WEBVTT - Real Friends Classic: 113 - My Balancing Act with Michael Spiller 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:02.000 Man, do we have an exciting show today? 0:00:02.040 --> 0:00:04.240 Donald Faison, We do have an exciting show. 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:07.400 You know, we promised the people, we promised the listeners 0:00:07.440 --> 0:00:09.480 that we wouldn't just have stars of the show on, 0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:11.399 that we would bring on crew members. 0:00:11.920 --> 0:00:13.920 You're totally about to geek out about this. You brought 0:00:14.000 --> 0:00:15.920 up a director. I am going to geek as a 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:18.760 fellow director. You're like, Yo, I'm gonna ask him about 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:20.920 this shot. I'm gonna ask him about this shot. 0:00:21.040 --> 0:00:22.720 Well, I am going to talk to him. I think 0:00:22.760 --> 0:00:25.560 people if I sometimes think when I'm preparing for this, 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:27.960 and you know, I do a lot of homework. You 0:00:27.960 --> 0:00:30.319 should see my desk. It looks like I'm about to 0:00:30.440 --> 0:00:33.159 write a novel. I was thinking about if I was 0:00:33.200 --> 0:00:35.199 a listener, I'd want to know some behind it, Like 0:00:35.280 --> 0:00:37.280 what's it like to be a director of a TV show. 0:00:37.400 --> 0:00:40.560 Michael Spilder, who we're talking about is is a very 0:00:40.600 --> 0:00:43.240 big television director, one of the biggest. In fact, he 0:00:43.840 --> 0:00:47.720 recently won the Emmy for directing Modern Family and he's 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:48.680 a very talented guy. 0:00:48.920 --> 0:00:51.600 Wait wait, hold up, which for the like the final 0:00:51.640 --> 0:00:52.720 season he won the Emmy. 0:00:53.560 --> 0:00:55.160 I don't have the exact Emmy. 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:57.160 Well, I want to ask him about some of this stuff, 0:00:57.200 --> 0:00:59.760 like how many shows have you directed? Now? Is it 0:00:59.840 --> 0:01:02.080 like you know, have you lost? Can you keep count 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:03.160 of the amount of show. 0:01:03.320 --> 0:01:06.480 Savior spiller questions? Have them, have them pent up inside 0:01:06.520 --> 0:01:09.120 you and just have them ready to explode when he 0:01:09.160 --> 0:01:09.840 comes in the room. 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.199 Okay, well I got it. I only got a couple. 0:01:12.200 --> 0:01:14.400 I'm great. How are you man, I'm good, I'm good. 0:01:14.400 --> 0:01:14.959 Did you work out? 0:01:15.120 --> 0:01:17.360 Are we gonna have a post peloton Donald? 0:01:17.360 --> 0:01:17.600 Today? 0:01:17.640 --> 0:01:18.280 I didn't want to. 0:01:18.200 --> 0:01:20.320 Talk about it because I did work out today and 0:01:20.360 --> 0:01:23.360 I finished the workout. But I'm now disappointed with it 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:25.840 with said instructor that we talked about. 0:01:26.319 --> 0:01:28.600 Why, well, he was different today he talked too. 0:01:28.560 --> 0:01:35.200 Much, started singing on and then also singing off beat. Right, 0:01:35.480 --> 0:01:39.399 I don't. I don't do peloton to be talked to 0:01:40.400 --> 0:01:42.440 off beat. I appreciate it. 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:44.360 Was it still the you know what I love about 0:01:44.440 --> 0:01:44.600 you know? 0:01:44.680 --> 0:01:45.520 I still well? 0:01:45.520 --> 0:01:47.720 The thing I liked about spinning was when you could 0:01:47.760 --> 0:01:50.720 get in the groove, unlock, nang. 0:01:51.480 --> 0:01:55.720 Right, and so it's important that your your your spin 0:01:56.360 --> 0:01:59.960 instructor is like a DJ, you know what I mean? 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:03.240 So right, he or she should be riding with the beat, 0:02:03.280 --> 0:02:06.000 so the music's going and and and then you need 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:08.960 to be going with the music. Also, does he say 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:09.400 stuff young? 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:10.840 I like it when they go like they just make 0:02:10.960 --> 0:02:11.720 noises like. 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.840 Hey, ho when they diddy that shit. 0:02:15.240 --> 0:02:15.760 I love that. 0:02:16.160 --> 0:02:20.440 Yeah, it's like Diddy. Diddy used to be like hey, 0:02:21.440 --> 0:02:21.720 and you. 0:02:21.680 --> 0:02:24.600 Know, it's so embarrassing. I find myself it's so fucking embarrassing. 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:26.600 But I find myself on the treadmill not even spinning, 0:02:26.760 --> 0:02:28.919 and I'm listening to a good song and I'm. 0:02:28.720 --> 0:02:34.040 Like, hey, okay, and I'm doing the fucking Diddy spin 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:34.919 instructor thing. 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:37.360 Ah ha ah, take that. 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:41.440 Take that Ahead Ahead. Before I knew Diddy was like 0:02:41.480 --> 0:02:43.280 a big producer and I was watching those, I'd be like, 0:02:43.320 --> 0:02:48.800 so this dude just makes a living on Ahead yeahha Ahead. 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:51.960 I couldn't take it. It was like just too much talking, 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:55.520 not enough motivation, Like when you talk, you're supposed to motivate, 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:58.480 you're not supposed to talk about how dope the song 0:02:58.680 --> 0:03:00.480 is and stuff like I don't want to hear all 0:03:00.520 --> 0:03:02.400 of that. I already know this song is good, you 0:03:02.440 --> 0:03:05.040 know what I mean. I chose the class because I 0:03:05.040 --> 0:03:08.079 saw the playlist, right, and you like the music playlist. Right, 0:03:08.080 --> 0:03:09.480 the playlist looks dope. 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:12.720 I can this isn't an amazing And I know this 0:03:12.800 --> 0:03:14.720 is the stupidest thing. Everybody knows this, but I was 0:03:14.760 --> 0:03:18.480 realizing it today. If the fucking music is good and 0:03:18.520 --> 0:03:20.600 you love it, you can do so much. 0:03:20.440 --> 0:03:21.240 More of a workout. 0:03:21.320 --> 0:03:24.160 Absolutely, because I've got I've gone to so many spin 0:03:24.240 --> 0:03:26.560 classes because I do like spinning, and the music is 0:03:26.639 --> 0:03:28.880 just so not my thing. I mean, it's other people's thing. 0:03:28.919 --> 0:03:30.840 I'm not, you know, to eat their own. But I'm like, 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:33.639 And then today I had made this like awesome mix 0:03:33.680 --> 0:03:35.640 that I was fucking grooving out to, and I was like, 0:03:35.720 --> 0:03:39.040 I could really work out a long time to this 0:03:39.120 --> 0:03:42.760 amazing mix. I mean, but I don't know where you 0:03:42.800 --> 0:03:44.240 work out. You like to work out to rap? 0:03:44.320 --> 0:03:44.480 Right? 0:03:44.800 --> 0:03:46.480 I do like to work Wait what do you work 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:47.800 out to? You don't work out to like? 0:03:48.720 --> 0:03:48.880 Wait? 0:03:49.000 --> 0:03:51.480 Wait, hold on, I didn't realize there was other music 0:03:51.520 --> 0:03:52.280 you could work out to. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.480 Yes, style, Yes, it's in this country. You don't have 0:03:55.560 --> 0:03:56.040 to just work out. 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:58.280 I can understand house music, but no, what do you wait? 0:03:58.320 --> 0:03:58.720 Hold up? 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:01.360 What do you work I like to work out to 0:04:01.480 --> 0:04:04.400 pop like, but like up tempo pop like what do 0:04:04.440 --> 0:04:07.160 you kids like? I'm opening up the fucking playlist right 0:04:07.160 --> 0:04:09.440 now because there were some fire songs on Here. 0:04:09.280 --> 0:04:12.120 We Go, Here we Go recommendations from Zach Braff. 