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JimboFett87 t1_j1kqk2t wrote

Reply to comment by mugenhunt in why do series shows always have so many seemingly random people directing every episode? by OctoberRust13

Yep it's a logistics play. The director is the manager of the episode and they need to be involved in all stages, so on a weekly drama they have a particular schedule to keep. Everyone has their jobs but the manager has to rotate out.

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sm04d t1_j1lywlg wrote

Not really. The showrunner (usually the creator of the series, but not always) manages the series, from the writing stage through post. TV is not like film, where directors have all the power and control. In TV, writers have control, while director involvement typically is confined to their particular episode(s).

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hipster3000 t1_j1m02s4 wrote

I think that's what they were saying, that the director has to be involved in all stages of their episode so if they are starting on other episodes while the previous episode is in production, they will need other directors

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JimboFett87 t1_j1m7at2 wrote

Yep, showrunners are usually EPs and keep the continuity across a series where a director is focused on a specific ep.

Sometimes those overlap but not often. Or we see limited series with one director across all the episodes.

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stop_drop_roll t1_j1mge64 wrote

If you listen back on some of Kevin Smith's podcasts, he talks about directing some WB shows like Supergirl. There is a lot that is taken from his hands to the show runners and EPs. They do a basic directing job, but the nitty gritty of directing a whole film isn't there. What you also realize, is these guest directors also bring some cache and fans of the director.

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pizzapit t1_j1mckig wrote

That and you'll often find the pivotal episodes in a season are directed by the showrunner themselves to further keep a handle on the tone of the series

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