Who has been your favorite directors?

[TLEberle]

How could a person who was just watching a game show and not the credits know who was whom? Just to me it seems like good directing is follow the action, hold a shot properly, catch reactions and change shots/angles when the situation needs it.

[MSTieScott]

The camera move on Tattletales below (around the :34 mark) is one of my favorites.

I like to think that Johnny is chuckling at whatever insulting thing the director just said over the headsets about Zsa Zsa while she was taking her sweet time to sit down, thereby delaying the next cue.

Just to me it seems like good directing is follow the action, hold a shot properly, catch reactions and change shots/angles when the situation needs it.

That's good (or just competent) directing. Exceptional directing is finding ways to make the natural action of the show more exciting.

Competent directing: Two-shot of Barker and the contestant as Barker tosses to the reveal of the big Golden Road prize, cut to tight shot of door #2 as it opens to reveal the prize.

Great directing: Over-the-shoulder shot as Barker is tossing to the reveal of the big Golden Road prize on the other side of the stage, continuous zoom in to door #2 as it opens to reveal the prize.

[Adam Nedeff]

Marc Breslow, who was an incredibly imaginative director and put conspicuous extra efforts into everything. One of the things that surprised me when I went on an extended binge of the first three years of CBS TPIR was that I found that I could guess what pricing game was coming up just from the camera shots Breslow used when the contestant ran onstage and the prize was revealed. For a time, he managed to come up with a unique sequence of camera shots for every pricing game, having nothing to do with the game itself.

[TimK2003]

I'll throw in John Dorsey for many of the Barris shows -- If only for the rapid-fire back and forth shots like when newlywed couples were arguing with each other on TNG, for example. 

[BrandonFG]

I'll throw in John Dorsey for many of the Barris shows -- If only for the rapid-fire back and forth shots like when newlywed couples were arguing with each other on TNG, for example.

Not to rain on your choice, but this was one of the reasons I have a hard time watching without getting sick. For me, it was worse when the couple won a prize, and he'd constantly go back and forth.

But I'll save my rant for the "least favorite" directors thread.

[danderson]

Paul Alter, from what i  have read liked directing with four cameras so much, he stuck with it. I'd assume that Ken Fouts and later on Bob Levy used 4 for "AG" and "SOTC" had four cameras too for Jerry Shaw or James Maricone to choose from.  Do most shows use 4 or is there shows that use 5?

[TLEberle]

You tell us, Dan.

[BillCullen1]

My vote goes to Marc Breslow on TPIR, because that's a show where you have to be prepared for the unexpected. I went to see a lot of Bob Stewart shows in the 70s so I'll mention Mike Gargiulo, whose son Michael is now an anchor for the early morning news on WNBC Ch. 4 here in NYC. Paul Alter is a long-time G-T director who worked on the original and current versions of TPIR, among God knows how many other shows.

[rjaguar3]

I'd also add Bruce Burmester from 80s Pyramid and Kevin McCarthy on Jeopardy! One of the little things I love about J! is how it stays modern but the production still has a traditional feel to it.

Something worth pointing out:

Years ago, Jeopardy! would have a camera dedicated to shooting a closeup of the board. It would always be positioned on the space directly underneath the clue in play (excluding the bottom row). So if the contestants played a category in order, the director would take that camera, ready with the closeup of the next value switching to the selected clue. If a contestant jumped to a different category (or took a clue out of order), then the director would take a wide shot of the board and use the video effect of the clue flying from its box to fill the screen.

It's been years since they've had a camera shooting closeups of the clue in play. Now, the closeup effect is all done digitally. Yet the directing is still conducted as if that camera was there, only using the closeup effect if the contestants play a category in order. I love it.

(I do wonder, though: Why, with the exception of one- or two-word clues, do they never take the closeup shot on the bottom row of the board?)

I miss the technique used during the Dick Schneider years of zooming in on the first clue of each segment as it is read.

[johnnya2k3]

Mark Breslow, who was an incredibly imaginative director and put conspicuous extra efforts into everything. One of the things that surprised me when I went on an extended binge of the first three years of CBS TPIR was that I found that I could guess what pricing game was coming up just from the camera shots Breslow used when the contestant ran onstage and the prize was revealed. For a time, he managed to come up with a unique sequence of camera shots for every pricing game, having nothing to do with the game itself.

Breslow was pretty much the Glenn Weiss (who directed Studs, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and Gladiators 2000 all in the '90s before going on to work the big entertainment shows including the Oscars) of his day in the game show world, and...is John Dorsey still alive? After Chuck Barris, he went on to do Hit Man and Blackout both for Jay Wolpert, where he was "serious".

(Bruce Burmester, by the way, is still in the business today if you look at his IMDB)

[SRIV94]

Dorsey died in 1989.

Wasn't Calderwood Conan O'Brien's first director?

[johnnya2k3]

Dorsey died in 1989.

Wasn't Calderwood Conan O'Brien's first director?

Didn't know that (there is no obituary info anywhere online), but imagine the reunion with Chuck Barris and Johnny Jacobs in heaven right now.

And yes, Dana Calderwood was Conan's first director.

[JakeT]

Breslow was pretty much the Glenn Weiss (who directed Studs, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and Gladiators 2000 all in the '90s before going on to work the big entertainment shows including the Oscars) of his day in the game show world

In all fairness, since Breslow came first, wouldn't Glenn Weiss be the Breslow of his day? 

And, frankly, I think most people would say "no"...Breslow was an icon among game show directors...for most people, say the name Glenn Weiss and they say "who?"

JakeT

[JasonA1]

I love Breslow, but Glenn Weiss has some pretty serious cred. I came to realize just how much he's done once this YouTube video of his directing the Tony's opening number was circulated. I think the intent of Johnny's remarks got mangled.



-Jason

[BrandonFG]

Dorsey died in 1989.

Wasn't Calderwood Conan O'Brien's first director?

Didn't know that (there is no obituary info anywhere online)

Right here.