BELOW THE LINE PODCAST

“The Gilded Age”, which recently concluded its first season on HBO Max, explores the various social forces at play in the New York City of 1882. The theme of old money vs new money is reflected in the sets themselves, and Set Decorator Regina Graves joins me to discuss the challenges and rewards of bringing this period drama to life.

Welcome to Season 12 of the podcast! We’re kicking it off with a look back at this year’s Oscars ceremony, specifically the Academy’s decision to prerecord eight of the 23 awards during the hour preceding the live broadcast, and then air edited segments during the ceremony itself. Set Decorator Rena DeAngelo (nominated this year for her work on West Side Story) tells us what happened during that hour of pre-show taping, and Writer/Director/Editor Christopher Angel (who last joined us to discuss this year’s nominees for Film Editing) analyzes how those early acceptance speeches were censored for the telecast.

It’s been 10 episodes of film industry professionals sharing the benefits of their expertise, and we’re concluding our Oscar series with an in-depth look at the nominees for Cinematography. My guests — Patrick Cady and Shawn Peters — are directors of photography with stories to share. Enjoy the Academy Awards this weekend! I hope our insights have prepared you for the ceremony. (Episode 10 of 10).

The Academy Awards are less than a week away, and we’ve got two episodes to go. Today, we’re discussing the Oscar nominees for Visual Effects. Industry veterans Kent Seki and Chris Batty bring their expertise for a wide-ranging and animated discussion. (Episode 9 of 10)

Music is back! Week Four of our Oscars coverage concludes with an enlightening conversation about Original Score. My returning guests - Louis Weeks, Chris Molanphy, and Mick Coogan - once again offer insights about this year’s nominees that will most definitely wow you.  (Episode 8 of 10)

Are you following the series? Week Four of our Oscars coverage kicks off with a review of the nominees for Film Editing. My guests - Christopher Angel and Amy Duddleston - are editors with a wealth of experience to share when discussing this year’s Academy Awards nominees.  (Episode 7 of 10)

Week Three concludes with a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Makeup and Hairstyling. My guests — Angela Nogaro (Makeup) and Yvonne Depatis-Kupka (Hairstyling) — have opinions. I think you’ll enjoy them. (Episode 6 of 10)

Week Three: our tour through the technical categories continues with a discussion of the Oscar nominees for Original Song. My returning guests — Mick Coogan (song writer), Louis Weeks (score composer), and Chris Molanphy (chart analyst and fellow podcast host) — offer a multi-layered set of insights. (Episode 5 of 10)

This episode of our Oscar series features a discussion of the nominees for Animated Feature. Ready for some behind-the-scenes insights? My guests, Kent Seki and Camille Leganza, bring more than 40 years of animation experience to the panel, and it makes for an informative and lively conversation. (Episode 4 of 10)

It’s Week Two of our Oscars coverage, where film industry professionals offer insights in the category of their expertise. Today we’re focused on Production Design, and I’m happy to welcome back Sam Lisenco (Production Designer), Regina Graves (Set Decorator), and Kerry Weeks (Lead Man) to discuss this year’s nominees. (Episode 3 of 10)