Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Barnett.
Hi Julia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Long before we ever shared an executive producer credit or launched Rolling Reels Productions, Mindy Raymond and Julia Barnett were two Texas moms crossing paths in Dripping Springs, juggling school schedules while running on the unmistakable adrenaline of film people. They started “coffee gals” group that met weekly in downtown Dripping.
They had both spent decades in the business as professional actors, mostly in New York City. Although they never met there! Julia had spent years on sets for shows like *Nashville* and *Fear the Walking Dead*, and Mindy on “The Adventure of Pepper and Paula” and “The Leftovers”. Seamlessly making their own moves from behind the camera, Mindy mastering production, financing, and advocacy for Texas film, and Julia thriving in writing and directing. This gave Julia and Mindy an intuitive, 360-degree view, understanding how a set truly breathes. When you’ve lived both sides of the lens, you know the vulnerability it takes to perform and the fierce discipline it takes to lead.
The spark wasn’t some boardroom pitch; it happened naturally when *A Christmas in New Hope* was in development. The moment they started digging into the script and logistics, their workflow just clicked. It was immediate and effortless – Mindy’s sharp producing instincts dovetailed with Julia’s creative vision, to the point of occasionally finishing each other’s thoughts. Making that movie together wasn’t just a successful shoot that went on to find a massive audience on Tubi and Amazon; it was the foundation of a true sisterhood.
That trust and creative shorthand made starting Rolling Reels the most natural next step of their careers. They immediately took that momentum into *Texas Cult House*, which carried them all the way to opening night at the Austin Film Festival.
Today, Rolling Reels is building and expanding a slate of independent feature films and series right here from Central Texas. They set out to make movies with heart, grit, and high production value, but just as importantly, to create sets where artists thrive and mentoring is a part of their ethos. What started with two former actors talking life in the Hill Country has blossomed into a thriving production company, and the best part is getting to build this dream alongside your bestie.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Rolling Reels was actually born out of a major road bump. Julia had written A Christmas in New Hope intending simply to sell the script, but when the original buyer ghosted, she decided we weren’t going to let the project die on a shelf. Mindy and I took the reins, financed it, and made it ourselves.
Then came the struggle to avoid being typecast. The industry loves putting creators in boxes, and after the success of our Christmas movie, we knew we had to boldly prove our range. So, four months after wrapping a festive holiday shoot, we dove into filming Texas Cult House on a $50,000 micro-budget. That shoot was pure grassroots grit. We filmed entirely on my property, pulled in a skeleton crew, and had my husband Van Tracy produce all the special effects.
We also learned how crucial community is when resources are lean. When a literal cooler of 60 pounds of ribs and brisket fell off a truck in front of Mindy’s colleague on the road, Mindy claimed it immediately, and a local restaurant volunteered to cook it up to feed our crew! Every indie film comes with a dozen moments where everything could fall apart, but when you have a trusted partner beside you, setbacks simply become creative puzzles to solve, and later amazing stories to share.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At our core, Mindy and I are creative entrepreneurs. We run Rolling Reels Productions not just as filmmakers with stories to tell, but as business partners building a sustainable, agile production model right here in Texas. We specialize in independent feature films that punch far above their weight class delivering high-concept, polished cinematic experiences that connect deeply with audiences while protecting the bottom line for our investors.
While I am the writer and director and Mindy is the producer, the development process is completely intertwined. We don’t work in rigid creative silos. Long before a script is finalized, Mindy and I are shaping the concept together, weighing the emotional narrative beats right alongside the physical logistics, marketability, and production footprint. When we step onto set, our official roles click into place: I take the reins behind the monitor working with the cast and camera, and Mindy commands the machine of production. But even in the heat of a 12-hour shoot, we operate in total tandem.
What sets us apart is this seamless partnership: we tackle everything as a unified team. By sharing the creative and executive load, we exponentially multiply what gets accomplished. There’s no friction between “the creative vision” and “the producer’s budget” because we share both brains.
We are most proud of our versatility and our track record. We refuse to be pigeonholed. We went straight from delivering a heartwarming family holiday film, (A Christmas in New Hope, which garnered over 6.4 million views on Tubi in its first month) to an intense psychological horror feature (Texas Cult House, which held its world premiere at the Austin Film Festival and landed global sales with The Coven sales agency). Proving that an indie team can pivot genres seamlessly while consistently generating strong returns and elevating our local creative community is what makes all the long hours worth it.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Filmmaking is not a solo endeavor. Your most valuable asset isn’t high-end gear or a massive budget; it’s the trust, chemistry, and mutual respect of your creative family.
When we moved from our holiday movie to a micro-budget horror film, our crew followed us because people wanted to work with us again. Cultivate genuine relationships and bring your people up with you.
What’s next for Rolling Reels?
We couldn’t be more excited for our next feature, Casting Christmas, which we are filming right here at home in Dripping Springs in 2026.
Holiday movies have this incredible power to become annual family traditions, but many families still don’t see themselves reflected authentically on screen. Our film, Casting Christmas features individuals with disabilities, but the story not about the disability, we have just chosen to focus on inclusion casting as a priority in our filmmaking.
Because we believe independent filmmaking thrives when the community is invited into the process, we’ve opened up an avenue for people to genuinely be part of this journey with us. We have active donor perks and incentives ranging from end-credit recognitions and invites to our cast and crew wrap party, all the way to set visits, shadowing Mindy or me on a shoot day, and even written-in cameo roles.
If you want to help us bring this story to life and champion authentic representation in holiday cinema, you can learn more and join our filmmaking family here: Support Casting Christmas on Givebutter. Here is the link: https://givebutter.com/castingchristmas
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rolling-reels.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejuliabarnett
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mindy-raymond-texas/?isSelfProfile=false
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rollingreelsproductions
- Other: https://givebutter.com/castingchristmas
