BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

Production Designer Joshua Peterson and Cinematographer Adam McDaid talk about collaborating on “Everything’s Trash”, the Brooklyn-based sitcom starring Phoebe Robinson as a podcaster facing adulthood (streaming on Hulu). They talk about Brooklyn as a character and how both their departments deal with the crazy challenge of reflective surfaces. And of course we all agree that podcasters are HOT right now.

“The Princess”, currently streaming on Hulu, is basically an extended fight sequence: Joey King, the titular heroine, can only escape her prison tower by battling through an army of mercenaries. Now imagine filming those scenes — out of order — over a period of 12 weeks, and you have an inkling of the challenge faced by the Hair and Makeup Designer Lynda Armstrong. Lynda speaks with me about the pleasure of working with Joey and the difficulty of getting hair products delivered from London to Bulgaria in a timely fashion (thanks, Brexit).

Pair Oscar-winning makeup effects artist Howard Berger with veteran film journalist Marshall Julius, and what's the result? A globe-spanning selection of makeup artists sharing the secrets of their craft. Both Howard and Marshall are here this week to discuss “Masters of Make-Up Effects”, a new compendium that will soon be on the bookshelf of every film buff you know. Learn more about the book and upcoming signings at mastersofmakeupeffects.net. 

Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”, like all of his films, is an audacious fusion of sight and sound, and Wayne Pashley, the owner/co-founder of Big Bang Sound Design, has been working with Baz for more than 30 years. Credited as the re-recording mixer, sound designer and supervising sound editor on “Elvis”, Wayne is uniquely qualified to talk about the “sonic glue” that helps hold the whole construct together. 

“The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” is a Nicolas Cage film that’s basically . . . a riff on Nic Cage. Principal photography took place in Hungary and Croatia, but two weeks of LA reshoots gave Property Master Mikey Trudel a chance to work his craft closer to home. Adhesive finger tape that delivers a knock-out chemical? Yeah, that’s a complicated prop.

HBO Max’s “Our Flag Means Death” is 10 episodes of comedy that manages to be both thoughtful and absurd, delivered by an all-star cast and a rotation of hilarious guest stars. 1st Assistant Director Emily Hogan returns to the show to talk about wrangling this ensemble through a series of unexpected adventures, including the Mystery of the Disappearing Beach and The Boat They Built on Stage.

"Marcel the Shell with Shoes On" is an unexpected pleasure: amusing, poignant, and heartwarming in equal measures. It’s also a major technical achievement, and Production Designer Liz Toonkel talks about the challenge of creating the whimsical world of Marcel and his shell community within the limitations of a reality where the principle character is 1-inch tall.

For the second half of our look at Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down”, Harry Humpries (Senior Military Advisor) and Kimberley Ann Berdy (LA Production Coordinator) dive deep into the challenges of filming those epic battle scenes in Morocco. Plus, Kim joined the crew in country for what sounds like a pretty epic wrap party. 

Season 13 starts off with a look at “Black Hawk Down”, Ridley Scott’s 2001 epic war film. My guests are Senior Military Advisor Harry Humpries and LA Production Coordinator Kimberley Ann Berdy, and the first half of our two-part discussion focuses on pre-production: sending the actors to military training camp, purchasing helicopters that production could actually destroy, and getting everything to Morocco in time for filming to begin.

“The First Lady”, now finishing its inaugural season on Showtime, takes the audience behind the scenes through a century of Presidential history. Makeup Department Head Carol Rasheed talks about designing First Lady looks that typify each historical period while remaining timeless. Oh, and we also talk about Barack Obama’s ears. 

“Roar” is a show with something to say, and Production Designer Todd Fjelsted talks about reinforcing that message through all eight episodes of this Apple TV+ anthology series. Budget and schedule always complicate production efforts where anthologies are concerned but — as Todd explains — this project also offered a degree of freedom that’s unusual in the Industry.

Storytelling is more than just what the script describes, and today we’re talking with Cinematographer Shawn Peters about how his work on Apple TV+’s “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” helped shaped the look of the limited series. We also talk about Shawn’s unusual career path, and - for listeners who stick around to the end - how collaborating on set is like being in a relationship.

