PODCAST

BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

Skid - DGA Assistant Director

A podcast about the film industry: stories from the set, told by the crew

tv & film film interviews

All Episodes

01:28:11

S21 - Ep 7 - Wicked - Choreography and Film Editing

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2024/12/08

“Wicked”, the Jon Chu theatrical adaptation of the stage musical, is currently in theaters and continues to dominate at the box office. Choreographer Christopher Scott and Film Editor Myron Kerstein share the challenges of bringing the extensive dance numbers from script to screen, with deep dives into “What Is This Feeling?” (bo staffs!), “Dancing Through Life” (tornado wheels!), and “No One Mourns the Wicked” (tulips!). Chris, Myron and Jon Chu previously worked together on “In the Heights”, and

30:19

S21 - Ep 6 - The Penguin - Hair Styling

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2024/12/01

Wait, what? You haven’t finished watching “The Penguin”, even though all episodes are now available on HBO Max? Please catch up, because today we’re hosting Hair Department Head Brian Badie, and we’re going heavy on the spoilers. Plus: fellow Batman fan Gianni Damaia returns as co-host!

59:09

S21 - Ep 5 - Landman - Film Editing and Score...

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2024/11/24

“Landman”, the new Taylor Sheridan drama starring Billy Bob Thornton, debuted just last week on Paramount+. Film Editor Chad Galster and Score Composer Andrew Lockington are both veterans of multiple Taylor projects and veterans of the podcast: with a warm welcome, I’m excited to have them make a joint appearance on the show. (Chad was also visiting set when they ran a tanker truck into an airplane parked on the highway - that was a practical stunt!)UPDATED: Now with score snippets, to enhance your

50:42

S21 - Ep 4 - Rescue: HI-Surf - Cinematography

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2024/11/17

It’s easy to assume that working on “Rescue: HI-Surf”, the Hawaii-based action drama currently airing on Fox, would be akin to a vacation for the crew. Filming on the North Shore of O’ahu, however, is a difficult undertaking even before you mix in the challenge of the ocean itself. Cinematographer Anka Malatynska and Water Unit Director of Photography Don King split the lensing duties at the waterline, and, together, they make this show work. Ready to go behind the scenes? Let’s ride this

01:19:01

S21 - Ep 3 - 84 Charlie MoPic and Combat Camera

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2024/11/10

This episode - in honor of Veterans Day - is about “84 Charlie MoPic”, the 1989 feature film about small unit operations during the Vietnam War, and our star-studded panel includes Director Patrick Duncan, Cinematographer Alan Caso and Producer Michael Nolin. Joining me as co-hosts are Jim Stayton and Al Gerloff, current friends and former colleagues from my pre-Hollywood days with Combat Camera. This conversation is one that my late father, himself a veteran of the Vietnam War, would have enjoyed

01:00:42

S21 - Ep 2 - Bottle Rocket - Assistant Directing

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2024/11/03

Wes Anderson’s 1996 feature film debut, “Bottle Rocket,” introduced a larger audience to both Wes’s unique filmmaking style and the acting chops of brothers Owen and Luke Wilson. It’s fair to say that the careers of all three received a big assist from this film’s veteran assistant director team — Jim Goldthwait (1st AD), Heather Kritzer (Key 2nd AD) and Jimmy Flowers (2nd 2nd AD) — who helped shepherd this classic film from script to screen over then course of a 40-day shoot. I speak with the team

38:01

S21 - Ep 1 - The Penguin - Costume Design

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2024/10/27

Costume Designer Helen Huang and Assistant Costume Designer Austin Wittick return to the podcast to discuss their work on “The Penguin”, the eight-episode series currently streaming on HBO/Max. The series is a spin-off and sequel to 2022’s “The Batman”, Director Matt Reeve’s take on the iconic superhero. While the Penguin was a supporting role in the film, played by an almost unrecognizable Colin Farrell, here he is the primary character for more than eight hours of television. Helen and Austin talk

44:07

S20 - Ep 10 - The Old Man - Props

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2024/10/13

Propmaster and friend of the show Scott Buckwald returns to the podcast with stories about his work on “The Old Man”, the Jeff Bridges-led spy drama currently airing its second season on FX. Two years ago, Scott and I talked about the first season with a focus on the challenges faced by production; this time, adversity is an ongoing theme but we’re more focused on the props. (You would think that Scott was ready for that, but decide for yourself: he kind of comes across as a little surprised.)

53:15

S20 - Ep 9 - Freelance Camera: MLB, Access Hollywood...

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2024/10/06

And without further delay, the Major League Baseball playoffs are upon us! My guest today, Rick Nyburg, has been a freelance camera operator for more than 30 years. He’s here to share stories not only about his time covering MLB games (Go Dodgers!), but also his multiple backstage interactions with Hollywood talent, the surprising reaction of the NASA team that landed the lander on Mars, and the evolving challenge of working freelance camera across three decades.

