BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

Contract negotiations between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) are at a challenging juncture. My guests — Mike Loomer (Local 44), Dave Tuttman (Local 600), and Michael Taylor (Local 728) — discuss the union’s concerns and the possibility of a strike.

Today we’re discussing the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards, and my Emmy-nominated guests — Amy Duddleston (“Mare of Easttown”), Geoff O’Brien (“Framing Britney Spears”), Alexandra Fehrman (“The Boys”) and Rich Weingart (“The Boys”) — share stories from this year’s ceremonies.

Today we’re talking about “The Social Dilemma”, a documentary about the manipulative and dangerous aspects of our online social activity currently streaming on Netflix. My guests are the Emmy-nominated cinematographers, John Behrens and Jonathan Pope, who split oversight of the documentary and narrative portions of the film but share responsibility for the cohesive look and feel.

Today we’re talking about “The Boys”, the audacious and dark superhero series currently streaming on Amazon Prime. My guest is Alexandra Fehrman, Sound Mixer for both seasons and recent Emmy nominee for her work on the Season 2 finale.

2021’s “Loki”, with all six episodes currently streaming on Disney+, is a surprisingly enjoyable expansion of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. My guest today, Douglas Noe, both led the makeup department for the series and was the personal makeup artist for Tom Hiddleston, the continuation of a relationship that began with 2012’s “The Avengers”.

“Framing Britney Spears”, the New York Times investigative documentary released in February 2021, explores the conservatorship that Britney Spears has been living under since 2008, specifically within the larger context of her career and celebrity. My guests today - Geoff O’Brien and Pierre Takal - are the editors of the film.

Today my guests are a pair of Industry veterans - JR Helton ("Below the Line", the book) and Mike Taylor ("Confessions of a Hollywood Juicer", the blog) - who talk about the code of silence that surrounds most film productions and why they decided to break it.

I was the 2nd 2nd Assistant Director on Just Like Heaven, the 2005 Mark Waters feature starring Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. My guests today are two other members of our AD team: Key 2nd AD Eric Pot and Production Assistant Taylor Phillips. We laugh about the challenges of filming in San Francisco and the extensive stage work involved once we returned to Los Angeles.

Today we're talking about Legacies, which recently concluded its third season on The CW Network. My guests are the Co-Department Heads for Creature Effects, Mark Villalobos and Heather Mages, and we're joined by the Assistant Stunt Coordinator, Jeremy Conner. Bring on the monster talk!

Mare of Easttown, the 2021 HBO series starring Kate Winslet, is a nuanced interplay of murder mystery and community drama. My guest is the Film Editor, Amy E. Duddleston, whose work on the series was recognized with two Emmy nominations earlier this week.

Today I’m discussing Into the Wild (the 2007 biopic directed by Sean Penn and starring Emile Hirsch) with the film’s Production Designer, Derek Hill. Derek also shared a lot of photos: after listening to the podcast, listen to Derek’s narrated slide show on our YouTube channel or Facebook page. 

Film production is undergoing a digital revolution, and the pandemic has only accelerated it. My guests today — Michael R. Williams (Think Crew), Sam Patton (Castifi), and Alex LoVerde (SyncOnSet) — represent three companies at the forefront of this effort. We talk about the challenges on set for which digitization is the solution, and how the integration of digital tools will propel film production into the future. 

As Amazon Prime prepares to release the seventh and final season of Bosch (starring Titus Welliver), I’m joined by an all-star panel to discuss Seasons 1 through 6: Frank Tignini (Unit Production Manager), Patrick Cady (Director of Photography), Trey Batchelor (1st Assistant Director) and Robert Paulsen (Location Manager) tell stories from the set.

In the Heights, the Jon M. Chu film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical (and already one of the best-reviewed films of the year), is currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. My guest is the film's editor, Myron Kerstein, and we talk about the challenges of adapting this story for the big screen (and completing post-production in the midst of the pandemic).

Today, I'm discussing John Carpenter's 1986 tour de force, Big Trouble in Little China (starring Kurt Russell), with a returning guest: Director of Photography Dean Cundey, the cinematographer for five of John Carpenter's films.

Welcome back for Season 8! Our first episode of the new season is a design-focused conversation about Judas and the Black Messiah with Sam Lisenco (Production Designer) and Jeremy Woolsey (Art Director). Enjoying the podcast? Please rate us, wherever you subscribe.

Bonus Oscar episode! Today, we're talking about the ceremony itself: my guest is three-time nominee John Pritchett, nominated this year for his sound work on News of the World. We discuss the challenges and unexpected perks of attending the Academy Awards with COVID-19 protocols in place.

Today concludes our 10-episode Oscar series highlighting the technical awards. To discuss the nominees for Original Score, I’m joined by returning guests Louis Weeks (score composer), Mick Coogan (songwriter) and Chris Molanphy (host of the Slate podcast, Hit Parade). Enjoy the ceremony this weekend!

The Academy Awards are only a few days away, and we’ve got two more categories to discuss. Today, Angela Nogaro (makeup) and Yvonne De Patis-Kupka (hair) join me to assess the Oscar nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling.

Our Academy Awards coverage continues all week. Today, I’m joined by Josh Gitelson (former editor/current lawyer) and Christopher Angel (writer/director/editor) to discuss the Oscar nominees for Film Editing.

With the Oscars ceremony less than a week away, we’re still talking about Academy Award nominees in the technical categories. Today, we're breaking down Original Song with returning guests Mick Coogan (composer) and Chris Molanphy (host of the Slate podcast, Hit Parade).

Week Two of our Oscars coverage culminates with the Academy Award for Cinematography, and cinematographer David Tuttman joins me once again this year to discuss the nominated films in this category.

As we continue our coverage of the Oscar nominees in the technical categories, I’m joined once again by Industry veteran Kent Seki. Today, we’re talking about the films recognized by the Academy for Visual Effects. 

Week Two of our Academy Awards coverage starts now. Today, I'm joined by Production Designer Sam Lisenco, Set Decorator Regina Graves and Lead Man Kerry Weeks to review the Oscar nominees for Production Design.

Today wraps up our first week of Academy Awards coverage, and I’m joined by Kent Seki (visual effects) for a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Animated Feature.