The first day of prep consists of the concept meeting and free time. Sit down with the line producer and find out if you have similar sensibilities because you’ll be working together closely. You will have the opportunity to walk the sets with the production designer and begin to think about how the scenes in your script might play out. You’ll probably meet with the location manager to look at pictures of possible locations, so arrangements may be made for you to scout them on day 2. Talk with the 1st AD about the scheduling for the week and how you prefer to approach the demands of prep. If the previous episode is shooting on stage, you can watch for a while and be introduced to cast and crew. And hopefully, you’ll get to meet the showrunner.
ASKING FOR SCRIPT FIXES
Your first meeting with the showrunner will probably be a quick meet and greet, a chance for you to connect personally. He’ll ask what you think of the show and of the script you are assigned to direct. Both answers should be energetically positive. Remember, you need to make a good first impression, and this is how you play the game. If you can be authentic while you’re being enthusiastic, great. That means you got a good script. And we all know a director can make a good script great. But you can’t make a bad script good.
The showrunner has put a lot of time and energy into creating this show and your script, and it will not make a good impression if you waltz in and blithely criticize his work. Instead, say something specific and positive. So that you don’t sound like an inane cheerleader, you can mention that you “might have a couple of script notes, but they’re no big deal and we can get to them later.” Then it’s up to the showrunner. If he says, “Great, let’s hear them now,” you’d better be prepared. If he says, “Great, it was nice to meet you,” then smile, shake hands, and depart.
As we all know, a director can make a good script great. But you can’t make a bad script good.
So if you have questions about things that don’t make sense, articulate that. If you have a suggestion that is easily implemented, mention it. If you think the intent of a scene can be achieved in a way that is more production-friendly, say so. Other than that, say what you did like, say you’re grateful for the job, and get out of his office.
Remember that you are dealing with the production draft. This script has already been through many incarnations, and a lot of careful thought went into it. Moreover, it’s already been approved by the network. So at this point, you are no knight in shining armor, riding in to rescue the day. You are here to shoot this script in the best way possible. So if you have questions about things that don’t make sense, articulate that. If you have a suggestion that is easily implemented, mention it. If you think the intent of a scene can be achieved in a way that is more production-friendly, say so. Other than that, say what you did like, say you’re grateful for the job, and get out of his office.
If the showrunner dismissed you without hearing your notes, take them to the writer who is credited on the script. (If the showrunner wrote the script, mention your concerns to the line producer, and she will schedule a meeting if it’s needed.) Sit down with the writer, compliment him specifically on the well-written script, and then go over your notes. Propose your pitch, which is a potential solution for every criticism you have. These may not be accepted, but you’ve shown that you put thought into it and that you’re not a complainer, you are a constructive thinker.
Remember that the script is basically in its final phase, and it’s not possible at this point (six days away from shooting) to overhaul story structure. We’re talking band-aid fixes here.
When the time comes, propose your pitch, which is a potential solution for every criticism you have. These may not be accepted, but you’ve shown that you put complainer, you are a constructive thinker.
This writer, or one assigned by the showrunner, will probably be present on set during the production of your episode. The writer is charged with making sure that the intent of each scene is met and performances are what the showrunner expects. Because this is a totally subjective call, and because you are traditionally supposed to be “the buck stops here” creative voice on set, it is in your best interest to forge a cordial relationship of mutual respect with the writer, who will be basically hanging over your shoulder for 12 hours a day. If your point of view is that this writer is a valuable resource, a partner in achieving your vision (as is every member of the crew and cast), then you’ll avoid ego clashes that detract from your focus.
Sometimes the role of the director requires not only leadership and confidence, but humility as well.
Sometimes the role of the director requires not only leadership and confidence, but humility as well. You will be required not only to accept other opinions but also to embrace them. During production, the writer may say, “The actor’s performance isn’t there yet,” but you think it is. Look at the note, see whether there’s truth in it, and if so, go back to the actor and pull that performance out of him. If there isn’t truth in the writer’s statement, then it’s your choice whether to print and move on or go for another take. It’s a judgment call, taking into account factors such as your respect for the writer’s point of view and your desire to fit in (or not) with the culture of the show’s permanent staff (the writer/producers). As an episodic director, you have to live with this tradition of having a writer on set. Make that work for you, rather than against you.
Clearly, the role of an episodic TV director is different during prep than that of a feature director, pilot director, or TV movie director. With those kinds of scripts, the director is more involved at an earlier stage than as a guest director of an episode. A feature director usually feels that she is the originator, or the auteur, as the French say: the person whose imprint is all over the film. In television, it is the writer/showrunner’s medium. (We talk more about that in Section 4.) Accept these limitations and work within them to create the best episode you can make. After all, you are still the one and only director for that episode. See the problems as challenges that propel you to creative solutions while staying within the style of the show. You were hired to deliver to the showrunner and the network the show that they have created. It is not your job to reinvent their creation. It is your job to meld completely with the tone and style you have inherited and to bring your individual creativity to support the structure, not tear it down. If you feel that this role is too constraining for you, then this is not your arena.
