Journalism | Syl R. Martin

Samples of my work in media: exclusive interviews and editorial content.

Interviewing James Bomalick (Action Director)

A master of special effects with broad, in-depth knowledge across a wide range of techniques -from stunts and pyrotechnics to mechanical, electrical, and explosive systems, as well as storyboarding and complex fight choreography- James Bomalick excels at combining technical precision with creative vision. His impressive creative application of hard boiled science and maths make of…
Interviewing Colin Teague (Director & Writer)

DIRECTING & WRITING CREDITS: Beowulf: Return to the Shieldlands, Jekyll & Hyde, Da Vinci’s Demons, Spotless, Dragonheart 3: The Sorcerer’s Curse, The White Queen, The Town, Frankenstein’s Wedding… Live in Leeds, Hustle, Trinity, Being Human, Doctor Who, Torchwood, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Sinbad, Shirley, Harley Street, Holby City, The Last Drop, Spivs, London’s Burning. His last completed…
Interviewing Michael F. Blake (Special Make-Up Effects)

Michael F. Blake born in Hollywood, California, comes from a family of entertainment professionals. His own career choices have always been very closely tied to the entertainment industry. In film: Michael F. Blake has worked as a key special make-up effects artist for all of the blockbusters listed in his film work credits above, and has…
Interviewing Doug Jones (Creature Actor)

DOUG JONES: I loathe technology, largely because I feel stupid using it. I long for the rotary-dial phone! I majored in Telecommunications (Radio & TV Broadcasting) because my parents refused to let me major in Theatre. “You need a field you can actually get a job in, dear,” was their sensible Indiana parental reasoning. So…
Interviewing Jenny Beavan (Costume Designer)

SRM: Jenny, I am absolutely delighted to feature your fantastic work and wealth of expertise, thank you so much for participating in this interview. Costume Design, which is one of the most important aspects of a film, TV or theatre production, and a sure recipe for success or disaster, requires of an incredible amount of work…
Interviewing Michael Hirst (Creator & Writer)

All 6 seasons of Vikings are available to stream in the UK primarily on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. MICHAEL HIRST was headed for an academic life, having achieved his First Class Joint-Honours Degree in English and American Literature by the University of Nottingham, and completed his studies on Henry James at Trinity College, Oxford……
Interviewing Mala Rodriguez

Born in Jerez de la Frontera (Cadiz, Spain), Maria made her first demo tape at 18. Two years later, she made her debut as ‘Mala Rodriguez’ and forever changed the face of Spanish hip-hop with her smash hit “Yo Marco El Minuto”…
Interviewing Sananda Maitreya (Formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby)

The Uncaught Fish that Swims in the Soul In the ancient language of Sanskrit, Sananda means ‘joyful’ and/or ‘one who walks with light’, whilst Maitreya is to be interpreted as ‘loving-kindness’. It’s no accident that the artist who I am about to interview, would dream recurrently about these names in his darkest hours, when the…
Interviewing Robin Hanbury-Tenison (Survival International)

Cover Amazon picture by Neil Palmer/CIAT – CC BY-SA 2.0 > Some of his achievements as an explorer are: – The first person to travel overland from London to Sri Lanka. – The first to cross South America overland at its widest point. – The first to cross South America from north to south by river.…
Interviewing Prof. Frans de Waal (The Age of Empathy)

SRM: Professor de Waal, thank you for accepting my invitation to this interview, I’m honoured. The many years of your research and fieldwork with primates inspired what we know today as the field of Primate Cognition. What inspired you to study animal behaviour in the first place? What was your main goal? FRANS DE WAAL:…
Interviewing DR. Muthanna Samara (Children in War)

On countless occasions we have heard the expression ‘children are the future’ but rarely we have stopped to think about what the meaning of this expression really implies. It implies that everything that affects our children in their first years of life leaves a deep and indelible impression that will mark their early development, their…
Interviewing Prof. David Deutsch (Quantum Computation Pioneer)

Prof. DAVID DEUTSCH, the award-winning British physicist who pioneered the field of quantum computation, laid the foundations of the quantum theory of computation, specified an algorithm designed to run on a quantum computer, formulated the theory of quantum logic gates and quantum computational networks, discovered the first quantum error-correction scheme, and several fundamental quantum universality…
Interviewing DR. Richard Massey (Dark Matter)

He is renowned for his work on dark matter, including the first 3D map of its large-scale distribution and its behaviour during collisions, and was awarded the 2011 Philip Leverhulme Prize in Astronomy and Astrophysics. SRM: Dr. Massey, thank you for taking the time to respond to this Q&A, I am thrilled with your participation. What are…
Interviewing Prof. George J. Annas (Bioethics)

We are on the highway of genetic manipulation, cloning and molecular biotechnology, to the final destination of the engineering of all life. Today, genetically modified seeds are being promoted to farmers, we have already cloned animals and are, in fact, in the early stages of manipulating human embryos in order to design our progeny. It would…
Interviewing Prof. Deirdre L. Barrett (The Science of Dreams)

