On Directing

I'm a director of everything from tiny little "how to" videos, to PR pieces and feel-good stories, all the way to the larger scale film productions like the series I'm involved in now. You'll be able to see what I'm working on in a few short months, but in the meantime, as a director, it's my job to ensure it all happens.

Directors have to answer a thousand questions a day: "do you like this vase in the shot?" (props) to "should she wear the purple or the green shirt?" (wardrobe) to "do you want him to sit or stand?" (director of photography) "I'd really like to rent this light for $200" (gaffer) "can we be out of this location by 5?" (location manager) all the way down to "when would you like to break for lunch?" (production assistant).

Even the placement of salt shakers is carefully considered!

And that's aside from my primary task, which is to work with the people in front of the lens, whether they're actors or "real" people, to get that shot that emotionally resonates with you, the viewer.

And if it's someone who's never been in front of the camera before, it's my job to engage them in such a way that they forget the big, scary lens they're standing in front of, and instead give me that part of themselves that makes them so uniquely them. That's not an easy thing for a person to do, when surrounded by a crew of strangers and a bunch of equipment and lights! And it's one of many reasons I'm behind the lens and not in front of it. ;-)

(this slideshow was from an earlier production for a holiday series featuring singer/songwriter Jewel.)

Everything we do is about communicating, about making sure that what we film is deserving of your attention.  We have to earn your interest, and so we strive to make our production as interesting, captivating, riveting as possible.

Most days on set are earlier than a normal day, and they last later for me than for the rest of the crew (mainly because of those thousand questions!). It's exhausting, mainly because you pour your heart and soul into what you're filming. But it's rewarding and creatively fulfilling.

I especially love those shows where I get to tell stories and give you a glimpse into another person's fascinating life -- and hope that I can make it as interesting for you as it is for me. We recently produced such a film, and I was thrilled beyond words to be able to tell the stories of three fellow bloggers -- friends that you know and love. Hopefully it'll be released soon and I can share it with you.