Chad Saxton and Victor Macias (Directors on Chicago P.D.)

Summary

One Chicago Podcast: Behind the Scenes with Chad Saxton and Victor Macias

Episode Date: May 14, 2026
Guests: Chad Saxton (Executive Directing Producer), Victor Macias (Director, A-Camera/Steadicam Operator)
Host: Brian Lucci

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode offers a deep dive into the making of *Chicago P.D.’*s two-part season finale, bringing to the forefront the collaborative process and creative choices of directors Chad Saxton and Victor Macias. The conversation, led by insider and former cop turned producer Brian Lucci, explores how both directors rose through the ranks, their directing philosophies, memorable on-set moments, character development, and what the future might hold for the characters of Imani and Voight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Journey to Directing in the One Chicago World

[05:19] Chad explains his transition from Second AD to Executive Directing Producer, highlighting the importance of creative oversight and maintaining a consistent tone:

• “I'm the creative voice in charge of production… My goal and my job is to elevate as many scripts as I can, which is kind of a director's job, but mine's to continually do it all season.” – Chad Saxton

[07:06] Eric Lasalle’s pivotal role in Chad’s promotion and the supportive culture on set:

• “It was Eric Lasalle who gave me the nod, for sure... Jason Begay definitely supported my first episode, and so did Victor and so did yourself.” – Chad Saxton

[11:05] Victor credits Chad for helping him break through from Steadicam operator to director:

• "Chad gave me my break... he asked me to do a short, I did a short, gave it to them. He kicked it up the ladder and they liked what they saw, and then I got an episode.” – Victor Macias

The Value of Trust, Support, and Recognition

[09:08] Chad’s crew appreciation ritual brings the team together:

• "Every week you appreciate one crew member... it just becomes something that can translate from one person's small moment to the entire thing as a whole organism.” – Chad Saxton

[45:29] Both Chad and Victor stress how rare the show’s culture of mentorship and promotion is in the industry:

• “Working in an environment that allows that growth and allows that opportunity is important to me... that starts with trust.” – Chad Saxton
• “You don't see that in a lot of other shows or companies... they want to keep you [in your job], and they don't let you move up from within. This is very, very rare.” – Victor Macias

The Directing Process & Philosophy

[12:35] Victor’s instinctual approach to the camera, favoring emotion over technical rules:

• “I didn't go to film school... To me, when I see it, it's just what I feel. And I'll frame things up certain ways... sometimes I really have no idea what I did. It just is.” – Victor Macias

[20:54] On embracing risk and discomfort for more honest storytelling:

• “If you're not uncomfortable, you're not taking enough risk, and that risk is what you need to get things to be elevated.” – Chad Saxton

[24:17] Victor on fostering authentic moments by withholding rehearsal information:

• “I kept them apart for the whole time before we shot this scene because I didn't want them to see each other... I didn't let Ari look through [the mementos box] till we actually did the take, because I wanted for it to all be real.” – Victor Macias

Episode 20 & 21: Character Arcs and Key Scenes

Imani and Voight’s Dynamic

[15:06] Exploring Imani’s character and “Minnie Voight” parallels:

• “She didn't give a shit. She had the same sort of mentality that Voight has, which is, I'm gonna get the results. I'm gonna get to this end goal, period.” – Chad Saxton

[17:49] The mentorship evolving into an equal partnership:

• “He takes her under the wing. But… it's starting to feel like they're peers now... she passed up, and now she's like, no, I see you. Voight and their peers is what I feel.” – Victor Macias

On-Set Storytelling Tactics

[16:32] Chad’s unconventional directing note – not having actors look at each other:

• “Some of the best movie moments... are moments where they don't speak… you tell them not to look at each other; they're gonna give you everything as if they are looking at each other.” – Chad Saxton

[22:17] Victor’s favorite scene—Imani’s reunion with her sister:

• “I kept them apart for the whole time... and that look was real. And one of the nicest things she said was... 'That was a very beautiful box that you guys put together.'” – Victor Macias

Challenging and Rewarding Scenes

[26:09] Filming the car dragging scene:

• “We had to build a little rig that she could actually lay on on the side of the car... The fact that she was actually on there hanging on and doing all that stuff looked good.” – Victor Macias

[34:14] Chad’s hardest and favorite scenes in the finale:

• “Absolutely, the death of Kirby in the stairwell... dealing with, like, seven people in a hallway in a stairwell. And then there's the network moments of standards... smashing some man's head with a door.” – Chad Saxton
• “There was a really great scene with Imani and Shari... in the safe house bedroom where I felt that Ari and Celine, the two actresses, really delivered a great scene.” – Chad Saxton

The Finale’s Cliffhanger and Speculation

[36:34-38:00] Debate on Imani’s fate and Voight’s role:

• “We left it on terms of not knowing what Voight's gonna do... he's in a little bit of a conundrum here.” – Chad Saxton
• “I think her not getting charged could be more interesting. So then Voight has to deal with the complications of Imani's action and how she handles working with her sister.” – Chad Saxton

[40:26] Victor on Imani as Voight’s peer (and potential nemesis):

• “To me, it's like Imani's now appear to Voight, you know, so... Imani's one person that can actually challenge Voight...” – Victor Macias

Most Memorable Scenes This Season

[41:09] Chad – Episode 12, delivering devastating news to a mother:

• “It's the second to last scene of the episode... Imani and Voight are telling the mother... that he's dead... It was a very simple scene, but it was really fun to film because it was so horribly sad.” – Chad Saxton

[42:59] Victor – Episode 19, Disco Bob’s final moments:

• “I gotta say, episode 19, for me only because it just felt so personal, was when Disco Bob passes away and the way Patty talks to him... it just reminded me so much of me and my dad in that situation.” – Victor Macias

