Rian Johnson has been making movies with his friends since he was a kid. By the time he graduated high school he had amassed a portfolio of over 100 shorts. Though he says, "they weren't all great," his tenacity proved to be essential in his career.
After graduating he spent years looking for the money to finance his first feature, "Brick", which led him to make his own European romp-around feature "The Brother's Bloom" before taking off with "Looper". Today he's best known for directing whodunnit murder mystery films for his tentpole "Knives Out" series and producing other projects through his company T-Street.
The scale of the work might have changed, but Rian's love for being on set and making films with friends remains at the core of his relationships on set. Tune in as we have a chat with Rian about his career as he tries to convince us that he's a fan of our show.
(0:00) Intro(2:00) 100 Shorts(4:18) Relationships from Childhood and Brick(6:15) Directing is the Only Entry Level Position on Set(9:52) Brick: Lessons on Coverage and Sound Design(16:54) The Brothers Bloom: More Money, More Problems(23:55) Growing as a Director through Experienced Actors(27:10) It's 5 O'Clock Somewhere(28:52) Practical Props and Set Design(34:54) Set Friends(39:29) TV Pacing Takes Away the Preciousness(46:10) The Star Wars Call(52:09) Noah Segan is on a Real Journey(54:44) Meeting Ram / Director's Jail(01:01:14) Studio Notes(01:09:11) Wake Up Dead Man Locations(01:17:55) Does Editing Experience Help You Be A Better Director(01:26:51) Talking to Another Director(01:33:50) Is the Producer the Enemy? Not at T Street.
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Rian Johnson has been making movies with his friends since he was a kid. By the time he graduated college he had amassed a portfolio of over 100 shorts. Though he says, "they all sucked," his tenacity proved to be essential in his career. After graduating, he spent several years looking for the money to finance his first feature, "Brick," the success of which lead him to make the globetrotting adventure "The Brother's Bloom" and the sci-fi thriller "Looper." Today he's best known for directing whodunnit murder mystery films for his tentpole "Knives Out" series and producing other projects through his company T-Street. The scale of the work might have changed, but Rian's love for being on set and making films with friends remains at the core of his relationships on set. Tune in as we have a chat with Rian about his career as he tries to convince us that he's a fan of our show.
Chauvet Cinema Group Sales Manager Chad Tiller, sat with us at the 4Wall Vendor Showcase in 2025 to talk lighting, sales approach, and his love for chatting with crew to get feedback on their units. 🏆✅ Follow Us ✅ 🏆ShittyRigs on IG: https://www.instagram.com/shittyrigsShittyRigs on Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shittyrigsChad Tiller on IG - https://www.instagram.com/litegearchad/?hl=en
Sergio Lazarov is an international live producer and multi-cam director. Starting his career abroad, now based in the United States, his Spanish language productions of The Voice, X-Factor, and The Grammys have taken him around the world. Sergio leans on his background in post-production and love for music to help inform his camera cuts during live events. In addition to live shows, Sergio’s resume also includes work in scripted content. He is currently reconnecting with his late father, a former TV director, through the development of documentary about his life. Join us as we chat about with Sergio about what it’s like to navigate hurdles on the fly when you only get a moment to get the shots right.
This episode of Wrap Drinks is sponsored by Unique Producers Grip & Lighting based in South Florida. Thank you Unique for supporting our podcast and for hosting us at your wonderful warehouse. For more info on their grip & lighting rentals visit their website - https://uniqueproducers.com/
Our set at the 2025 4 Wall Showcase would not have been possible without Eve Roth's amazing leadership and design skills. We sat down with Eve to talk about what it takes to run an ideal Virutal Production and got the inside scoop on working with AWGE team to produce a branded piece of ASAP Rocky and Puma.
When most people hear the title makeup artist, they think this responsibility only focuses on beauty, but luckily for us, Anna Stachow came on the podcast to clarify this misconception. As a makeup designer, Anna's job is to figure out how best to visualize a character's backstory. Whether that's a fighter that needs special effect bruises, a creature that needs prosthetics, or a teenager who just loves lip gloss, Anna's got a wealth of experience preparing her actors for these roles. Join us as we explore this world of makeup through Anna's journey that started in a bar and catapulted her into a world where she gets to translate the creative ideas of multiple departments into one cinematic look.
