141 - Rob Spera - Film/TV Director’s Field Manual

Rob Spera is a film and television director, educator, and the author of Film/TV Director’s Field Manual: 70 Maxims to Change Your Filmmaking. With decades of experience directing features, episodic television, and theatre, Rob brings a deeply practical, human-centred approach to directing and leadership. In this conversation, we discuss:

• Why Rob describes his book as an “anti-textbook”
• The idea that the camera’s job is to photograph subtext
• Building non-redundant frames that invite the audience to participate
• Why kindness and psychological safety are essential creative tools
• Letting go of control and empowering collaborators
• What “write what you know” really means
• How directors can practise their craft between jobs

Film/TV Director’s Field Manual – available via Amazon and Rob’s website

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