Explore every episode of the podcast BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

The world of Influenced is one of luxury, exclusivity, and Manhattan's Upper East Side. Bringing that world to life on an independent film budget meant balancing creative ambition with production realities: making every location, every shooting day, and every production decision count.

This week on Below the Line, Bruce Edward Hall joins Skid to discuss Influenced, the independent comedy directed by Rachel Israel from a screenplay by Jill Kargman. Together, they explore the planning, coordination, and adaptability required to bring an ambitious feature to the screen, and how thoughtful preparation helped the production make the most of every opportunity.

Among the highlights:

• Scheduling a 23-day feature around child actors, animals, celebrity cameos, and a one-camera production
• Using Jill Kargman's relationships to secure extraordinary Upper East Side locations that would normally be beyond an independent film's reach
• Making intimate locations and crowded luncheon scenes feel far larger than the budget allowed
• Coordinating celebrity cameos and guest actors whose schedules left little room for rehearsal
• Navigating everything from neighborhood disruptions to approaching thunderstorms while keeping production on track

Throughout the conversation, Bruce offers a behind-the-scenes look at the work audiences rarely notice, revealing how countless production decisions combine to make ambitious filmmaking look effortless on screen.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Influenced. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

By the penultimate episode of a serialized mystery, every decision matters. Screenwriter Yona Speidel takes us inside Episode 7 of The Boroughs, where the show's many storylines converge as the season races toward its finale.

This week on Below the Line, Yona Speidel discusses her work on The Boroughs, the Netflix sci-fi mystery series created by Jeffrey Addiss and Will Matthews. Together, she and Skid explore how a modern television writers' room operates, how Yona's specific episode evolved during development, and how real-life experiences helped shape key moments in the series.

Among the highlights:

• How the writers' room collaborated to break down the entire season before a single episode was drafted
• Why Episode 7 became the show's "heist episode" and the process of bringing multiple storylines together
• Planning a complex action sequence inside the Manor before any actual sets had been built
• Drawing on family history, retirement communities, and personal memories to shape key moments in the script
• Balancing a writer's creative contributions with the vision of a show's creators and showrunners

Throughout the conversation, Yona offers an inside look at the collaborative nature of television writing, revealing how ideas move from the writers' room to the screen while adapting to the realities of production.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Boroughs. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

A station wagon ride. A movie theater. A bathtub drain. In IT: Welcome to Derry, some of the most ordinary places become the source of the show's most memorable nightmares.

This week on Below the Line, Film Editor Esther Sokolow joins Skid and co-host Gianni Damaia to discuss editing the pilot episode of IT: Welcome to Derry. Building on the world established in IT Chapters One and Two, Esther breaks down how the creative team crafted the pilot's most memorable scares while exploring an earlier chapter in Pennywise's history.

HBO provided four clips from the pilot episode, giving Esther the opportunity to break down:

• The station wagon sequence that transforms a seemingly kind family into one of the pilot's most disturbing nightmares
• The theater massacre and the editorial decision to anchor the chaos through Lilly's point of view
• Teddy's encounter with the living lampshade and the practical effects hidden within the scare
• Lilly's bathtub vision and the subtle editorial tricks that make Pennywise's presence feel unnervingly wrong

Beyond the individual scares, Esther explains how horror editing relies on audience empathy, carefully controlled perspective, and a deep understanding of what viewers fear before the monster ever appears. From sound design and pacing to practical effects and performance, she offers a fascinating look at adapting Stephen King's world for television while creating an identity uniquely suited to IT: Welcome to Derry.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on IT: Welcome to Derry. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

How do you stage prison riots, cliffside fights, and high-speed chases when you only have a few hours to shoot each sequence? For Stunt Coordinator Victor Paguia, the answer starts with preparation, collaboration, and a willingness to solve problems on the fly.

This week on Below the Line, Victor Paguia joins Skid to discuss his work on FBI, the long-running CBS series now heading into its ninth season. Having been with the show since the pilot, Victor breaks down three standout action sequences from Season 8 and explains how his team delivers ambitious stunts under the demanding schedule of a network television production. 

We discuss:

• Planning and executing a truck-to-truck jump at 40 miles per hour in eight-degree weather
• Pulling off a crucial hot-rod entrance with a single take before the street reopened to traffic
• Teaching actors fight choreography on the day of shooting, a few moves at a time
• Designing a prison-riot fight around a dramatic overhead camera move
• Finding stunt doubles for guest stars cast only days before filming
• Creating a cliffside rescue sequence using real locations, stunt performers, and a custom-built set

Throughout the conversation, Victor returns to the same challenge: balancing ambition with reality. Whether he's coordinating a vehicle jump, choreographing a fight, or hanging stunt performers over a real cliff, every creative decision must account for time, budget, safety, and the practical demands of episodic television. The result is a fascinating look at the planning and problem-solving that make action storytelling possible. 

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on FBI. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Adapting manga to live action has defeated more than a few ambitious productions. But somehow, One Piece became one of Netflix’s biggest successes — by embracing spectacle without losing sight of character.

This week on Below the Line, Film Editor Eric Litman returns to the podcast alongside regular guest and co-host Christopher Angel to discuss the editorial challenges behind Netflix’s hit adaptation of One Piece. From reshaping major sequences in post to balancing fan expectations with emotional clarity, Eric breaks down how the series found its rhythm — and why grounding the story emotionally became the key to making its larger-than-life world work.

Among the highlights:

• Reworking the opening of Season 2 to establish energy, tone, and momentum from the very first scene
• Building complex visual effects sequences before the effects themselves even existed
• Using pacing, speed ramps, and eye-lines to shape action scenes around character perspective
• Finding visual inspiration in the original manga while still allowing the live-action series to stand on its own
• How editorial restructuring and pickups helped strengthen emotional connections between the Straw Hats
• Collaborating with previs, sound, stunt, and VFX teams across multiple countries during post-production
• Why the creative team resisted “fan service” in favor of character-driven storytelling
• The emotional audience reactions that revealed just how deeply One Piece connects with its fans

What emerges throughout the conversation is how much modern editing — especially on a visual effects-heavy show like One Piece — depends on collaboration. Eric describes a process that extended far beyond the cutting room, involving constant communication between editorial, sound, previs, visual effects, production, and performance.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on One Piece. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

How do you shoot a film where time doesn’t move forward, but folds in on itself? For Fabian Gamper, the answer was building a visual language that treats every image like a memory — layered, subjective, and deeply tied to place.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Fabian Gamper and co-host David Tuttman to discuss the cinematography behind Sound of Falling, the Cannes Jury Prize-winning film that blends four time periods into a single, interconnected visual experience.

From the beginning, Fabian approached the project with a guiding principle: the farmhouse location would dictate the look. Rather than designing separate visual styles for each era, he and director Mascha Schilinski chose to unify the film through a consistent, naturalistic approach — allowing light, texture, and production design to signal shifts in time while maintaining a shared emotional language across generations. 

Topics include:

• Building a “memory structure” visually — and why all time periods were treated with the same cinematic language
• Using a single farmhouse location as both logistical anchor and creative constraint
• Designing naturalistic lighting that still carries emotional intent, from candlelight to LED sources
• Creating a filmic look digitally, including Look-up Table development and 16mm emulation
• Balancing available light with precise planning — including timing shots to the position of the sun
• Solving complex practical challenges, from child actor scheduling to in-camera stunt solutions
• Using long lenses and selective framing to reflect how memory distorts perspective
• Reinforcing theme through technique — including recurring visual motifs like reflected light

What emerges is a conversation about control and surrender — knowing when to shape the image, and when to let the environment lead. Whether working with limited resources or ambitious ideas, Fabian’s process shows how a clear visual philosophy can unify even the most complex narrative structures.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and go Below the Line on Sound of Falling. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What happens when you build an action movie from the discipline, pain tolerance, and physical language of ballet? For Director Vicky Jewson, the answer became Pretty Lethal — a film where movement isn’t just style, it’s story.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Vicky Jewson and co-host Katie Carroll to go behind the camera on Pretty Lethal, the action thriller now streaming on Prime Video.

From the outset, Vicky approached the project with a clear mandate: ballet wouldn’t be window dressing — it would drive everything. That meant immersing herself in the world of professional dance, collaborating with prima ballerinas, and building an entirely new movement language that blends choreography and combat into what the team ultimately dubbed “Ballet-Fu.”

The conversation explores how that idea shaped every stage of production:

• Why the film was designed “ballet first, fight second,” and how that philosophy led to the creation of a new stunt vocabulary
• Building a hybrid team of dancers and stunt performers — and how seven weeks of prep transformed ballerinas into action-ready doubles
• The logistics behind intensive rehearsal, previs, and on-location blocking — including shooting complex sequences with an editor assembling scenes in real time
• Designing action set pieces as evolving story beats, allowing the audience to discover Ballet-Fu alongside the characters
• The decision to embrace the visual symbolism of tutus — not as spectacle, but as a statement about strength, femininity, and perception
• Creating a collaborative, high-trust environment on set, where tone, culture, and preparation all contribute to performance

Along the way, Vicky discusses the realities of getting a film like this made — from years of development and packaging to finding the right partners and building a team that could execute at scale. She also reflects on working with Uma Thurman, whose performance balances heightened, almost mythic energy with emotional grounding.

What emerges is a conversation about preparation, collaboration, and intention — and how a clear creative idea, carried all the way through production, can define the identity of a film.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and go Below the Line on Pretty Lethal. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Oscar night is almost here, and Below the Line closes out its 2026 Oscar series with a look at the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

This week, Skid is joined by returning guests Chris Molanphy, Louis Weeks, and Tom Peyton to break down the five nominees — a lineup that ranges from chart-topping K-pop to blues-infused cinematic spectacle, intimate indie folk, and even a rare operatic outlier.

As the ceremony approaches on March 15, the panel weighs not only which song will win, but how each nominee functions inside its film — and what that says about the evolving relationship between movies and popular music.

Among the highlights:

• Diane Warren’s Dear Me — her 17th nomination — and a candid conversation about formula, legacy nominations, and the Academy’s enduring embrace of one of its most persistent contenders
• Why Golden from K-Pop Demon Hunters has become the category’s undeniable frontrunner — and how its structure, performance demands, and cultural impact set it apart
• The scope and ambition of I Lied to You from Sinners, and how its blend of blues tradition and cinematic storytelling makes it more than just a “song”
• An operatic curveball in Sweet Dreams of Joy from Viva Verdi! — and what happens when a classical aria sits beside pop craftsmanship
• Nick Cave and Bryce Dessner’s Train Dreams, a meditative, image-driven piece that bridges songwriter performance and filmic atmosphere

The conversation moves easily between technical craft and big-picture questions: What makes a song “original” in today’s industry? Should Best Original Song reward chart success, narrative function, or musical innovation? And in an era of streaming metrics and algorithmic pop, what still feels distinctly human?

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Best Original Song — and get ready for Oscar night. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

As Oscar night draws near, Below the Line turns to one of the most emotionally powerful — and hotly debated — categories of the year: the Academy Award for Best Original Score.

In Episode 11 of our 2026 Oscar series, Skid is joined by returning panelists Chris Molanphy, Louis Weeks, and Jennie Armon to break down the five nominees recognized at the 98th Academy Awards: Bagonia, Frankenstein, Hamnet, One Battle After Another, and Sinners.

With just over a week until the ceremony on March 15, the conversation balances prediction, perspective, and deep craft analysis — examining not only who might win, but what each score is attempting to accomplish.

The discussion covers:

• Jerskin Fendrix’s anarchic, genre-bending approach to Bagonia — and whether creative “broken communication” can be a feature rather than a flaw
• Alexandre Desplat’s lush, violin-forward score for Frankenstein and what makes it feel both classical and quietly subversive
• Max Richter’s restrained work on Hamnet, including the complicated legacy of “On the Nature of Daylight” and how previously composed music intersects with Oscar eligibility
• Johnny Greenwood’s immersive, pulse-driven soundscape for One Battle After Another — and why some scores only reveal their full power in context with picture
• Ludwig Göransson’s sweeping, thesis-driven score for Sinners, a front-runner that uses music not just to support story, but to make an argument of its own

Along the way, the panel debates what the Academy tends to reward in this category: traditional orchestral craftsmanship, avant-garde experimentation, cultural resonance, or sheer emotional impact. They also spotlight overlooked scores from the year and reflect on how film music continues to evolve — especially as composers move fluidly between pop, concert, and cinematic worlds.

As the 98th Academy Awards approach, this episode offers both a critical deep dive and a celebration of how music shapes the movies we love.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as our 2026 Oscar series heads into its final stretch. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Costume design defines character before a word is spoken — through silhouette, texture, and the quiet language of fabric.

For Episode 10 of Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series, Skid is joined by Liz Vastola, Austin Wittick, and Allison Choi Braun to examine the nominees for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design at the 98th Academy Awards. Drawing on their experience across period drama, contemporary storytelling, and large-scale production, the panel evaluates this year’s field with a focus on research, construction, collaboration, and narrative clarity.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube.

Our discussion explores:

• The physical craftsmanship behind Avatar: Fire and Ash, and how tangible garments support performance even in a digitally expansive world
• In Frankenstein, how heightened color and silhouette push beyond strict period realism to create something emotionally immediate
• How Hamnet uses restraint — muted palettes and softened textures — to support its interior storytelling
• The meticulous 1950s tailoring in Marty Supreme, and what period specificity reveals about character and class
• Blending Americana, music culture, and horror in Sinners, where aging, multiples, and continuity become storytelling tools
• The collaborative relationship between costume designers and directors, and how early visual conversations shape the entire production

Throughout the episode, the panel reflects on how costume design operates at every scale — from the smallest accessory to the broadest color arc — and how these choices work in concert with lighting, production design, performance, and theme.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line for Episode 10 of our 2026 Oscar series as we head into the final stretch. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Cinematography is where intention meets execution — in the choice of lens, the placement of light, and the movement of the camera.

For Episode 9 of Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series, we turn to the nominees for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography at the 98th Academy Awards. Skid is joined by cinematographers Patrick Cady and David Tuttman, who return to examine this year’s field from the inside — balancing technical precision, aesthetic philosophy, and the lived reality of production.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube.

In this episode, the conversation explores:

• The “military operation of joy” behind Frankenstein — and how large-format photography, depth of field, and camera movement supported a unified creative vision • The disciplined exposure control and 1970s-influenced grit of Marty Supreme, shot largely on film with exacting precision • The ambitious VistaVision approach of One Battle After Another, and why certain sequences demand to be seen on the biggest screen possible • The bold format shifts and musical visual language of Sinners, including the challenge of blending IMAX, 70mm, and intimate close-ups • The natural-light philosophy of Train Dreams, and why “lighting with fire” is anything but simple • Patrick’s case for five additional films he believes deserved recognition — and what that reveals about how deep this year’s cinematography field really is

Along the way, Patrick and David reflect on film versus digital workflows, lens design, aspect ratios, shutter angle choices, and the subtle collaboration between cinematography, production design, and performance. The discussion moves easily between the granular (film stocks, lenses, exposure latitude) and the philosophical (joy in the process, trust between departments, and how cinematography shapes story without announcing itself).

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line for Episode 9 of our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Best Director may not be the top prize — but it’s the category that sparks the loudest arguments.

In Episode 8 of Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series, Skid is joined by Katie Carroll, Bill Hardy, and Shaun O’Banionto break down the nominees for the Academy Award for Best Director at the 98th Academy Awards. With years of shared on-set experience and a long-running panel dynamic, the conversation is sharp, occasionally irreverent, and grounded in what it actually takes to steer a production at this level.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube.

Our discussion ranges across:

• Chloé Zhao’s restraint in Hamnet, and how stillness and intimacy compete against larger canvases in this category
• The spirited (and sometimes hilarious) divide over Marty Supreme — its length, its chaos, and the argument over what discipline looks like on screen
• Paul Thomas Anderson’s command of tone in One Battle After Another, and the logistical confidence required to orchestrate narrative sprawl
• Joachim Trier’s delicate handling of memory and performance in Sentimental Value, and the quiet authority behind that control
• Ryan Coogler’s genre-blending ambition in Sinners, and the risks that come with expanding the boundaries of a franchise
• The case for Frankenstein as a nomination that could have reshaped the race — and why its absence sparked genuine debate at the table

The episode carries the easy banter of collaborators who’ve spent years dissecting this category together — complete with side bets, mock outrage, and the occasional good-natured jab — but underneath the laughs is a serious respect for the director’s role: holding the vision, protecting performance, and keeping a sprawling production aligned from prep through post.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line for Episode 8 of our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Sound is where performance, environment, and emotion converge — shaped first on set and refined in the mix.