Prof. Barrett has written several successful books for the general public, some of which include the titles The Pregnant Man and Other Tales From a Hypnotherapist’s Couch, The Committee of Sleep, Waistland and Supernormal Stimuli. She is also the editor of two academic books, The New Science of Dreaming and Trauma and Dreams. For as long as humanity has dreamt,…
Interviewing DR. Robyn Lucas (Ultraviolet Radiation)

Being tanned seems to be synonymous of healthy and beautiful, but, is this new aesthetical fashion, lasting for some decades now, a trend that may cost us not only a good part of our health but even our lives? Is it sensible to literally spend hours under the sun? I had the pleasure to interview…
Interviewing Ryan J. Woodward (Story-boarding, Animation, Direction)

That is, until Google discovered Thought Of You… SRM: Ryan, it’s a pleasure to interview you, thank you very much for your time. Please, tell us a bit about your background, when did you start developing an interest in the arts? Do you come from an artistic family? RYAN J WOODWARD: Thank you. I am honoured…
Interviewing Carlos Zaragoza (Art Director)

He has also worked extensively as Visual Development artist for the upcoming Puss in Boots 2: Nine Lives & 40 Thieves, to be released in 2018. Carlos is currently Production Designer at Sony Animation. In theatre he was the set designer for The Sound of Music and in commercial art direction he has worked with…
Interviewing Robin Hobb, Epic-Fantasy Best-Selling Author

SRM: Robin, thank you so much for taking this interview, especially as busy as you are these days. Epic Fantasy has become, along with Supernatural and Sci-Fi Fantasy, one of the most sought reading genres by both online and offline readers worldwide. Has your publishing house noticed this upward trend on the sales of your…
Interviewing Ben Bridwell (Band Of Horses)

SRM: Ben, as I’ve just mentioned, your work with Band of Horses was rewarded with a Grammy nomination for Best Alternative Album; how do you think your former high school teachers, who asked you to drop out from school, took these news? Maybe, it was a good thing for you to leave the educational system…
Interviewing the musically irresistible Gemma Ray

Original photo of cover image by FREDRIK KINBOM (Guitarist/Songwriter/Singer), check out his work at fredrikkinbom.com > MOJO describes GEMMA RAY as ‘wondrous’, NME says she’s ‘untouchable’, and a host of other publishers and broadcasters have nothing but words of praise and reverie for her songwriting. From experience, I can say that she stole my heart, and…
Interviewing Thomas Youngblood (KAMELOT)

Kamelot’s album “Haven”, released May 5th, 2015, made a stunning debut on Billboard going straight up to #1 position on Hard Rock Album Chart. “This is a first in Kamelot’s history and we’re obviously very proud and happy about it. I’d like to thank all the fans for your amazing support, thanks for your great…
Interviewing John Ajvide Lindqvist, Best-Selling Author

His latest novels Harbour, Little Star and the short-stories collection, where we get to find out what happened to the protagonists of Let The Right One in, and titled Let The Old Dreams Die, are yet more examples of his supreme mastery at the horror/suspense genre. SRM: John, thank you so much for taking the…
Interviewing Jace Everett (Red Revelations – True Blood)

It reached and captured, together with his charismatic and authentic personality, the imagination and hearts of an international and ever-increasing legion of fans who live anywhere and everywhere from the UK and France to Spain, from the Scandinavian countries to Latin America, and the land and oceans in between. A flawless, instantly-identifiable, powerful and tantalising…
Interviewing Dan Konopka (OK Go)

DAN KONOPKA: Thank you very much! Super brief OK Go history: Damian and Tim have been friends since they were in elementary school. I met Tim (and original guitarist, Andy Duncan) while we were attending college. When Damian finished school he moved to Chicago IL and that’s when OK Go started. Prior to the band…
Interviewing Jeff Nishinaka, World’s Premier Paper Sculptor

His artistry is considered to be so meticulous that is often regarded as close to “perfection”. In this sophistication, he manages to endow his pieces with such a beaming life force that is both captivating and intriguing. Little else can be said about this worldwide renowned artist. An impressive portfolio of jaw-dropping, masterful art and…
Interviewing DR. Michelle Anthony (Female Bullying)

She then earned her MA and PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. Reyna is a skilled facilitator and has run numerous interactive parenting workshops for families and children in California and Oregon. Reyna is also currently pursuing a degree in Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University, to continue her work…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues

Or 77 Lies that Tell Truths…In chronological order, from oldest to newest, they are: The Wizard of Oz (1939) Dorothy: “How do you talk if you don’t have a brain?”Scarecrow: “Well, some people without brains do an awful lot of talking don’t they?” Wizard of Oz: “You, my friend, are a victim of disorganized thinking.…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues (2)

