BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

Latest Episodes:

S13 - Ep 5 - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - Props Aug 21, 2022

Show notes

“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.

S13 - Ep 4 - Our Flag Means Death - Assistant Directing Aug 14, 2022

Show notes

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.

S13 - Ep 3 - Marcel the Shell with Shoes On - Production Design Aug 07, 2022

Show notes

"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.

S13 - Ep 2 - Black Hawk Down, Part II Jul 31, 2022

Show notes

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.

S13 - Ep 1 - Black Hawk Down, Part I Jul 24, 2022

Show notes

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.

S12 - Ep 11 - The First Lady - Makeup Jun 19, 2022

Show notes

“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.

S12 - Ep 10 - Roar - Production Design Jun 12, 2022

Show notes

“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.

S12 - Ep 9 - The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey - Cinematography Jun 05, 2022

Show notes

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.

S12 - Ep 8 - Station Eleven - Costume Design May 29, 2022

Show notes

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.

S12 - Ep 7 - Big Fish - Screenwriting May 22, 2022

Show notes

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.

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