0:04:12.760 --> 0:04:15.040 Avichi has this song. It's like his most popular song. 0:04:15.040 --> 0:04:17.320 It's wake Me Up, and it's just like up tempo, 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.360 and it makes me think of this time, because when 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:21.080 you're in this time and you're working out, you're like, 0:04:21.160 --> 0:04:23.600 wake me up from this fucking horrible nightmare. 0:04:24.680 --> 0:04:25.400 So I like that. 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:27.360 I had, you know, I had Michelle branch On here, 0:04:27.400 --> 0:04:31.040 because you know, I love Michelle brand I had Oh Asia, 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:38.240 I love Cea ed Sheer Sia Unstoppable, Unstoppable today, and 0:04:38.320 --> 0:04:41.479 I had ed Sheering with Chance the rapper You crossed me, 0:04:42.960 --> 0:04:48.520 you grabbed me Joel's jam and she knows that song. 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:51.400 Oh and also Fleetwood Mac. This is an old school one. 0:04:51.560 --> 0:04:57.000 I don't want to know at bath and then. 0:04:56.279 --> 0:05:00.720 So I worked out too. Ten crack Commandments b I G. 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:03.520 Okay, we're on a very different plane right now. 0:05:03.560 --> 0:05:06.240 You don't know that song. I know who the Notorious 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:10.160 b I G is that songs give us a sample. 0:05:10.240 --> 0:05:12.400 It's the ten Commandments of Selling Drugs. 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:15.599 Yeah, I'm the I don't know. I'm dancing and working 0:05:15.640 --> 0:05:17.280 out to Michelle Branch and you're listening to a song 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:17.840 about crack. 0:05:19.400 --> 0:05:22.880 You know, we grew up differently. Yes, I guess we 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:26.000 grew up differently. We did. Hey, should we go again 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:26.480 to the show. 0:05:26.760 --> 0:05:28.880 Let's invite in our special guys. 0:05:28.720 --> 0:05:34.560 About six seven, eight stories about show we made about 0:05:34.600 --> 0:05:40.960 a bunch of times, and nurses said, he's a story next, 0:05:43.680 --> 0:05:48.680 So YadA here, yead here. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:55.160 We want a song. Lots of talk about the song, 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:57.560 the song. I gotta tell you something about those numbers. 0:05:58.000 --> 0:06:01.960 My whole timeline is people laughing at and saying the 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.640 numbers and just writing them non stop in my timeline. 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:09.719 That's becoming, unfortunately to me. But of course Bill will 0:06:09.720 --> 0:06:12.200 love it. He's become a huge hit with his whole 0:06:12.240 --> 0:06:13.280 bit about. 0:06:13.320 --> 0:06:18.159 Saying five eight. Yeah, he's like the PC. Well he's 0:06:18.160 --> 0:06:20.440 not PC, but he's like Todd. He's like the Todd 0:06:20.440 --> 0:06:25.600 of our show. He comes in and he delivers every time, dude, 0:06:26.080 --> 0:06:30.760 every time, he's like ups, always delivers, He always delivers. 0:06:31.000 --> 0:06:32.160 All right, let's bring in our guests. 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:34.680 Let's bring in our very special guest. Turn him on, 0:06:35.000 --> 0:06:38.680 bring him in, ladies and gentlemen. Oh my god, I 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:39.839 haven't seen him in years. 0:06:40.240 --> 0:06:44.719 Yay, ladies and gentlemen. 0:06:45.880 --> 0:06:49.400 Ladies and gentlemen. Michael Stiller, listen, Michael, you are the 0:06:49.560 --> 0:06:53.760 very first guest we're having on the show who is 0:06:53.800 --> 0:06:57.400 a member of the crew, not an actor or a writer. 0:06:58.120 --> 0:07:00.520 And I'm just We're so you're here. 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:02.719 It's really awesome, thrilled to be here. 0:07:03.279 --> 0:07:05.599 You're I would say you're our first director. But Zach 0:07:05.640 --> 0:07:09.120 has directed an episode and Bill has directed an episode. 