(00:00) Intro
(00:46) Bar Story
(09:06) Projects that inspired Anna
(14:01 ) No Formal Training, to Hunger Games
(18:42) How Are Departments Collaborating
(33:50) Reg makeup on top of SFX Makeup
(47:57) Collaborating with Actors
(01:03:08) Working on John Wick
(01:20:27) Bald Cap Not Hair
(01:23:36) Tattoo Work
(01:26:29) Matching Looks
(01:36:20) First Stop for Gossip
(01:56:52) More on Tattoo Work
(02:09:51) Makeup Union
Earlier this year, 4Wall hosted us at their 2025 Vendor Showcase. This year, they went above and beyond to work with their team putting together a volume set just for us. We sat down with Ben and Mat, who were kind enough to explain how the setup works and tell us how their relationship with 4Wall came to be.
While most cinematographers seem to have a fixed trajectory that eventually lands them a tentpole Marvel series, Hillary Spera's came almost from left-field. Before her contribution to the the Daredevil Born Again series, Hillary was traveling the world as a documentary DP filming on fishing boats, documenting Insane Clown Posse shows, and filming in abortion clinics in the Mid-west. Still, the pursuit has always been the same, challenging herself and finding unique ways to tell stories through the lens. Tune in as we chat with Hillary about her incredible journey as a cinematographer from making her first film about carving Venison, to working in the freezing cold in Massachusetts on Dexter, and everything in between.
(0:00) Intro
(3:34) Vennison
(5:40) Documentary and Fiction
(12:47) When To Cut for BRoll in Doc
(16:35) Handheld Operating
(21:55) After Tiller
(28:17) Oxyana
(35:25) American Juggalo
(43:00) Sitting in on the edit
(45:47) Wildlike
(56:41) Lost Boys Reboot
(59:43) Dexter Resurrection
(01:10:53) Parenting
(01:16:31) Doc Crew to TV Crew
(01:20:05) Daredevil
(01:22:50) Daredevil "Look" Pitch
(01:33:33) Daredevil Camera Rig
(01:41:55) Daredevil Stunt Team
(01:55:19) Crazy Donkey Story
Bill Almeida is gaffer known for his work on the John Wick Franchise, Fallout, and Instigators. In June 2025, he made some time to stop by the 4 Wall Vendor showcase in Moonachie NJ. Tune in as we pick Bill's brain while we sit on the volume that the 4wall team designed just for Wrap Drinks!
Like most of us breaking into the film industry, Jamie Rice's career began with PA work. Although she quickly knew she didn't want to be an AD, she found a path assisting both directors and producers. When the writer's strike happened, Jamie pivoted and began photographing bands like Meet Me @ The Altar and Daisy Grenade. Tune in as Jamie shares all the lessons she learned during her many shifts in film and photo and all the tips that helped her stay ahead of the game.
Jose Ramirez is a Sound Mixer born and raised in Queens NY. You’ve probably heard some of his work on Funny Pages, 2nd Chance, and Bad Shabbos. Unlike most of his peers in SVA, Jose chose the path of sound guy instead of a Director during his undergrad education. He found himself working so much while attending school that he nearly dropped out to work full time. Join us as we pick Jose’s brain about his career as a sound mixer, some of his tips for getting rehired, and his experience working on indies and the majors.
With a career spanning across 40 years, DP and ASC member Wolfgang Held has been traveling the world photographing award winning films. Whether it's a narrative feature or documentary film, Wolf's choices for lighting, framing, and even how many cameras are on a set are dictated by his verite approach. We talked with Wolf about some of his most notable work, his early projects, and what it's like applying for ASC membership.
Anni Abbruzzese is a union loader and 2nd AC whose worked on films such as Hocus Pocus 2, Castle Rock, and The Instigators. Anni's journey into camera department began when they were scooped up from their role as a PA by a camera team person who saw their potential. Anni quickly learned the camera department can be a challenging experience that tests your limits, but this taught them how and when to say no. Join us as we talk to Anni about how to navigate the politics of working on set and some of the nerdy solutions to their technical hurdles on set.
Although she is a bit softspoken, Food Stylist Jen Beauchesne is not afraid to dish out the truth on styling food for camera. Before venturing into this craft, Jen was working as a photo assist. After realizing her calling, Jen took the steps to transition careers and has collaborated with innovators such as Victoria Granof and Steve Giralt. Jen's years of experience include commercial work for Dunkin', Pepsi, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Tune in as we learn about the magic sauces that really make food look incredible for camera.
