BPS 176: Behind the Curtain of Great Television with Dan Attias

If you have ever been interested in directing television or a
series on Netflix then this is the episode for you. Today on the
show we have legendary television director Dan Attias.

Dan has worked as a director in the film and television
industry for 37 years. As a director of series television he has
received the Directors Guild of America award for outstanding
direction of dramatic television and has been nominated for
multiple Emmy awards for his comedy directing. He continues to work
on some of the most celebrated and critically acclaimed American
television shows, including Homeland, The Americans, The Marvelous
Mrs. Maisel, Billions, and The Boys.

Previously he has directed The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under,
True Blood, Entourage, The Killing, The Walking Dead, True
Detective, Ray Donovan, Bloodline, Friday Night Lights, Northern
Exposure, House, Lost, Alias, among many others. His first
professional directing assignment was the feature film, Stephen
King’s Silver Bullet, produced by Dino DeLaurentiis. Dan started
his career studying acting, then worked as an assistant director
under Steen Spielberg on E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Airplane!, One
From the Heart and several other feature films.

He has taught acting and directing workshops in the United States,
and has appeared as a guest speaker at festivals in Italy, Brazil,
Greece, Mexico and Canada. Before working in the film and
television industry, Dan was enrolled in a Ph.D. program in English
literature at U.C.L.A., then transferred to the Theater Arts
Department where he earned an M.F.A. in film production.

His new book Directing Great Television: Inside TV’s New Golden
Age dives deep into his career, techniques and amazing behind
the scenes stories of some of the best television shows in
history.

Sharing his own process honed over a decades-long career,
Emmy-nominated director Dan Attias brings you into the actual
experience of directing series television. Whether it’s the
high-stakes pressure of solving a last-minute problem on set, or
the joy of pulling off a perfect shot by the skin of your teeth,
Attias brings you right into the director’s chair, sharing his
knowledge and taking you through the process one challenging
episode at a time.

Offering a fundamental focus on story, and eschewing industry
language for plain talk, Attias offers in-depth guidance how best
to work with actors, how to “speak” through the camera, how to work
with a showrunner, and how to be ready for the many ways a director
will be challenged, large and small. Directing Great Television is
a fascinating window into television’s best shows, compelling to
directors and non-directors alike.

Attias’s book transcends other filmmaking guides by detailing his
journey to a surprising place of self-discovery, one with
applications beyond entertainment.

Enjoy my conversation with Dan Attias.

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