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S24 - Ep 8 - Hacks - Production Design Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

Production Design doesn’t always get the laugh — but on Hacks, Rob Tokarz helps set up the punchline.

This week on Below the Line, Production Designer Rob Tokarz joins Skid to discuss Rob’s Emmy-nominated work on Hacks, the HBO Max comedy that just wrapped its fourth season. Rob shares how the show’s design evolved with Deborah and Ava’s careers — from Vegas casinos to LA sound stages — and how visual comedy can live in the details.

Among the highlights:

Designing Deborah’s late night talk show set — and how its clean lines, reflective surfaces, and scale marked a new chapter in her career
Leaning into sleek, showbiz artifice while still grounding scenes in emotional truth
How Rob approaches “passive comedy” through shape, scale, texture, and layout
Collaborating with Showrunners Lucia Aniello, Paul W. Downs, and Jen Statsky to ensure that design and comedy worked hand in hand
Designing new spaces like Jimmy’s office and the Home Shopping Network studio
Working with returning directors, DPs, and department heads to maintain visual continuity
Navigating studio notes and shifting production goals across multiple seasons

Rob also shares how Hacks maintained character integrity even as its world kept expanding — and why no design detail is too small when you're playing for laughs.

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

S24 - Ep 7 - Murderbot - Production Design Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

Designing a future where human life feels disposable — and deeply familiar — takes creative nerve, dark humor, and a fearless approach to world-building.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Production Designer Sue Chan to talk about her work on Murderbot, the new Apple TV+ series based on Martha Wells’ bestselling novellas. Sue breaks down how she and her team designed a future full of corporate dread, practical machinery, and sly visual comedy — all while making the world feel tactile rather than CG-slick.

We discuss:

Developing the look of a far-future society built around exploitation, automation, and control
How inflatable tech, 3D-printed architecture, and lightweight materials shaped the show’s practical builds
Establishing a visual language that’s grounded in reality but laced with satire
Designing Sanctuary Moon, the soap-opera-within-the-show, as a technicolor contrast to Murderbot’s grey, corporate environments
Using shapes, signage, and spatial hierarchy to reinforce themes of capitalism and class division
The creative and political process behind Murderbot’s helmet: the mask design that divided the studio and delighted Skarsgård
Working with VFX and costumes to build a unified visual tone across departments
Embracing “conscious contrasts” between the emotional tone of a scene and its visual environment

Sue also reflects on the challenge of building a world that feels both foreign and uncomfortably familiar — and why the best production design does more than just look good.

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

S24 - Ep 6 - Ballerina - Cinematography Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

Cinematographer Romain Lacourbas returns to Below the Line to talk about crafting Ballerina, the latest stylish installment in the John Wick universe.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Cinematographer Romain Lacourbas to discuss his visual approach to Ballerina, from the film’s sweeping Prague exteriors to its tightly choreographed fight scenes. Romain breaks down his collaboration with Director Len Wiseman, the decision to shoot single-camera action, and the creative problem-solving behind some of the film’s most explosive moments.

We cover:

Building trust with Len Wiseman — and how the director’s homemade pre-vis videos helped shape their collaboration
Adapting the look of John Wick to a new city — with its own palette and texture
Leveraging Alexa 35 cameras and Hawk Class-X anamorphic lenses to add volume and texture — a deliberate choice to highlight Philip Ivey’s distinctive production design
Planning and executing long-take action — including that grenade-filled basement sequence
Why most stunt scenes were shot with a single camera — and how that impacted timing, blocking, and performance
Leaning into practical effects, from real explosions to blood rigs and rain-slicked streets
Capturing Hallstatt’s natural beauty — even on a tight shooting schedule

Romain also reflects on the freedom he had as a DP, his continued partnership with Camera Operator James Frater, and how working with a detail-driven director made the difference.

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

S24 - Ep 5 - Bosch: Legacy Jul 13, 2025

Show notes

Running a tight, emotionally grounded procedural is no small feat — especially when you're steering a beloved franchise into new territory.

On this week’s Below the Line, Skid sits down with Director Patrick Cady, 1st Assistant Director/Producer Trey Batchelor, Cinematographer Jason Andrew, and Gaffer Derrick Kolus to go behind the scenes of Bosch: Legacy, the three-season Amazon series that extended the universe of Michael Connelly’s iconic detective — and pushed the crew into new creative and logistical territory.

