IN THE ROOM - The Cast Station

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.