Originally based in Ohio, Jeremy dropped out of film school and moved to Florida to pursue his career in film. After several years working in indie production, he joined the union where we was able to work on productions like Elementary, Cold Souls, and Hello Tomorrow. We spoke with Jeremy about his journey and learn about what the prop exam for the union is like, learning to work with big celebrities like Ryan Gosling, and his podcast venture: The Seltzer Kings Podcast Network.
If you've worked on a New York Production, the chance that you've bumped into Smitty on your set is pretty high. If you haven't - it's likely the Key Grip on your set probably trained under him.
Born and raised in the Bronx, Rob Smith says he was saved by the film industry after years of getting into trouble on the streets. After a friend brought him to set of a music video in 1990s, he was immediately pulled into the industry where he tackled multiple crafts from PA, Director, AD, and more before eventually becoming most known as a Key Grip.
Smitty is probably one of the most seasoned non-union Key Grips you'll ever meet with an unforgettable personality. He's no BS, always keeps his cool, but loves a good challenge when it comes to rigging on his shoots. We talk with Smitty about his experiences working in music video world in its heyday, some of the challenges he encountered during his 30 year career in the industry, and where he thinks the industry is headed.
Perhaps best known for working with the Polish Brothers on Northfork and Twin Falls Idaho, David Mullen has shot over 40 other independent feature films; Jennifer’s Body and the Love Witch to name a few. David's resume also includes television series such as United States of Tara, West World, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
David is not only renowned for his work, but he also has a reputation for being an avid film nerd. In many ways, David’s cinematographer education came from a hybrid of real world experience and film school. Before he was enrolled in CalArts, David had already mastered lighting and filming on Super 8mm cameras. He digested journals, magazines, almost any piece of literature that could give him the knowledge he needed to pursue this passion for photography.
Join us as we talk to this 3-time Emmy Winner and a 2-time ASC Award Winner about how he got started in this chaotic world of cinema and pick his brain about the wealth of knowledge he's collected during his career.
Meet Kathleen Kim, you might have seen her on SNL, Awkwafina is Nora from Queens, Helpsters, or even Sesame Street, but you probably didn't know it was her. Kathleen is a puppeteer who's been the talent behind some incredible characters.
Puppeteering wasn't always a part of Kathleen's original career trajectory but this changed when she took a "puppetry for comedy" improv class. Kathleen's witty sense of humor and voice acting skills landed her a spot in the Sesame Street Puppetry Workshop where she would eventually be selected to perform as Ji-Young, the first Asian American character on Sesame Street.
Join us as we talk to Kathleen about putting her own life experiences into her characters, the pressure of living up to her predecessors, and hear some incredible stories of how her small size made it possible to squeeze herself into this industry.
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This episode is brought to you in part by MUBI
Experience groundbreaking cinema on MUBI with the stunning 4K restoration of Tarsem Singh’s THE FALL. Filmed over four years in 28 breathtaking locations and starring Lee Pace, it's a monumental production that transcends genres.
For a limited time, you can try MUBI free for 30 days at mubi.com/shittyrigs
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Larry Fessenden is a producer, director, and the founder of Glass Eye Pix. Above all, he is a lover of cinema and not afraid to get involved in the technical process and do the work. In fact, he prefers it. A performer in his own right, when Larry isn't making films, he's starring in them.
In many ways, Larry is a local legend and icon of the horror genre. His career spans over 40+ years and 20+ films throughout which he has earned a spirit award and acknowledgment from the Criterion Collection. His production company Glass Eye Pix, has not only been a film school of sorts for successful directors like Ti West, he's even invested in their earlier work.
Larry is a fascinating case study of what it takes to make your film when you're up against all the odds. His process is his and he doesn't claim to have the right one either but he'll fight you tooth and nail for it. Literally.
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This episode is brought to you in part by MUBI
Experience groundbreaking cinema on MUBI with the stunning 4K restoration of Tarsem Singh’s THE FALL. Filmed over four years in 28 breathtaking locations and starring Lee Pace, it's a monumental production that transcends genres.
For a limited time, you can try MUBI free for 30 days at mubi.com/shittyrigs
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