Get Reelisms | An Ode to Filmmaking

On the Get Reelisms Podcast, filmmakers Madam Chase Rani and Christine Chen interview Austin director Jon Vallet about his new film American Dollhouse, which just premiered at South by Southwest and launched its festival run with an Austin “film family” crew. Vallet says the movie uses a character-driven, proto-slasher approach inspired by films like Psycho and Black Christmas, using modern anxieties about public spaces feeling unsafe and the dissonance of daily life in America as thematic fuel. He shares the logline: a woman inherits her childhood home, hoping to escape debt, but the house is falling apart and a doppelgänger-like neighbor becomes obsessively dangerous, escalating into a Christmas-set slasher. Vallet discusses prioritizing actors’ performances, early sound and scoring collaboration, shooting on Sony Venice in 4:3 with natural light and night-for-day, a 15-day December 2024 shoot, a difficult third-act set build, and adapting scripts and schedules to budget and resources.

 

Hosts: Adam Rani (@adamthechase)  & Christine Chen (@cchenmtf) 

About Christine W Chen:

Christine W. Chen is a Taiwanese American filmmaker, Academy member (Short Films Branch), and versatile producer, director, and writer known for bold, character-driven storytelling. Through her production company, Moth to Flame, she has created award-winning short films, features, and branded content—including Erzulie, a feminist swamp thriller that had a limited theatrical run and now streams on major platforms. In addition to her directorial work, Christine is a seasoned DGA 1st Assistant Director and co-author of Get Reelisms and ABCs of Filmmaking, as well as the co-host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.

For more information about Christine Chen: christinewchen.com

About Adam Rani:

Adam Chase Rani is a production designer and set dresser working in the Austin film market, bringing a sharp eye for visual storytelling and practical creativity to every project. During the pandemic, he co-founded the Get Reelisms Podcast with Christine Chen to foster community within the film industry. Together, they’ve built a platform that blends education, candid conversations, and industry insights to help filmmakers connect, learn, and grow.

About John Valley

John Valley became a prolific music video director in Austin TX before honing in on his debut feature The Pizzagate Massacre, a dark horror comedy that VICE called "A grindhouse Pizzagate satire that perfectly captures a moment in time." His sophomore film, American Dollhouse is a modern take on proto-slasher classics like Psycho and Black Christmas.

 

WEBISODE version of the Podcast

 

00:00 Actors First Philosophy

00:22 Podcast Intro And Guest

01:41 Origins Of American Dollhouse

04:57 Logline And Setup

06:34 What Makes A Slasher

11:24 Slasher Structure And Metaphor

15:07 Sound Design And Score

17:34 Lessons From First Film

21:21 Crew And Camera Choices

25:05 On Set Trauma And Third Act Build

29:42 Night for Day Magic

30:43 Scheduling as Storytelling

31:54 Budget as Creative Tool

34:03 Practical Effects and Big Punch

37:14 Script vs Set Reality

39:00 Directing Without Attachment

41:39 Next Projects Monster Movie

44:06 Pivoting and People First

46:58 Christmas Theme and Family Pressure

50:28 Austin Film Scene Farewell

52:41 Housekeeping and Sign Off

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Adam Chase Rani and Christine Chen celebrate reaching 188 episodes of the Get Reelisms filmmaking podcast and reflect on nearly six to seven years of documenting their careers. They discuss recent Oscars results, including a tie and Sam Davis winning after their interview, and debate why genre films like Sinners may struggle for Best Picture despite winning Best Original Screenplay, while One Battle After Another wins Best Picture and PTA earns Best Director. They talk about attention spans, frustration with people assuming indie films are “on Netflix,” and Christine’s behind-the-scenes photo from Shakespeare on the Range being featured in the Academy Museum, a milestone linked to early career growth. Christine shares her decision to pause First AD work to focus on directing, developing a sketch-based branded micro-series, and adapting to vertical content trends. Adam plugs his “Create Your Own Content” course on getreelisms.com.

 

Christine W. Chen is a Taiwanese American filmmaker, Academy member (Short Films Branch), and versatile producer, director, and writer known for bold, character-driven storytelling. Through her production company, Moth to Flame, she has created award-winning short films, features, and branded content—including Erzulie, a feminist swamp thriller that had a limited theatrical run and now streams on major platforms. In addition to her directorial work, Christine is a seasoned DGA 1st Assistant Director and co-author of Get Reelisms and ABCs of Filmmaking, as well as the co-host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.

For more information about Christine Chen: christinewchen.com

 

Adam Chase Rani is a production designer and set dresser working in the Austin film market, bringing a sharp eye for visual storytelling and practical creativity to every project. During the pandemic, he co-founded the Get Reelisms Podcast with Christine Chen to foster community within the film industry. Together, they’ve built a platform that blends education, candid conversations, and industry insights to help filmmakers connect, learn, and grow.

