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What does it actually take to turn an idea into a film, build a career around it, and still protect the reason you wanted to make movies in the first place? Filmmaker Erin Brown Thomas joins In the Room to talk about Chasers, her ambitious one-take pilot that made history at Sundance and Slamdance, and the deeper questions about ambition, exploitation, survival, and success hiding underneath the story. Pasted markdown Pasted markdown Erin gets into how she develops ideas, why some stories need years before they are ready, writing characters with specific wants, pitching from old ideas, film festival politics, directing actors, removing ego from the work, and building healthier, more collaborative film sets. She also talks about co-founding Salute Your Shorts Film Festival, directing Lady Kings of Texas, and the uncomfortable question that sits underneath so many creative careers: what does “making it” really mean if the road there costs you too much?

Joe Swanberg returns to In the Room with a lot to catch up on. As THE SUN NEVER SETS arrives in theaters September 4, Joe takes us inside his new film starring Dakota Fanning, Jake Johnson and Cory Michael Smith, including shooting on 35mm in Alaska, building scenes from real relationships and making a movie while parts of the emotional story were still unfolding in his own life. But we also go deep into the realities of independent filmmaking. Joe explains why he decided to produce five horror features back-to-back like a season of television, how recurring crews, actors and resources allowed them to rethink the traditional indie production model, and what happened when the financing disappeared before the movies were finished. He talks candidly about the stress of unfinished films, collaborators waiting to be paid, distribution money being used to cover finishing costs and the behind-the-scenes financial reality audiences rarely see. We also get into the young filmmakers who reignited his excitement for filmmaking, why a new generation is rediscovering his earliest microbudget work, making movies without waiting for permission, directing actors, improvisation, shooting on film, theatrical distribution, relationship movies, comedy and where independent cinema might be heading next. A conversation about making the work, surviving the work, and finding a reason to keep doing it.

Award-winning director, cinematographer and producer Taylor Washington joins Heather Kofka and John Williams to discuss the winding, collaborative and often unpredictable road toward building a sustainable life in filmmaking. Taylor takes us behind the scenes of Grind, the SXSW horror satire anthology that transforms the anxieties of modern work culture into four increasingly unhinged stories. He breaks down how multiple cinematographers created distinct visual languages while keeping the film inside one cohesive world, how the production built ambitious practical effects with limited resources, and what it takes to shoot what feels like four miniature features on an independent schedule. The conversation traces Taylor’s journey from growing up outside Houston and making videos out of boredom, to studying film at UT Austin, directing more than 50 music videos, launching Pan Up Productions and working with brands including Canon, Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV and Southwest Airlines. He also discusses his creative partnership with Haley Alea Erickson, the evolution of their SXSW short Call Me Mommy into a feature, and why repeatedly making small projects helped them discover their voice before attempting something larger. Taylor also opens up about wearing multiple hats, surviving the uncertainty of freelance work, building a production company, finding collaborators through film festivals and learning when to protect his time. The episode moves beyond career strategy into a deeper conversation about physical filmmaking, artificial intelligence and whether something essential is lost when the creative process becomes frictionless. For filmmakers waiting for the perfect budget, team or opportunity, Taylor’s story offers a quieter challenge: start making things, learn who you are through the work and build the tracks while the train is already moving.

This week on In the Room, we sit down with Andy Fisher, five-time Emmy-nominated and DGA Award-winning director of Jimmy Kimmel Live. Andy takes us from his Austin comedy roots, where he was making strange DIY films with friends on whatever equipment they could find, to his early editing days in Los Angeles, to the moment he was asked to step into the director’s chair at one of late night’s biggest shows. It’s a conversation about live television, creative confidence, comedy, collaboration, the future of broadcast, and the strange little moments that turn into a career. Andy also shares stories about the Duplass brothers, the Matt Damon joke, directing awards-show segments, and why the best advice might be: say yes, then figure it out. Funny, loose, deeply specific, and full of filmmaker gold, this one is for anyone who has ever tried to make something before they felt ready.