0:07:08.880 --> 0:07:11.680 Right, but not not before Michael Spiller. Michael's are our 0:07:11.760 --> 0:07:14.360 first director of from season one. 0:07:15.400 --> 0:07:18.480 He is also directed season No, he wrote it, that's right. 0:07:18.560 --> 0:07:21.960 No, I want to say that, Michael. I would say 0:07:22.360 --> 0:07:25.320 I think maybe directed the most. Spiller Do you know 0:07:25.360 --> 0:07:26.640 that trivia? Is that true? 0:07:26.840 --> 0:07:31.760 It is true? Of how many episodes? Twenty twenty episodes? 0:07:32.000 --> 0:07:33.040 Twenty episodes? 0:07:33.440 --> 0:07:35.000 You know? As I go and I work on other 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:39.880 shows and stuff, I always meet Scrubs fans, and without fail, 0:07:40.240 --> 0:07:43.960 I say I've directed more episodes than any are human, 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:49.000 leaving the possibility that another someone from another species has 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:49.960 directed more than me. 0:07:50.120 --> 0:07:52.640 Right, but I can confirm it. I can confirm they 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:56.040 have it. I would also confirm Michael that you are 0:07:56.040 --> 0:07:58.480 one of our favorites. If you look at IMDb, you'll 0:07:58.520 --> 0:08:00.880 see there's lots of directors of scool. Some came in 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:04.160 for one episode and then never came back for either 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:07.840 Bill's reasons or their reasons, mostly Bills probably, And then 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.440 there's people like you that everybody loved so much, and 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:13.360 you did twenty Yeah, I I guess go back to 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:15.600 how it all began for you, at least with the 0:08:15.640 --> 0:08:20.000 Scrubs connection. How you got this. I know that back 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:22.880 in the day you were Michael was a cinematographer. He 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:25.480 was shooting the show Sex and the City. I don't 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:27.640 know if you've ever heard of that show, but Michah 0:08:27.640 --> 0:08:29.560 was the cinematographer on the show and then began to 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:32.199 direct that show. And then Michael just talked a little 0:08:32.200 --> 0:08:34.679 bit about how you got it, how you transitioned from 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:36.320 shooting into directing TV. 0:08:38.240 --> 0:08:40.520 Well, I mean I went to film school. I went 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:44.480 to Sunny Purchase Upstate, New York, New York, New York, 0:08:44.559 --> 0:08:47.840 New York, that's right. And I started making my own 0:08:47.880 --> 0:08:51.560 films when I was a kid in Brooklyn. Saved up 0:08:51.559 --> 0:08:54.120 my paper route and bought a Super eight camera and 0:08:55.320 --> 0:08:57.760 went to film school, and I wanted to be a cinematographer. 0:08:57.760 --> 0:09:02.000 I didn't want to be a director because actors were crazy, 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:05.720 let's face it, and you know it's mainly I shot 0:09:05.720 --> 0:09:09.720 a lot of indie movies and music videos and documentaries 0:09:09.720 --> 0:09:12.440 and travel all over the place. And then I got 0:09:12.480 --> 0:09:15.760 married and wanted to start a family, and TV sounded like, well, 0:09:15.760 --> 0:09:20.040 maybe that would provide a little more stable lifestyle. And 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:23.400 I was shooting out Sex and the City and at 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:26.760 the end of the first season, my agent said, if 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:30.360 the show gets picked up, I'm gonna ask for an 0:09:30.360 --> 0:09:32.680 episode for you to direct season two. And I'm like, nope, 0:09:32.679 --> 0:09:35.920 I'm good. I'm good, I'm happy where I am. I 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:37.760 don't need it. He said, no, you're going to do it, 0:09:38.600 --> 0:09:41.360 and I did, and then I did went really well. 0:09:41.520 --> 0:09:45.679 I also dpeed that episode. Wow, I don't think I 0:09:45.679 --> 0:09:48.160 don't recommend doing that for your first episode of TV. 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:50.640 That seems like a lot of work. 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:54.520 It's a huge amount of work. And then the third 0:09:54.520 --> 0:09:57.280 season I did two more. In the fourth season, I 0:09:57.320 --> 0:10:00.959 did four episodes, and by that time we had moved 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:04.800 to La bought a house, moved back for the four 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:08.720 season uh, and then moved to La finally right after 0:10:08.800 --> 0:10:13.200 nine to eleven, but not because of it. Uh And 0:10:13.200 --> 0:10:18.760 I had already signed with my current agent, who after 0:10:18.760 --> 0:10:21.439 three episodes you see what I did, said I want 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:24.600 to wrap the sky and he was at the same 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:27.359 agency where Bill Lawrence was represented. 0:10:27.520 --> 0:10:30.680 Oh see, it is all about connections in Hollywood, everybody. 0:10:30.800 --> 0:10:33.319 It's true, no ret give up. 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:38.240 So Scrubs was your was Scrubs your first non Sex 0:10:38.280 --> 0:10:39.120 in the City gig? 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.000 It was meant to be, so, you know, my agent 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:44.920 sight unseen, you know, convinced Bill. He did a great 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:47.520 job presenting me to Bill, and it was meant to 0:10:47.520 --> 0:10:51.520 be my first episode after Sex and the City. I 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:55.040 wound up doing an episode of Greg the Bunny. Oh 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:56.040 remember that show? 0:10:56.120 --> 0:10:58.319 God was that? Who was? Who was? Who was the 0:10:58.360 --> 0:10:59.120 star of that show? 0:10:59.640 --> 0:11:10.000 Sarah Silberman Levy seth Green, There we go. It was. 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:12.760 It was a great cast, but it was like, you know, 0:11:13.240 --> 0:11:16.760 huge puppet sets and all this other stuff, Like it's like, 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:20.480 why these like I've never done a puppet show. You know, 0:11:20.520 --> 0:11:22.280 you had to build sets that were all like four 0:11:22.320 --> 0:11:24.480 feet off the ground so people could stick their hands 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:28.480 up through manipulate anyway. Steve Levittan was the executive producer 0:11:28.520 --> 0:11:32.040 on that. So I met Steve on my first episode. 0:11:32.640 --> 0:11:35.120 I later did Modern Family and a bunch of other 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:38.679 shows with and then Bill Lawrence on my second show. 0:11:38.880 --> 0:11:41.320 So very very good agent. Thing. 0:11:41.679 --> 0:11:44.400 By the way, if you're gonna meet two showrunners when 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:47.319 you get to Hollywood, it's pretty down good that it's 0:11:47.440 --> 0:11:52.280 Steve Levinton and Bill Lawrence. Yeah right, your agent's pretty good. 0:11:52.840 --> 0:11:54.280 He's Sean Freeden. 0:11:55.440 --> 0:11:59.199 Hey how many? Wow? Shout out? How many? How many? 0:11:59.280 --> 0:12:02.440 How manyisodes of Modern Family did you direct? Did you 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:04.600 direct the most Modern Family episodes? Also? 0:12:05.240 --> 0:12:09.079 No, I didn't, but I did twenty two episodes. 0:12:08.840 --> 0:12:11.640 Twenty two episodes and won the Emmy, won the Emmy. 0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.040 I wish we could have given you an Emmy. Spiller, 0:12:14.080 --> 0:12:14.439 you deserve. 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:15.960 You tried, We tried. 