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

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.

In this episode of In the Room, John Williams and guest co-host Joe Brundage sit down with Nirav Murthy, co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Network, to explore the future of intellectual property in the era of AI and blockchain.

Nirav breaks down how Camp Network is building infrastructure at the intersection of AI and IP, why blockchain matters for provenance and royalties, and how creators, actors, and producers can protect and monetize their work as AI models evolve.

We cover:

• The copyright fights ahead between AI and creators

• Blockchain for provenance and micro-royalty distribution

• Tokenizing IP, capital formation, and “provable fandom”

• AI-native content and what it means for actors, writers, musicians

• Why proof of humanity will matter in the next wave of media

In this episode of In the Room, hosts John Williams and Heather Kofka welcome filmmaker Ty McMahan and producer Brandon Kobs, the team behind the powerful new documentary 67 Bombs to Enid. With legendary documentarian Errol Morris as executive producer, the film sheds light on the Marshallese community in Enid, Oklahoma, displaced by U.S. nuclear testing in the Pacific, and the ongoing legacy of that history.

Ty and Brandon share how they uncovered the story, the challenges of balancing human focus with historical scale, and why the film has already caught the attention of the United Nations. The conversation also explores Oklahoma’s growing role in film production and the importance of local storytelling with global impact.

In the Room is where directors, writers, producers, and actors reveal what really goes on in casting and storytelling.

Filmmaker and cinematographer Clay Liford (Earthling, Wuss, Slash) joins In the Room to share candid insights from a career in indie film. Clay reflects on his path from SXSW premieres to teaching film, why coverage is the most misunderstood part of directing, and how embracing happy accidents can change your filmmaking.

He also unpacks the challenges of modern distribution and output deals, offers perspective on AI’s impact on editing, and previews his upcoming dark comedy The Texas High School Regional Theater Festival Murders. Plus, we explore his new education initiative Those Who Do, designed to bring working filmmakers into the classroom.

A must-listen episode for anyone passionate about independent filmmaking, cinematography, and the future of the industry.

This week, director William Kaufman (The Channel, Daylight’s End) returns to In the Room to discuss his newest release: Osiris—a gritty sci-fi thriller that’s part Aliens, part Black Hawk Down, and 100% badass.

He’s joined by producer Christian Sosa to break down how they:

• Shot massive firefights on an indie budget

• Created terrifying practical aliens

• Landed Linda Hamilton for a critical role

• Turned a New Orleans soundstage into a spaceship

• Pulled off some of the best creature effects of 2025

Osiris is now available to stream. Catch the chaos, then come behind the scenes with the people who made it happen.

Directed by William Kaufman
Starring Max Martini, Brianna Hildebrand, LaMonica Garrett, Linda Hamilton

This week In the Room, Emmy-winning casting director Jessica Daniels joins us to pull back the curtain on one of the most essential—but misunderstood—roles in film and TV. From The 40-Year-Old Version to Will Trent, Jessica has cast some of the most nuanced and compelling projects of the last two decades. We talk about her days at Disney and Fox, how casting has changed post-pandemic, and what separates a good audition from a great one. Whether you’re an actor, producer, or just curious how your favorite shows get made—this is a must-listen.

Jaime Schwarz has helped over 100 brands speak for themselves—but now, he’s building something bigger.

From co-founding seven startups to inventing a patent for self-authenticating media, Jaime is a true pioneer in the next chapter of content creation. In this episode, he joins John Williams In the Room to break down how blockchain, remix rights, and smart contracts are giving power back to creators—and why the service economy is giving way to the IP economy.

If you’re a filmmaker, artist, or digital creator, this is the conversation you need to hear.