This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world’s simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar are the two brilliant minds behind Train Dreams, the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novella. Their film is emotionally devastating in ways that stay with you long after the credits roll. In this interview, I wanted to understand how that kind of film actually gets made. We talk about how they taught themselves filmmaking by building a mental archive of references, how a single frame can unlock an entire scene, and why adapting a book often requires stepping away from its words. This episode is an exploration into how two directors think together, and how a deeply human story becomes something monumental. 00:00:00 Building a reference bank 00:05:10 Borrowing ideas from other films 00:08:32 Why write a mission statement 00:13:14 Adapting a book for film 00:20:19 Bringing a place to life 00:30:22 Editing a screenplay 00:38:44 Real life, but cinematic 00:45:46 How filmmakers think 00:52:07 How to get feedback 00:56:02 Beware of too much dialogue 01:00:23 Let the story guide you 01:09:13 What makes a great soundtrack 01:12:13 Mantras they return to *About the host* Hey! I’m David Perell and I’m a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. *Follow me* Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell