BELOW THE LINE PODCAST
A podcast about the film industry: stories from the set, told by the crew
Episodes
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 O...
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 Robinso...
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 ...
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, ...
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 Haw...
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...
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 Chris...
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...
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 th...
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 Ali...
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...
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 machiner...
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 decisi...
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 Connell...
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 Cont...
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. ...
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-fle...
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 jour...
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, th...
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, ...
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