ROLL THE CREDITS

On this episode of Roll The Credits, Christina sits down with film editor John Axelrad.

John shares the path that led him to editing — from studying film production at USC and initially thinking he wanted to direct, to discovering that the editing room was where he truly belonged.

They talk about what an editor actually does, why John considers editing the final rewrite of a film, and why only about a third of the job is pure craft, with the rest requiring psychology, diplomacy, and an ability to navigate directors, producers, studios, and the many personalities involved in making a movie.

John also breaks down the process of shaping a film from the first day of production through the director’s cut, including how editors build performances, find pacing and rhythm down to individual frames, know when a scene needs to go, and learn to let the footage dictate what the story ultimately wants to become.

They also dive into his work on Crazy Heart, Ad Astra, and The End of Oak Street, from finding subtle moments that helped shape Jeff Bridges’ Oscar-winning performance to spending months constructing Ad Astra’s lunar rover chase and navigating the unusual visual language of The End of Oak Street.

John also reflects on working across genres, collaborating with first-time directors, the value of audience screenings, what separates good editors from great ones, and the chance encounter at 17 years old that ultimately changed the course of his life and led him to filmmaking.

Darils credits include:
THE END OF OAK STREET (2026)
SPACEMAN (2024)
CHEVALIER (2022)
ANTEBELLUM (2020)
AD ASTRA (2019)
PAPILLON (2017)
THE LOST CITY OF Z (2016)
KRAMPUS (2015)
MILES AHEAD (2015)
BEFORE WE GO (2014)
SOMETHING BORROWED (2011)
THE SWITCH (2010)
CRAZY HEART (2009)
BOOGEYMAN (2005)

…and many more.

Follow John and his work below:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006777/

On this episode of Roll The Credits, Christina sits down with producer, writer, and entrepreneur, Daril Fannin.

Daril shares the unlikely path that led him to filmmaking — from growing up in a strict religious community where movies were off-limits, to discovering The Matrix at 17, spending nine years as a combat medic, and eventually moving to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting.

They talk about selling a television series to Netflix with the support of Matt Damon, what an executive producer actually does in film versus television, and the advice Matt gave Daril that helped shape his career.

Daril also breaks down the business of independent film, including how he evaluates projects as investments, what filmmakers should understand about budgets, distribution, minimum guarantees, theatrical and streaming windows, and why getting a movie made is only part of the equation.

They also dive into his experience investing in and executive producing Undertone, its eventual deal with A24, the thinking behind Kino Studios and ScreenKey, and why Daril believes the next decade could be an especially exciting one for independent filmmakers.

Darils credits include:
UNDERTONE (2025)
#AMFAD (2024)
MVP (2022)
GREEN BERET'S GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE APOCALYPSE (2022)
ADOPTED (2021)

…and many more.

Follow Daril and his work below:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7050977/
https://www.instagram.com/darilfannin/?hl=en

On this episode of Roll The Credits, Christina sits down with composer Stephen Rennicks, whose work includes Normal People, Room, The Quiet Girl, Frank, and Conversations with Friends.

Stephen shares how he became an “accidental film composer,” why he still thinks of himself as a filmmaker first, and the philosophy that has shaped his work: if you’re listening to the music instead of watching the scene, something may have gone wrong.

They talk about his decades-long creative partnership with director Lenny Abrahamson, finding the sound of Normal People, composing around silence and intimacy, and why great scoring is often less about writing a beautiful piece of music than solving the emotional problem of a scene.

Stephen also opens up about creativity, collaboration, taking feedback, resisting the urge to impress, and why some of his best ideas arrive when he’s supposed to be doing something else.

A conversation about music, filmmaking, vulnerability, and learning when to stay out of the way.

Stephen's credits include:
WHITETAIL (2025)
FRAN THE MAN (2025)
ALICE & JACK (2023-2024)
CONVERSATIONS WITH FRIENDS (2022)
THE QUIET GIRL (2022)
NORMAL PEOPLE (2020)
THE LITTLE STRANGER (2018)
REBELLION (2016)
ROOM (2015)
FRANK (2014)

…and many more.

Follow Stephen and his work below:

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0719673/

In this episode of Roll the Credits, Christina sits down with Special Effects Supervisor Gareth Wingrove to explore the craft behind some of cinema’s most memorable practical effects.

Gareth shares how growing up on film sets led him into special effects and takes us inside a department responsible for everything from explosions, car chases, rain, snow, and fire to the subtle atmospheric effects audiences rarely notice.

He breaks down the engineering behind some of his biggest sequences, including the collapsing rooftop pool in The Amateur, rigging Troy to burn for Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the spinning prison sequence in Guardians of the Galaxy, explosive action in Avengers: Infinity War and F9, and the practical work behind films like Mission: Impossible, Inception, and The Phantom of the Opera.

The conversation also explores what it takes to safely execute large-scale practical effects, why directors like Christopher Nolan continue to prioritize in-camera filmmaking, and why Gareth believes the best special effects are often the ones audiences never realize are there.

Gareth’s credits include:

THE ODYSSEY (2026)
THE AMATEUR (2025)
BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY (2025)
AVENGERS: ENDGAME (2019)
AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR (2018)
F9: THE FAST SAGA (2021)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014)
INCEPTION (2010)
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2004)
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE (1996)

…and many more.

Follow Gareth and his work below:

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003514/

In this episode of Roll the Credits, Christina sits down with Foley Artist Shelley Roden of Skywalker Sound to explore one of filmmaking’s most invisible and emotionally powerful art forms.

Shelley shares how childhood favorites like The Dark Crystal, The NeverEnding Story, The Muppets, and Tom and Jerry first awakened her imagination, and how an unexpected sound assignment at Ithaca College ultimately changed the direction of her career.

She takes us inside the Foley stage, where artists perform and invent thousands of sounds every day — from footsteps and fabric movements to spaceship slides, weapon grabs, and the tactile details that make an imagined world feel real. Shelley also breaks down how she developed distinct footsteps for the emotions in Inside Out 2, recreated the reverse bear trap sounds for Saw, and approaches everything from Marvel weapons to animated plastic toys as a physical and emotional performance.

The conversation also explores the collaboration between Foley artists, mixers, editors, sound supervisors, designers, composers, and filmmakers and why the most effective Foley is often the sound audiences never consciously notice.

Shelley reflects on her 30-year career, the creative community at Skywalker Sound, the importance of staying present, and the advice that continues to guide her: no one else will ever create exactly the way you do, so bring your full self to the work.

Shelley's credits include:

TOY STORY 5 (2026)
HOPPERS (2026)
AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (2025)
F1: THE MOVIE (2025)
ANDOR (2022-2025)
DESPICABLE ME 4 (2024)
INSIDE OUT 2 ( 2024)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3 (2023)
THE MANDALORIAN (2023)
ENCANTO (2021)
TENET (2020)
BLACK PANTHER (2018)

And so many more...

Follow Shelley and her work below:

IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0809950/