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “You have this incredible rise to the top... you have this beautiful way that starts at the top. And... you started that thing on Wednesdays where one person is picked for their outstanding work... it just lifts up the spirits of everyone.” – Brian Lucci [08:00]
• “To me, filmmaking is a communal experience. You really have to rely on everyone... It's hopefully you've hired the best people you can. You support their creative...” – Chad Saxton [09:08]
• “I didn't know the whole technology... To me... it's just what I feel.” – Victor Macias [12:35]
• “If you're not uncomfortable, you're not taking enough risk, and that risk is what you need to get things to be elevated.” – Chad Saxton [20:54]
• “We left it on terms of not knowing what Voight's gonna do... we've seen him do things before.” – Chad Saxton [36:34]
• “You don't see that in a lot of other shows or companies where it's like, if you're good at a job, they want to keep you there, and they don't let you move up from within. This is very, very rare.” – Victor Macias [45:34]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:19] Chad explains the executive directing producer role
• [09:08] On fostering recognition and team support
• [11:05] Victor discusses breaking into directing
• [15:06] Delving into Imani’s character
• [16:32] Why he directs actors to avoid eye contact
• [22:17] Discussing the pivotal reunion scene with Imani and her sister
• [26:09] Filming the dangerous car dragging sequence
• [34:14] Most challenging/favorite scenes in the finale
• [36:34] The cliffhanger and future character speculation
• [41:09] Favorite scenes of the season
• [44:20] What they love about the One Chicago world

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Takeaways & Thematic Threads

• Mentorship and Opportunity: Both directors, and the host, emphasize how rare and precious it is to work somewhere where hard work genuinely leads to advancement.
• Truth and Authenticity: Artistic risk, emotional honesty, and letting actors truly discover their moments are central to both Chad and Victor's approach.
• Collaborative Culture: The cast and crew’s mutual respect and lack of ego fuel creativity, trust, and a family-like atmosphere.
• Character-Driven Drama: The crossover between story and real human dynamics (e.g., Voight and Imani's evolving relationship) keeps the series evolving and brings freshness to procedural TV.

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Conclusion

In this episode, Chad Saxton and Victor Macias offer an insider's masterclass on what makes Chicago P.D. and the wider One Chicago universe so successful—from risk-taking on set to mentorship and genuine on- and off-screen relationships. Their reflections on specific episodes and scenes highlight both the technical and emotional effort it takes to elevate television storytelling.

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For more behind-the-scenes content, check out NBC One Chicago on YouTube.

Transcript

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[Brian Lucci]

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[Chad Saxton]

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[Brian Lucci]

Hey, I'm Brian Lucci and this, well, this is the official One Chicago podcast action. The one Chicago shows have wrapped up for the season and I just gotta say what an amazing ride this has been for all the shows and the podcast. The two came together like peanut butter and jelly. Now you know the second part of Chicago PD's two part finale aired last night and oh boy, was it a doozy. Some big questions were finally answered and of course those sneaky riders left us with a few things to think about over the summer. So today on a pod, I'm bringing you the directors of episode 20 and 21, my dear friend Victor Macias and my big boss Chad Saxton, who couldn't stop raving about working with the cast.

[Chad Saxton]

I really loved working with Ari, who plays Imani. She really took the notes and leaned in to the whole process of discovering that character.

[Brian Lucci]

They'll talk about their favorite moments and explain the joys of creating. In the wolf world, people get rewarded

[Victor Macias]

and you don't see that in a lot of other shows or companies where it's like if you're good at a job, they want to keep you there and they don't let you move up from within. You know, this is very rare and that's what I love about it.

[Brian Lucci]

The cooks are taking you into the kitchen after this quick break, so don't go anywhere.

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[Brian Lucci]

And we're back with Victor Macias and Chad Saxton who directed the final two episodes of the PD season. Both of these guys started at the bottom and worked their asses off to get to where they are today and we'll talk about that in just a bit. But Chad started things off by telling us what an executive directing producer does for the show.

[Chad Saxton]

Tricky question, actually. I would say my simple answer to them, when I define it a little clear is I'm the creative voice in charge of production. So Gwen's our showrunner, writes all of our lovely scripts with her writing team. I take that with the director per episode and I oversee the creative process throughout. So we kind of keep a tonal through line through the whole season. So my goal and my job is to elevate as many scripts as I can, which is kind of a director's job, but mine's to continually do it all season. So integrity of the show, kind of like what you do as well, you fight for the things that make us better, you know, make a more real police. Mine's the same thing, it's just a different, different job.

[Brian Lucci]

Well, that's kind of Beautiful. So when you spoke, you spoke of Gwen, and that's Gwen Segan, who is our showrunner and is ahead of all the writers. And I love that you brought her up, because there's a beautiful partnership between you two. I mean, you guys are on the phone all day long, kicking around, creating, elevating, and making it better. And there's just this. There's no ego in it, and there's this ultimate respect between you two guys. So one of the things that the people don't realize is you usually defer all the credit to others, and I. And I love that. But the truth is, you're. You have this incredible rise to the top. You started out as the second AD that's an assistant director who worked your way into the first directing spot. Assistant director. And then ultimately, you end up being our directing executive producer. I mean, this came with, like, the hardest work in the world. Can you tell us a little bit how you got the nod to sit in the big chair and your relationship with Eric Lasalle?

[Chad Saxton]

Yes, it was Eric Lasalle who gave me the nod, for sure. I don't know what actually specifically made him think that I should have this opportunity just to direct on the show. I've never asked him because I'm not good at dealing with, like you said, any sort of compliments. So that's kind of admitting a compliment.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah.

[Victor Macias]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

You don't like that.

[Chad Saxton]

So Jason Begay definitely supported my first episode, and so did Victor and so did yourself. I mean, the whole team of everyone definitely supported me heavily in my first directed episode. It went really well, so that opened up more opportunities. Then Covid hit, and I moved into the spot. It was kind of crazy, you know,

[Brian Lucci]

I was fortunate enough. I'm this young policeman. I couldn't even spell tech advisor. You know, I'm sitting there, and all the people that liked me would give me these little hints like, oh, you should do it like this. Maybe give that note a little bit faster, or don't wait to the third take to do it. And me and you had this incredible rhythm when you were in a second ad and even when you were a first AD to get in front of things, working under you was. Was, like, gorgeous and something that Eric Lasalle said that you have. As I told Eric, I go, bro, when this is all over, I want to come work for you. And he goes, you'll never do that, Luch. You ain't working for me. You'll work with me. And I feel like that's something that you have done for all of us, that we don't work for you, we work with you. And I just think it's this beautiful way that starts at the top. And one thing that I have to talk about is the thing on Wednesdays where one person is picked for their outstanding work, how they carry themselves, how they're kind to people. And you started that. And you started that you did with our crew. And it just lifts up the spirits of everyone and the energy. And I think that just kind of defines you in a way. Do you want to speak to that just for one second?

