BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

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 Paguia joins Skid to discuss his work on FBI, the long-running CBS series now heading into its ninth season. Having been with the show since the pilot, Victor breaks down three standout action sequences from Season 8 and explains how his team delivers ambitious stunts under the demanding schedule of a network television production. 

We discuss:

• Planning and executing a truck-to-truck jump at 40 miles per hour in eight-degree weather
• Pulling off a crucial hot-rod entrance with a single take before the street reopened to traffic
• Teaching actors fight choreography on the day of shooting, a few moves at a time
• Designing a prison-riot fight around a dramatic overhead camera move
• Finding stunt doubles for guest stars cast only days before filming
• Creating a cliffside rescue sequence using real locations, stunt performers, and a custom-built set

Throughout the conversation, Victor returns to the same challenge: balancing ambition with reality. Whether he's coordinating a vehicle jump, choreographing a fight, or hanging stunt performers over a real cliff, every creative decision must account for time, budget, safety, and the practical demands of episodic television. The result is a fascinating look at the planning and problem-solving that make action storytelling possible. 

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on FBI. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.