EPISODIC TELEVISION PREP RECAP

In case you missed it… Rewatch our recent panel discussion about Episodic Television Prep with directors Christine Swanson (P-Valley), Valerie Weiss (Outer Banks) and Bola Ogun (Raising Dion).

You can watch the video HERE.

Bola Ogun

Twitter | Instagram | Website | Raising Dion

“There is this unfortunate and fortunate side effect of being Black women or not even specifically Black women, but we all have this sort of perfectionist thing. It comes from wanting to protect ourselves from criticism and people saying “no.” [We internalize] this perfection thing, so that there is no excuse for [the industry] to bypass me. And even though that is a great philosophy [to create good content] as you’re going through life, it can be debilitating sometimes. Because you get so fearful of not doing “perfect” that you don’t do anything. So I wish I knew that things didn’t have to be perfect, that I could just keep creating and get better. And that is a much better path than being perfect.”

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Christine Swanson

Twitter | Instagram | P-Valley

“Honestly, on so many levels, I feel like motherhood has prepared me even better for directing than film school because all it is is troubleshooting and dealing with different personalities and emotions and trying to make everybody happy and at the end of the day reaching your own personal goals and agendas.”

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Valerie Weiss

Twitter | Instagram | Outer Banks

“Having spent so much of my life doing scientific research holds me accountable to the cause and effect of plot as well as the authenticity of the actors’ performances. My impression is that audiences intuit the reliable storyteller’s perspective and invest deeply in the ride because of it. For me, logic and creativity go hand-in-hand in making art that is impactful and lasting.”

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Recommended Reading

3 Reasons Why Great Directing Hinges On Prep Work written by Noam Kroll

10 Things to Know About Directing for Television written by Shipra Harbola Gupta

Ava DuVernay Opens Up About Queen Sugar Season 5 written by Mekeisha Madden Toby

Christine Swanson on Making the Miki Howard Movie written by Nell Minow

Directors Tell the Story written by Mary Lou Belli

Meet 22 Black Directors Who Answered Hollywood’s Call written by Essence

Panel of Top Five Female TV Directors on Breaking Barriers written by Debra Birnbaum

Read Christine Swanson’s Showrunner Notes

The Magical World of Bola Ogun written by Destiny Jackson

The Science of Filmmaking written by Ann Hall

The Ultimate Pre-Production Checklist written by StudioBinder

Women Are Directing More TV Shows, but Minorities Aren’t written Cara Buckley

Women TV Directors Can Call the Shots’ written by Libby Hill

Women Directors on Breaking Down Barriers written by Debra Birnbaum

Women Director of Color Still Marginalized in Television written by Kristen Lopez