BELOW THE LINE PODCAST
by Skid - DGA Assistant Director
Welcome to Below the Line, the film industry podcast that looks at moviemaking from the crew’s perspective. My name is Skid — I’m a former Assistant Director and your host. Each week I sit down with production friends, both old and new, to share stories from their time on set.Each episode dives into a specific film, television series, or theme relevant to working in Hollywood. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or browse the episodes below — you might discover something new about one of your favorites.Have thoughts about an episode or feedback on the podcast? I’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
Episodes
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S27 - Ep 9 - I Want Your Sex - Intimacy Coordination
Sex, power, and crossed boundaries are at the heart of I Want Your Sex. Behind the camera, however, clear boundaries are precisely what make the film's wildest moments possible. Intimacy Coordinator Yehuda Duenyas joins Skid to discuss his work on I Want Your Sex, the erotic comedy thriller from...
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S27 - Ep 8 - Tuner - Cinematography
There are plenty of opportunities for visual showmanship in Tuner, but the trick is knowing how far to push them. Elaborate camera rigs, rapid-fire inserts, expressive lighting, and playful montages give the film its distinctive visual language—but the technique never becomes the point....
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S27 - Ep 7 - Influenced - Assistant Directing
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…
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S27 - Ep 6 - The Boroughs - Screenwriting
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...
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S27 - Ep 5 - IT: Welcome to Derry - Editing the Pilot
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...
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S27 - Ep 4 - FBI - Stunts
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...
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S27 - Ep 3 - One Piece - Film Editing
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...
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S27 - Ep 2 - Sound of Falling - Cinematography
How do you shoot a film where time doesn’t move forward, but folds in on itself? For Cinematographer 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…
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S27 - Ep 1 - Pretty Lethal - Directing
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…
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S26 - Ep 12 - 98th Oscars - Original Song
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...
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S26 - Ep 11 - 98th Oscars - Original Score
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...
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S26 - Ep 10 - 98th Oscars - Costume Design
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...
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S26 - Ep 9 - 98th Oscars - Cinematography
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…
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S26 - Ep 8 - 98th Oscars - Directing
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…
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S26 - Ep 7 - 98th Oscars - Sound
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...
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S26 - Ep 6 - 98th Oscars - Production Design
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...
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S26 - Ep 5 - 98th Oscars - Animated Feature
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…
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S26 - Ep 4 - 98th Oscars - Makeup and Hairstyling
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…
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S26 - Ep 3 - 98th Oscars - Property Mastering
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...
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S26 - Ep 2 - 98th Oscars - Visual Effects
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…
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S26 - Ep 1 - 98th Oscars - Film Editing
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…
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S25 - Ep 8 - Slow Horses - Production Design
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...
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S25 - Ep 7 - The Chair Company - Costumes and Cinematography
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…
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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...
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S25 - Ep 5 - Wicked: For Good - Film Editing and Visual Effects
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...
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S25 - Ep 4 - Navy Public Affairs in Hollywood
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...
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S25 - Ep 3 - The Lowdown - Makeup and Production Design
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...
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S25 - Ep 2 - HIM - Film Editing
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...
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S25 - Ep 1 - Chief of War - Production Design
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,...
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S24 - Ep 10 - F1: The Movie - Assistant Directing
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...
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S24 - Ep 9 - Alien: Earth - Score Composition
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…
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S24 - Ep 8 - Hacks - Production Design
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...
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S24 - Ep 7 - Murderbot - Production Design
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...
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S24 - Ep 6 - Ballerina - Cinematography
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...
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S24 - Ep 5 - Bosch: Legacy
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...
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S24 - Ep 4 - The Studio - Assistant Directing and Camera Ops
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…
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S24 - Ep 3 - The Last of Us - Cinematography
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…
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S24 - Ep 2 - Dope Thief - Film Editing
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...
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S24 - Ep 1 - Thunderbolts* - Props
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...
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S23 - Ep 10 - A Complete Unknown
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…
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S23 - Ep 9 - Daredevil: Born Again - Cinematography
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...
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S23 - Ep 8 - Long Bright River - Film Editing
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…
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S23 - Ep 7 - JAG - Assistant Directing
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...
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S23 - Ep 6 - The Sticky - Score Composition
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...
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S23 - Ep 5 - The Bondsman - Costumes and Production Design
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…
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S23 - Ep 4 - 2025 Awards Season, Revisited
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...
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S23 - Ep 3 - The Bikeriders - Assistant Directing
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...
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S23 - Ep 2 - Zero Day - Score Composition
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…
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S23 - Ep 1 - Last Breath: From Documentary to Feature Film
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…
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S22 - Ep 12 - 97th Oscars - Makeup and Hairstyling
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...
About this show
Welcome to Below the Line, the film industry podcast that looks at moviemaking from the crew’s perspective. My name is Skid — I’m a former Assistant Director and your host. Each week I sit down with production friends, both old and new, to share stories from their time on set.Each episode dives into a specific film, television series, or theme relevant to working in Hollywood. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or browse the episodes below — you might discover something new about one of your favorites.Have thoughts about an episode or feedback on the podcast? I’d love to hear from you: [email protected]
Hosted by
Skid - DGA Assistant Director
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