Danny Hewitt's Television Production Blog

Social media is becoming more and more popular these days, especially with technological enhancements, meaning it is much easier for everyone around the globe to access the internet. This means it is easier for filmmakers to advertise their projects, spreading the word free of charge. These reasons have influenced my decision to create a Sunday League Facebook page so people can start taking an interest in the programme, and hopefully help it become big in the near future.

One aspect of filming that I have realised is very important as a director is "coverage":

"As a director, you should begin planning what you’re going to do when you get to the set long before the shooting starts. Whether or not you’re working from a script, you should develop a shot list to ensure that whatever the subject you’re filming, you’ll get enough coverage to successfully edit the scene.

Coverage refers to the collection of shots you will film to tell the story of the scene. You might get some wide shots and some close-ups, and various other shots so that in the editing room, you’ll have many options to ensure the story is communicated in the most effective way possible."


Here is a video I found which tells me everything I need to know about coverage as a director, with useful tips:

Due to jury service, one of our main actors had to pull out of the shoot, one week before we started filming. This came as a big surprise to us as he signed contracts and turned up to script reads/photo shoots. This had a big impact on our group as a whole as we had to redo the posters, title sequence, etc.

Luckily we remembered we had someone who was very keen to play Tom (the character that pulled out) so we set up a Skype interview as soon as possible and asked Mitchell (the auditionee) to read out a monologue that we prepared in previous auditions.

Straight away I knew Mitchell was perfect for the role of Tom as he was aggressive when he needed to be, was confident, and also very likeable. His physique matched the description of Tom too, so we hired him the next day and counted ourselves very lucky.

This lucky escape made me realise how important it is to have back-up actors in case one pulls out last minute. You never expect it to happen to you so close to film week, but this project showed that anything can happen. I will use this mistake and take this experience with me into future projects and make sure I have cast members on reserve so there isn't a last minute panic.

I have never worked with this amount of cast before, so I've researched into what a director should do when working on such a large project:

"Don't start filming until you have enough budget for food supplies"

First of all I need to make sure we have enough food supplies, as the number 1 priority is to make sure my cast are happy and comfortable because they are more likely to perform to the best of their abilities that way. We will have runners to make sure this happens, as well as catering staff who will cook hot food on the exterior location days (football mainly).

"Communication and Leadership is key"

As director I need to stand up and take control of shoot days, whether that's directing actors, or leading crew members to specific time schedules. As there are so many people, I need to make sure I'm loud so everyone can hear my instructions, as well as make sure everyone stays silent (particularly when the camera is rolling).

I have also researched into large casts from the actors point of view, this interview video was carried out with cast members from the comedy "Skeem" who explain what it's like working with a large cast in a comedy:

Here the actors of "Skeem" talk about how working with a large cast is challenging, especially for a comedy, as everyone needs to get their timing perfect. This is vital as one slip up could ruin the whole mood/comedy value of the scene; therefore I need to make sure my actors know their cue's perfectly beforehand.

When actually filming the experts/professionals say to not introduce everyone at once. If you are introduced to more than a couple of people at a time, it’s fair to say that you’re not going to remember their names. If you slowly introduce your key characters, and flesh them out in their own personal characterisation bubble, they become more memorable, and once you start getting to know one or two of them at a time, it’ll be easier to remember them further into the story when new characters are being introduced.

A major role in directing television programmes is working with actors/actresses and their performances. I have a script with many characters and heavy dialogue, so it's going to be a big challenge to direct everyone perfectly. I am used to working with a couple of actors per film, so to be faced with this challenge means plenty of research into how to direct actors is needed. I have found some do's and don't's that are key to directing success:

• Set limited, positive goals: Say, “See if you can open the door softly this time —not, “This time don’t make such a racket with that closet.”

• Direct the actor’s attention to a particular kind of action: Say, “I’d like to see you try to figure out what he meant as you turn away.” Make the suggestion specific, and locate it in a particular moment. Generalised suggestions that could apply anywhere aren’t helpful.

• Suggest a different subtext: such as, “Try closing the door on him with finality rather than regret.”

• Remind cast members where their character has just come from: Wind them up to each scene with a reminder: “You’ve just come from the stock exchange and seen your father’s savings vanish.” This is vital while directing, because films are shot in small, out-of-order increments, and actors need constant orientation.

• Never demonstrate how you’d like something played: This implies you are an actor and want a copy of yourself. But you are not an actor, and what you want is unique to that actor. Ask the cast for their solutions.

• Never give line readings: A line reading means the director reads the dialogue with the emotional inflection they wish the actor to provide and then tells the actor to “say it like that.” This is insulting for an actor and reveals a director’s lack of imagination.

• Never say, “Just be yourself”: This sets actors worrying: “What did he really mean? How does he see me? Which me does he want?” Focus your actor instead on aspects of her character’s experience.

Some directors had their careers launched into the limelight by starting off with short films/television pilots. These people/films are my inspiration for my major project, as I want to become as successful as possible after starting at the bottom (just like they did):

Benh Zeitlin - Glory At Sea (2008)

My role as Director has not ended in the post production stage, the relationship between editor and director is key to making the final piece come together. Luckily for me, I have worked with Chris on many projects so I know exactly what we need to do to create a successful edit with good teamwork. Despite this, I have taken the time to research into the relationship between directors and editors, and I found a very interesting video in which editors are asked about their experiences in working with different directors, and how they need to adapt to each others styles: