By Bethany Rooney

In the past month, I co-taught 54 rising directors the craft of directing episodic narrative television.

People ask me frequently if I always wanted to be a director; if I knew as a child that that was my destiny.

SUCCESS IN DIRECTING: DO THE WORK AND HAVE FAITH

I was asked in an interview again recently why I am still excited about directing film, as if I should be bored with it after doing it for so long. And I replied easily…

I got scolded yesterday. As a grown-up with decades of experience in my field, I don’t experience that kind of disapproval often. But it happened – and it took me right back to childhood.

There’s a metaphor that proposes that a new difficult experience is like jumping into the deep end of a pool and learning to swim even though the water is over your head.

The Emmy nominations came out last week, and two women directors were nominated…

I was doing all sorts of things to avoid writing. I scrolled through emails and Facebook. I made some phone calls.

I was born an optimist. Lucky, I know. I not only see the glass as half-full, I think it’s a pitcher. Bigger, better, full of more good stuff.

It seems to me that when something goes wrong, I have to take a clear objective look at the sequence of events and make an assessment. My three choices are:

At the close of every one of my childhood visits with my grandmother, she would comfort me with the aphorism, “All good things must come to an end.”

Directors sometimes need to be encouraged to use their words too.

The bad news: “We booked all our slots already, we can’t offer you a job right now.”

But –

For the past six months, I’ve been in the enviable position of observing other directors as they work while I’m the producing director of the CBS drama, BULL. This is an unusual experience for me because

The fundamental relationship between director and actor is one of trust.

I am not a female director, I am a good director.

Because I absolutely love directing.

Because I have knowledge to share.

Because the business needs it.

I just directed an episode of a show that was WAY outside my comfort zone.