Costume Designer Helen Huang returns to the podcast to talk about “Station Eleven,” the 10-episode miniseries that aired on HBO Max last winter. This was probably my favorite tv series of both 2021 and 2022 (so far), and it was interesting to speak with Helen about designing for a post-apocalypse where hope is not dead.

Of all my work in Hollywood, 2003’s “Big Fish” was one of my favorite projects (I was the 2nd 2nd Assistant Director). For this episode, I’m joined by screenwriter John August, who I met when he visited us on location in Alabama. John talks about working with Tim Burton and the challenges of being a writer on set. Oh, and did you know there was a Broadway adaptation of the movie? I had a few questions about that as well.

2020’s “Promising Young Woman”, despite its limited budget and short shooting schedule, is a tour de force. My guest today, Production Designer Michael Perry, talks about approaching each set with either “masculine” or “feminine” intentions, and how those intentions subtly contribute to the overall story. 

“The Walking Dead” will wrap it’s 11-season run on AMC later this year. The series is filmed just outside Atlanta, and my guests today — Best Boy Grip Frankie Zamora and Grip Nicole Higgins — talk about their work on Season 10 of the show. Do Grips on Walking Dead work much harder than the Electric Department? Listen and decide for yourself.

Taylor Sheridan’s “1883”, currently available on Paramount+, is a prequel to the hugely successful “Yellowstone” series (four seasons of which are exclusively available on NBC’s Peacock streaming service). My guest today is the Lead Editor, Chad Galster, who shares stories about how his long relationship with Taylor informs his work on this standalone, attention-getting series.

2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” is both a continuation of and an homage to the original Ghostbusters story. Not only can fans see the tribute on the screen, they can hear it in the soundscape. Today I’m joined by Production Sound Mixer Steve Morrow, Supervising Sound Editor Perry Robertson, and Re-recording Mixer/Supervising Sound Editor Will Files to explore how the iconic sounds of the original are an integral aspect of the new film.

“The Gilded Age”, which recently concluded its first season on HBO Max, explores the various social forces at play in the New York City of 1882. The theme of old money vs new money is reflected in the sets themselves, and Set Decorator Regina Graves joins me to discuss the challenges and rewards of bringing this period drama to life.

Welcome to Season 12 of the podcast! We’re kicking it off with a look back at this year’s Oscars ceremony, specifically the Academy’s decision to prerecord eight of the 23 awards during the hour preceding the live broadcast, and then air edited segments during the ceremony itself. Set Decorator Rena DeAngelo (nominated this year for her work on West Side Story) tells us what happened during that hour of pre-show taping, and Writer/Director/Editor Christopher Angel (who last joined us to discuss this year’s nominees for Film Editing) analyzes how those early acceptance speeches were censored for the telecast.

It’s been 10 episodes of film industry professionals sharing the benefits of their expertise, and we’re concluding our Oscar series with an in-depth look at the nominees for Cinematography. My guests — Patrick Cady and Shawn Peters — are directors of photography with stories to share. Enjoy the Academy Awards this weekend! I hope our insights have prepared you for the ceremony. (Episode 10 of 10).

The Academy Awards are less than a week away, and we’ve got two episodes to go. Today, we’re discussing the Oscar nominees for Visual Effects. Industry veterans Kent Seki and Chris Batty bring their expertise for a wide-ranging and animated discussion. (Episode 9 of 10)

Music is back! Week Four of our Oscars coverage concludes with an enlightening conversation about Original Score. My returning guests - Louis Weeks, Chris Molanphy, and Mick Coogan - once again offer insights about this year’s nominees that will most definitely wow you.  (Episode 8 of 10)

Are you following the series? Week Four of our Oscars coverage kicks off with a review of the nominees for Film Editing. My guests - Christopher Angel and Amy Duddleston - are editors with a wealth of experience to share when discussing this year’s Academy Awards nominees.  (Episode 7 of 10)

Week Three concludes with a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling. My guests — Angela Nogaro (Makeup) and Yvonne Depatis-Kupka (Hairstyling) — have opinions. I think you’ll enjoy them. (Episode 6 of 10)