BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

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: 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: 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: 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 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 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: 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: 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 2025 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: 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 2025 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: 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 Connorto 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, 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: 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: 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: 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: 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: What emerges is a portrait of an editor whose craft blends instinct and discipline — drawing on a deep workload, creative trust, and personal context to cut a film that is as brutal as it is thought-provoking. 🎧 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: 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. What emerges is a portrait of a production designer whose work went beyond craft to embrace cultural exchange — designing a world that feels both epic and deeply rooted in respect. 🎧 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. In our Season 24 finale, we cover: Toby also reflects on lessons learned from large-scale productions like Rogue One, Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, and Dune: Part Two — and why every great AD balances structure with flexibility. 🎧 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: 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: 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: 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.