with procrastination, perfectionism, or finishing work

- Listeners who value long-term creative careers over overnight success

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Ben Hanlin sits down with Dan Rhodes, one of the most-followed magicians on YouTube, to unpack how a background in magic turned into a global audience through short-form video, disciplined experimentation, and an almost obsessive focus on consistency. What was made here isn’t just content, it’s a system for learning in public, iterating fast, and compounding attention over time.

This conversation exists because so much advice about creativity and platforms is either outdated or overly abstract. Dan’s story is grounded in real decisions: what to post, how often, when to pivot, what to ignore, and why owning your audience now matters more than chasing traditional media milestones.

At its core, this episode is about building something durable in a world where platforms change, algorithms shift, and attention is fleeting, and how to keep making work you actually care about while doing it.

What You’ll Learn

• How to build repeatable creative “buckets” instead of constantly reinventing ideas.
• Why the first milestone on any platform is the hardest, and why growth compounds after that.
• A practical posting cadence that prioritises learning over perfection.
• How watch time, not follower count, really drives distribution.
• Why short-form success can complicate long-form growth, and how to navigate it.
• The trade-off between chasing traditional media and owning your own audience.
• How to think about risk, patience, and delayed returns as a creator.

Why This Conversation Matters

Creative careers used to follow a narrow path: get on TV, get signed, get commissioned. That model shaped egos, ambitions, and definitions of success for decades.

This conversation challenges that framework. It shows how a creator can build leverage by showing up daily, paying attention to feedback, and treating platforms as tools, not destinations. Dan’s journey highlights a generational shift: from chasing gatekeepers to building direct relationships with audiences, one piece of content at a time.

For anyone making things today, films, products, art, and ideas. This episode offers a grounded perspective on how momentum is actually built, and why adaptability matters more than status.

Who This Episode Is For

• Creators trying to grow on social platforms without burning out
• Founders and makers interested in audience-first thinking
• Anyone frustrated by slow early progress and wondering if it’s worth continuing
• People deciding between traditional media paths and independent creation
• Listeners curious about how creative systems are built, not just outcomes

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Join Ben Hanlin as interviews Tom Basden about his journey in filmmaking, focusing on the transition from a short film to a feature, the collaborative writing process, the challenges of production, and the role of music in storytelling. Tom shares insights on improvisation during filming, the importance of passion in writing, and offers advice for aspiring writers in the comedy genre.

What You’ll Learn

- How to move from an early version (short/idea) to a full feature without losing what made it special.



- Why finishing the script before involving “the system” can protect tone, confidence, and creative clarity.



- A practical way to think about structure: if scenes can be removed or reordered without consequences, something’s off.



- How to collaborate when two writers have different strengths (one generates fast, the other simplifies and sharpens).



- When improvisation helps and when it’s a trap (especially under extreme time pressure).



- How to handle disagreement across script, shoot, and edit without killing the vibe.



- Why momentum is the hidden fuel of film projects and what to do when it starts to stall.

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Ben Hanlin is joined by Simon Brodkin, known for his character Lee Nelson, as he shares insights into his creative process, the evolution of comedy, and the art of pranking.

He discusses the transition from character comedy to stand-up, the impact of social media on the comedy landscape, and the challenges of self-producing comedy specials.

Simon emphasises the importance of audience engagement and the learning journey in building a successful comedy career.

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Ben Hanlin is joined by radio presenter and board game creator Matt Edmondson, discussing the tricks to becoming a successful board game creator.

He discusses the creative process behind developing board games, the importance of collaboration, the challenges of launching a game, and the excitement of expanding into global markets.

Matt also delves into the importance of format in creativity and the joy of pursuing diverse interests.

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This week Ben Hanlin is joined by Olivier-nominated actor and writer Andy Nyman. Listen in from the empty Garrick Theatre following his performance in ‘The Producers’.

During this episode, we explore Andy’s career from starring in ‘Wicked’, working with magician ‘Darren Brown’, to writing and producing his still-touring show ‘Ghost Stories’.

He goes into depth about the audition process, where his creative ideas come from, and his key words of advice on how to make it as an actor.

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Join Ben Hanlin as Callie Hart discusses the rise of the romantic fantasy genre, her journey to writing 'Quicksilver', and the intricacies of character development and world-building.

Sharing insights into her writing process, the challenges of self-publishing versus traditional publishing, and the impact of social media, particularly BookTok, on her book's success.

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During this episode of the podcast, they discuss how Niall creates ideas for videos, how he manages his time and sharing his love, passion and knowledge of video editing.

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Ben Hanlin interviews Simon Squibb, exploring the intricacies of creativity, content creation, and the entrepreneurial journey.

They discuss the importance of community, transparency, and the role of social media platforms like TikTok in sharing knowledge.

Simon shares his insights on financial literacy, the creative process, and the significance of time management.

The discussion also touches on the impact of AI in content creation and the necessity of accountability and consistency in achieving success.

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In this conversation, we sit down with some of The World’s most creative people and get geeky about their creative process. The breakthroughs, the failures, the step-by-step hard work that audiences never see.

Join Ben Hanlin as he interviews Comedians, Musicians, Writers, Content Creators and asks them, “What’s The Trick?”

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