On January 7, DGA members attended a cocktail reception hosted by the Guild for the nation’s television reviewers and journalists during their annual Television Critics Association (TCA) convention at the Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California.
Co-hosted by directors David Nutter (Game of Thrones) and Todd Holland (Shameless), the evening brought television critics and feature writers from around the country in contact with a group of 28 episodic and pilot directors. The informal gathering provided the journalists with an opportunity to put faces to names they had only seen in credits and gave the directors a chance to let the opinion-makers know who they are, what they do, and why they are so important to the making of the shows the TCA members write about.
“We put this evening together so television critics can learn firsthand the role of the director in creating the unique style and feel of a television series, share some stories and maybe even to discuss what’s good and bad about television these days,” said Nutter in his opening remarks. “I’d like to thank you, the members of the Television Critics Association for being big fans of television. It is particularly gratifying when you recognize the extraordinary quality of the work being done and bring the attention of the public to the many truly wonderful shows on television.”
“As critics and feature writers, you understand better than most how many people it takes behind the scenes to create a single half hour or hour of television. But even you may not be fully aware of the critical role of the television director in casting; soliciting performances from the actors; editing; truly, in every creative decision made before that episode airs,” said Holland. “But once you understand the role of the pilot director in developing and establishing the look and feel of a series, and the role of the episodic director in deepening that visual and tonal imprint and furthering the dramatic narrative and character development through his or her creative choices, I believe you’ll find it as important as we do to acknowledge the contributions of the television director.”
Following remarks, the directors mingled with the critics, many of whom took the opportunity to engage in informal interviews about subjects such as how the choices of pilot directors influence the series for its entire run, and the critical role episodic directors play in creative decisions made before an episode airs.