MEETINGS AND MAKING CRITICAL DECISIONS
Beginning on day 2 of prep are the scheduled events as proposed by your 1st AD and discussed in Chapter 5. In between those events (meetings, location scouts, and casting), you will be breaking down the script for story and character (see Chapters 1 and 2) and beginning to block and shotlist (see Chapters 7 and 8). All of this work is intended to get you ready to begin shooting your episode. But in every script, there will probably be an unusual challenge to meet—a set piece that requires extra thought, planning, and additional meetings. This challenge could be anything for any department. Following are just a few from Bethany and Mary Lou’s experiences.
For production design: On Touched by an Angel, which had no standing sets, every week was a challenge. But one of the biggest was creating a hotel in Jerusalem, the desert landscape surrounding it, including a cave and the chamber where the Holy of Holies was discovered. The solutions: the hotel was a location (a Masonic lodge in Salt Lake City stood in for a Jerusalem hotel!) and the chamber was a set. Bethany and her crew shot in an actual desert cave in the mountains on the border of Utah and Nevada to get the landscape vistas needed.
In every script, there will probably be an unusual challenge to meet—a set piece that requires extra thought, planning, and additional meetings.
For costumes: On a TV movie of a Danielle Steel book adaptation called Mixed Blessings, there were three weddings in the first ten minutes of the movie that established the characters and their stories. That meant designing and planning three different weddings, each evoking a unique style
. The solutions: Bethany and the production team designed three complete weddings as if they were actually going to happen, including locations, colors, flowers, and additional wardrobe for bridesmaids, grooms, and families. The three wedding dresses were designed and handmade for each actress.
For props: On Grey’s Anatomy, the script called for a man to saw off his leg with a power saw. There were four elements for props and special effects to pull off: a fake leg, a gurney that would accommodate the actor’s real leg, the method of blood splatter, and a rubber chainsaw. The solutions: several rehearsals/trial runs were done during prep to help figure out the requirements and determine what looked real and what didn’t. When it was shot, though, it was all up to the actor to make his agony believable.
For art/set decoration: The murderer on an episode of Monk was a sculptor. His alibi was based on how long it would have taken him to carve a large nude out of a giant piece of marble. This nude, partially sculpted, appeared in the artist’s studio when he is first interrogated and again later, completed, in a courtroom sequence. The solutions: Mary Lou worked closely with the production designer to assure that the foam versions of the marble sculpture were beautiful enough to make this sculptor credible as a successful artist, light enough to transport, and bold enough to make Monk uncomfortable in its nude presence. She also had the set decorator find gravel that matched the faux marble finish on the piece of art because the murderer “hid” the evidence (chopped up marble) in plain view on his rock driveway. This department also had to come up with enough sculptures to fill a gallery.
Any show that is a period piece will have many preproduction challenges to meet. On The Pacific, all of the weapons, wardrobe, cars, ships, and props of every kind had to look faithful to the period. And then there were American versions and Japanese versions. On Boardwalk Empire, there were an amazing number of vintage and operating 1920s cars, not to mention the same verisimilitude of the period necessary in every department. All department heads will be hired based on their experience and expertise in creating the make-believe world of the past. But you, as the director, will make the final decisions, and you need to do your own research.
During prep, there will be many meetings to assess the progress of each department and to approve each step, leading everyone closer to the shoot. Your efficient and effective communication skills will be critical in every meeting.
Here is an exercise to help you practice your ability to sequence and explain that sequence to someone else.
How to Do Something Brand New
With a partner, figure out something you know how to do that your partner doesn’t. It can be cooking something, building something, or solving a math or chemistry problem. Almost anything will work as long as it has a lot of steps. Teach your partner how to do something new. Figure out how your partner learns. Is your partner more visual, kinetic, or auditory? Teach her in the shortest amount of time possible. Try to utilize words like first, last, next, then, finally, and after. Then see if your partner can turn around and teach someone else what she has learned.
DISCUSSING TONE AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO BRING UP
It is your leadership and creative vision that will cause the actors to be better, the production design to be strong and specific, and the filmmaking to be more inspired than he ever could have imagined.