 

00:00 Movies All Day

00:22 Podcast Origins

00:54 188 Episodes In

02:03 Oscar Winner Interview

02:54 Oscars Predictions

06:15 Awards Drama Talk

07:07 Short Attention Spans

09:20 Netflix Question Rage

12:36 Academy Museum Photo

14:31 Shakespeare On The Range

18:02 OG Crew Lessons

20:16 BTS Photo Insecurities

20:56 Film History Connections

21:30 How We First Met

22:34 From Stress to Podcast

24:05 Hiatus From First AD

27:30 Friends in Film Sketches

30:29 DIY Filmmaking Revival

32:26 Vertical Video Future

35:43 Budgets and Crew Reality

38:10 Housekeeping and Farewell

 

WEBISODE version of the Podcast

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Sam Davis on Making Oscar-Nominated Short ‘The Singers’ Without a Script, Casting Viral Buskers, and Shooting on Film

On Get Reelisms podcast episode 187, filmmakers Adam Chase Rani and Christine Chen interview Los Angeles–based filmmaker Sam Davis, who is campaigning his live-action short The Singers, nominated for an Academy Award and streaming on Netflix. Davis traces the project back 3–3.5 years to reading a George Saunders breakdown of a Russian short story, then adapting it into a modern bar-set film starring first-time actors found on social media, which took about 18 months to cast due to scam concerns and trust-building. He describes a documentary-influenced, unscripted approach with long improvised takes, constant sound recording, layered audio, and shooting on 35mm film for intentionality, while noting the costs of film and travel. The four-day shoot faced setbacks, including a lead dropping out two days prior. Davis discusses song selection, costume strategy, collaborating with a small crew, balancing documentary and narrative work, and developing future projects, including a long-term feature documentary.

 

About Christine W Chen:

Christine W. Chen is a Taiwanese American filmmaker, Academy member (Short Films Branch), and versatile producer, director, and writer known for bold, character-driven storytelling. Through her production company, Moth to Flame, she has created award-winning short films, features, and branded content—including Erzulie, a feminist swamp thriller that had a limited theatrical run and now streams on major platforms. In addition to her directorial work, Christine is a seasoned DGA 1st Assistant Director and co-author of Get Reelisms and ABCs of Filmmaking, as well as the co-host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.

For more information about Christine Chen: christinewchen.com

About Adam Rani:

Adam Chase Rani is a production designer and set dresser working in the Austin film market, bringing a sharp eye for visual storytelling and practical creativity to every project. During the pandemic, he co-founded the Get Reelisms Podcast with Christine Chen to foster community within the film industry. Together, they’ve built a platform that blends education, candid conversations, and industry insights to help filmmakers connect, learn, and grow.

Guest: 

Sam Davis is an Oscar newly winning director, cinematographer, and producer known for his work on The Singers (2025), Period. End of Sentence. (2018), and Nai Nai & Wài Pó (2023). A USC School of Cinematic Arts graduate, he specializes in documentary-style narrative filmmaking, often blending digital-age casting with traditional storytelling to explore themes of community and humanity.

 

WEBISODE version of the Podcast

00:00 Trusting Real People

00:36 Podcast Intro

01:01 Meet Sam Davis

02:04 Origin of The Singers

02:50 Casting and Scam Fears

04:14 Campaigning Burnout

06:08 Doc Style No Script

08:56 Why Shoot on Film

10:47 Four Day Shoot Chaos

12:29 Last Minute Recast

13:56 Oscar Nomination Impact

15:33 Recording Songs Live

17:09 Mundane to Magic

19:25 Choosing and Licensing Songs

21:53 Costumes and Cohesion

24:05 Funding and Budget Realities

25:55 Small Crew Big Effort

26:28 Next Projects Pipeline

28:08 Doc vs Narrative Balance

29:33 Protecting the Moment

30:25 Directing While Shooting

32:01 Editing as Writing

34:32 Risks After Success

36:04 Building the Crew Network

36:54 Chefs Table Tangent

41:55 South by Stories

43:45 Wrap Up and Thanks

 

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Verticals, Hustle, and the Future of Filmmaking (Get Reelisms Ep. 186)

On Get Reelisms podcast episode 186, filmmakers Adam Chase Rani and Christine Chen discuss being exhausted but grateful for steady work while others in Austin and Texas struggle despite talk of bigger film tax incentives. They say vertical short-form productions are “single handedly saving Hollywood,” with money coming from markets including China, and Christine notes speaking Mandarin helps her communicate with clients as an AD and director. They describe overlapping AD prep across productions, constant schedule demands on rare days off, and how vertical work favors indie-style problem solvers over union workflows. They explain vertical monetization as “Farmville”-style gamification with addictive cliffhangers and paywalls per short episode, shaping soapy storytelling tropes, while also noting vertical framing can be visually strong. They mention Darren Aronofsky’s AI film "On This Day, 1776" and briefly debate AI as a tool versus making full films with it, then preview an upcoming guest, Oscar-nominated short filmmaker Sam Davis ("The Singers" on Netflix).

