Filmmaking Conversations Podcast with Damien Swaby

In this episode of Filmmaking Conversations with Damien Swaby, Damien is joined by Emmy-nominated filmmaker and showrunner Xan Aranda for a wide-ranging discussion on taste, creative authority, and decision-making in filmmaking. Drawing on her experience across film and television — including work with Netflix, HBO, and Amazon — Xan talks about why strong opinions are not optional in creative work, particularly in editing and directing. 

She reflects on collaboration, trust, and the dangers of consensus-driven filmmaking, where too many voices dilute responsibility.The conversation touches on her work on Blue Jay, produced with Mark Duplass, her role as Co-Executive Producer on Netflix’s My Love, and her experience navigating creative leadership across independent film and global television productions.

This episode is a grounded, unsentimental look at how films and series are actually made — through taste, confidence, and the willingness to choose.

https://www.xanaranda.com
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X (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405
Instagram: @filmmaker__damien_swaby. https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker__damien_swaby/?hl=en

🎙️ Show Notes

In this episode, host Damien Swaby speaks with Richard Bradshaw, Director of Rebel Safety, about the often-misunderstood role of safety in film, television, and live events. Far from being a barrier to creativity, Richard explains how safety, when approached differently, can actually fuel imagination, innovation, and bold storytelling.

As the head of Rebel Safety, he has seen firsthand how productions can thrive when safety isn’t treated as a box-ticking exercise, but as a culture of care, collaboration, and trust.

Throughout the conversation, Damien and Richard explore:
The role of Rebel Safety: what the company does, who it supports, and why its mission matters to creatives.
Changing perceptions of safety: breaking free from the stereotype of “bubble wrap and hard hats” and embracing safety as a foundation for innovation.
Culture over compliance: how mindset, leadership, and trust often make a bigger difference than regulations alone.
Practical insights for creatives: from film directors to event producers, Richard offers guidance on how to manage risk while keeping creative energy alive.
The future of safety in creative industries: how embracing new approaches can help productions stay ambitious, resilient, and safe.
Richard’s perspective is both refreshing and empowering. He argues that safety doesn’t kill creativity—it protects it, supports it, and allows it to shine brighter. By the end of this episode, you’ll see how risk management and artistry are not opposites, but allies.

Whether you’re a filmmaker, producer, crew member, or creative professional in any industry, this conversation is packed with insights to help you push your projects further—without compromising the well-being of your team.

https://rebelsafety.co.uk
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X (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405
Instagram: @filmmaker__damien_swaby. https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker__damien_swaby/?hl=en

Episode Summary

In this episode of Filmmaking Conversations with Damien Swaby, Damien is joined by the talented and driven, a promo producer, editor, and filmmaker whose determination, discipline, and creative resilience have shaped a truly distinctive career in post-production. From her early beginnings as a theatre actor in Ireland to becoming a multi-skilled editor and producer across some of the UK’s most recognisable broadcasters — including Channel 5, MTV, Discovery, Warner Bros., and CNBC — Itunu shares a journey built on hard choices, constant upskilling, and an unwavering commitment to craft. 

She opens up about the reality behind her pivot away from acting, explaining why stability mattered, how she rebuilt her creative identity from the ground up, and how storytelling eventually led her to fall in love with the edit suite. Her career path includes assisting on A Place in the Sun, creating fast-turnaround promos for global networks, and navigating high-pressure workflows with precision and clarity. She also discusses what it takes to produce compelling short-form content in a world where audiences may never turn the sound on — and how music, rhythm, editorial choices, and graphic design all work together to deliver powerful messaging in under 30 seconds. 

A highlight of the conversation is her work on CNBC’s digital-first franchise Built for Billions, and how collaboration, trust, and editorial instinct helped elevate the promos beyond expectation. She also shares her experiences with software like Avid, Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Baselight, and her philosophy on clean, organised projects that support entire teams.

Outside her broadcast work, she speaks candidly about her award-supported short film Give Me Your Phone — a story born from a deeply personal and frightening moment. She reveals how she turned that experience into a thoughtful exploration of privilege, vulnerability, and perspective, bringing the film from concept to completion through grit, community, and creative conviction. 

This episode offers inspiring insight for filmmakers, editors, post-production professionals, and anyone building a creative career based on skill, dedication, and self-belief.