In this episode of In the Room, John Williams and Christopher Shea sit down with the team behind Kill Me, which premiered at SXSW 2026. Director Peter Warren, producer Natalie Metzger, and producer Keith Goldberg discuss the film’s unusual premise, a murder mystery where the body becomes the detective, and how that idea opened the door to a story about mental health, depression, comedy, mystery, and survival. The conversation explores how Charlie Day came aboard, why Allison Williams, Giancarlo Esposito, and Aya Cash were such powerful additions to the cast, and what it takes to support a first-time director without diluting the filmmaker’s vision. They also break down the realities of indie production, shooting in Utah, designing a lean but ambitious set, and protecting performance at every stage. For filmmakers, actors, producers, and anyone curious about how a movie moves from script to screen, this episode offers a rare look inside the creative and practical decisions that shape a film before it meets an audience.

What does it really take to make a feature film when you don’t have the system behind you? In this episode, SXSW filmmakers Lauren Noll and Dalia Rooni share how Same Same But Different came together, from early concept to production, through persistence, unconventional problem-solving, and complete creative ownership. This is a conversation about building momentum when nothing is guaranteed, and why creating your own work is often the only way forward.

Filmmaker John Valley joins In the Room to share his journey from a small town in Iowa to premiering films at SXSW, and what it really takes to build a career in independent film. He breaks down the making of The Pizzagate Massacre, how the film went from festival rejection to viral controversy, and how self-distribution, SEO, and timing changed everything. The conversation also dives into his latest project, American Dollhouse, a psychological horror film, along with lessons on raising money, navigating the industry without connections, and creating work that actually gets seen. This episode is an honest look at indie filmmaking, creative risk, and what happens when you stop waiting for permission and make the film anyway.

Anne Hollister—actress, writer, and producer at Happy Bad Bungalow—joins In the Room to discuss her evolution from Broadway performer to independent film producer. Anne shares the six-year journey of bringing Mattress Mack to life, the realities of financing independent films, and what it takes to build a production company from the ground up. She opens up about stepping away from representation to focus on writing, developing her thriller The Housesitter, and navigating the microaggressions and systemic bias that still exist for women in Hollywood. The conversation explores: • The actor-to-producer transition• Indie film financing and attaching talent• Why female-led stories are still labeled “unrelatable”• Manifestation as creative inspiration• Building community in film and television This episode offers an honest look at persistence, authorship, and claiming creative control in a shifting industry.

Elizabeth Tabish, renowned for portraying Mary Magdalene on The Chosen, joins In the Room for an unfiltered conversation about casting, ambition, and staying human inside a business that constantly evaluates you. She reflects on growing up in Oklahoma, building a career through commercials and indie work in Austin, and the psychological wear of auditions, self tapes, and the approval cycle. Elizabeth opens up about the moment she stepped back to protect her health, and how The Chosen arrived at the exact intersection of her life and craft. The conversation also explores women’s creative authority, why making your own work matters, and how platforms like YouTube and the internet are reshaping who gets to be heard. A grounded, revealing episode about artistry, survival, and choosing your own voice.

A bluefin tuna leaves cold Nova Scotia waters and ends at a sushi table in Tokyo, and along the way, Bite to Bite reveals the human machinery behind one of the world’s most coveted fish. Director Kelly Lipscomb joins In the Room to talk about making a documentary that lets the audience feel first, then decide what they believe. We dig into the real “casting” of non-fiction, how you find characters worth following, how you earn trust, and why the edit is where the story finally confesses itself. Kelly also breaks down the practical truth of funding, why commercial work often keeps passion projects alive, and what it takes to keep your creative integrity intact while still building a sustainable career. Bite to Bite received an Honorable Mention for Documentary Feature at the 2025 Austin Film Festival.

On this episode of In the Room, casting director John Williams sits down with filmmaker Andrew Davies Gaines to talk about Voices, his deeply personal documentary about his father and Las Vegas legend, Danny Gans. Andrew shares how a career ending shoulder injury cut short his path in professional baseball and led him toward acting, writing, producing, and finally directing his own work. Together, he and John explore what it means to turn family history into cinema, how to handle sensitive truths about someone you love, and the realities of chronic pain, performance pressure, and responsibility at the top of the Vegas entertainment world. Listeners will hear:• The rise of Danny Gans, from corporate arenas to the biggest room in Las Vegas• How Andrew moved from athlete to actor to producer to director• The emotional challenge of putting himself on camera as the subject’s son• The editing choices that kept Voices from becoming a simple tribute piece• How understanding his father’s failures changed Andrew’s own relationship to ambition In the Room offers a rare look at legacy, craft, and the quiet spaces where art and family collide.