[Chad Saxton]

Every week you appreciate one crew member. How that works is we all gather up on the middle of set and that one person's name's announced. And whoever is announced, you kind of clap and cheer and sing and kind of harass them all day in a nice way. It just becomes something that can translate from one person's small moment to the entire thing as a whole organism. Because to me, filmmaking is a communal experience. You really have to rely on everyone. Everyone works together. We all have a common goal. It's hopefully you've hired the best people you can. You support their creative when they have it. You support their technical knowledge when they have it for a specific thing. Not every shot that I have an idea that I want to shoot with Jay Z and Victor is going to work, but they may have something that comes from my idea and they pivot that in a better way and they make it better because that's what they're there for.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, here we go. Victor, you started out as our a camera steady operator for the people out there. He gets a little nervous, but he's actually six four, 240 pound ex Marine, and I sometimes call him the sensitive bully, but he. He's my favorite guy on set when Chad's not there. Okay. Victor started out as the Steadicam operator, and people just fell in love with you knowing every story by heart. But mostly they fell in love you for your uncontrollable truth. When I just did a podcast, I did one with Marina. She had no problem explaining how, like, you die a thousand deaths just to tell people, like, when it's not working, you know, this just isn't working. So you're still our Steadicam operator, but now you direct episodes too. What is the Steadicam operator and how you started getting into this? And who gave you your break?

[Victor Macias]

Chad gave me my break.

[Brian Lucci]

There you go.

[Victor Macias]

You know, for. For many years I've been, you know, they dangle that carry like, oh, you're a good operator, you should direct. And once it comes time to do it, they're like, oh, next season, Next season. And with Chad, I knew he was going to end up where he was, where he is now.

[Brian Lucci]

Wow.

[Victor Macias]

I said, hey, if you ever get there, like, don't forget me. And, you know, you did little by little, like, it worked out, you know, he asked me to do a short, I did a short, gave it to them. He kicked it up the ladder, and they liked what they saw, and then I got an episode. But I think as an operator, you have to think like a director sometimes, because sometimes you get directors that are new to the show or just new in general, and they don't understand coverage or how to set up a. A master and get into coverage. So you have to think of that ahead of time. And Jay Z is very good at that too, as well. So, you know, years on set of doing that, you just started kind of getting to rhythm of the way things should be.

[Brian Lucci]

So Jay Z is James Zukel, who is our dp, which means the director of photography for our show. And Victor works kind of directly for him. They work in a partnership. And there's an A camera, B and C. Typically, we have three cameras working. Correct, correct. And that a camera guy, like, he's in the middle of the mix, like. And to be able to capture all that action, and it's really, really hard, and you have to be really, really good at your job. Can you speak of that? And it's okay to pat yourself on the back because you could kick yourself in the ass later.

[Victor Macias]

What's interesting to me is I didn't go to film school. I didn't know the whole technology and the whole, like, all these rules about framing and this and that. To me, when I see it, it's just what I feel. And I'll frame things up certain ways. And I remember one time, Chad was the ad, and we're doing this big wide shot, and there's Larois and this other guy who's like, almost half the size of Larois, was going at him. And I had Larois against the frame. You know, he had nowhere to go and had all this space on this other side. And Chad asked me, he's like, why? Why am I framing it like that? He's like, most people would have put them in the middle. And I said, well, I feel like he's trapped, so he has nowhere to go. And it's weird, but that's how I operate. That's how I hit things. Like, it just. It's a feeling and it just happens. And sometimes I really have no idea what I did. It just is. And there's also times where I've been doing something and get so lost in the moment that I forget what to do next. You know, it's like we're in a scene and, oh, this is so good. And I get stuck watching and then all of a sudden they move in, like, oh, crap, I gotta move, you know, and it's. I gotta play catch up.

[Chad Saxton]

It's true. I've seen it.

[Victor Macias]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

And we've had. We've had all the actors on the show that are like. Like, you become one of the actors, you know, you're a piece of the scene and you make them feel comfortable. And I've also noticed when directors come, like, where's Victor? Is Victor not here today? You know, it's like that. And Chad, you know, you want him on your episodes too? I mean, be honest.

[Chad Saxton]

For sure. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely. And I think, you know, there's a reason he got the opportunity, which is he has instincts as a storyteller that are extremely strong. And that honesty that you spoke of that he can't control is a. He's gotten better at controlling it, but I've had to. But there's a reason, you know, and it's an instinct, you know, sometimes you have to trust your gut. And, you know, the actors, like you said, are working together with him in a scene and you have to feel it. An actor has to feel the motivation and the intention in their line to make the scene work. Well, an operator has to do the same.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, sure. Episode 20, Vic, the Lost Years. This episode has a lot to do with Voight and Imani, who we meet back in episode one of this season. It became clear to a lot of people she acts a bit like Minnie Voight. Chad, you directed episode one. What did you find interesting about Imani's character right off the bat?

[Chad Saxton]

I really loved working with Ari, who plays Imani. She really took the notes and leaned in to the whole process of discovering that character. And I think part of that was she just didn't. She didn't give a shit. She had the same sort of mentality that Voight has, which is, I'm gonna get the results. I'm gonna get to this end goal, period.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

It's a message from Julie Bell.

[Brian Lucci]

Uh huh.

[Chad Saxton]

I think it's a cry for help.

[Brian Lucci]

I tried calling back.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I'm not getting through. I think she's in danger.

[Brian Lucci]

How did she get your phone number?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I gave it to her at the hospital.

[Brian Lucci]

And what else do we have on Bell? Nothing yet.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Nothing on the 11 missings, nothing on Mike Murray.

[Brian Lucci]

But we gotta move on this. On what exactly?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

On this message on a girl in trouble.

[Chad Saxton]

Once I said, let's not play a scene. Let's not look at each other the whole time. You can be looking away there in these lines. Don't care if you're connecting with this man because he doesn't really care either. It's kind of. It's interesting to see two people not care about each other or not try to connect in a scene.