Key Topics Covered
How Itunu transitioned from acting to a sustainable career in post-production
Working across Channel 5, Discovery, MTV, Warner Bros., and CNBC
Navigating high-speed editorial environments and promo production
Creating impactful short-form content for news, business, and digital audiences
Detailed insights into editing workflows, graphics integration, QC, AAF/EDL handling, and version control
Premiere Pro vs Avid vs DaVinci Resolve vs Baselight — honest comparisons
Crafting the promos for CNBC’s Built for Billions
The story behind her first short film Give Me Your Phone and turning trauma into art
How organisation, humility, and collaboration strengthen post-production work
Staying adaptable and relevant in a fast-changing creative industry

Call to Action. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share the podcast. Follow Damien Swaby for more filmmaker interviews and insights into the craft and business of storytelling.
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X (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405
Instagram: @filmmaker__damien_swaby. https://www.instagram.com/filmmaker__damien_swaby/?hl=en

Last night, I watched Sleepless in Seattle.
This morning, I woke up to the news that Rob Reiner and his wife, producer Michele Singer Reiner, had been found dead at their Los Angeles home, as police investigate what they’ve described as an apparent homicide.In this episode, we sit with grief, uncertainty, and legacy — and we look closely at what Rob Reiner’s career teaches us about filmmaking craft.

From All in the Family to This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally… and A Few Good Men, Reiner’s work shaped American culture across decades and genres.We examine the technical construction of Sleepless in Seattle — its use of 35mm film, Panavision lenses, parallel editing, practical production design, and emotional restraint — and ask a larger question:
Could a film like this be made today, independently, in London?The technology exists. But does the culture still make room for quiet stories, adult romance, and patient storytelling?

This episode explores legacy, loss, and the conditions required to make films that endure — not through spectacle, but through tone, timing, and humanity.

Call to Action. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please rate, review, and share the podcast. Follow Damien Swaby for more filmmaker interviews and insights into the craft and business of storytelling.
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X (Twitter): @DamienSwaby https://x.com/DamienSwaby/status/1864468655582437405
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In this episode, Damien speaks with filmmaker Christopher, the creator of Princess Hally and the Jester, a groundbreaking ultra-low-budget fantasy feature made with a hybrid workflow of green screen, virtual production, traditional VFX, and AI-enhanced imagery.Christopher shares how he went from NYU Tisch to building an animation studio, mentoring artists who would later work on Avatar and with Christopher Nolan, and ultimately pioneering new methods of independent filmmaking.

Highlights From the Conversation
Early Beginnings: From birthday-party camcorder experiments to applying (twice!) to NYU Tisch.
Film School Insights: NYU in the early 2000s — shooting on 16mm, learning craft over tech, and being ahead of the digital curve.
First Company Success: His Nashville-based interactive animation studio where future Oscar-level talent got their start.
The Birth of Princess Hally and the Jester:Conceiving a classical fairytale inspired by Technicolor films like The Wizard of Oz.
Shooting an epic fantasy for under $100k — often as a literal one-man crew.
Convincing actors the project wasn’t impossible (many initially thought it was).
Managing set builds, lighting, and performances inside a garage turned green-screen stage.

AI + VFX Hybrid Workflow:Completing 600 new VFX shots in 30 days with no crew.
How AI expanded existing handmade work rather than replacing it.
Why this approach will likely become the norm for independent and studio filmmaking alike.

Casting & Performance:Building the relationship between Princess Hally and Henry.
Working with actors who sometimes never shared the stage in real life due to the shooting constraints.

Challenges on Set:A near-disastrous second day of filming.
Emotional moments of doubt — and how the director’s wife kept the production alive.
Sound recording issues leading to 90% of the film being looped in post.

The Role of Family:Christopher’s wife made every costume — essential for elevating the world-building.

Tools for Indie Filmmakers:Emphasis on Unreal Engine 5, Maya, freelance marketplaces, and early experimentation with AI prompts.

Where Independent Film Is Headed:How YouTube, TikTok, and gaming have shifted audience habits.
Why indie filmmakers will soon match studio visuals thanks to evolving tools.

What’s Next:A new period adventure film in early development.
Hopes of working with a full crew after this one-man epic.

🎬 Film Mentioned Princess Hally and the Jester
Currently available on Amazon Prime (director’s cut), with releases on additional platforms coming soon.

TRAILER: https://vimeo.com/1112925787

📌 Three Words Christopher Uses to Describe the Film“21st century filmmaking.