Directing For Television [Hardcover]

Brian G. Rose (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1999 | ISBN-10: 0810835916 | ISBN-13: 978-0810835917

TV directors face tremendous creative challenges in their work. Putting on a new episode of situation comedy every four days or directing a live news event requires great skill and discipline. Directing for Television looks at the work of more than two dozen TV directors and examines their role in the complex process of TV production.

This book is the result of five years of conversations with directors representing virtually every part of the TV schedule. Author Brian Rose explores the craft and artistry directors utilize in coming to terms with each of the major TV formats. Among genres discussed are late-night television (with directors Jerry Foley The Late Show with David Letterman and Ellen Brown of the Tonight Show with Jay Leno), news magazines (with Arthur Bloom of 60 Minutes), network newscasts (with the directors of ABC World News Tonight, NBC Nightly News, and the CBS Evening News), afternoon talk shows (with the directors of the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Maury Povich Show), sports (with directors Bob Fishman of CBS Sports and Doug Wilson of ABC Sports), and music specials (with director Steve Binder). Other formats covered include news specials, soap operas, early morning talk shows, prime time comedy and drama, pilots, and local newscasts.

Directing for Television provides a fascinating inside look at the challenges of TV directing, such as the impact of new technologies, the never-ending pressure of time and economics, and the role of the TV director in a producer-oriented environment. Of interest to TV production students interested in the techniques and creative approaches of TV directing, industry professionals concerned with how directors approach their craft, and students and teachers of TV production, criticism, and history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

For true TV lovers, broadcast history buffs, and students of television production...offers an array of insights into the observations and careers of 29 television directors...nicely chronicles the evolution of TV directing and how technology and trends have shaped the job of director...for students or apprentices...the interviews offer an excellent overview of the role of television director. (Journal Of Popular Film And Culture )

Based on interviews conducted over the past five years, Rose examines the craft and artistry involved in the work of some two dozen televison directors. (Book News )

About the Author

Brian G. Rose is Professor of Communication and Media Studies at Fordham University. He has written on television programming and history for numerous magazines.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 246 pages
• Publisher: Scarecrow Press (January 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810835916
• ISBN-13: 978-0810835917
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,005,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Tool for Students of TV Production & History, August 20, 2009

By 

Matthew Mealer - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Directing For Television (Hardcover)

"Directing for Television" provides a rare look into an often unsung profession - television direction. Any student of broadcasting or TV production ought to read and learn from the great directors who create the 'look' of everything we see on the small screen. My only wish is that the individual interviews were longer. By covering so many styles of directing, Rose seems to have been forced to keep each interview to a relatively brief length. Still, you will be hard-pressed to find this kind of insider's information anywhere else.

5.0 out of 5 stars Real Interviews With a Wide-Range of Directors, June 10, 2004

By 

George Buttner "Agent0042" (Dayton, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Directing For Television (Hardcover)

I got a copy of this book simply as research for a school paper, but soon myself reading a lot more. The entire book is filled with fascinating insights into the process of television directing. The interviewer does an excellent job of exploring all aspects of the process and interviewing directors in a wide range of television fields. Readers will almost certainly learn many things that they never knew about television directing and gain a new respect for the process.

5.0 out of 5 stars I learned so much!, January 28, 2000

By 

Chloe Kaplan (Rome, Italy) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Directing For Television (Hardcover)

This was an informative and well-organized survey of American TV directors. The interviews proved that these men and women are often as creative as their counterparts in film. Brian Rose does a sensational job of examining the problems and struggles directors face in their everyday lives. I highly recommend this book to those with interest in the field and to those want to satisfy their hunger for learning new information.