[Brian Lucci]

You saying them not looking at each other. One of my favorite scenes. And it wasn't like this high octane, you know, kick in the door. They were doing a search warrant. And you told them. I stood right there. Guys, don't look at each other. You don't have to lick each other. Chad, why would you even give that note? Don't look at each other.

[Chad Saxton]

They both have their own intention, right? They both have their own reason to do what they're doing. And they're both fundamentally characters that are about fulfilling their task, their goals. I love the writing that Gwen writes, but there's times where you don't need to say anything. Some of the best movie moments and film moments are moments where they don't speak because we all can understand what great actors are emoting. So when you're in a scene and you can have two actors that are as good as these two are and you tell them not to look at each other, they're gonna give you everything as if they are looking at each other. It's very interesting, but it's just the truth. Ultimately, it's founded in the truth and kind of playing against the norms that sometimes scripts lean into.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, that's beautiful. From the get go, like they say, throw her in the deep end. We put her in a shark's tank. You know that she was with Voight. Vic, you were in the middle of that, filming all that. You remember? It was 112 out. Like we were sweating in the shade. Chad may have started this season off, but you helped land a plane by directing episode 20, the second to the last episode. How do you see the evolution of the mentorship between Voight and Amani over the course of this season?

[Victor Macias]

Oh, boy.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Victor Macias]

He takes her under the wing. But it's funny cause I don't. It's starting to feel like they're peers now is the way I feel with Ahri?

[Chad Saxton]

Yeah.

[Victor Macias]

It's like at one point in the season, she passed up, and now she's like, no, I see you. Voight and their peers is what I feel.

[Chad Saxton]

Yeah, I agree. It's an interesting relationship. It started so much directly. They have their own paths. He likes that she's similar, and he needs to fill a space and she can work with him. But it slowly evolved, and I think in episode 12, she opened up a little bit unknowingly, essentially, and told him some personal things. And then the partnership kind of grew, you know, because of that one little crack of personal emotion. It opened the door for them to get closer.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I've been looking for Shari over 20 years.

[Brian Lucci]

My parents died looking. There are pictures. Sightings confirmed?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

No, all unconfirmed. But we chased every single one of them. Fallen across the country, moved 12 times in eight years.

[Victor Macias]

I hated it.

[Brian Lucci]

I left. But then they both died, and I

[Narrator/Advertiser]

was the only one left to keep searching.

[Brian Lucci]

I think Void loves her because her tenacity, like, she's so tenacious, but yet she shows a vulnerability, like, you just spoke of that, that he doesn't. He's very guarded. You know what I mean? With his vulnerability. I see him leaking and evolving when he's around her. There's a scene that I don't know that's going to make the movie, but Vic in the car, when she brings the coffee out.

[Chad Saxton]

What is the scene? Vic, why don't you. Discreet. Why don't you describe that for us?

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. In a visual aspect, if you don't mind. Why don't you tell us about. No, no. But it's like. Yeah.

[Victor Macias]

Voight shows up to pick her up. It's part of a montage where Voight picks up to pick up every morning before work or sometimes after work, and they're looking for her sister. And, you know, starts off with, like, you know, she's coming in late, has a cup of coffee. She's drinking it. So the next day, Voight has a cup for her. You know, she clocks it, drinks it. So the next day, she comes in with her cup of coffee and she puts a. I think it's like a Middle Eastern sweet stick. It's like a honey stick. She puts it in his coffee, and he looks at it, he takes it out, and he just, you know, he tastes it. He's like. And he drinks the coffee. But it's the thing we always talk about, right, is like, being uncomfortable. I think so many times people get comfortable, and then I feel like we're just, you Know, we're working at a factory. So when it's uncomfortable, then either you're doing something really wrong or something that could actually be really good and.

[Brian Lucci]

Right. Right.

[Chad Saxton]

So.

[Victor Macias]

So there's a couple of times in this episode, and, you know, Lucha, I was like, man, I'm really uncomfortable, but I don't want to cover myself and shoot it in a way that is more, like, safe for the network or not network, but, you know, more of a serious tone. Because sometimes I feel like Cops do lighten up a little bit. You know what I mean? It's not always dark and on point.

[Chad Saxton]

To me, with acting and directing, it's one of those things, if you're not uncomfortable, you're not taking enough risk, and that risk is what you need to get things to be elevated. What's the goal of the tone of the show and the episode? And how do I push that edge just enough to make it slightly different, slightly. A little more interesting without the goal of being interesting? It's a really fine line.

[Brian Lucci]

Wow, that's awesomely said. Anyways, I'm lucky I got a chair that's, like, right behind the director to sometimes whisper in their room. Career. And they. They may hit me or whatever, but, like, I. I love sitting behind you guys. Voight says it like, if you're not evolving, then. Then it's not interesting anymore. And our show is evolving. Our show is 100 evolving. And, Vic, I sat there a couple times with you, and you. You would turn and look at me go, you think I'm gonna get in trouble? And I'm like, yeah, you're gonna get in trouble. But it. You know what I mean? Like, let's get in trouble. You know what I mean? But it was like. I was like. There was. Sometimes I went home, and I'm thinking, man, this is Victor's last day.

[Victor Macias]

Trust me. Trust me. I was in a good.

[Brian Lucci]

In a good way. What was your favorite scene to shoot in episode 20 and why?

[Victor Macias]

This whole time, Ari's been on this voyage of trying to find her sister, trying to find her.

[Chad Saxton]

Imani.

[Victor Macias]

Imani. Sorry. Imani. I use her real name. Imani has been on this voyage of trying to find her whole sister. And in episode 20, we find her. Taurus finds her, takes her back to the precinct. This is the first time we have her. It was that moment that she opened the door. And those feelings, to me, I think, were all real. I kept them apart for the whole time before we shot this scene because I didn't want them to see each other. Because Ari, who plays Imani, has this thing about her where she's just so kind of like Lucci, where you're just so inviting that you just hug people and you just. Whatever was there, just tears away. And I didn't want to have that come through the screen, so I kept them away from each other, you know, like, another thing that we did is there's that box of mementos that she finds. I didn't let Ari look through it till we actually did the take, because I wanted for it to all be real. And, you know, everybody's like, well, we need to see a rehearsal. And I said, well, look, as best as you can. Let's see what you would do, you know? And Imani was like, well. Or Ari's like, I would stand here and look at it, and. And, yeah, I think I just stand here. And she's like, why? I go. I said, well, when I kind of felt it, like, my knees buckled, I ended up sitting down. She's like, yeah, no, I think I'll stand here. And we did the actual take, and she opened it, and that look was real. And one of the nicest things she said was, like, after that take, she's like, that was a very beautiful box that you guys put together. She's like, but I'd like to get another take, because I definitely want to sit down. So there's some stuff. There's some stuff to not letting them see things. And I know it makes it hard for the crew because it's like, well, if we don't know where they're standing, we don't know what they're gonna do. How do we light this? Because it was a handoff. I ended episode 20 and handed off to him for episode 21. So we brought Shari, the sister, in at a different time so we could say, what do you think you would do? And she's like, what do you think she's gonna do? And, you know, so I kind of played the part. And she says, well, I would just kind of, like, back up a little bit and say this. And like, oh, great. So then we take her away. Then we bring in Ari Imani. And I said, what are you gonna do? She's like, well, I open it, and she's like, you know, as she's talking, she's like, you know what? I don't know what I'm gonna do. So then when we shot it, I was actually operating on Steadicam, and it was just that moment of her opening the door, and that look was Real.

[Brian Lucci]

Yes.

[Victor Macias]

And to me that's what I loved about it.

[Chad Saxton]

In certain circumstances, playing this truth and kind of going more method is interesting and it applied to the script. I know you're going to have many of those moments in your career, in all truth. So that's why I think it's cool that you tried it. I did think it was a little

[Victor Macias]

loony, but thank you for letting me try it.

[Chad Saxton]

Hey, I got the opportunity too. I could check it off my list

[Victor Macias]

because I was a part of it. We had the table read. Two table reads.

[Chad Saxton]

Oh yeah.

[Victor Macias]

And for people that don't know, table read is where the actors will sit before the episode usually starts and, and they'll read, you know, they'll go through the whole script and read it so everybody understands what we're doing. And they both turned off their cameras so they wouldn't see each other. So I thought that was, you know, like, it just showed the dedicate, like, you know, Ari for listening and Celine for also not, not turning their camera because they could have easily showed up and like, oh, I forgot which, you know, sometimes happens. But no, they were, they're very respectful of that process. But you saw what it was once, once they met and after we're done with that scene, that's.

[Chad Saxton]

I forgot to get back to that once. That's the one thing I'll give is he was right that they both were happy, happy, good souled people. So they, they became very close very fast. Right after that scene. They, they sat and chatted like they were best friends. And it definitely at times started to become hard to unwind on my end because I had a whole episode that carried them together. So that made it tricky.

[Brian Lucci]

What was their most challenging scene to shoot in episode 20?

[Victor Macias]

The most challenging one.

[Brian Lucci]

You know what I thought was tricky? When she got dragged by the Mercedes or whatever that car was, she's supposed

[Victor Macias]

to get open the door and when she opens the door and she's trying to get the guy to stop the car and she gets dragged.

[Chad Saxton]

Excuse me, sir, can I talk to you for a second?

[Narrator/Advertiser]

Hey, police. Stop.

[Victor Macias]

We had to build a little rig that she could actually lay on on the side of the car so we can shoot over her looking out and we were towing the car. The fact that she was actually on there hanging on and doing all that stuff looked good. I know it's something new because a lot of people kept saying, oh, we've never done that before. We've never done that before.

[Brian Lucci]

Stay down.

[Victor Macias]

Do not resist coming up as a dolly Grip who went into Steadicam. You know, it helps my world so much more because I said, well listen, we can get this crane or we can get this, and it's all these different things. So to me I just think of where's the best place to tell the story and how do I get there?

[Brian Lucci]

We gotta take a quick break, but I'm coming back with Chad and Victor to talk about this season's finale and a whole lot more right after this.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

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[Brian Lucci]

The war is over and both sides lost. Kingdoms were reduced to cinders and armies scattered like bones in the dust.

[Chad Saxton]

Now the survivors claw to wait what's left of a broken world, praying the

[Brian Lucci]

darkness chooses someone else tonight. But in the shadowdark, the darkness always wins.

[Chad Saxton]

This is old school adventuring at its most cruel. Your torch ticks down in real time and when that flame dies, something else rises to finish the job. This is a brutal rules light nightmare with a story that emerges organically based on the decisions that the characters make. This is what it felt like to play RPGs that in the 80s and

[Brian Lucci]

man it is so good to be back.

[Chad Saxton]

Join the Glass Cannon podcast as we plunge into the Shadow Dark every Thursday night at 8pm Eastern on YouTube.com theglasscannon with the podcast version dropping the next day. See what everybody's talking about and join

[Brian Lucci]

us in the dark. The world of Sonic the Hedgehog has been thrust into a not so dark, not so stormy, hard boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the intrepid Chaotix Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high flying, action packed adventure will take them across the world fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale, which is good because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives.

[Victor Macias]

Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you.

[Brian Lucci]

Wait, what all will be revealed in Sonic the Hedgehog presents the Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts,

[Narrator/Advertiser]

when the Chaotix are on the.

[Brian Lucci]

And we're back talking with two talented and creative guys, Chad Saxton and Victor Macias. I wanted to know about the challenges of having two directors do one story that stretched over two episodes, and Chad jumped right in.

[Chad Saxton]

I think it just depends on the story. I mean, to me, even if the story is linked as one, they're still independent episodes in many ways. It doesn't have to visually look the same because sometimes there'll be changes between the two. In this example, 2021, Victor, his episode has a little bit more fire. You know, she's driven to find her sister. Imani's driven to find her sister. While in my episode, she has her sister with her the whole time. But emotionally, it's not what she expected. And so tonally, they have different feels, you know, so it's like when he can have energy of like, I gotta get to that room and see my sister, who I haven't seen in 22 years, that's been abducted and dragging her on the outside of a car. Cause she's so determined. I have the opposite, where I can lean in to the odd, the quiet, the uncomfortable tone, because it's not what she expected.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah. And you two are both these amazing storytellers. And I know sometimes we take a lot of takes, but it's not until, like, the last couple takes where it comes in. You know what I mean? Like, I've seen you and you're like, luch, is this working? And I'm like, bro, I can't put my finger on it. And then I'll see you walk in, and the actor's eyes just go up and they look at you like they want to punch you or something. And then they do another take, and then I see them find you and say, man, that was a note. That was a great note. Like, both of you give these great notes. Is there any note that you could remember? Like, just change the scene. Or the actor was like, God, that was so helpful. Like, you hit it. You hit it on the head.

[Chad Saxton]

I don't think I have a good answer for that one because they disappear from my brain after you give it. I think that your job as a director is to direct them, you know, and we have such an amazing cast, and these are such talented people. But again, they're only as good as the people who are working with them.

[Brian Lucci]

So can you think of any? He did Though. Can you think of any?

[Victor Macias]

I actually can. In episode one, there was a moment where, you know, they're driving to Imani's apartment, and he told Shari to just take her window, you know, stick her hand out and catch the air. Catch the air. And I thought it was such a beautiful, like, you know, because camera's over here looking this way. So we're over Imani to the sister, and just like, this little kid, right? This little kid that got taken away from her, and she's out there, just catching there. So innocent. I thought that was a really. Thought it was a beautiful note. I thought it changed the whole dynamic of that. But I also liked when you told Kirby, you recognize her. You know, when she's on the ground, he's got the. And I thought, oh, what a. Like, it changed her performance. And I thought that was, like, wow, what a great note. Like, I wasn't even thinking. Like, I didn't even think about that. You know, Kirby's the guy that kidnapped Shari. They overtake Imani. She's down on the floor, and he's got her at gunpoint. And he recognizes. He starts realizing, oh, this is a sister. You know, like, he knows who she is.

[Brian Lucci]

Cause she was stalking him for long.

[Victor Macias]

So Chad's like, hey, you recognize her? And his eyes and his teeth, kind of like, you saw the malice in him. And I was like, oh, dude, this is good.

[Brian Lucci]

All right, here you go, Chadley. I got one for you. I'm gonna ask you the same questions I asked Victor. You gotta be ready. What was your favorite scene to shoot in the finale? And then what was your most challenging scene to shoot in the finale?

[Chad Saxton]

The most challenging? Absolutely. The death of Kirby in the stairwell.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, God.

[Chad Saxton]

It was a horrible scene to film because there's just no room, and you're dealing with, like, seven people in a hallway in a stairwell. And then there's the network moments of standards. And what can we see and what we can't see when we're smashing some man's head with a door. You know, it just. These things are challenging at times. Sam, our first ad, had put in four and a half hours for that scene. Something like that. It took us, like, six. It's a big part of your day is how can you achieve the best movie you can in the amount of time you have? And sometimes you have to go further and then figure out how you can catch up. But in terms of most fun or greatest scene, favorite.

[Brian Lucci]

Your favorite favorite.

[Chad Saxton]

There's the best or, you know, most rewarding It's a really tough one. There was a really great scene with Imani and Shari and her in the safe house bedroom where I felt that Ari and Celine, the two actresses, really delivered a great scene. I gave some notes to Ari in that. That.

[Brian Lucci]

Was this when she was in the. Is this when she was in the closet?

[Chad Saxton]

Yeah, when she was in the closet. Okay, go ahead. I gave Ari some notes there. I have no idea what I said anymore, like I said, but I know I felt it there. I felt the shift, and I felt the emotion come out and pop, and it kind of grabbed me. I mean, when a scene works well, you get excited. That was probably the most rewarding in that way. Visually. I took some odd risk and did some strange filter effects because of the content where she's hit in the head and she sees multiple of her sister. It visually was fun to do, and in the cut, it quite works. It grabbed me pretty well.

[Brian Lucci]

So things are left on a bit of a cliffhanger. And I'm assuming we don't know what's going to happen until the writers get back in the room. So just be a fan with me here for a second. What do you think Imani's sister will be. Will overcome after all of this? And will. Will she be charged with murder?

[Chad Saxton]

I don't know. My instinct is, yes, she'll be charged with murder, but I think there may be some way somehow that she could get out in some sort of form or there, you know, I don't know. It's just. We left it on terms of not knowing what Voight's gonna do. Right. We've seen him do things before. Of course. We saw what he did last year in the finale. Obviously, he will do what he has to do, but it also has to be justified. And I think he's in a little bit of a conundrum here, and I think I could see it both ways. And I do think it's interesting. If she did get charged, it's just a matter of does she get off. Off of, you know, temporary insanity or whatever it is because of the abuse she went through. Who knows? I'm not the writer.

[Brian Lucci]

Yeah, but. But if you were the writer. So that's that. That brings me to this question. You know this better than anyone. You know, every character between you and Vic. If you could write how you think it should go, what would be your take on it?

[Victor Macias]

I would like for Voight to not have done anything, and Ari tries to rehabilitate her, and she ends up having to kill Her.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, my God. There's some dark shit.

[Chad Saxton]

That's pretty messed up right there.

[Victor Macias]

Yeah, I know, but that's. That's kind of like.

[Chad Saxton]

I think it could be really, really interesting if. If she doesn't get charged. If I. If I had to make a choice, I think her not getting charged could be more interesting. And so then Voight has to deal with the complications of Imani's action and how she handles working with her sister and how, you know, how well can she bury it? Like, even though she's. Even though she's shown similarities to Voight tonally and character wise, we haven't seen her do bad things. Right. We haven't seen her be witness to a murder or essentially murder someone. Right. It's like not murder, but be complicit in a murder, which is what we have seen with Voight. Right. One of my favorite episodes that I've directed was the Right Way. The Right Way. The finale of season eight. Voight was. He burned Roy's body. He buried it. Burned it. And very comfortable in that. You know, he did what he had to do for his. For his family, essentially. But, you know, for me, directing, it was great because I. Having him look in the camera to end the season was just like this. It was, again, an instinct. I was there, and I was like, you know what, Jace? Let's. At the very end, just look in the camera and maybe it'll be cool. And it's like you could see this fire reflecting in his eyes and this super closeup. It was magical. But we haven't seen that in Moni.

[Brian Lucci]

Right.

