IndieWire's Filmmaker Toolkit 31 Rules for Directing Episodic TV with Jon Cassar
Aug 21, 2025
Emmy-winning director Jon Cassar shares his wealth of knowledge from over 30 years in the industry. He discusses his 31 essential rules for directing, focusing on anticipating problems and effective communication on set. Jon delves into the importance of safety, the unique challenges of water scenes, and the nuance of directing child actors. He emphasizes continuous learning and hands-on involvement in set design to enhance visual storytelling, ensuring productions run smoothly while fostering collaboration among cast and crew.
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Know When To Quit A Take
- Know when a shot is 'good enough' and move on to protect the rest of the schedule.
- Avoid overrun by trusting experience to balance quality against time.
Block For One Axis And For Lighting
- Block scenes along a single axis when possible to simplify lighting and coverage.
- Favor camera-and-actor arrangements that minimize new lighting setups and speed the day.
Get Coverage But Don’t Overdo Takes
- Get the coverage you need but avoid endless extra takes once you have it.
- Keep actors comfortable and never pressure performance by showing time constraints.