The final aspect to completing your preparation is the tone meeting with the showrunner. This is the showrunner’s opportunity to acquaint you with his point of view about the show and give you the insider scoop on the internal workings of this production. As such, the “tone” of the tone meeting is based on that person’s personality. Bethany’s tone meetings have run the gamut, from a showrunner who said, “I hate tone meetings—let’s not have one” to a five-hour extravaganza that consisted mainly of the showrunner reading the script aloud. Somewhere in between is where most of these meetings fall. (The writer who is assigned to be on set during production may be present for this meeting as well, in order to also understand what the showrunner is looking for tonally.) Generally, the two of you go through the script, scene by scene, and if you have a question about the intent of a scene, now is the time to ask. The showrunner will fill you in on actors’ personalities and caution you against things (“Actor X pulls on his eyebrow when he’s bored with a scene, don’t let him do that,”) and for things (“Actress X has really been going deeper lately, see if you can even bring more out of her,”) of which he is aware. The showrunner will also communicate to you any studio or network notes he deems important for you to keep in mind. But all of your communication will be to and through the showrunner regarding those notes. Aside from the occasional social set visit, there is never any direct interaction between the director and the studio or network executives during the shoot of an episode. If, however, you are directing a pilot or TV movie, you will be included in all of the script and production communications from those buyers.
There will be others besides the showrunner who will whisper in your ear and give you their “take” on the culture of the show. They do it with the intention of being helpful, of pointing out the pitfalls that they, themselves, have encountered. The line producer, the AD, the DP—each of them, and many more, may take you aside for their tutorial. It’s all valuable, but take it with a grain of salt. As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Do not require a description of the countries towards which you sail. The description does not describe them to you, and tomorrow you arrive there and know them by inhabiting them.”1 In many ways, every film production feels like you’re on the Atlantic in a canoe as you are buffeted at every side by waves you can’t foresee. Nevertheless, you will take up your oar and navigate it well, using your intuition and intelligence, as well as drawing upon any past experience you may have.
Ultimately, your success or failure is determined by the showrunner’s perception of the episode, which he is entrusting to you. As you finish prep and embark on the shoot, the showrunner wants to feel like you can read his mind and will direct the show exactly as he would have done, only better. It is your leadership and creative vision that will cause the actors to be better, the production design to be strong and specific, and the filmmaking to be more inspired than he ever could have imagined.
Insider Info
How Do You Interact with the Director?
As executive producer, I meet with the director and discuss the script. I welcome the director’s notes and we discuss her concerns. During the rewrite process, the director is welcome to continue noting the script. Once the script is approved by the network, the draft shouldn’t change except for location issues and little things that come up on the set.
The writer of the episode attends all prep meetings with the director and communicates any issues to me. The director is always welcome to discuss concerns with me.
I attend the tone meeting before shooting begins to talk the director through the episode and point out any particular moments I want to be sure that we get. I’ll also discuss anything we’ve learned about the actors and their ways of working to prepare the director for what she may face.
I try to visit the set while the director is working, to make sure she is getting all necessary support and that the shooting is going well.
What Things Do You Wish Directors Knew About the Executive Producer’s Job?
Our biggest pressure is studio and network approval. As EP, I have a vision of what I want the episode to be and how I want the audience to feel. Often, the notes we are getting on a daily basis from the studio and network run counter to that vision and can blow us off course. I need the director to be my partner—to listen to my notes and also keep a watch on the story with me so we don’t lose our way in the process.
My favorite directors are the ones who love actors and engage them. Actors feel well taken care of when they think a director has a strong hand and is paying attention to the acting. It’s a strange thing to say, but in television, a lot of directors are shooters who leave the performances to th
e actors and don’t engage on that level. I need someone on that set to work with the actors, and if the director doesn’t do that, I’ll get those calls from the actors, which means leaving what I’m doing to come to the set. Most actors won’t be thrilled to see that director back for another episode.
What Advice Might You Give a Director Who is Just Starting Out?
Have a vision and passion for the story you’ve been asked to tell. You are the new blood, the fresh energy on a set that may have been going for a while. Having you come in with energy and enthusiasm gets everyone focused and excited.
Don’t try to rewrite the script. Respect the writers—you work for them and they will determine whether you’re asked back.
Make your days. Don’t obsess about small things or special shots you’ve been dying to do. The day goes by quickly. Tell the story. The more you do it, the faster you’ll become, and then you can get in all those cool shots and flourishes, but please tell the story first.
Don’t yell at the crew. Stay calm and communicate clearly.
Shoot inserts when you can. Takes a little longer, but it’s better than us having to redress sets and bring actors back during another episode. Sure, you’ll be long gone, but we’ll remember who left all that work undone.
I have such respect for what television directors do. You come into a party that’s already in progress—full of personalities and dramas—and you take charge. You become the leader for a week or two. People look to you for answers and for confidence in their own work. At the same time, you have to collaborate with a team of people you may have never met and didn’t choose. Be decisive. Communicate clearly. Come to the EP if you have concerns. We want you to do well. We want a kickass episode. We want you to love working on our show. We want to want you back.
Directors Tell the Story Page 10