[Chad Saxton]

We've only seen that she's tenacious, and we know that she'll go to do whatever she needs to do. But is she that. So that could be interesting if. If she had to get pushed into a certain level of darkness that we haven't seen in her.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, guys. Okay. Of course this finale is going to end on a cliffhanger, because that's just what these writers do to us. They. They love tormenting us. So being left on this cliffhanger, what is interesting to you about what we know and what we don't know? We'll start with you, Chad.

[Chad Saxton]

I think it's interesting to know that what Voight may have to go through and what Imani may have to go through if she doesn't get charged with murder.

[Brian Lucci]

Right?

[Chad Saxton]

We know she did. She admitted she did. So it's interesting to see those two people go through that process in the future. Like, you know, there could be all Kinds of costs and consequences to that. That could be very interesting to open the season, for sure.

[Brian Lucci]

Wow. Victor, what's interesting to you about what we know and what we don't know?

[Victor Macias]

I'd have to agree with that, because to me, it's like Imani's now appear to Voight, you know, so. So both knowing what he did to me, I think Imani's one person that can actually challenge Voight and, you know. You know, be that. That kind of the nemesis. Right. If it doesn't go her way.

[Brian Lucci]

But, you know, you become complicit as a policeman if you don't report something. Like, if you're going to get into the. Like. This is a show. This is a show.

[Victor Macias]

Yeah.

[Brian Lucci]

I'm gonna put you both on the spot. What favorite moment or scene this season that either of you directed or someone else directed? And we'll start with you, Chad, because this is zooming out with Chad and Victor. This is special segment. Now. You got the whole season.

[Chad Saxton]

Episode 12 was definitely my favorite episode of the season. I got to grow a little bit there, lean into some different tones. So I have a couple of moments in there that really pops. But I have to say, it's the second to last scene of the episode. Episode 12. There's a moment where Imani and Voight are telling the mother of a kidnapped boy that he's dead, you know, and he's been gone for years, and she won't hear it, you know, and it was really a fun scene, a horrible fun scene to film. Voight and Imani are just telling the truth and just telling them everything about the sad truth of what they can prove, but they have no body. That scene was brutal to film, but amazing to watch the mother go through this process, which was we were just visually trying to wear her down with all these words, and you could feel her weight just as she kind of crumbles. But then she just says, no, it's over. Physically see her morph in the scene.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

You don't have him.

[Chad Saxton]

You didn't find him. There's no way for you to be

[Narrator/Advertiser]

sure that that's my Ben on that boat. You can't know.

[Victor Macias]

We believe the evidence is conclusive.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

No, I mean, he could have escaped.

[Brian Lucci]

I mean, he could still be out there.

[Chad Saxton]

It was a very simple scene, but it was really fun to film because it was so horribly sad. But it was. It was interesting. I don't know. It's a weird one, but it was really fun.

[Brian Lucci]

Oh, it's the one you love. I was There. All right, Victor, you're on the hot seat.

[Victor Macias]

I gotta say, episode 19, for me only because it just felt so personal, was when Disco Bob passes away and the way Patty talks to him and says, you know, you can go now, or whatever that was, it just reminded me so much of me and my dad in that situation. And I just. I don't know. And it was simple. It was just two people there. But I just thought it was such a real beautiful, honest moment.

[Brian Lucci]

I love you, dad,

[Chad Saxton]

very much.

[Brian Lucci]

And I want you to know that I'm gonna remember everything.

[Victor Macias]

Everything. I want to remember everything for the both of us.

[Brian Lucci]

So it's okay. You cannot go.

[Chad Saxton]

That's a really good choice, Victor. Because that episode Paul McCrane directed, it's extremely. It's so strong. It's. It's just, again, pushing the show a little bit. Lucci. It visually and tonally, it's just different, but so good. But that interesting that you chose a scene that you weren't a part of.

[Victor Macias]

I know.

[Chad Saxton]

It is a great scene. It is a great scene.

[Victor Macias]

It's beautiful.

[Brian Lucci]

This is how I'm gonna end this thing. What is your guys favorite thing about working in this one Chicago World? Chad, I'll start with you.

[Chad Saxton]

My favorite part of working this Wolf one Chicago world is being given trust. Working in an environment that allows that growth and allows that opportunity is important to me and makes me want to do that with everyone else. Because I'm only going to do better if I feel that someone values my opinion. And that starts with trust. So that I have a boss that trusts me. Same thing with the actors. Once they trust you, once Jason, I still get scared to give him notes just like everyone else. Cause he's Voight. He just looks through you with his eyes. And he's too smart. He dissects a script in 15 minutes, but you give him a note. And even if I have fear of it, don't know if it's right, he trusts that maybe that was the right note and he'll try it. And usually is the right note. Because we're in this trust situation, you know, just like a relationship in a personal relationship, it's all about working together.

[Brian Lucci]

No, that's beautiful. What about Vic? Now you gotta. You gotta come off of that. You're screwed.

[Victor Macias]

But I mean, that's what it is though. It's the fact, you know, I came here season seven as an operator and just watching, you know, like, people get rewarded. And you don't see that in a lot of other shows or companies where it's like, if you're good at a job, they want to keep you there, and they don't let you move up from within. So. And I think that comes. Like you said, it's with trust. It's like you trust that the next guy's gonna step up and do a good job, and they do. You know, this is very, very rare. And this is. And it starts at the top, right? You get number one who puts the show above everything, and everybody else below feels the same way, too. And that's where, you know, nobody feels like they're any better than the show. And that, to me, is important because I've been on shows where number one thinks, like, you revolve around him. And that's not the case on this. And it just carries down. It just trickles down. And that's what I love about it.

[Chad Saxton]

I agree. Jason, like I said, he can be intimidating because he does come off as void, but ultimately, his constant goal. And the same thing with all of our cast. Marina and Patty and Larois and Ben and now Ari. They all want it to be the best it can be. And so when everyone has that common goal, it just is gonna sing. And also, like you said, where it starts, enjoyable environment, you know? Yeah, I do the appreciation thing, but Mark Tinker, who was our first producing director executive, was always about having a good time. You know, he still would get great, great episodes, but that man wanted to enjoy his job, and he wanted people to be happy doing their job. And that's. That was a great foundation. Then you get Eric Lasalle, who's there. They all have the same thing, which is, let's make the best show we can. And what's the truth of the Police, Right? That is the key. He stripped that out. It's just a show, right? So they all want the best. And I think that's where. That's the. That's where it's contagious.

