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:
Preparing for race-day chaos with limited takes and no second chances
Coordinating with the F1 organization for track access and safety
Balancing authentic racing with scripted storytelling beats
Working with the broadcast crew and integrating into their coverage footprint
Collaborating closely with director Joseph Kosinski to shape coverage and keep pace with the story
Navigating the unique demands of filming alongside professional F1 drivers in active race environments
What it means to “make the day” when the cars set the schedule — not the crew
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.
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S24 - Ep 9 - Alien: Earth - Score Composition
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:
Collaborating with Noah Hawley from the earliest concept stage — five years before cameras rolled
Weaving together the tones of Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) while still making the score uniquely his own
Creating distinct sonic palettes for human, alien, and synth characters — and finding ways to blend them
Crafting character-driven themes, including Wendy’s motif and the “Siblings” theme
Integrating unusual instruments like the bass desmaphone and Aztec death whistle to shape the show’s sonic identity
How serialized storytelling allows themes to grow and evolve across multiple episodes
Building episode-specific releases, like the standalone score for Episode 5
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.
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S24 - Ep 8 - Hacks - Production Design
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.
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S24 - Ep 7 - Murderbot - Production Design
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.
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S24 - Ep 6 - Ballerina - Cinematography
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.
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