On December 9, the DGA’s Eastern Region Special Projects Committee presented the seminar Make ‘Em Laugh: Directing Television Comedy. Members gathered in the Guild’s New York Offices Boardroom for a discussion that explored directing television comedy for a variety of formats and distribution models.
After a welcome from DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee Chair Raymond De Felitta (Rob the Mob), the attendees learned more about this subject from Directors Beth McCarthy-Miller (Modern Family), Ryan McFaul (Inside Amy Schumer) and Jesse Peretz (Girls). The conversation was moderated by Director Michael Engler (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt).
Illustrated by clips from their work, the panelists discussed the specifics of working in network television, cable, and SVOD, and shared how some the most popular comedies currently airing come together. They also explored topics such as: how much room for improvisation is there in directing a comedy; how to adapt to a show’s pre-existing tone; how the distribution platform might impact their work as a director and whether or not comedy varies depending on the platform.
A DGA member since 1994, McCarthy-Miller got her start working on MTV Unplugged and directing The Jon Stewart Show. For more than a decade, she directed Saturday Night Live, and her resume includes Modern Family, The Goldbergs, Community, Happy Endings, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She has earned 10 DGA Award nominations, including nods for her work on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock. She won the DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Musical Variety in 2001 for America: A Tribute to Heroes (co-directed with Joel Gallen) and in 2000 for the “Val Kilmer/U2” episode of Saturday Night Live.
After getting his start in commercials, McFaul became the lead director for the Sesame Workshop’s reboot of the ‘70s classic The Electric Company. In addition to episodes of Inside Amy Schumer, he has also directed episodes of the series Children's Hospital, Broad City and Neon Joe Werewolf Hunter; the web series Tiny Commando and Garfunkel & Oates; and segments for the comedy-based HBO news show Last Week Tonight. McFaul has been a DGA member since 2008.
Peretz began his directing career in music videos where his work includes a Grammy-winning video for The Foo Fighters. In addition to his work on Girls, where he also serves as a producer, his resume includes the feature film Our Idiot Brother; and episodes of New Girl, Orange is the New Black, Nurse Jackie, Married, The Mindy Project, and Happyish. Peretz has been a DGA member since 1996.
With more than 40 credits on his resume, Engler has directed both comedy and drama including episodes of The Big C, Downton Abbey, Parenthood, Six Feet Under, Once and Again, Party of Five, Sisters and Dream On; the pilots for Welcome to the Family, Privileged, Psych and Life As We Know It; and the movies for television Lost & Found, Two Families, Twenty Questions and Mastergate. He has earned DGA Award nominations for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series for his 2006 30 Rock episode “Rosemary's Baby” and his 2001 and 2003 Sex and the City episodes “My Motherboard, Myself” and “Hop, Skip & A Week.” Engler joined the Guild in 1992.
About the Committee
Special Projects is the educational and cultural arm of the Directors Guild of America. It provides opportunities for creative exchange with programs for members and industry colleagues to celebrate the history and achievements of its members, advance their professional skills, and prepare them for the technological changes of the future.