[Brian Lucci]

And I think it comes down to, like. I mean, at the end of the day, we all love the show. Like, we're fans of the show, and we want to make the show better. All these people that we speak of. There was a conversation that I had, and I'll just say it real quick. Dick Wolf's son Elliot said to me, lucha, I'm thinking about doing this thing, and it talks about how. How amazing these three shows are, and we want to talk about how you guys make them and all the people that are so important that are making them. Everybody, you know, And I'm like, Bro, Elliot, listen. The life that I have now, I would never have without the Wolf family. I told him I started out as number 176 on a call sheet. I'm number three in Chicago. And I told my sons, like, I was on the streets when I was 16 years old. I was living in a garage. That's the truth. You know, I have a ged. I never made it out of high school. They kicked me out. I started at 176 because I work my ass off, and I was surrounded by people that loved me, and they mentored me, and I could have got in trouble a hundred times. Like, I was actually grabbed by my ear, by Mark Tinker and pulled off one time. And also by your Eric Lasalle. And also you. Also you, Chad. Like, you're like, hey, bro, like, I

[Chad Saxton]

didn't touch your ear.

[Brian Lucci]

No, you didn't touch my hair. It's the guys, you know? But, like, we're. We're hard on each other, but we're. At the end of the day, I want to just say, like, we're this family that, like, we also love each other, you know, and they give us this opportunity, gave me the opportunity to do this podcast. I have friends like. Like Joe Minoso the other day, like, when we did one was like, joe, I never really even sat down and had a cocktail with you. And he, like, these people become your friends. You know them, you respect them. You see them in the breezeway. Like, when you did the crossover, I can't tell you how many people came back and said, like, how much they love you, how much they love Victor and the feeling of our show and how cool fire is and how awesome it is over on Med. And you're like, wow, we have all of these wonderful people. Like, my producers on this I Can't Spell podcast, but they were there each and every way to make this better, you know? Right.

[Chad Saxton]

I have to say, crossover stuff, you know, they're lovely. They're great. They're great people. And it's so fun that. To have conversations. We had dinner together, and we chatted about how we were gonna handle different things in the episode, how it was going. It's fun to be a part of that, you know? And those actors, like you said, you know, it's great to suddenly feel the other show's actors and see and work with them and see what works and doesn't work, because we are. We're different. We're not the same show. Not one show, but we are one Chicago because the stories can intersect and cross and crash into each other at times. So it's nice to feel other shows that exist that do really well and make great content too. You know, it's nice to get that interaction every once in a while.

[Brian Lucci]

So I just want to thank you two gentlemen. People should know how much you guys are like, the heart of all of this too. You know, like Chad, great, great executive producer here in Chicago, and Vic, yes, steady camera operator. Now, eight episodes. People say some of their favorite episodes. I kid around when I said, listen, I'm whistling on my way to work, I'm laughing all day and I'm smiling on the way home. And it is the absolute truth. And we all three of us have this undeniable energy. But that energy is because of the euphoria of being a storyteller and doing these. So thank you for letting me be a voice and thank you for all the people out there listening to our voices. And this is a wrap.

[Chad Saxton]

Thanks, Luci.

[Brian Lucci]

Thank you, thank you. And that's a wrap for this season of the official One Chicago Podcast. Thanks to Chad and Victor and thanks to all my guests over this amazing season. Like I said earlier, when this whole thing started, I couldn't even spell podcast. But I have so much love and respect for everyone in the One Chicago world. I jumped at the chance to introduce to you the folks to make it all happen. Because the truth is, we do all this work for you. So thank you, thank you, thank you for watching Chicago pd, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, and thank you so much for listening to this podcast. It's been an absolute blast. Now we're going to take a couple months to sleep, recharge them batteries and spend time with the loved ones so we could start it all over again once Chicago airs on Wednesday night at 8, 7 Central on NBC and you can stream it on Peacock. The One Chicago Podcast is a production of Wolf Entertainment and USG Audio. The series is hosted by me, Brian Lucci. It's executive produced by Dick Wolf, Elliot Wolf and Steven Michael at Wolf Entertainment, Josh Block at USG Audio and John Yale Kastner at Spoke Media. Our showrunner is Derek John, our producer is Maggie DeBrieze and our audio co producers are Jason Mark and Kelly Kauf. Video production by Bo Delmore, coordinating production by Tess Ryan. Our production assistant is Montserrat Rodriguez with engineering and mix by Evan Arnett and original music by John o'.

[Victor Macias]

Hara.

[Brian Lucci]

This series is produced by Spoke Media and distributed by Realm Production. Support for USG Audio by Josh Lal Along Me if you'd like to watch this interview. Check out NBC One Chicago on YouTube for this conversation and others. I'm Brian Luech. Thanks for listening and we'll see you all soon.

[Chad Saxton]

Cut.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

For eight years, we've been asking the same question over and over again. How did this happen? My name's Mandy. And I'm Melissa. And we're the host of Moms and Mysteries, the true crime podcast. With over 55 million downloads, we're two Florida moms who are obsessed with mysteries. Each week we do deep dives into fascinating true crime stories. We cover everything from infamous cases like Casey Anthony to the bizarre and complex crimes right here in our home state, like the shocking murder of FSU professor Dan Markell. We bring you the facts, but with warmth and width you'd only get from two friends who have been hooked on mysteries since childhood. Join us for new episodes of Moms and Mysteries every Tuesday and Thursday. Listen to Moms and Mysteries on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Life moves too fast. Scrolling, swiping headlines, sound bites nobody's really seen, even the people everyone thinks they know.

[Chad Saxton]

I'm Evelyn.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

I'm a television producer and director, and I've spent decades behind the camera creating shows with people everyone knows. On the podcast, Repin, I sit down with actors, creators and change makers to hear their full story, the risks they took, the moments everything almost fell apart, and the lessons they live by. These are real conversations. No headlines and no sound bites. Just stories that show the human behind the success and gives you insights you can actually use in your own life. Every conversation is jam packed with inspiration and practical lessons. Repn is about courage. It's about grit. It's about being human. First, listen to Repin wherever you get your podcasts.