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.000 I know we all were shot. I know you did. 0:12:20.200 --> 0:12:22.760 Now, Michael, I just want to say, you know again, 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.199 season one, we're meeting all these directors. For those of 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:27.320 you who don't know, it's usually a different director every 0:12:27.360 --> 0:12:30.680 week because they have to prep. They have about a 0:12:30.679 --> 0:12:34.160 week's prep before they shoot the episode, and so you're 0:12:34.200 --> 0:12:37.200 always alternating and some can't come in, and you know, 0:12:37.520 --> 0:12:39.520 you know, Donald and I would would like some more 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:43.080 than others. Some were really good with comedy and others 0:12:43.200 --> 0:12:45.720 were good with moving the camera. One of the things 0:12:45.720 --> 0:12:48.960 I think we loved about you, Michael, is that because 0:12:48.960 --> 0:12:52.240 you were a cinematographer first, you really were amazing with 0:12:52.320 --> 0:12:54.680 moving the camera and doing interesting things with the camera. 0:12:55.000 --> 0:12:57.240 But also you did know how to talk to actors 0:12:57.280 --> 0:13:00.480 and make jokes funnier. And I thought you could just 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:04.360 talk to that about about about how how you approach something, 0:13:04.360 --> 0:13:07.520 how you approach the script, and and and your experience 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:10.520 with what it's like being you know, having the DP background. 0:13:10.840 --> 0:13:12.840 Also, we should go over the process of what it 0:13:12.880 --> 0:13:16.920 takes to since we have a television director on right now, 0:13:17.080 --> 0:13:18.880 we should go through the process of what it takes too. 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:21.840 I mean, directing is like the end of the journey, 0:13:21.960 --> 0:13:23.280 you know. I mean that's not even close to the 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.120 end that well, it's the middle of the journey. Really. 0:13:25.160 --> 0:13:28.480 There's prep, there's you know, all of pre production, and 0:13:28.520 --> 0:13:30.839 then there's post production. We should also talk about that. 0:13:30.960 --> 0:13:32.280 Our listeners might be interested in that. 0:13:32.440 --> 0:13:34.199 Yeah, they will. So, Michael, we just gave you a 0:13:34.240 --> 0:13:37.640 lot answer all of that. Go No, talk talk first 0:13:37.679 --> 0:13:40.079 about you know, being having a DP background, and then 0:13:40.080 --> 0:13:41.360 how that affected the way you work. 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.960 Well, I think there's no question that having the background 0:13:45.960 --> 0:13:49.160 as a DP was extremely helpful. I mean, first of all, 0:13:49.200 --> 0:13:52.360 event and when I came on to set, I could 0:13:53.040 --> 0:13:55.480 usually bond with the crew very quickly because I spoke 0:13:55.520 --> 0:13:59.080 their language. I sort of got it. You know. I 0:13:59.080 --> 0:14:02.080 would stay seen in such a way that worked first 0:14:02.120 --> 0:14:07.480 and foremost for the story, yet also kept the logistics 0:14:07.520 --> 0:14:10.880 in mind and the practical aspect of it. And you know, 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:14.160 and I was flexible enough that you know, I encouraged 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.080 and I love to collaborate. I want the DPS input. 