BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

The Academy Awards are only a week away, and today we’re discussing the Oscar nominees for Original Song. My guests — Chris Molanphy (chart analyst and podcast host), Louis Weeks (score composer), and Tom Peyton (song writer) — offer an assessment of these nominees that encompasses both the technical and the meta.

The 2023 Nominees for Original Song:

•"The Fire Inside" from "Flamin' Hot" 

•"I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" 

•"It Never Went Away" from "American Symphony" 

•"Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)" from "Killers of the Flower Moon" 

•"What Was I Made For?" from "Barbie"

Our tour through the technical categories continues with a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Original Score. My guests — Louis Weeks (score composer), Chris Molanphy (chart analyst/pop critic), and Jennie Armon (executive producer/music supervisor) — offer a multi-layered set of insights.

The 2023 Nominees for Original Score:

•"American Fiction" 

•"Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" 

•"Killers of the Flower Moon"

•"Oppenheimer"

•"Poor Things"

The Oscar nominees for Film Editing compose an interesting slate of films this year, and editors Christopher Angel and Amy Duddleston return to share their insights. For those following along at home, you may be amused to know that they disagree on the merits of at least one of these movies, but they both reinforced my opinion about the one nominee I’ve elsewhere suggested was overrated. What drama! Join us for a listen.

The 2023 Nominees for Film Editing:

•"Anatomy of a Fall"

•"The Holdovers"

•"Killers of the Flower Moon"

•"Oppenheimer"

•"Poor Things"

Our Academy Awards series continues with a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling. Joining me today are Angela Nogaro (Makeup) and Yvonne Depatis-Kupka (Hair), discussing not only the nominated films but - once again - questions about the selection process and who is considered part of the team. Why is there only one name on the team for “Oppenheimer”? We offer some thoughts.

The 2023 Nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling:

•"Golda"

•"Maestro"

•"Oppenheimer"

•"Poor Things"

•"Society of the Snow"

Film professionals discussing the nominees in their area of expertise: that’s Below the Line at the Oscars. Today, we’re talking about Cinematography, and my returning guests — Patrick Cady and David Tuttman — are directors of photography with stories to share. 

The 2023 Nominees for Cinematography: 

•"El Conde"

•"Killers of the Flower Moon"

•"Maestro"

•"Oppenheimer"

•"Poor Things"

Costume Designers Helen Huang And Allison Choi Braun return to offer their insights on this year’s Oscar nominees for Costume Design. We mark our halfway point through the Academy Awards season with another great conversation, discussing not only the five nominated films but also how the craft of costume design is such an integral aspect of the filmmaking collaboration.

The 2023 Nominees for Costume Design:

• "Barbie"

•"Killers of the Flower Moon" 

•"Napoleon" 

•"Oppenheimer" 

•"Poor Things" 

It’s difficult to sell 12 episodes of Oscars coverage, but if you appreciate the work done by crew, you’re going to appreciate this season, where film professionals discuss the nominees in the category of their expertise. Today’s animated conversation about the nominees for Animated Feature benefits from returning guests, Kent Seki and Camille Leganza. Have YOU seen Oscar nominee “Robot Dreams”? It's the rare case of a nominated film that I didn't get to see, so no spoilers about that one.

The 2023 Nominees for Animated Feature Film:

•“The Boy and the Heron“ 

•"Elemental"

•"Nimona" 

•"Robot Dreams"

•"Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" 

We’re continuing our deep dive discussions about the Oscar nominees in the technical categories, and today, Production Designer Bob Shaw and Set Decorator Regina Graves - Oscar nominees themselves - offer their insights about the five nominees for Production Design.

The 2023 Nominees for Production Design:

•"Barbie" 

•"Killers of the Flower Moon"

•"Napoleon" 

•"Oppenheimer"

•"Poor Things" 

It’s non-stop conversations about the Oscar nominees in the technical categories from now until the Academy Awards, and I hope you'll follow us for the full season. Today, Kent Seki and Chris Batty return to discuss the nominees for Visual Effects. This year, it looks like any of these nominees could deservedly take the prize. Join us for insights about the surprising group of contenders in this rapidly evolving field.

The 2023 Nominees for Visual Effects:

• "The Creator"

• "Godzilla Minus One"

• "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

• “Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One"

• "Napoleon"

Below the Line continues our Fifth Annual Oscar Series with a discussion of the nominees for achievement in Directing, and I’m joined by a returning panel of fellow below-the-liners: Katie Carroll, Bill Hardy, Roger Mendoza and Shaun O’Banion. It’s the first year we’ve discussed the directors nominated for the Academy Award, but it’s in lieu of our traditional conversation focused on the Directors Guild of America nominees (the DGA crowns their winners next weekend, Feb 10th). Same panel, same topic, but a slightly different focus; the episode runs long, but I hope you’ll enjoy it.