In Episode 7 of Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series, Skid is joined by Steve Morrow (Production Sound Mixer) and Don Sylvester (Sound Editor) to examine the nominees for Achievement in Sound at the 98th Academy Awards. Together, they explore how production and post-production intersect to support performance, pacing, and dramatic tension.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube.

Our discussion explores:

• The immersive racing soundscape of F1, and how layered engine recording, ambisonics, and dynamic mixing place audiences inside the cockpit
• The evolving vocal treatment and tonal balancing in Frankenstein, where horror, romance, and creature design must coexist within a unified sonic world
• How One Battle After Another uses vehicles, space, and environmental texture to reinforce character perspective
• Capturing live musical performance and choreographed chaos in Sinners, where production sound and post must move in lockstep
• The blurred boundary between music and environment in Sirāt, and how subtle soundscapes shape perception as much as spectacle
• Why production sound and sound editing are inseparable disciplines when it comes to protecting performance
• A brief look at shortlist contender Warfare, and what makes immersive combat sound both technically complex and emotionally overwhelming

Throughout the conversation, Steve and Don reflect on the practical realities of their craft — from mic placement and set noise to mix decisions and audience psychology — offering a detailed look at how sound both grounds and elevates cinematic storytelling.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line for Episode 7 of our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Judging production design means considering not just what we see, but how an entire world was constructed to function on screen.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Bob Shaw (Production Designer), Regina Graves (Set Decorator), and Kerry Weeks (Leadman) to examine the nominees for Achievement in Production Design at the 98th Academy Awards. Representing three distinct roles within the art department, they offer a grounded, practical look at how these films constructed their environments — from large-scale builds to the smallest graphic detail.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube.

Our discussion ranges across:

• The operatic scale and extensive builds of Frankenstein, from castle interiors to laboratory design — and whether grandeur ultimately serves or overwhelms the story
• The period authenticity of Hamnet, including the recreation of Shakespeare’s Globe and the delicate balance between research and creative interpretation
• The layered Lower East Side streets of Marty Supreme, where signage, storefront graphics, and textural detail quietly anchor a frenetic narrative
• The cohesive, character-driven environments of One Battle After Another, where homes, dojos, and lived-in interiors feel organic rather than theatrical
• The tonal shift in Sinners, and the ongoing challenge of aging sets just enough — especially when audience expectations of “period” don’t always align with historical reality
• How decisions about wear, grit, and cleanliness can subtly shape credibility without drawing attention to themselves
• Why contemporary or less “showy” films like Black Bag are often overlooked despite meticulous design work
• Additional standouts from the year, including Train Dreams and Song Sung Blue, which demonstrate how tonal precision and environmental detail can carry as much weight as larger-scale builds

Across the conversation, the three perspectives reveal how production design succeeds not only through bold visual statements, but through coordination — between design, dressing, graphics, lighting, and performance — so that nothing feels isolated from the world of the film.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line for another chapter in our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Animated feature filmmaking is defined by endurance — years of development, constant iteration, and creative risks that often aren’t visible on screen.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Kent Seki and Camille Leganza to discuss the nominees for Best Animated Feature at the 98th Academy Awards. Drawing on their extensive experience in animation, they look closely at how different creative pipelines, production cultures, and storytelling ambitions shape this year’s unusually diverse slate of nominees.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube, offering listeners the option to watch the discussion or engage with it in its traditional audio form.

Our discussion ranges across:

• The long development paths behind animated features — and what creative “endurance” really looks like in practice
• Why Arco stands out for its visual authorship, unconventional time-travel structure, and optimistic view of the future
• The creative challenges behind Elio, including director transitions, tonal recalibration, and ambitious visual experimentation
• How K‑Pop Demon Hunters became an unexpected cultural phenomenon through bold genre blending and stylistic risk
• The visual restraint, emotional specificity, and rapid production schedule that define Little Amélie or the Character of Rain
• The scale, scope, and world-building demands of Zootopia 2, and why sequels can be harder than originals
• How audience expectations, box-office performance, and cultural context intersect with Academy recognition
• What this year’s nominees suggest about the evolving identity of animated feature filmmaking

The conversation presents animated features as works of sustained creative commitment — films shaped as much by patience, resilience, and collaboration as by technology or visual style.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as the 2026 Oscar series continues. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Makeup and hairstyling are among the most visible crafts in filmmaking — shaping how an audience understands age, history, and identity before a word is spoken.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Yvonne De Patis-Kupka, Angela Nogaro, and Lynda Armstrong for an in-depth discussion of the nominees for Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling at the 98th Academy Awards. Drawing on a wide range of experience across film and television, they examine how hair and makeup choices shape character, period, genre, and emotional tone — and how those choices are evaluated within a single, highly competitive Oscar category.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube, giving listeners the option to watch the discussion or continue enjoying the show in its traditional audio format.

Our discussion ranges across:

• The contrast between large-scale prosthetic work and more restrained, character-driven approaches to makeup and hair
• How transformation functions differently across genres, from the mythic world of Frankenstein to the grounded period realism of Sinners
• The challenges of evaluating culturally specific styles, including the kabuki-influenced work in Kokuho
• When subtlety becomes the hardest achievement — and why “natural” work can be the most demanding
• The relationship between budget, resources, and creative problem-solving, particularly in films like The Ugly Stepsister
• How continuity, aging, and wear are tracked over time to support long-form storytelling
• The ongoing difficulty of judging hair, makeup, and prosthetics together within a single Oscar category
• What this year’s nominees reveal about the Academy’s evolving expectations for the craft

The conversation highlights makeup and hairstyling as disciplines defined by precision, restraint, and collaboration — crafts that help actors fully inhabit their roles while anchoring the world of the film.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as the 2026 Oscar series continues. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

This episode begins with a hypothetical question: what would it look like if Property Mastering were its own Oscar category? We explore it as part of Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Scott Buckwald and Gregg Bilson, Jr. for a deep dive into the craft of property mastering through the lens of the 98th Academy Awards. Using a fictional Oscar ballot as a framework, they explore how props function as storytelling tools — shaping character, tone, and authenticity across a wide range of films.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, the conversation is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video episode on YouTube, offering listeners and viewers a closer look at how below-the-line crafts are discussed and evaluated from inside the work itself.

Our discussion ranges across:

• Why property mastering sits at the intersection of design, performance, and logistics — often unnoticed, but never incidental
• How props help define character and period across films like Nuremberg and Song Sung Blue
• The heightened demands of genre storytelling, from the mythic scale of Frankenstein to the grounded realism of Sinners
• Managing continuity and narrative logic when props evolve over the course of a story
• The technical and ethical considerations involved in handling story-critical objects, from weapons to documents and artifacts
• How preparation, research, and documentation allow property masters to support performance without drawing attention to the work itself
• Why collaboration with actors and other departments is essential to making props feel lived-in rather than ornamental
• What this hypothetical exercise reveals about how deeply props are woven into storytelling, even when they’re easy to overlook

The conversation highlights property mastering as a discipline defined by preparation, judgment, and storytelling instincts — a craft that quietly anchors performance and world-building across every genre.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as the 2026 Oscar series continues. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Continuing Below the Line’s 2026 Oscar series, the conversation turns to Visual Effects — a category that sits at the intersection of technology, craft, and storytelling.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Kent Seki and Chris Batty for a focused conversation about the Oscar nominees for Achievement in Visual Effects. Together, they look at how the category has evolved — and what separates technical accomplishment from storytelling impact.

As with the rest of this year’s Oscar series, this episode is available both as an audio podcast and as a full video conversation on YouTube, offering listeners and viewers a closer look at how visual-effects work is discussed, debated, and evaluated from inside the process.