Steven Bernstein sits with John Williams, Heather Kofka, and Christopher Shea for a luminous, craft-first conversation on the art of filmmaking. Bernstein traces his path from cinematography to the director’s chair, reflecting on Monster, Last Call, Decoding Annie Parker, White Chicks, Half Baked, SWAT, and Blade, and why the most enduring work begins with human chemistry. They unpack the family that forms on set, the ache of wrap day, and how to protect performance when time and money press in. Bernstein explains why intuition often beats orthodoxy, how executives chase safety while art asks for risk, and why story should serve character, not the other way around. He shares practical tools for actors and directors, from freeing marks and lighting to invite truth, to building backstory that unlocks authentic choices. The table dives into post control, color grading, and the quiet power of tone, then pivots to Bernstein’s novel GRQ and its meta leap to the screen. It is a talk about collaboration, presence, courage, and the strange alchemy that turns effort into feeling. If you love the work behind the work, this one is a masterclass that hums with lived experience. Keywords: Steven Bernstein, filmmaking, cinematography, directing, acting craft, color grading, creative process, indie film, Monster, Last Call, Decoding Annie Parker, GRQ, John Williams, Heather Kofka, Christopher Shea, In the Room

Writer-director Todd Rohal and actor-filmmaker Tipper Newton join us to unpack the wild ride of “F My Son,” from adapting a taboo comic into a kinetic midnight movie to crafting practical effects with Robert Kurtzman. We discuss casting at the edges, protecting a child actor on set, navigating love-it or hate-it reactions, and why they chose a slow, theater-first rollout instead of streaming. Tipper shares the story behind her award-winning short “Wildcard” and plans for the feature. A candid conversation about risk, tone, and keeping creativity sovereign in a numbers-driven industry. Key Topics:• From transgressive comic to cinematic romp• Practical effects, performance under prosthetics• Festival premieres, audience response, review culture• Ethics and logistics when working with a minor• Booking a theater-only release city by city• Tipper’s “Wildcard,” music, and making your own path

When writer-director Bryan Poyser decided to make a feature over winter break—with no finished script and a team of students—he had no idea it would premiere at Tribeca Film Festival. In this episode of In the Room, host John Williams sits down with Poyser and actors Heather Kafka (The Leftovers, Friday Night Lights) and Justin Arnold (Spike Jonze’s Scenes from the Suburbs) to unpack how Leads came to life through collaboration, improvisation, and creative trust. They discuss: Building a feature film without a script Balancing creative ambition with real life and financial limits The power of collaboration between directors, actors, and students Finding purpose and joy in the process—not just the result An inspiring, candid conversation about risk, artistic integrity, and rediscovering love for the craft. 🎬 Leads premiered at Tribeca 2025 and screens next at the Hollywood Park Film Festival and Austin Film Festival.

A&E’s The Mother Flip is equal parts grit, design, and disciplined budgets. Best friends Kristy Etheredge and Rebecca Franchione take us inside the real playbook: sourcing distressed Hill Country properties, structuring all-cash deals, controlling scope, and sequencing trades to hit aggressive timelines. They explain how the show was sold, why every house is different, and how they manage contractors, permits, inspections, and materials without losing margin. We talk origin story (a literal napkin deal), learning the business from the ground up with contractor Roy Salinas, and the moments that proved the model works—new builds completed in 9–16 weeks and flips that moved in days. If you care about real estate ROI, design that sells, and production reality vs. reality TV, this one is a blueprint. Topics: deal structure, budget allocation, permitting flow, trade scheduling, design decisions that move offers, managing risk on fast timelines, selling the show, and building a brand beyond the series. Watch The Mother Flip: A&E Saturdays 9:00 a.m. CT; Hulu + Live TV Sundays; season on Amazon.