Directors Tell the Story

The freshest storytelling today is on television, where the multi-episodic format is used for rich character development and innovative story arcs. This exciting new edition continues to offer rare insight and advice straight from two A-list television directors.

Bethany Rooney began her directing career on the 1980s iconic television show St. Elsewhere, where she served as Associate Producer. She has directed more than 250 episodes of primetime network shows, most recently Law & Order SVU, Chicago P.D., Criminal Minds:Evolution, Chicago Med, and Tracker. She has directed Oscar winners and Emmy contenders Denzel Washington, Hilary Swank, Mariska Hargitay, Angela Bassett, George Clooney, Alfre Woodard, Felicity Huffman, Sally Field and Robert Downey, Jr., among many others. Bethany graduated from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, earning a master's degree. She created and teaches the Warner Bros. Discovery Directors Workshop, NBC/Universal Launch, and the DGA's Director Development Initiative (DDI). She serves on multiple committees at the Directors Guild of America (DGA), including the National Board and the Western Directors Council. Mary Lou Belli, a two-time Emmy award winner, has been directing television for over 30 years in many genres from sitcoms to procedurals to documentaries. Through her teaching, she supports many of the vibrant diversity programs, including the DGA's Director Development Initiative, ABC/Disney, NBC Launch, CBS, SONY, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, and Warner Bros. Discovery Directors Workshop mentoring the next generation of directors. She is the co-author of three other books: The NEW Sitcom Career Book, Acting for Young Actors, and PERFORM: Acting for the Screen. Mary Lou serves on multiple committees at the DGA and is a board member of the Alliance of Women Directors, Film Fatales, and Women in Media, as well as a longtime member of Women in Film. She is currently a governor at the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences where she has been recently nominated three times for a primetime Emmy for directing as well as an additional Emmy in the Children's Programming category. She was on the USC School of Cinematic Arts directing faculty for eight years.

Acknowledgments; Introduction; Section One - Prep; Chapter 1 Breaking Down the Script for Story; Chapter 2 Breaking Down the Script for Character; Chapter 3 Scouting Locations; Chapter 4 Organizing the Shoot with the First Assistant Director; Chapter 5 Sharing the Vision; Chapter 6 Blocking and Shot Listing, Part One; Chapter 7 Blocking and Shot Listing, Part Two; Section One Review; Section Two - Shoot; Chapter 8 Directing the Actor; Chapter 9 Below the Line; Chapter 10 All the Other Stuff; Chapter 11 Running the Set; Section Two Review; Section Three - Post; Chapter 12 Visual Effects - Augmented Reality; Chapter 13 Working with the Editor; Chapter 14 Working with the Post Supervisor; Section Three Review; Section Four - Being a Director; Chapter 15 The Demands of the Job; Chapter 16 - Being a Director; Chapter 17 Getting Started; Section Four Review; Glossary; Index