Our discussion ranges across:

• The different creative demands of large-scale spectacle versus realism-driven effects
• How films like Avatar: Fire and Ash and Jurassic World Rebirth approach scale and world-building, compared to the grounded physical environments of F1 and The Lost Bus
• The challenge of integrating effects into performances, locations, and production design without overwhelming the story
• Why elements like fire, debris, and destruction require as much restraint as technical precision
• How visual effects intersect with cinematography, editorial, and sound to maintain continuity and tone
• The increasing expectation that effects choices support narrative clarity rather than novelty
• What this year’s nominees suggest about how the Academy continues to define excellence in the field

Rather than focusing on predictions, the conversation looks at how visual effects decisions are made — and how those choices shape tone, performance, and story across very different kinds of films.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as the 2026 Oscar series continues. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

As the 98th Academy Awards approach, Below the Line returns for its seventh annual Oscar series — beginning with Film Editing, a category that quietly shapes every other craft recognized on Oscar night.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Amy Duddleston and Christopher Angel to open the 2026 Oscar series with a focused conversation about the nominees for Achievement in Film Editing. Together, they examine how editing choices shape performance, tone, and point of view — and why the category can be difficult to evaluate without understanding what the work actually requires.

This episode also marks a first for Below the Line: these Oscar conversations are now available both as an audio podcast and as full video episodes on YouTube, offering listeners the choice to watch the discussion unfold or continue enjoying the show in its traditional audio format.

Our discussion ranges across:

• Why Film Editing is often misunderstood as “most editing” rather than best judgment
• The distinct editorial challenges behind this year’s nominees, including F1, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, Sentimental Value, and Sinners
• How performance-driven films ask editors to prioritize restraint over visibility
• The editor’s role in shaping character psychology and audience alignment
• When cutting calls attention to itself — and when disappearing is the hardest choice
• Navigating collaboration with directors whose approaches range from highly controlled to deliberately chaotic
• What this year’s nominees reveal about how the Academy continues to define the craft

Grounded in the perspective of two working editors, the conversation focuses less on prediction and more on process — unpacking how editing decisions actually function on screen, and why the craft remains essential even when it goes unnoticed.

🎧 Press play — or watch the full conversation on YouTube — and join us Below the Line as we begin our 2026 Oscar series. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Designing for television isn’t just about building sets — it’s about knowing when to preserve them, when to break them, and how to let them evolve over time. On Slow Horses, that long view shapes every creative decision.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Production Designer Choi Ho Man, with Gianni Damaia returning as co-host, to talk about the fifth season of Slow Horses, the Apple TV+ espionage series starring Gary Oldman. Choi traces her journey on the show from supervising art director to production designer, and how designing across multiple seasons requires long-term thinking, flexibility, and restraint.

We take a deep dive into:

• How Slow Horses was designed as a rolling, multi-season project, shooting in pairs of seasons with overlapping crews and compressed turnaround times
• The evolution of Slough House itself, including how destruction at the end of Season Four informed the repaired, modernized, and slightly haunted version seen in Season Five
• Designing spaces that reflect character psychology, from Lamb’s office to Ho’s flat
• Building and rebuilding modular sets — lifts, car parks, corridors, offices — to stretch resources while preserving visual continuity
• Developing MI5 Headquarters (“The Park”) as a recurring environment, mapping unseen spaces to make the building feel architecturally complete
• Stitching together complex action sequences from multiple locations and stage builds, including chase scenes, stairwells, and exterior-to-interior transitions
• How practical construction, visual effects, and stunt coordination intersect on large-scale action sequences involving paint, height, and confined spaces
• Why face-to-face collaboration still matters, including sketches, models, and conversations that can’t be replaced by emails or message threads

Across five seasons, Slow Horses proves that production design isn’t just about creating spaces — it’s about letting those spaces absorb history, pressure, and consequence, until the environment itself becomes part of the story.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Slow Horses. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

The stranger The Chair Company gets, the more seriously it has to be treated. Nothing about the show tells the audience when to laugh — its world looks ordinary, its people feel real, and that restraint is exactly what lets the absurdity land.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Costume Designer Nicky Smith and Cinematographer Ashley Connor to discuss their work on The Chair Company, the HBO series created by Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin. Together, they break down how a show rooted in off-kilter comedy relies on rigorous visual logic — from wardrobe and camera movement to pacing, texture, and point of view — to maintain its delicate tonal balance.

Our conversation ranges across:

• Treating the series like a grounded crime or conspiracy drama, using mundane wardrobe and restrained visuals to make moments of surrealism hit harder

• Ashley’s cinematography approach: anchoring the camera to Ron’s emotional journey, using aggressive dollies, zooms, and imperfect movement to mirror his unraveling

• Nicky’s costume philosophy of thrifted, worn-in clothing — washing, distressing, and avoiding “newness” so characters feel unmistakably real

• Designing visual normalcy as misdirection, allowing sudden tonal shifts to surprise the audience without breaking the world of the show

• The evolving production scale from pilot to series, and how departments learned to stretch limited resources into something that feels expansive

• Building key sequences like the Episode Five bar chase and the Episode Eight wedding — where every department had to stay in sync to manage the chaos

• How casting, body types, and costume choices avoid stereotypes, creating a workplace and social world that feels genuinely lived-in

• Setting up Season Two without knowing the destination — trusting Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin’s writing while embracing uncertainty

Rather than signaling comedy through exaggeration, The Chair Company finds its power in restraint — proving that the stranger a story becomes, the more important it is that every visual choice feels honest, deliberate, and grounded in character.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Chair Company. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Why do people who’ve spent their careers in the trenches of production take everything they’ve learned on set and turn it into something as quiet and lasting as a book? In this episode of Below the Line, three authors with deep roots in the industry talk about translating lived experience into storytelling on the page.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Melanie Ragone, Key Grip and author of Below the Line: A Film Crew Survival Guide; Rob Spera, director, teacher, and author of the Film/TV Director’s Field Manual: Seventy Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking; and Ken Levin, longtime Property Master and author of the satirical novel Great Exploitations – A Hollywood Fable. Together, they compare notes on why they wrote their books, how decades inside the industry shaped them as authors, and what they hope readers take away — whether they work on set or simply love the stories it produces.

On the page and behind the scenes, we talk about:

• How each book grew out of real experience: Melanie’s trial-by-fire years as a first-generation filmmaker and grip, Rob’s four decades directing and teaching, and Ken’s time in commercials, kids’ TV, and beyond
• The shared belief that film sets are communities, not dictatorships — and why Rob rejects auteur theory in favor of leadership that listens, thanks, and makes room for crew voices
• Melanie’s “love letter to crew”: honest advice about long hours, mental and physical strain, and why gratitude and basic respect from above the line can change an entire day on set
• Ken’s choice to write fiction as a way to tell the truth about Hollywood’s brutality, absurdity, and mutual exploitation — especially for those working below the line
• The changing economics of the industry: shorter seasons, longer gaps between shows, and why all three guests stress diversifying skills, planning ahead, and learning when (and how) to pivot
• Different publishing paths — from querying hundreds of agents to choosing self-publishing for speed and creative control — and what it really takes to market a niche industry book
• Who these books are for: new crew trying to survive their first shows, directors and producers who want a clearer picture of below-the-line life, and readers who just want to understand what really happens behind the camera
• What’s next: Melanie’s push toward showrunning and television writing, Rob’s continuing work as a teacher and documentary filmmaker, and Ken’s “second career” as a novelist, including aviation-themed projects waiting in the wings

At its heart, this conversation is about survival, adaptation, and generosity — three industry veterans turning hard-won lessons into something that can outlast a single job, a single season, or even a single career.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line with three storytellers who took their experience to the page. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What happens when filmmaking becomes a marathon of collaboration — spanning years, thousands of shots, and the world of Oz itself? For Wicked: For Good, that was the daily reality for Film Editor Myron Kerstein and Visual Effects Supervisor Pablo Helman.

This week on Below the Line, Skid welcomes back Myron Kerstein and introduces Pablo Helman, who makes his Below the Line debut to discuss their shared journey on Wicked: For Good, the sequel to Jon M. Chu’s Wicked. Together, they reflect on what it means to sustain creative momentum through two interconnected films and the largest project of their careers.

