Chapter 4 - Directing
After reading this chapter, you should know . . .
- How the director blocks talent, marks a script, and handles other preparation.
- The nature of pre-studio, floor, and control room rehearsals.
- How the AD uses a timing sheet and handles talent timing cues.
- The difference between program time and body time.
- Principles related to calling commands appropriately.
- The long shot, medium shot, close-up pattern.
- Placement of cameras.
- Aesthetic principles related to cutting ratio, shot similarity, position jumps, and the axis of action.
- The use of transitions such as cuts, dissolves, fades, defocusing, wipes, and digital effects.
- The proper timing of transitions.
- How the director interacts with cast and crew.
1. Mark a script as a director might, using the marks provided in Figure 4.2. You can use one of the scripts from Chapter 3 or from a website such as www.simplyscripts.com. Share your marked script with several classmates. Compare how you each marked the scripts and analyze which script seems to be marked most clearly.
2. Record a television program that has segments, such as Today or Good Morning America. Then prepare a timing sheet similar to the one in Figure 4.5, except that yours will have only two columns—one that describes the segment and one for the “Air” timings. If you do this for several days, you should start to see similarities in the timing sheets and should develop a good idea of how this type of program is built.
1. What are several reasons why marking a script is important?
2. As a director, what jobs would you most likely give your AD?
3. Give some specific examples of when you might use a defocus effect, a wipe, a fade, and a digital spin.
4. As a director, do you think you would lean toward giving precise instructions or toward letting the cast and crew members make many of their own decisions? Based on your answer, what might you have to watch for as danger signs that your directing is becoming ineffective?
Here we provide links to excellent topic-related web sites.
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
- Industry organization that awards Emmys
- Source of items needed for TV production such as props and set dressings