Directing Great Television

Inside TV’s New Golden Age

By: Dan Attias

Narrated by: Dan Attias

Length: 6 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

Whether it’s the high-stakes pressure of solving a last-minute problem on set or the joy of pulling off a perfect shot by the skin of your teeth, Attias brings you right into the director’s chair, sharing his knowledge and taking you through the process one challenging episode at a time. Offering a fundamental focus on story, and eschewing industry language for plain talk, Attias offers in-depth guidance how best to work with actors, how to “speak” through the camera, how to work with a showrunner, and how to be ready for the many ways a director will be challenged, large and small. Directing Great Television is a fascinating window into television’s best shows, compelling to directors and non-directors alike. Attias’ book transcends other filmmaking guides by detailing his journey to a surprising place of self-discovery, one with applications beyond entertainment.

©2022 Dan Attias (P)2022 Dreamscape Media, LLC

A Brick of Gold!

Thank you, I found this really insightful, hopeful and encouraging! It also makes the work of directing for TV seem so much more exciting and achievable which I appreciate. I came away with a higher respect for my work as director.

Great Insight

As a background actor, I have always been interested in understanding the many aspects of "set life". This book is a great explanation of the many forces that a director harmonizes to bring a story to life. It is relatable to both the aspiring directors plus the crews and casts working in eposodic television.

I recommend it

Really good, but some parts were a bit repetitive. I would recommend to anyone interested in TV.

Dan is amazing.

I listen to this book over and over, again and again. I’m very glad Dan wrote this book. It’s worth the purchase.

I really enjoyed this!

Episodic directing can be hard and sometimes a thankless job but the reward of working with actors, helping create a story with others, is worth the journey. That was one of the many lessons I learned while listening to this book. Hearing Dan's stories and advice was really interesting. His long successful career expands through so many genres and as the industry changes, he adapts with it. This book lays out the fundamentals of television directing while adding plenty of on-set stories to provide the reader context. It's read by Dan himself which I also found fun to listen to. Throughout, you learn how rewarding and stressful the job can be. How political it can sometimes get. But the ultimate lesson and the glue between all of his advice is simple - always be inquisitive, always ask yourself about how a scene makes you feel and most of all - trust your intuition. His stories will give you an inside look into the process while illustrating constructive solutions on how to navigate the position and deliver the best episode you possibly can. As someone in the industry that has been on countless sets and wanting to direct myself, I found this really helpful and inspiring. Hopefully you will too. Give it a read (or a listen).

Great detail and very helpful

As a Cinematographer I've had interest in learning more about directing and have learned a great deal by listening to this book. Great material and many helpful tips!