This episode unpacks:

• Building a years-long partnership between editorial and visual effects — and learning to “finish each other’s sentences” after thousands of hours together
• Integrating production, post, and VFX pipelines from the earliest days of Wicked through the sequel’s final render
• Designing the epic opening battle on the Yellow Brick Road, where performance, camera, and creature animation all converge
• Navigating Jon M. Chu’s collaborative process — a director who, as Myron puts it, is “a collector of people” and thrives on creative dialogue
• Crafting the technically complex “Girl in the Bubble” sequence — eight stitched plates, multiple reflections, and a seamless illusion that tested every department’s trust
• Refining the “No Good Deed” sequence — balancing raw emotion, musical rhythm, and visual effects spectacle
• Intercutting Glinda’s wedding with the imprisoned creatures to heighten tension and emotional contrast across parallel storylines
• How small creative choices — like a cape’s weight, a confetti storm, or a single flash of red sky — became storytelling tools in the hands of two artists who speak the same cinematic language

What emerges is a portrait of collaboration under pressure — one built on mutual respect, relentless curiosity, and a shared belief that every frame, no matter how fantastical, should feel grounded and human.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Wicked: For Good. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Before there were military consultants on movie sets, there were officers like Jon McBride — servicemen who understood how stories shape public perception. On this Veterans Day episode of Below the Line, we look at how the Navy’s storytellers helped connect the worlds of service and cinema.

This week, Skid is joined by Jon McBride, a former U.S. Navy officer whose service from 1964 to 1968 led him from the deck of the USS Kitty Hawk to the Navy’s Public Affairs Office in Hollywood — bridging two worlds that rarely meet but often influence one another.

We explore:

• Jon’s path from Yale graduate to Naval officer during the Vietnam War era, and how chance and persistence steered him toward public affairs
• Life aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, where he volunteered for the ship’s public information role — discovering a talent for storytelling under pressure
• How a Pentagon connection set Jon on the path to Hollywood, joining the Navy’s West Coast Public Affairs Office on Sunset Boulevard
• The Navy’s relationship with the film industry — reviewing scripts, assigning project officers, and shaping depictions of sailors on screen
• Behind-the-scenes memories from Operation: Entertainment, Yours, Mine and Ours, and an unexpected day serving as Dionne Warwick’s “agent”
• Encounters with Ray Charles, the Blue Angels, and the surreal overlap between show business and service
• How McBride’s later work with the grassroots Beyond War movement reframed his understanding of conflict and communication

Episodes like this one reflect a recurring theme for Below the Line — the shared discipline, teamwork, and creative purpose that link filmmaking and military service. Jon’s story captures that connection with humor, humility, and a deep sense of how storytelling itself can serve a mission.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line for a Veterans Day conversation that spans from the bridge of the Kitty Hawk to the backlots of Hollywood. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What does it take to build a world that feels as authentic as the people it represents? On The Lowdown, that meant storytelling rooted in place — and departments working in harmony.

This week on Below the Line, Skid welcomes Makeup Department Head Sharon Tabb and Production Designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly, who reunite after three seasons of Reservation Dogs to discuss their latest collaboration with creator Sterlin Harjo on the FX series The Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawke.

The discussion covers:

• Continuing the collaborative spirit from Reservation Dogs — and how Sterlin Harjo’s leadership fosters creativity and respect across the crew
• Finding shared visual language between makeup and production design — creating a lived-in aesthetic that balances grit, texture, and humanity
• Designing the show’s Tulsa block from the ground up, building interconnected sets like Hoot Owl Books, Sweet Emily’s Diner, and nearby stores into one functioning neighborhood
• Layering authenticity through local artists and real community involvement, from murals and set dressing to tattoo design
• Bringing lived experience into the work — honoring real figures like journalist Lee Roy Chapman while telling a fictionalized story of truth-seekers and corruption
• Sharon’s approach to Ethan Hawke’s tattoos and makeup continuity, balancing realism with subtle symbolism — and a few Easter eggs for sharp-eyed viewers
• Brandon’s creation of Sweet Emily’s Diner, complete with custom wallpaper that pays tribute to Reservation Dogs in the most unexpected way
• Coordinating large-scale sequences like the cop party “oner” that concludes Episode Five — blending chaos, choreography, and cinematic precision

Together, Sharon and Brandon reveal how every bruise, tattoo, and weathered wall becomes part of a larger visual story — one built from collaboration, trust, and craft in sync.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Lowdown. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What does it mean to edit a sports horror film that blurs the line between spectacle and nightmare? For Taylor Mason, the answer was finding the rhythm that carried HIM through its shifting tones.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Film Editor Taylor Mason to discuss her work on the Universal/Monkeypaw feature HIM, directed by Justin Tipping and starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. Joining the conversation is Christopher Angel, a regular guest and co-host of the podcast, who adds his editorial perspective.

The conversation cuts across:

• Building Taylor’s creative partnership with director Justin Tipping, which began during their AFI collaborations
• Taylor’s career arc through high-end assistant editing (e.g. Blade Runner 2049, Dune) before making the jump to feature editing
• Shaping HIM’s hybrid genre — balancing horror, satire, and sports narrative in the edit room
• Sculpting tone shifts, from unnerving silence to explosive sequences, while keeping character central
• Using helmet POVs, flash cuts, and hallucinatory visuals to plunge the viewer into the chaos of football
• Integrating VFX and x-ray sequences to reflect Cam’s physical deterioration and internal collapse
• Bringing personal resonance to the material, informed by her father’s NFL legacy and her own complicated relationship with the sport
• Cutting the film’s finale — a climax that threads horror, absurdism, and social critique

In the end, it’s rhythm that defines Taylor’s edit — balancing precision and chaos in a story that’s both savage and deeply human.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on HIM. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

How do you design a world that honors Hawaiian history while telling a story on a global stage? For Production Designer Jean-François Campeau, the answer was equal parts creativity, cultural respect, and collaboration.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Jean-François “JF” Campeau, Production Designer of Chief of War, the Apple TV+ historical drama starring Jason Momoa. Two special guests from the Smithsonian Institution add their perspectives: Kalewa Correa, Curator of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and Halena Kapuni-Reynolds, Associate Curator of Native Hawaiian History and Culture at the National Museum of the American Indian.

We cover:

• JF’s first reaction to the project — both inspired and intimidated by the cultural weight of the story
• Research at the Bishop Museum and working closely with Hawaiian and Māori cultural advisors to ground the sets in authenticity
• Constructing major builds like temples, strongholds, and the bone tower — with blessings and protocols woven into the process
• Carving sacred objects from authentic materials, including shipping an ʻōhiʻa tree from Hawai‘i to New Zealand for sculpting
• Collaborating with Pacific artisans on woven mats, sails, and canoes that carried both cultural and cinematic weight
• Blending Hawaiian and New Zealand landscapes, balancing cultural similarities with visual continuity challenges
• Jason Momoa’s insistence on filming battle sequences on real Hawaiian lava fields — including a shoot delayed by Mauna Loa’s eruption
• Capturing the gravity of historically significant moments, like the Olowalu massacre carried out under Captain Simon Metcalfe, with sensitivity to sacred ground
• JF’s personal reflections on how the project changed him, and the values he carried forward from working alongside Native Hawaiian and Māori communities

The conversation also touches on recommended resources for further learning, including Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood by Samuel Kamaka and Fragments of Hawaiian History by John Papa Iʻi, suggested by our Smithsonian co-hosts.

Through every set, carving and detail, Chief of War builds a conversation between past and present — one that honors place, people, and story alike.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Chief of War. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What does it take to shoot Formula 1 at Formula 1 speed? For 1st Assistant Director Toby Hefferman, it meant precision, improvisation, and a crew running at full throttle.

This week on Below the Line, Toby Hefferman joins Skid to talk about his work on F1: The Movie, the high-octane feature that merges scripted drama with real-world racing. From on-track logistics to high-pressure resets, Toby shares how he and the crew captured the energy of Formula 1 without slowing it down.

The conversation races through:

• Preparing for race-day chaos with limited takes and no second chances
• Coordinating with the F1 organization for track access and safety
• Balancing authentic racing with scripted storytelling beats
• Working with the broadcast crew and integrating into their coverage footprint
• Collaborating closely with director Joseph Kosinski to shape coverage and keep pace with the story
• Navigating the unique demands of filming alongside professional F1 drivers in active race environments
• What it means to “make the day” when the cars set the schedule — not the crew

What emerges is a portrait of an Assistant Director balancing structure with flexibility — drawing on lessons from Rogue One, Mission: Impossible, and now F1: The Movie.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on F1: The Movie. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

In Alien: Earth, the music has to merge sci-fi horror with sci-fi action — all while carrying the emotional core of Noah Hawley’s storytelling.