 

Hosts: Adam Rani (@adamthechase)  & Christine Chen (@cchenmtf) 

About Christine W Chen:

Christine W. Chen is a Taiwanese American filmmaker, Academy member (Short Films Branch), and versatile producer, director, and writer known for bold, character-driven storytelling. Through her production company, Moth to Flame, she has created award-winning short films, features, and branded content—including Erzulie, a feminist swamp thriller that had a limited theatrical run and now streams on major platforms. In addition to her directorial work, Christine is a seasoned DGA 1st Assistant Director and co-author of Get Reelisms and ABCs of Filmmaking, as well as the co-host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.

For more information about Christine Chen: christinewchen.com

About Adam Rani:

Adam Chase Rani is a production designer and set dresser working in the Austin film market, bringing a sharp eye for visual storytelling and practical creativity to every project. During the pandemic, he co-founded the Get Reelisms Podcast with Christine Chen to foster community within the film industry. Together, they’ve built a platform that blends education, candid conversations, and industry insights to help filmmakers connect, learn, and grow.

WEBISODE version of the Podcast

00:00 Verticals Save Hollywood

01:01 Podcast Intro and Hosts

02:08 Lunar New Year Banter

04:11 Work Drought and Incentives

05:19 Mandarin as a Career Edge

06:37 How We Met on Set

12:13 Overlapping AD Chaos

16:04 Forgot to Go Live

18:29 No Days Off Reality

20:44 Becoming the Vertical Queen

22:58 Who Excels at Verticals

24:24 Will Stories Go Vertical

25:04 David Lynch Phone Rant

26:57 Farmville Paywall Model

31:00 Soap Opera Hook Writing

33:16 Shooting Vertical Beautifully

35:53 New Tech Becomes Cinema

37:59 AI Films and Unease

41:38 Trump Impressions Detour

43:09 Housekeeping and Next Guest

 

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Star Flare: Reclaiming Agency, Building a Fun Set, and the Pain of Crowdfunding (Get Reelisms Ep. 185)

On Get Reelisms Podcast episode 185, hosts Adam Chase Rani and Christine Chen interview actor-writer-producer Laura Ricci about making her fantasy romance short film Star Flare. Laura describes feeling powerless as an actor and deciding to create her own work after living in Los Angeles for nearly three years, with wildfires raging and Trump newly inaugurated, leading her to write the script in a week and produce her first “real” film. They discuss designing the project around practical constraints (woods location, small cast, one day, limited costume changes) while still aiming big for the genre, and Laura’s priority of creating a safe, fun set that strengthens relationships and took care of the team. Laura calls crowdfunding the hardest part, recounting constant posting, emotional strain, and mixed results despite support and a stranger’s $1,000 pledge. Christine directed and is editing; they talk about post-production, sound design’s importance, and meeting through a TikTok call for a director.

 

Hosts: Adam Rani (@adamthechase)  & Christine Chen (@cchenmtf) 

About Christine W Chen:

Christine W. Chen is a Taiwanese American filmmaker, Academy member (Short Films Branch), and versatile producer, director, and writer known for bold, character-driven storytelling. Through her production company, Moth to Flame, she has created award-winning short films, features, and branded content—including Erzulie, a feminist swamp thriller that had a limited theatrical run and now streams on major platforms. In addition to her directorial work, Christine is a seasoned DGA 1st Assistant Director and co-author of Get Reelisms and ABCs of Filmmaking, as well as the co-host of the Get Reelisms Podcast.

For more information about Christine Chen: christinewchen.com

About Adam Rani:

Adam Chase Rani is a production designer and set dresser working in the Austin film market, bringing a sharp eye for visual storytelling and practical creativity to every project. During the pandemic, he co-founded the Get Reelisms Podcast with Christine Chen to foster community within the film industry. Together, they’ve built a platform that blends education, candid conversations, and industry insights to help filmmakers connect, learn, and grow.

Guest: 

Laura Ricci is a Los Angeles-based SAG-AFTRA actress known for roles in Hostess (2018), The Wraith (2021), and the upcoming Cupcakes (2025). She has also appeared in I Was There (2022) and Siren Salon (2023), often portraying characters with wit and depth. She is active on Instagram as @the.laura.ricci.

 

WEBISODE version of the Podcast

00:00 Feeling Powerless

00:51 Podcast Intro

01:12 Meet Laura Ricci

02:00 Audio Setup Talk

03:41 Why Make a Short

05:44 Star Flare Logline

07:43 Writing With Constraints

10:26 Making Set Fun

18:24 Collaboration Magic

22:54 Crowdfunding Struggles

26:25 Crowdfunding Reality Check

27:16 Letting Go of Perfection

28:14 Where the Film Is Now

28:48 Finding a Director on TikTok

31:50 Why Laura Didn’t Direct

34:34 Paying People Fairly

36:20 Editing Notes and Post Workflow

37:41 Sound Design Makes the Genre

38:11 Dune and Movie Theater Nerd Talk

42:23 Weapons Guy and Armor Shop Stories

44:23 Wrap Up and Housekeeping

 

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Get Reelisms Amazon Store

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Official Get Reelisms Page
Get Reelisms Amazon Store
Instagram