We cover:

How Bosch: Legacy balanced a fresh tone with the DNA of the original series
The shift to a 5-act structure, network oversight, and more “advertiser-friendly” creative mandates
How tight prep schedules, minimal standing sets, and constant location moves shaped every department’s workflow
Jason’s transition from Key Grip to Cinematographer, and how his background informed his pacing and shot planning
The challenges of lighting on the move — and how Derrick’s rigging strategy kept the crew ahead of schedule
Trey’s insight into cast performances, unexpected rewrites, and what it really means to “make the day”
Keeping continuity between DPs and episodes while balancing stylistic differences
The collaborative bond this crew built across 10+ years and two Bosch series

Along the way, they reflect on the show’s emotional arc, where it fits within the Bosch universe, and how Bosch: Legacy became a proving ground for tight collaboration, creative flexibility, and below-the-line excellence.

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

S24 - Ep 4 - The Studio - Assistant Directing and Camera Ops Jul 06, 2025

Show notes

Executing a well-timed oner is hard. Building a whole show around long, continuous takes? That’s another level.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by First Assistant Director Donald Murphy and Camera Operator Mark Goellnicht to go behind the scenes of The Studio, the Apple TV+ comedy that blends big laughs with an ambitious visual style. Directed by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the show follows the fictional chaos of Continental Studios — and brings that chaos to life through long takes, handheld choreography, and camera work that pulls the audience into the scene.

Topics include:

Shooting single-camera, continuous-take scenes for nearly every episode
How the “oner” for Episode 2 was planned, rehearsed, and executed with an eye towards golden hour
Building camera choreography around comedy timing and live dialogue
Collaborating with actors and stand-ins on complex blocking
Stitching shots using natural movement, practical transitions, and VFX
Pulling off production in real-world locations like the Las Vegas strip and the Golden Globes
Utilizing crew members as additional “background” for added realism
Managing on-set tone and morale with Seth Rogen’s laid-back leadership

Donald and Mark also reflect on how The Studio pulled off its most ambitious sequences — from passing a camera mid-shot between operators to filming in working casinos with minimal control. And yes, they name names: Martin Scorsese, Sarah Polley, Zac Efron, and Ron Howard all make appearances (on set and in the story).

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

S24 - Ep 3 - The Last of Us - Cinematography Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

How do you bring a game world to life for the screen — especially when that world already has millions of devoted fans? Cinematographer Catherine Goldschmidt knows firsthand — and her work on The Last of Us reveals just how complex that challenge can be.

Catherine Goldschmidt joins Skid to discuss her work on the second season of HBO's The Last of Us, with co-host Gianni Damaia bringing the perspective of a longtime fan and gamer. Together, they dig into the complex visual language of an adaptation that blurs the line between game and cinema — from shot-for-shot recreations to bold deviations.

We cover:

Catherine’s approach to adapting game cinematics into film language — including when to match and when to break away
How The Last of Us uses space, light, and camera movement to draw viewers into Ellie’s experience
Constructing visual set pieces like the subway ambush and Jackson assault with a blend of practical stunts, VFX, and strategic camera placement
The emotional and logistical challenges of staging Joel’s death
The visual shift from chaos to quiet in Episode 2’s final montage — and how that deliberate pacing reshapes the episode’s emotional impact

Catherine also reflects on how her collaboration with multiple directors and departments shaped the season’s look and feel, and how visual storytelling can remain grounded even in the most heightened, post-apocalyptic moments.

🎧 Listen now to join us Below the Line with Catherine Goldschmidt — and explore more at www.belowtheline.biz.

S24 - Ep 2 - Dope Thief - Film Editing Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

What does it mean to “edit for emotion” in a show built around crime, identity, and betrayal? Eric Litman knows — and his work on Dope Thief proves it.

This week on Below the Line, Skid and co-host Christopher Angel are joined by Film Editor Eric Litman to talk about shaping Apple TV+’s eight-episode crime thriller starring Brian Tyree Henry and Wagner Moura.

Topics we cover include:

From unpaid intern on Gladiator to full-fledged editor on Dope Thief: a career milestone with Scott Free
Being hired for one episode but ultimately cutting three, thanks to production delays from the strikes
Episode 7 as “an editor’s episode” — montages that demanded narrative weight without sliding into music-video style
Collaboration with director Marcela Said, whose instinct for unplanned footage (like vultures over a quarry) inspired poetic editorial choices
Shaping the quarry shootout to unfold in escalating stages — keeping viewers aligned with the characters as horrified witnesses rather than action heroes
Crafting a brutal prison fight with disorienting POV flash frames from GoPro footage
Weaving together montages of Mina’s training, Ray’s torment, and Mani’s tragic end — drawing on influences from The Dark Knight and The Fugitive
Using city footage and transitions to ground the series in Philadelphia, connecting personal roots with storytelling choices

What emerges is an inside look at how an editor balances spectacle, emotion, and authenticity — turning raw footage into a gripping, character-driven crime saga.