This week on Below the Line, Score Composer Jeff Russo joins Skid and returning co-host Louis Weeks to discuss his work on Alien: Earth, the FX series now airing its first season. An Emmy-winning and multiple Emmy-nominated composer, Jeff talks through how his music honors the legacy of Alien while building something entirely new — with select clips from his score woven throughout the conversation.

Here’s what we cover:

• Collaborating with Noah Hawley from the earliest concept stage — five years before cameras rolled
• Weaving together the tones of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) while still making the score uniquely his own
• Creating distinct sonic palettes for human, alien, and synth characters — and finding ways to blend them
• Crafting character-driven themes, including Wendy’s motif and the “Siblings” theme
• Integrating unusual instruments like the bass desmaphone and Aztec death whistle to shape the show’s sonic identity
• How serialized storytelling allows themes to grow and evolve across multiple episodes
• Building episode-specific releases, like the standalone score for Episode 5

Jeff also shares how his long creative partnership with Hawley has shaped his process — and why building trust early makes it easier to take musical risks later.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Alien: Earth. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Production Design doesn’t always get the laugh — but on Hacks, Rob Tokarz helps set up the punchline.

This week on Below the Line, Production Designer Rob Tokarz joins Skid to discuss Rob’s Emmy-nominated work on Hacks, the HBO Max comedy that just wrapped its fourth season. Rob shares how the show’s design evolved with Deborah and Ava’s careers — from Vegas casinos to LA sound stages — and how visual comedy can live in the details.

Among the highlights:

• Designing Deborah’s late night talk show set — and how its clean lines, reflective surfaces, and scale marked a new chapter in her career
• Leaning into sleek, showbiz artifice while still grounding scenes in emotional truth
• How Rob approaches “passive comedy” through shape, scale, texture, and layout
• Collaborating with Showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky to ensure that design and comedy worked hand in hand
• Designing new spaces like Jimmy’s office and the Home Shopping Network studio
• Working with returning directors, DPs, and department heads to maintain visual continuity
• Navigating studio notes and shifting production goals across multiple seasons

Rob also shares how Hacks maintained character integrity even as its world kept expanding — and why no design detail is too small when you're playing for laughs.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Hacks. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Designing a future where human life feels disposable — and deeply familiar — takes creative nerve, dark humor, and a fearless approach to world-building.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Production Designer Sue Chan to talk about her work on Murderbot, the new Apple TV+ series based on Martha Wells’ bestselling novellas. Sue breaks down how she and her team designed a future full of corporate dread, practical machinery, and sly visual comedy — all while making the world feel tactile rather than CG-slick.

We discuss:

• Developing the look of a far-future society built around exploitation, automation, and control
• How inflatable tech, 3D-printed architecture, and lightweight materials shaped the show’s practical builds
• Establishing a visual language that’s grounded in reality but laced with satire
• Designing Sanctuary Moon, the soap-opera-within-the-show, as a technicolor contrast to Murderbot’s grey, corporate environments
• Using shapes, signage, and spatial hierarchy to reinforce themes of capitalism and class division
• The creative and political process behind Murderbot’s helmet: the mask design that divided the studio and delighted Skarsgård
• Working with VFX and costumes to build a unified visual tone across departments
• Embracing “conscious contrasts” between the emotional tone of a scene and its visual environment

Sue also reflects on the challenge of building a world that feels both foreign and uncomfortably familiar — and why the best production design does more than just look good.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Murderbot. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Cinematographer Romain Lacourbas returns to Below the Line to talk about crafting Ballerina, the latest stylish installment in the John Wick universe.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Cinematographer Romain Lacourbas to discuss his visual approach to Ballerina, from the film’s sweeping Prague exteriors to its tightly choreographed fight scenes. Romain breaks down his collaboration with Director Len Wiseman, the decision to shoot single-camera action, and the creative problem-solving behind some of the film’s most explosive moments.

We cover:

• Building trust with Len Wiseman — and how the director’s homemade pre-vis videos helped shape their collaboration
• Adapting the look of John Wick to a new city — with its own palette and texture
• Leveraging Alexa 35 cameras and Hawk Class-X anamorphic lenses to add volume and texture — a deliberate choice to highlight Philip Ivey’s distinctive production design
• Planning and executing long-take action — including that grenade-filled basement sequence
• Why most stunt scenes were shot with a single camera — and how that impacted timing, blocking, and performance
• Leaning into practical effects, from real explosions to blood rigs and rain-slicked streets
• Capturing Hallstatt’s natural beauty — even on a tight shooting schedule 

Romain also reflects on the freedom he had as a DP, his continued partnership with Camera Operator James Frater, and how working with a detail-driven director made the difference.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Ballerina. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Running a tight, emotionally grounded procedural is no small feat — especially when you're steering a beloved franchise into new territory.

On this week’s Below the Line, Skid sits down with Director Patrick Cady, 1st Assistant Director/Producer Trey Batchelor, Cinematographer Jason Andrew, and Gaffer Derrick Kolus to go behind the scenes of Bosch: Legacy, the three-season Amazon series that extended the universe of Michael Connelly’s iconic detective — and pushed the crew into new creative and logistical territory.

We cover:

• How Bosch: Legacy balanced a fresh tone with the DNA of the original series
• The shift to a 5-act structure, network oversight, and more “advertiser-friendly” creative mandates
• How tight prep schedules, minimal standing sets, and constant location moves shaped every department’s workflow
• Jason’s transition from Key Grip to Cinematographer, and how his background informed his pacing and shot planning
• The challenges of lighting on the move — and how Derrick’s rigging strategy kept the crew ahead of schedule
• Trey’s insight into cast performances, unexpected rewrites, and what it really means to “make the day”
• Keeping continuity between DPs and episodes while balancing stylistic differences
• The collaborative bond this crew built across 10+ years and two Bosch series

Along the way, they reflect on the show’s emotional arc, where it fits within the Bosch universe, and how Bosch: Legacy became a proving ground for tight collaboration, creative flexibility, and below-the-line excellence.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Bosch: Legacy. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Executing a well-timed oner is hard. Building a whole show around long, continuous takes? That’s another level.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by First Assistant Director Donald Murphy and Camera Operator Mark Goellnicht to go behind the scenes of The Studio, the Apple TV+ comedy that blends big laughs with an ambitious visual style. Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the show follows the fictional chaos of Continental Studios — and brings that chaos to life through long takes, handheld choreography, and camera work that pulls the audience into the scene.

Topics include:

• Shooting single-camera, continuous-take scenes for nearly every episode
• How the “oner” for Episode 2 was planned, rehearsed, and executed with an eye towards golden hour
• Building camera choreography around comedy timing and live dialogue
• Collaborating with actors and stand-ins on complex blocking
• Stitching shots using natural movement, practical transitions, and VFX
• Pulling off production in real-world locations like the Las Vegas strip and the Golden Globes
• Utilizing crew members as additional “background” for added realism
• Managing on-set tone and morale with Seth Rogen’s laid-back leadership

Donald and Mark also reflect on how The Studio pulled off its most ambitious sequences — from passing a camera mid-shot between operators to filming in working casinos with minimal control. And yes, they name names: Martin Scorsese, Sarah Polley, Zac Efron, and Ron Howard all make appearances (on set and in the story).

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Studio. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

How do you bring a game world to life for the screen — especially when that world already has millions of devoted fans? Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt knows firsthand — and her work on The Last of Us reveals just how complex that challenge can be.

Catherine Goldschmidt joins Skid to discuss her work on the second season of HBO's The Last of Us, with co-host Gianni Damaia bringing the perspective of a longtime fan and gamer. Together, they dig into the complex visual language of an adaptation that blurs the line between game and cinema — from shot-for-shot recreations to bold deviations.

We cover:

• Catherine’s approach to adapting game cinematics into film language — including when to match and when to break away
• How The Last of Us uses space, light, and camera movement to draw viewers into Ellie’s experience
• Constructing visual set pieces like the subway ambush and Jackson assault with a blend of practical stunts, VFX, and strategic camera placement
• The emotional and logistical challenges of staging Joel’s death
• The visual shift from chaos to quiet in Episode 2’s final montage — and how that deliberate pacing reshapes the episode’s emotional impact

Catherine also reflects on how her collaboration with multiple directors and departments shaped the season’s look and feel, and how visual storytelling can remain grounded even in the most heightened, post-apocalyptic moments.

🎧 Listen now to join us Below the Line with Catherine Goldschmidt — and explore more at www.belowtheline.biz.