0:14:17.600 --> 0:14:20.440 You know, obviously the cast would give input to the 0:14:20.480 --> 0:14:24.240 showrunners give input as well, but the nuts and bolts 0:14:24.240 --> 0:14:27.520 of it, you know, I understood. I've also been a 0:14:27.520 --> 0:14:31.280 grip and electrician. I've pushed dollie, I've I've pulled focus, 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:34.120 I've operated camera for other people. So you know, I 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.080 love the crew. I mean, these are my people and 0:14:37.080 --> 0:14:40.080 and I think most people I've worked with can pick 0:14:40.160 --> 0:14:42.400 up on that. So and I have a deep respect 0:14:42.400 --> 0:14:46.440 for them, and that that's half the battle. You know, 0:14:46.480 --> 0:14:48.600 when I was shooting Sex in the City, if we 0:14:48.640 --> 0:14:50.800 had a new director and if you know Sarah Jessica 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:53.200 Parker wasn't in the first scene, you know that that 0:14:53.240 --> 0:14:57.000 director was shooting. When she would first come on to set, 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:01.320 she would look at me and like gauging, like cow 0:15:01.520 --> 0:15:05.480 is this person? And if if I gave her like 0:15:05.520 --> 0:15:08.920 the I don't know, look, then that person had to work. 0:15:08.960 --> 0:15:11.000 You know, it's an uphill battle just to get back 0:15:11.040 --> 0:15:15.360 to you know, zero, right. So you know it's enormously 0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:17.280 important because I mean, you guys know it's like you 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:21.320 love your crew and it's like it's one big family. 0:15:21.480 --> 0:15:25.880 So a director walking on to a TV show has 0:15:25.920 --> 0:15:29.880 to be both a leader, right and and you know 0:15:30.080 --> 0:15:33.040 they're not the ultimate top of the pyramid, but they've 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:34.760 still got to lead the crew. They've got to get 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:37.320 the crew behind, they've got to work with all the 0:15:38.360 --> 0:15:41.760 you know, the elements that are already in place, and 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:45.040 you have to respect that that family that you're walking into. 0:15:45.800 --> 0:15:48.040 That's what's so bizarre about it. That's what's so bizarre 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:51.040 about it is and I've only done it, I think 0:15:51.080 --> 0:15:54.360 once or twice, Michael. That is, come onto a show 0:15:54.440 --> 0:15:58.000 that is an entity and say hey, everybody, I'm the 0:15:58.080 --> 0:16:01.120 leader for the week, and you know it's one thing 0:16:01.160 --> 0:16:03.120 when you come back and like you came back, you know, 0:16:03.240 --> 0:16:06.280 nineteen more times. But on the first one, it's like, hey, everybody, 0:16:06.400 --> 0:16:07.920 I know that you guys are all friends and have 0:16:08.000 --> 0:16:10.200 inside jokes and have a way that you do things. 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:14.760 Well, I'm the boss for the week. And it's really tricky, right. 0:16:15.520 --> 0:16:20.160 It's sort of like I liken it sometimes too. You're 0:16:20.200 --> 0:16:23.040 gonna be a conductor on a train. You're gonna take 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:26.840 it from this station to the next station. The track 0:16:26.840 --> 0:16:30.000 has already been laid. You know, everywhere the train already 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:33.720 was is established there. We have a very good idea 0:16:33.720 --> 0:16:36.080 where the train's going to keep going. And yeah, you 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:39.520 can slow down around this corner because you like that view, 0:16:39.640 --> 0:16:42.280 or you can speed up at this section, or you know, 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:44.160 you can lean a little left or a little right, 0:16:45.000 --> 0:16:47.600 but you can only go so far because the train's 0:16:47.600 --> 0:16:50.480 got to stay on those tracks, right. You can't suddenly say, 0:16:50.920 --> 0:16:52.600 you know, we're gonna make a left here at Des 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:53.800 Moines and go somewhere else. 