The 2023 Nominees for Directing:

•"Anatomy of a Fall" 

•"Killers of the Flower Moon" 

•"Oppenheimer" 

•"Poor Things" 

•"The Zone of Interest" 

Our Fifth Annual Oscar Series begins now! Once again, we’ve got panels of film professionals discussing the nominees in their category of expertise. First up: Oscar nominee Steve Morrow (production sound mixer) and Oscar winner Don Sylvester (sound editor) discuss this year's nominees for Sound.

The 2023 Nominees for Sound:

•“The Creator”

•“Maestro” 

•“Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One” 

•“Oppenheimer”

•"The Zone of Interest”

Now for something completely different! “Gen V” is a bombastic and provocative take on the Superhero genre, and Film Editor Maura Corey threads a needle balancing the action, the satire, and the humor from scene to scene. Gianni Damaia returns to the co-host seat, and - once again - it’s a laugh-out-loud conversation that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as we did.

2022’s “Aftersun” is a slow-burn of a movie which nonetheless resonated with a sizable audience, and Film Editor Blair McClendon brings us inside the collaboration that sits at the center of this film (which is currently streaming on Showtime and Paramount+). Fellow editor (and friend of the podcast) Christopher Angel identified “Aftersun” as an overlooked gem when we discussed Oscar nominees at the start of 2023, and he joins me today in the co-host chair to help tease out what made this rule-defying film so successful. 

“Hatching”, a successful Finnish horror film currently streaming on Hulu, is a good case study for exploring the differences between European filmmaking and the U.S. studio system. I’m joined today by the Producer of “Hatching”, Mika Ritalahti, and two Executive Line Producers from Mistrus Media Film Production, Gints Grube and Elina Gedina. While the film is from Finland, principal photography was conducted in Riga, Latvia, and my panel shares how this entertaining movie came together.

“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” was released in theaters early this year and is now streaming on multiple platforms. Tyler Cordova, Co-Visual Effects Producer, is here to explain how practical effects and visual effects work together to create the magic of the film. And for the first time on the podcast: we’re discussing specific scenes in real time! Let us know if it works.

“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” wrapped earlier this year after four seasons on Amazon Prime, and Production Designer Derek Hill is here to offer behind-the-scene insights for a team that was based out of Budapest but filmed across Europe, from Greece to Croatia to the Canary Islands. Oh, and COVID: there was COVID.

Costume Designer Liz Vastola talks about her work on “Twisted Metal”, the comedy/action video game adaptation currently streaming on Peacock. I’ve never played the video game, but co-host (and fellow podcaster) Gianni Damaia brings some hard-won expertise to our laugh-out-loud discussion of the series.

Score Composer Andrew Lockington talks about his work on Taylor Sheridan’s “Special Ops: Lioness” (currently airing on Paramount+), and co-host Louis Weeks (composer, recording artist, and friend of the podcast) provides another layer of insight to our conversation. We discuss Andrew’s work on multiple levels, from the intention behind specifics pieces of score to the larger themes that inform the overall arc of the story.

My guest is Daril Fannin, CEO of Kino Studios. We talk about how Daril’s experiences as an army veteran, writer and executive producer led to the founding of Kino, with the goal of making Hollywood more open, equitable, efficient and diverse. Kino also runs a robust behind-the-scenes program which emphasizes - you guessed it - the contributions of Below the Line talent (www.kino.studio).

2022’s “The Menu” was an intriguing film that defied genre expectations. WIth 14 principle cast members and a tight shooting schedule, it was also a logistical challenge of epic proportions. First Assistant Director Gary Goldman takes us behind the scenes with stories about the cast, the supporting background, and the food. I mean, the FOOD: it was another character, both on and off the set.

“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” - now in its second season on Paramount+ - continues to make the familiar franchise new again. Director of Photography Benji Bakshi talks about how cinematography contributes to the genre-uniqueness of each episode, and we talk in detail about the recently-aired, first-ever Star Trek musical episode. 

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” - in theaters now - is both a cutting-edge computer-animated feature and a really enjoyable film. Head of Cinematography Kent Seki and Art Director Arthur Fong share how an emphasis on the “teenage” element of the title characters informed every aspect of the filmmaking over a course of production spanning more than three years.

The “Hellraiser” film released late last year on Hulu was a creative reimagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 original. Production Designer Kathrin Eder discusses the challenge of rebooting a 35-year-old horror classic, Director David Bruckner’s reliance on practical effects wherever possible, and bringing all of these elements together while filming in Serbia.

“The Flash”, the latest DC superhero to earn a solo outing on the big screen, may be a spectacle of visual effects, but Sound Editors John Marquis and Nancy Nugent Title are here to explain why the movie experience is affected as much by what you hear as what you see. The integration is key, but recognizing the contributions of sound can unlock a completely new understanding of the film.

On June 23rd, the Directors Guild of America ratified a new three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP); the vote was 87% in favor. Today I’m discussing the agreement with Kevin Koster, who works as a 1st Assistant Director, served as a member of the negotiating committee, and is a returning guest to the podcast.