What does it mean to “edit for emotion” in a show built around crime, identity, and betrayal? Eric Litman knows — and his work on Dope Thief proves it.

This week on Below the Line, Skid and co-host Christopher Angel are joined by Film Editor Eric Litman to talk about shaping Apple TV+’s eight-episode crime thriller starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura.

Topics we cover include:

• From unpaid intern on Gladiator to full-fledged editor on Dope Thief: a career milestone with Scott Free
• Being hired for one episode but ultimately cutting three, thanks to production delays from the strikes
• Episode 7 as “an editor’s episode” — montages that demanded narrative weight without sliding into music-video style
• Collaboration with director Marcela Said, whose instinct for unplanned footage (like vultures over a quarry) inspired poetic editorial choices
• Shaping the quarry shootout to unfold in escalating stages — keeping viewers aligned with the characters as horrified witnesses rather than action heroes
• Crafting a brutal prison fight with disorienting POV flash frames from GoPro footage
• Weaving together montages of Mina’s training, Ray’s torment, and Mani’s tragic end — drawing on influences from The Dark Knight and The Fugitive
• Using city footage and transitions to ground the series in Philadelphia, connecting personal roots with storytelling choices

What emerges is an inside look at how an editor balances spectacle, emotion, and authenticity — turning raw footage into a gripping, character-driven crime saga.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Dope Thief. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What does it take to keep Marvel’s superhero worlds grounded in reality? On Thunderbolts*, that meant practical stunts, iconic props, and a crew operating at the top of their game.

This week on Below the Line, Skid and co-host Gianni Damaia welcome back Assistant Property Master Travis Bobbitt to talk about his latest MCU project, after nearly two decades working on Marvel films.

Highlights from the conversation:

• Travis’s journey from Iron Man to Thunderbolts*, and even a cameo in She-Hulk
• How the post-strike production assembled “the best crew in every department”
• A deliberate push toward practical filmmaking: real explosions in Malaysia, Humvee flips in Utah, and base jumps off one of the world’s tallest buildings
• Prop highlights including John Walker’s taco shield, Bucky’s rebuilt Winter Soldier gear, Florence Pugh’s parachute backpack, and a very real Molotov cocktail
• Tracking 15,000 individual prop cues with a massive spreadsheet to keep continuity across the film
• Stories from set: Florence Pugh handling a live scorpion and black widow spider without breaking character, plus that mischievous guinea pig
• Marvel’s formal “Easter egg meetings,” including Travis’s favorite hidden detail: Alfredo’s Bail Bonds

What emerges is a portrait of a veteran prop master whose work bridges spectacle and detail — from designing hero props that stand up to fan scrutiny to collaborating across departments so that props, costumes, and VFX felt seamless on screen.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Thunderbolts*. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

How do you turn New Jersey into 1960s Greenwich Village — while navigating strikes, rewrites, and a lead performance that hinges on live music? That was the challenge behind A Complete Unknown, the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold.

This week, Skid is joined by three key crew members behind the film: Set Decorator Regina Graves, Property Master Michael Jortner, and Second Assistant Director Brad Robinson. Together, they share how they navigated shifting scripts, location changes, and the challenge of historical fidelity — all in service of a film that manages to feel both intimate and iconic.

Topics include:

• Rebuilding momentum after the actor’s strike forced a full crew reset
• The challenges of transforming Hoboken and Jersey City into Greenwich Village
• Training extras to behave like real 1960s folk fans — from posture to props
• Creating immersive environments for actors to perform (and improvise) in
• Balancing accuracy and atmosphere when representing real figures and events
• Behind-the-scenes dynamics with director James Mangold and star Timothée Chalamet
• Filming the concert finale, the Viking Hotel sequence, and the Columbia studio set
• How a film’s invisible craft can be both its triumph and its obstacle come award season

The conversation also touches on the tensions between Dylan’s legacy and the demands of dramatization — and how the crew stayed grounded despite outside opinions and mid-production curveballs.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on A Complete Unknown. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

With shifting plans, a writer’s strike, and a new creative mandate, Daredevil: Born Again became one of Marvel’s most fluid productions — and one of its most cinematic.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Cinematographer Pedro Gomez Millan and co-host Gianni Damaia to discuss Pedro’s work on the Disney+ reboot. Together, they break down how Pedro helped shape the show’s visual identity — through strike delays, rewrites, and evolving creative priorities.

We cover:

• Why Pedro’s original pitch leaned into naturalism and New York-as-character imagery
• The influence of courtroom dramas, street crime films, and in-camera effects
• How production adapted after Marvel’s mid-season pivot
• The visual parallels between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk — and how lighting and lensing shaped their arcs
• The surprising story behind Episode 5’s Inside Man-inspired bank setting
• Shooting under real-world constraints in the heart of Wall Street
• Designing fight sequences that serve both the action and the emotional arc
• Incorporating “doom zooms” and other techniques to convey Daredevil’s heightened senses
• Discovering perfect alleyways (and great bagels) while location scouting on foot

Pedro also shares how his work on the series evolved across episodes — from gritty staircase fights to quietly devastating moments of character revelation — and why happy accidents often reveal the best ideas on set.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Daredevil: Born Again. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Editing a character-driven crime series is never just about pacing — it’s about stitching together time, tone, and memory.

This week on Below the Line, Film Editor Matthew Barber joins Skid and co-host Gianni Damaia to talk about Matthew’s work on Long Bright River, the eight-episode adaptation of Liz Moore’s novel. From subtle flashback reveals to emotionally charged cross-cutting, Matthew shares how he and the creative team shaped the series’ visual language — often while discovering it in real time.

We cover:

• How flashbacks replaced the novel’s internal monologue — and became a key storytelling engine
• Balancing mystery, family drama, and editorial tone across episodes
• Structuring the pilot to delay key character reveals — including the true identity of the killer
• The emotional inspiration behind a flashback-within-a-flashback sequence
• Using match cuts, location callbacks, and music cues to layer subtext
• Capturing warmth and humanity inside a show full of loss, addiction, and institutional failure
• Incorporating both classical and contemporary music to define character and mood
• The editorial juggling act of cutting dailies, managing tone, and staying ahead of a tight production schedule

Matthew also shares how his personal life unexpectedly shaped some of the show’s most emotionally resonant moments — and how quiet, human moments often carried the greatest weight.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Long Bright River. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Before streaming and prestige TV, there was network television — and few shows ran tighter, longer, or more efficiently than JAG.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by First Assistant Director Robert Scott and Key 2nd Assistant Director Kevin Koster to look back at their time on JAG, the hit CBS procedural that ran for ten seasons and laid the groundwork for the NCIS franchise. Together, they explore how the show combined military precision with Hollywood problem-solving — and how their team navigated last-minute script changes, tight location logistics, and complex stunts on a weekly basis.

We discuss:

• Working with series creator Donald Bellisario — and his instinct-driven writing process
• Balancing legal drama, action sequences, and military protocol within a single episode
• The importance of trust and tempo in an AD team working at network speed
• Designing efficient workflows for multi-location shoots, vehicle setups, and stunts
• Welcoming new directors into a well-established style — while giving them room to breathe
• Managing day players, guest stars, and recurring cast across episodes
• Building and maintaining a core crew across ten seasons — and how long-term collaboration shaped production flow
• Lessons learned from JAG that still apply to today’s television sets

Robert and Kevin also reflect on the camaraderie that sustained the crew across ten seasons — and why “making the day” meant more than just finishing on time.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on JAG. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

A score about maple syrup heists? FM Le Sieur makes it stick — with barrels, distortion, and a defiantly Canadian sound.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Score Composer FM Le Sieur and co-host Louis Weeks to talk about FM’s genre-blending music for The Sticky, the six-part comedy series about Quebec’s infamous maple syrup heist. From pitch process to percussion tricks, FM walks us through a score that blends character, chaos, and quiet emotion — all under a very tight schedule.

Among the highlights:

• Pitching the show during the strike and getting hired twice after long delays
• Building a sound palette from acoustic textures, folk instruments, and industrial objects (yes, including syrup barrels)
• Channeling a “Quebec sound” that balances regional roots and narrative tone
• Scoring for tone, not laughs — and why comedy music often works best when it holds back
• Embracing small ensembles, distorted metal, and deep manipulation in the mix
• Balancing groove, melody, and mood in a hybrid score
• Highlighting key cues like “Chainsaw,” “Ruth and Remy,” and the opening track for Episode 2
• Navigating the emotional demands of scoring intimate scenes — without going sentimental

FM also shares how he found his way into scoring through bands, gear tinkering, and a masterclass with Philip Glass — and why every great cue starts by trusting your gut.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Sticky. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

The compound, Kitty’s porch, and a bondsman’s fraying wardrobe — design tells the tale in Prime Video’s The Bondsman.