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

S24 - Ep 1 - Thunderbolts* - Props Jun 08, 2025

Show notes

What does it take to keep Marvel’s superhero worlds grounded in reality? On Thunderbolts*, that meant practical stunts, iconic props, and a crew operating at the top of their game.

This week on Below the Line, Skid and co-host Gianni Damaia welcome back Assistant Property Master Travis Bobbitt to talk about his latest MCU project, after nearly two decades working on Marvel films.

Highlights from the conversation:

Travis’s journey from Iron Man to Thunderbolts*, and even a cameo in She-Hulk
How the post-strike production assembled “the best crew in every department”
A deliberate push toward practical filmmaking: real explosions in Malaysia, Humvee flips in Utah, and base jumps off one of the world’s tallest buildings
Prop highlights including John Walker’s taco shield, Bucky’s rebuilt Winter Soldier gear, Florence Pugh’s parachute backpack, and a very real Molotov cocktail
Tracking 15,000 individual prop cues with a massive spreadsheet to keep continuity across the film
Stories from set: Florence Pugh handling a live scorpion and black widow spider without breaking character, plus that mischievous guinea pig
Marvel’s formal “Easter egg meetings,” including Travis’s favorite hidden detail: Alfredo’s Bail Bonds

What emerges is a portrait of a veteran prop master whose work bridges spectacle and detail — from designing hero props that stand up to fan scrutiny to collaborating across departments so that props, costumes, and VFX felt seamless on screen.

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

S23 - Ep 10 - A Complete Unknown May 25, 2025

Show notes

How do you turn New Jersey into 1960s Greenwich Village — while navigating strikes, rewrites, and a lead performance that hinges on live music? That was the challenge behind A Complete Unknown, the 2024 Bob Dylan biopic directed by James Mangold.

This week, Skid is joined by three key crew members behind the film: Set Decorator Regina Graves, Property Master Michael Jortner, and Second Assistant Director Brad Robinson. Together, they share how they navigated shifting scripts, location changes, and the challenge of historical fidelity — all in service of a film that manages to feel both intimate and iconic.

Topics include:

Rebuilding momentum after the actor’s strike forced a full crew reset
The challenges of transforming Hoboken and Jersey City into Greenwich Village
Training extras to behave like real 1960s folk fans — from posture to props
Creating immersive environments for actors to perform (and improvise) in
Balancing accuracy and atmosphere when representing real figures and events
Behind-the-scenes dynamics with director James Mangold and star Timothée Chalamet
Filming the concert finale, the Viking Hotel sequence, and the Columbia studio set
How a film’s invisible craft can be both its triumph and its obstacle come award season

The conversation also touches on the tensions between Dylan’s legacy and the demands of dramatization — and how the crew stayed grounded despite outside opinions and mid-production curveballs.

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

S23 - Ep 9 - Daredevil: Born Again - Cinematography May 18, 2025

Show notes

With shifting plans, a writer’s strike, and a new creative mandate, Daredevil: Born Again became one of Marvel’s most fluid productions — and one of its most cinematic.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Cinematographer Pedro Gomez Millan and co-host Gianni Damaia to discuss Pedro’s work on the Disney+ reboot. Together, they break down how Pedro helped shape the show’s visual identity — through strike delays, rewrites, and evolving creative priorities.

We cover:

Why Pedro’s original pitch leaned into naturalism and New York-as-character imagery
The influence of courtroom dramas, street crime films, and in-camera effects
How production adapted after Marvel’s mid-season pivot
The visual parallels between Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk — and how lighting and lensing shaped their arcs
The surprising story behind Episode 5’s Inside Man-inspired bank setting
Shooting under real-world constraints in the heart of Wall Street
Designing fight sequences that serve both the action and the emotional arc
Incorporating “doom zooms” and other techniques to convey Daredevil’s heightened senses
Discovering perfect alleyways (and great bagels) while location scouting on foot

Pedro also shares how his work on the series evolved across episodes — from gritty staircase fights to quietly devastating moments of character revelation — and why happy accidents often reveal the best ideas on set.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on Daredevil: Born Again. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

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