34:48

S20 - Ep 8 - Sugar Studios and Indie Post-Production

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2024/09/22

Shepherding an independent film from script to screen is hard: financial constraints don’t change the amount of work to be done. But when it comes to post-production, Jijo Reed, Founder and CEO of Sugar Studios, thinks his company can be part of the solution. Sugar Studios offers everything from Dailies and Editorial to Color, Mix, VFX and Deliverables under one roof: a synergistic opportunity that, for an indie project, can mean the difference between picture lock and post-production limbo. Jijo

31:23

S20 - Ep 7 - Casting and the Academy Awards

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2024/09/15

Last March, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the addition of a new Oscar category: Best Achievement in Casting. Allison Estrin, an NYC-based casting director whose credits include “Billions”, “The Other Two”, “Bupkis”, and a slew of movies, joins me today and graciously answers my questions about the craft. We also talk about the Artios Awards, the honor by which the Casting Society of America has been honoring casting professionals since 1985, and what we might expect for

51:07

S20 - Ep 6 - Food Styling: From Julia to Boba Fett

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2024/09/08

Today we’re talking about the craft of Food Styling, and I’m joined by two guests with expertise to share. Christine Tobin (“Little Women”, “Julia” and “The Holdovers”) and Melissa McSorley (“Chef”, “Mad Men”, and various Star Wars projects) discuss where Food Styling fits into the larger film set environment, and we compare how period, contemporary and futuristic storylines trigger different food styling challenges.

38:55

S20 - Ep 5 - What's Next: A Backstage Pass to The...

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2024/08/18

“What’s Next: A Backstage Pass to The West Wing” is a treasure trove of behind-the-scenes stories from former cast members Melissa Fitzgerald and Mary McCormack, and I’m thrilled to host them on this episode of the podcast and talk about the book (which was just published last week). Our conversation is both a teaser for the release and a chance to explore some of the set stories in more detail, and we discuss how the theme of service runs through the entire endeavor. Since the West Wing is among my

24:07

S20 - Ep 4 - The Dead Don’t Hurt - Costume Design

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2024/08/11

“The Dead Don’t Hurt” is an indie western written and directed by Viggo Mortenson, who also starred in the film and composed the score. Costume Designer Anne Dixon joins me to discuss both the challenges of working on a multinational, low-budget film, the rewards of working with Viggo and the tone he sets (both on set and in front of the camera), and little easter eggs that thread through the entire film. It had a theatrical run earlier this summer and is now available for streaming.

01:05:50

S20 - Ep 3 - Mayor of Kingstown - Score Composition

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2024/08/04

Today we’re talking about “Mayor of Kingstown”, the Taylor Sheridan-produced series starring Jeremy Renner. Score Composer Andrew Lockington returns to the podcast to discuss his contributions across all three seasons, and composer Louis Weeks joins me once again to provide a colleague’s perspective. “Mayor of Kingstown” streams on Paramount+, and the finale of the third season is airing today. Relevance!

34:12

S20 - Ep 2 - Property Masters Guild and the MacGuffin...

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2024/07/28

Regular listeners know that this podcast has a lot of respect for the film contribution of props, and we’re excited to discuss the recent endeavors of the Property Masters Guild (founded January 2021). Mikey Trudel and Chris Call, who both serve on the Board of Directors, discuss the PMG’s efforts serving both the society of property masters and the larger community of people who are interested in the craft. We also talk about the first ever MacGuffin Awards, which will be awarded in LA on September

31:38

S20 - Ep 1 - Avatar: The Last Airbender - Costume Design

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2024/07/21

Netflix’s eight-episode adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender” was well-received by critics and fans alike, and two more seasons are on the way. Costume Designer Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh discusses the challenge of adapting the popular animated series for live action, and we dive deep into the major battle scenes from the first and last episodes of season one.

01:22:52

S19 - Ep 8 - Fallout - Set Decoration and Props

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2024/05/12

“Fallout”, the eight-episode video game adaptation currently streaming on Prime, is retro-futuristic apocalyptic chaos at its best. The series has been applauded by gamers and non-gamers alike, and today’s guests — Set Decorator Regina Graves, Propmaster Michael Jortner and Propmaster Peter Gelfman — share story after story about the effort and creativity it took to bring the aesthetic of the game to a live-action show. Finally, it wouldn’t be a video game adaptation podcast without Gianni Damaia,

40:33

S19 - Ep 7 - Manhunt - Costume Design

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2024/05/05

It’s a two-guest show! Recreating the historical drama of Apple TV+’s “Manhunt” so it’s relatable to a modern audience was a challenge for both Costume Designer Katie Irish and 1st Assistant Director Gary Goldman. No matter what you think you know about Lincoln’s assassination and the 12-day manhunt that followed, Katie and Gary share some details that I bet will surprise you. Visit our Facebook page for an album of photos that illustrate what we’re talking about.

38:32

S19 - Ep 6 - Ripley - Score Composition

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2024/04/28

“Ripley” -- the stylish eight-episode series currently streaming on Netflix -- is a very deliberate bit of filmmaking. While the black-and-white filming and exquisitely framed shots draw attention to the cinematography, today co-host Louis Weeks and I are speaking with Score Composer Jeff Russo. We explore how Jeff’s relationship with the character of Ripley evolved over time, and Jeff illustrates how this score is an integrated aspect of the storytelling. (Jeff also draws parallels between his

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