Planet of the Apes (1968) Dr. Zaius: “You are right, I have always known about man. From the evidence, I believe his wisdom must walk hand and hand with his idiocy. His emotions must rule his brain. He must be a warlike creature who gives battle to everything around him, even himself.” The Network (1976)…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues (3)

The Usual Suspects (1995) Fenster: “They treat me like a criminal. I’ll end up a criminal.” Dave Kujan: “First day on the job, you know what I learned? How to spot a murderer. Let’s say you arrest three guys for the same killing. You put them all in jail overnight. The next morning, whoever’s sleeping…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues (4)

Waking Life (2001) Kim Krizan: “Creation seems to come out of imperfection. It seems to come out of a striving and a frustration and this is where I think language came from. I mean, it came from our desire to transcend our isolation and have some sort of connection with one another. And it had…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues (5)

Mary and Max (2009) Max Jerry Horovitz: “People often think I am tactless and rude. I cannot understand how being honest can be improper. Maybe this is why I don’t have any friends.” District 9 (2009) Automated MNU Instructional Voice: “When dealing with aliens, try to be polite, but firm. And always remember that a…
77 Movies with Smart Lines/Dialogues (6)

Nightcrawler (2014) Lou Bloom: “Will this be on television?”Joe Loder: “Morning news, if it bleeds it leads.” Nina: “We find our viewers are more interested in urban crime creeping into the suburbs. What that means is a victim, or victims, preferably well off and white, injured at the hands of the poor or minority.” Paddington…
Blade Runner: A Future Foretold

Ryan Gosling joins Harrison Ford in the new chapter of the Sci-Fi classic, which is set to premiere October 6, 2017 in USA and UK (a day sooner in other countries and in November in Japan). BLADE RUNNER 2049 * Official Trailer But, now, let’s remember (“Deckard: Memories! You’re talking about memories!” – Oh yes, it’s all…
How To Prevent Hacking

HOW YOU CAN GET HACKED + PREVENTION TIPS If you are one of the very few people out there who haven’t yet experienced the hacking of their email and/or social networking accounts, don’t be mistaken, you are not invulnerable: it can only take one click, one careless mistake, one apparently safe download or the temptation…
How To Survive A Natural Disaster

We are all very much aware by now of how the frequency and scale of the impact of natural disasters in populated areas has been increasing in recent years. Thus, and regardless of whether we live in a disaster-prone region or not, it is important that we gain the necessary knowledge to boost our chances…
Which ‘Game Of Thrones’ Power-Couple Are You?

A fun quiz for those who read and loved the books in the ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’ series by George R.R. Martin, and/or follow the hit HBO TV adaptation, and an insight into their most prominent positive attributes for those who know nothing about either, the books or the show. Find out which…
Would You Be Survivor or Zombie?

Generally depicted as rising from the dead, or becoming undead, the zombie reflects one of the most terrifying of our nightmares. Early tales of zombies described corpses turning into walking and biting creatures, by ways of voodoo spell and other types of black magic. Of course, this is a very unlikely scenario, but, lately, with…
What Type of Rebel Are You?

We all are rebellious since birth. It’s embedded in our genes, for the prime reason of survival, to question everything around us as soon as we become conscious of our surroundings. It’s only when we encounter our first ‘No’, usually voiced by our parents, that we become aware of rules others than Nature’s cause and…
What Type of Love Do You Manifest The Most?

What is love? Most of us think of romantic love when confronted with this question, but love, as we also know, manifests itself in different ways, not just the romantic (and heavily idealised) version. The Greeks clearly distinguished all the different types of love by name and characteristics, being Agape (Love for everyone) what we…
What Parallel Universes Can You Perceive?

We aren’t bodies having a consciousness experience, but consciousness having a body experience. Since the study of quantum physics began in 1900, when physicist Max Planck’s investigation on radiation yielded findings that contradicted traditional physical laws, there have been several proponents of theories on parallel universes and extra dimensions. Princeton University doctoral candidate Hugh Everett…
Which Creative Type Are You Most Attracted To?

Everyone is creative in one way or another (or in multiple ways), and if you view the universe as a co-creative effort shared by all living creatures this statement will ring even more true to you. Now, when it comes to what we find to be the most appealing form of creativity in others, there…
What’s Your Alter Ego?

An ‘Alter Ego’ is said to be, in Psychology, our other Self, a second personality inside us, which may be the opposite of what our conscious Self or usually outwardly displayed personality is like. However, they don’t have to be opposites. Our Alter Ego is our most genuine Self, the one that is not defined…
What Type of “Baddass” Are You?

The Ultimate Survivor, the Fearless Warrior, the One on One Fierce Fighter, the Conquering Rebel or the Humanitarian Hero? Find out what type of ‘badass’ you are by taking the quiz, but first, here are the available results, embodied by real life historic and/or famous ‘badasses’. Fun and knowledge… served! All the Results Available in the Quiz…