This week on Below the Line, Production Designer Eve McCarney and Costume Designer Liz Vastola join Skid and co-host Gianni Damaia to talk about crafting the look and feel of Prime Video’s The Bondsman, starring Kevin Bacon as an undead bounty hunter.

Among the highlights:

• An unusually long prep schedule that gave Eve and Liz time to fully develop sets and wardrobes before cameras rolled
• Building the show’s four permanent sets, including the sprawling compound and the lived-in bond shop
• Designing Kitty’s porch as the emotional heart of the series and Hub’s apartment as a reflection of his resourceful character
• The evolution of The Boxcar, a richly layered club set complete with a memorable “one-er” shot
• Collaboration on the swimming pool sequence, balancing costume colors and set design for striking underwater visuals
• How production and costume design worked hand-in-hand, despite Eve and Liz never having collaborated before this project
• Behind-the-scenes stories of working with Kevin Bacon, from fittings and design emails to his generous, collaborative presence on

What shines through is the close collaboration between Eve and Liz — an intentional partnership that ensured the environments and characters lived in the same visual world, reinforcing the show’s grounded but heightened tone.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Bondsman. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Revisiting the 2025 Awards Season means looking back at the winners, the surprises, and the snubs that defined this year’s Oscars.

This week on Below the Line, Skid welcomes back Bill Hardy, Roger Mendoza, and Shaun O’Banion from last season’s Oscar panel. They weigh in on what the Academy got right — and where it went off course. Joining them is Katie Carroll, who missed the original conversation but brings fresh perspective to the follow-up.

Our discussion ranges across:

• Sean Baker’s Anora dominating with five Oscars, sparking debate over its strengths, flaws, and Baker’s unusual multiple credits (writer, director, editor, casting director)
• The panel weighing campaign politics, including Anora’s $6M indie turned $18M Oscar push
• Dune: Part Two emerging as a favorite for Skid and Katie, with the group questioning why it wasn’t more heavily awarded
• Split opinions on The Brutalist — admired for its scale and craft, but dismissed by some as slow or austere
• A Complete Unknown praised for performances and Mangold’s classic approach, despite being shut out on Oscar night
• Conclave respected as a compelling, old-school drama, with debate about its Catholic framing
• Emilia Pérez largely dismissed apart from Zoe Saldaña’s standout performance
• Additional shout-outs and overlooked titles, from Challengers to September 5th to the animated Flow

What stands out in this episode is the way the panel blends craft critique with industry context — from union debates to campaign spending — while keeping the conversation fast-moving and funny.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line as we revisit the Oscar season. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Staging motorcycle clubs on film is no small feat — especially when the bikes, the actors, and the period details all have to ride in sync.

This week on Below the Line, 1st Assistant Director Don Sparks and Key 2nd Assistant Director Pete Dress join Skid to talk about building Jeff Nichols’ The Bikeriders, the period feature starring Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, and Tom Hardy.

On the call sheet for today’s conversation:

• Shooting in and around Cincinnati, Ohio to capture a 1960s Rust Belt look the camera could believe
• Managing a 41-day schedule on a modest budget, with both ADs heavily involved in prep and problem-solving
• Creating a motorcycle “boot camp” to get actors licensed and camera-ready on period bikes
• Insurance hurdles, safety protocols, and staging massive group rides — including the final pack ride of 30+ motorcycles
• How Jeff Nichols personally matched bikes to characters and remained a constant collaborator with cast and crew
• Navigating period authenticity challenges, from sourcing cars to designing original biker patches that avoided conflict with real clubs
• Favorite moments on set, from Norman Reedus’s temperamental bike to watching Hardy and Comer deliver “a master class” in acting

What stands out in this episode is the sheer scale of logistical detail — and how the AD team turned it into a smooth-running engine, balancing authenticity, safety, and storytelling at every turn.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on The Bikeriders. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Conspiracy, power, and the sound of unease — scoring Zero Day means writing tension into every frame.

This week on Below the Line, Score Composer Jeff Russo joins Skid and co-host Louis Weeks to talk about building the musical world of Netflix’s Zero Day.

In this episode, we dig into:

• Coming aboard early with showrunner Eric Newman and director Lesli Linka Glatter to set the series’ tonal compass
• Treating the main theme as a texture — a sound that signals doubt — rather than a traditional melody
• Mapping George Mullen’s psychological point of view, including a recurring “wake-up” motif that threads through the season
• Blending electronics with acoustic instruments (strings, piano, guitar): where texture carries the story and where harmony takes the lead
• How Episode 1 “unlocked” the palette and became the musical template for later episodes
• Spotting sessions, deadlines, and recording logistics — balancing live players with in-the-box writing under a TV schedule
• What lessons from Ripley (restraint, negative space) carried into Zero Day without duplicating a previous sound

What emerges is a score built on restraint and perspective: Jeff writes to the characters’ doubt and the show’s creeping uncertainty — letting silence, texture, and carefully chosen motifs do the talking.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Zero Day. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What happens when the director of a documentary returns years later to retell the same story as a feature film?

This week on Below the Line, Skid talks with Director Alex Parkinson about Last Breath, first made as a 2019 documentary and now released as a feature film starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole.

We talk through:

• How Alex first discovered the real-life story of diver Chris Lemons and shaped it into a documentary built around five minutes of chilling ROV footage
• The deliberate choice to hide Chris’s survival in the documentary — and how the feature film shifted perspective to follow him underwater
• Blurring lines between documentary and reconstruction, and carrying that visual style into the feature by weaving real footage with staged material
• The long road to directing his first feature, convincing producers through lookbooks and rewrites that he could expand his own documentary into a drama
• Building a crew from scratch and attracting world-class talent, including underwater DP Ian Seabrook, who signed on after watching the documentary
• The critical role of First AD Jude Campbell in organizing the complex underwater schedule and keeping the production on track
• Filming in Malta’s massive water tank and on full-scale ship sets designed to preserve authenticity and claustrophobia
• Working with Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, and Finn Cole to ground their performances in the documentary while making the feature cinematic

What emerges is a story about continuity and transformation — a director returning to familiar material but reimagining it at a different scale, with different tools, and for a wider audience.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Last Breath. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

Our sixth annual Academy Awards series — with panels of film professionals discussing the Oscar nominees in their category of expertise — concludes with Makeup and Hairstyling. Podcast veterans Angela Nogaro (Makeup) and Yvonne Depatis-Kupka (Hair) return to offer their assessment of this year’s slate of nominees. It’s a lively set of reviews to wrap up the series! I hope you’ve enjoyed these episodes as much as I’ve enjoyed publishing them.

The 2024 Nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling:

• “A Different Man”

• “Emilia Pérez”

• “Nosferatu”

• “The Substance”

• “Wicked” 

Film professionals discussing the nominees in their area of expertise: that’s Below the Line at the Academy Awards. We’re in the home stretch (episode 11 of 12!), and today we’re talking about the Oscar nominees for Cinematography. My returning guests — Patrick Cady and David Tuttman — are directors of photography (and directors in their own right!) with a keen eye for what makes these films worthy of the nomination. It gets a little technical sometimes for my understanding but I suspect you’ll enjoy it nonetheless.

The 2024 Nominees for Cinematography: 

• “The Brutalist”

• “Dune: Part Two”

• “Emilia Pérez”

• “Maria”

• “Nosferatu” 

It’s a wild and woolly episode of the podcast as editors Christopher Angel and Amy Duddleston return to discuss this year’s Oscar nominees for Film Editing. In all the years I’ve hosted these conversations, this pair has always complained about films being too long. Given that the shortest film on this list clocks in at two hours, I was anticipating some blistering critiques, but their assessments surprised me. Did we agree about all of these films on their merits? No. Was I entertained? Yes. I hope you will be as well.

The 2024 Nominees for Film Editing:

• “Anora”

• “The Brutalist”

• “Conclave”

• “Emilia Pérez”

• “Wicked”