Bobby Roth has been directing films and TV programs since the 1970s, ranging from low-budget independent movies (Heartbreakers) to mainstream series such as Lost, Grey's Anatomy, and Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Roth's masterclass offers a practical introduction to every stage of the director's craft, with nine episodes that are devoted to pre-production preparation, script development, the design of individual shots, casting, time allocation, collaborative processes, working with the cast, and the post-production editing process. A final episode offers an overview of Roth's career, which allows for self-reflection on the lessons he has learned through specific experiences. While Roth is clearly the primary focus here, this series is hardly a one-man show. Roth offers observations and suggestions on method, but clips from his films and TV work are interspersed to provide illustrative examples, and the series also features extensive excerpts from interviews with more than 50 collaborators over the years—producers, casting directors, actors, writers, production designers, cameramen, editors, showrunners, and network executives. Their comments are unfailingly complimentary, but also speak to the mutual confidence and balance between intense preparation and on-set improvisation that are required to bring any project to a successful conclusion. Nicely filmed and edited with flair, A Director Prepares provides valuable lessons about preparation prior to shooting and how one can combine efficiency with creative spontaneity in overseeing the making of a film or TV program. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass
(2015) 2 discs. 216 min. DVD: $695. Jung ‘N Restless Productions. PPR. Volume 31, Issue 3
A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass
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