Before there were military consultants on movie sets, there were officers like Jon McBride — servicemen who understood how stories shape public perception. On this Veterans Day episode of Below the Line, we look at how the Navy’s storytellers helped connect the worlds of service and cinema.

This week, Skid is joined by Jon McBride, a former U.S. Navy officer whose service from 1964 to 1968 led him from the deck of the USS Kitty Hawk to the Navy’s Public Affairs Office in Hollywood — bridging two worlds that rarely meet but often influence one another.

We explore:

Episodes like this one reflect a recurring theme for Below the Line — the shared discipline, teamwork, and creative purpose that link filmmaking and military service. Jon’s story captures that connection with humor, humility, and a deep sense of how storytelling itself can serve a mission.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line for a Veterans Day conversation that spans from the bridge of the Kitty Hawk to the backlots of Hollywood. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

What does it take to build a world that feels as authentic as the people it represents? On The Lowdown, that meant storytelling rooted in place — and departments working in harmony.

This week on Below the Line, Skid welcomes Makeup Department Head Sharon Tabb and Production Designer Brandon Tonner-Connolly, who reunite after three seasons of Reservation Dogs to discuss their latest collaboration with creator Sterlin Harjo on the FX series The Lowdown, starring Ethan Hawke.

The discussion covers:

Together, Sharon and Brandon reveal how every bruise, tattoo, and weathered wall becomes part of a larger visual story — one built from collaboration, trust, and craft in sync.

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

What does it mean to edit a sports horror film that blurs the line between spectacle and nightmare? For Taylor Mason, the answer was finding the rhythm that carried HIM through its shifting tones.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Film Editor Taylor Mason to discuss her work on the Universal/Monkeypaw feature HIM, directed by Justin Tipping and starring Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans. Joining the conversation is Christopher Angel, a regular guest and co-host of the podcast, who adds his editorial perspective.

The conversation cuts across:

In the end, it’s rhythm that defines Taylor’s edit — balancing precision and chaos in a story that’s both savage and deeply human.

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

How do you design a world that honors Hawaiian history while telling a story on a global stage? For Production Designer Jean-François Campeau, the answer was equal parts creativity, cultural respect, and collaboration.

This week on Below the Line, Skid is joined by Jean-François “JF” Campeau, Production Designer of Chief of War, the Apple TV+ historical drama starring Jason Momoa. Two special guests from the Smithsonian Institution add their perspectives: Kalewa Correa, Curator of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and Halena Kapuni-Reynolds, Associate Curator of Native Hawaiian History and Culture at the National Museum of the American Indian.

We cover:

The conversation also touches on recommended resources for further learning, including Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood by Samuel Kamaka and Fragments of Hawaiian History by John Papa Iʻi, suggested by our Smithsonian co-hosts.

Through every set, carving and detail, Chief of War builds a conversation between past and present — one that honors place, people, and story alike.

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

What does it take to shoot Formula 1 at Formula 1 speed? For 1st Assistant Director Toby Hefferman, it meant precision, improvisation, and a crew running at full throttle.

This week on Below the Line, Toby Hefferman joins Skid to talk about his work on F1: The Movie, the high-octane feature that merges scripted drama with real-world racing. From on-track logistics to high-pressure resets, Toby shares how he and the crew captured the energy of Formula 1 without slowing it down.

The conversation races through:

What emerges is a portrait of an Assistant Director balancing structure with flexibility — drawing on lessons from Rogue One, Mission: Impossible, and now F1: The Movie.

🎧 Press play and go Below the Line on F1: The Movie. For more, visit belowtheline.biz.

In Alien: Earth, the music has to merge sci-fi horror with sci-fi action — all while carrying the emotional core of Noah Hawley’s storytelling.

This week on Below the Line, Score Composer Jeff Russo joins Skid and returning co-host Louis Weeks to discuss his work on Alien: Earth, the FX series now airing its first season. An Emmy-winning and multiple Emmy-nominated composer, Jeff talks through how his music honors the legacy of Alien while building something entirely new — with select clips from his score woven throughout the conversation.

Here’s what we cover:

Jeff also shares how his long creative partnership with Hawley has shaped his process — and why building trust early makes it easier to take musical risks later.

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

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:

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.

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:

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.