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:56.600 That's really that's a really good, great analogy, Michael, because 0:16:56.640 --> 0:16:57.760 I think that you were. 0:16:57.600 --> 0:17:00.120 Just talking about this actually the last episode we. 0:17:00.360 --> 0:17:02.880 Well, I was talking about how it's so tricky, you know, 0:17:03.120 --> 0:17:05.920 again just to Bill spoke a little about this, but 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:08.439 to remind people who aren't in the business, you know, 0:17:08.520 --> 0:17:12.000 you know, the the pilot director and the showrunner will 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:14.040 create sort of the look of the show. How does 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:17.000 the camera move, what's sort of the language of the show. 0:17:17.320 --> 0:17:19.399 In our show, we had fantasies and we had you know, 0:17:19.440 --> 0:17:21.280 big camera move. The camera was sort of a character. 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:24.359 And then other directors that come on they need to 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:28.080 use that language. They can, they can, like Michael just 0:17:28.119 --> 0:17:30.520 said in his train analogy, they can slow down, they 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:33.280 can look at this view, but they can't. You have 0:17:33.320 --> 0:17:34.679 to use the language of the show. If you look 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.040 at the Office, for example, it's shot like a mockumentary 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:40.480 modern family I believe was as well, yes, whereas Scrubs 0:17:40.520 --> 0:17:44.080 is crane shots and Dolly moves and steady cam shots. 0:17:44.240 --> 0:17:46.879 So you have to use that language. But then somehow 0:17:46.920 --> 0:17:48.160 find a way to make it your own. And I'm 0:17:48.160 --> 0:17:49.760 glad we're gonna watch the episode with you, because I 0:17:49.760 --> 0:17:51.239 think there's a lot of cool stuff in here that 0:17:51.280 --> 0:17:53.080 you that you found a way to make your own. 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:55.560 I like that. I do like the train analogy, you 0:17:55.560 --> 0:17:57.760 know what I mean, It's the same route every time. 0:17:57.800 --> 0:18:01.600 It's the same track every time time. How can you 0:18:01.640 --> 0:18:04.680 can bend it and move it, you know, to make 0:18:04.720 --> 0:18:07.679 it your own? So like if a different conductor, you 0:18:07.720 --> 0:18:10.840 know what I mean, I don't know. I love that analogy. 0:18:10.840 --> 0:18:13.000 That's really and in season one I would say, you know, 0:18:13.040 --> 0:18:18.040 even on episode whatever, this is one thirteen, you're still 0:18:18.240 --> 0:18:20.280 you're still finding that, you're still shaping it. 0:18:20.320 --> 0:18:20.439 Now. 0:18:20.440 --> 0:18:22.080 I noticed, Michael, you did some things in here, like 0:18:22.400 --> 0:18:24.199 going into blacks and coming back that I don't think 0:18:24.240 --> 0:18:26.680 we'd done too much of yet. That became part of 0:18:26.680 --> 0:18:29.080 the lexicon. So as an early director in the show, 0:18:29.080 --> 0:18:31.480 I just directed episode two of one of Bill's news shows, 0:18:32.000 --> 0:18:33.959 I still felt like, Okay, it's early on, I can 0:18:34.000 --> 0:18:36.000 I'm still contributing to what the look of the show is, 0:18:36.040 --> 0:18:36.600 you know, right. 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.919 For sure, when you're when you're lucky enough to direct 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:42.760 early in the show's run, there's still a lot of 0:18:42.760 --> 0:18:45.920 discovery going on. Yeah, the actors are really fine that 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:49.840 they're characters, so they're still open to, you know, someone 0:18:49.880 --> 0:18:50.959 else's input. 0:18:51.600 --> 0:18:51.719 Uh. 0:18:52.160 --> 0:18:54.720 The writers are discovering what the actors are good at, 0:18:54.720 --> 0:18:57.720 and they're tailoring the writing to you know, help those 0:18:57.760 --> 0:18:59.960 words fit better in their mouths and you find the 0:19:00.080 --> 0:19:05.120 comedy if you're doing a comedy. And similarly, for a director, 0:19:05.160 --> 0:19:08.040 it's like, yes, you've you've been given the overall template, 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:11.320 the framework, but it's a jumping off point. It's not 0:19:11.960 --> 0:19:15.120 like this is meant to just box you in. You're 0:19:15.160 --> 0:19:19.879