S25 - Ep 6 - Books on Film: From Production to the Page

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.