A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, The Complete Series

Bobby Roth has directed more than eighty episodes of television, twenty-five TV movies, and thirteen feature films, and he has been teaching film seminars throughout the world for the last ten years. Now, through interviews with more than fifty of his colleagues in the film industry, hours of original behind-the-scenes footage, and an unprecedented glimpse of production materials, A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth’s Master Class demystifies the craft of directing, handing over all the tools aspiring filmmakers need to feel comfortable walking onto a set and calling Action!

More information at http://bobbyroth.net/

Praise for A Director Prepares:

"Master Filmmaker Bobby Roth has interviewed professionals of every movie discipline and encouraged them to speak openly about their process. This is a gift - and any student or movie fan without access to the pros should take advantage of it and learn about the real nuts and bolts of filmmaking."
-Bob Mandel, AFI

“A fresh and personal take on some of the fundamental principles of filmmaking. Drawing on examples from his considerable work as a TV and movie director, Roth has produced a dynamic and informative series that engagingly combines theory and practice. Masterclass is filled with both practical advice and inspiration from Roth and his collaborators, as well as many well known actors he's directed. Anyone who wants to make movies will find this series rewarding.”
-Mark Jonathan Harris, USC

“An essential guide for film teachers and directors interested in enhancing their tool kit for directing features, television and all narrative content. I highly recommend this as a great creative primer on directing from someone with enormous experience who delivers the information with clarity, focus and clips from his own work."
–Michelle Satter, Founding Director of Sundance Labs’ Feature Film Program

“A fascinating, engaging and practical examination of the director’s process with clear, accessible explanations, excellent examples and illustrations as well as focused, insightful interviews with many of the director’s key creative collaborators. The series provides a unique and compelling window into the complex work of the film and television director and will be invaluable to aspiring filmmakers everywhere.”
-Sharon McGowan, UBC

“[A Director Prepares] will inform, entertain, and inspire those new to the industry. Highly recommended.”
–Library Journal

“Nicely filmed and edited with flair, A Director Prepares provides valuable lessons about preparation prior to shooting and how one can combine efficiency with creative spontaneity in overseeing the making of a film or TV program. Recommended.”
–Video Librarian

“A valuable resource for aspiring or beginning film makers”
-Susan Ruskin, University of North Carolina School Of The Arts

“Clear, concise and instructive.”
–Deborah Baron, USC

“Superb… Anybody interested in becoming a filmmaker whether age 6 or 60 should watch these. They are great tools.”
– Howard “Hawk” Koch, Filmmaker and former President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

"Spot-on in every way.”
–John Badham, Chapman University

“Really terrific.”
–Stephen Mamber, UCLA

“A remarkable piece of work and one that, I’m sure, will be invaluable to aspiring directors.”
-Ron Silverman, Filmmaker and former Dean of Studies at AFI

“Genius… It’s AFI in a box.”
– Joseph Uliano, Filmmaker

"A fantastic tutorial… I'm sure your students will be better directors because of your efforts."
–Mike Kelley, television creator/show-runner

“Enthralling.”
-Harry Abrams, Abrams Artists Agency

About Bobby:

Bobby Roth was born and raised in Los Angeles. He studied philosophy and creative writing at UC Berkeley before graduating with a BA in Cinema from USC in 1972. He went on to film school at UCLA, where he received his MFA in Motion Picture Production in 1975. Since then he has directed more than eighty episodes of television, twenty-five TV movies, and thirteen feature films. He was a founding member of the Independent Feature Project and the first Co-Chairman of the DGA’s Independent Feature Committee. His films have won countless awards and have been exhibited in over 100 international film festivals. He also teaches film seminars throughout the world. He still resides in Los Angeles, actively working in the entertainment industry.

Connect with us at http://bobbyroth.net/

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 1 - Preparation & Imagination

    23m — 1 text track

    Bobby Roth has directed more than eighty episodes of television, twenty-five TV movies, and thirteen feature films, and he has been teaching film seminars throughout the world for the last ten years. Now, through interviews with more than fifty of his colleagues in the film industry, hours of ori...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 2 - How to Read a Script

    20m — 1 text track

    It may seem self-explanatory, but how a director reads a script has a large impact on the way s/he prepares. This episode looks at how various key collaborators, such as first assistant directors, cinematographers, and editors, read a script in different ways, and emphasizes the many different ki...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 3 - Designing Shots

    23m — 1 text track

    One of the main elements of prep, in both film and television, is producing the shot list. This episode covers not only what a shot list is, how it should look, and whom to give it to, but also how to imbue camera instructions with emotion and personal investment. Extensive case studies from Lost...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 4 - Casting

    22m — 1 text track

    Perhaps the single most make-or-break element of directing is casting. It is also the element of directing that differs most between film and television production. This in-depth look at lessons learned from both film and TV, with case studies from Bobby’s independent films Manhood and Jack the D...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 5 - Time

    21m — 1 text track

    Ever-present in the high-stakes world of film production is the element of time. This episode covers the elements directors need to consider when collaborating with first assistant directors on building a schedule for the shoot, from juggling locations to working with different styles of cinemato...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 6 - Collaboration

    22m — 1 text track

    The director’s role is like a conductor in an orchestra, synthesizing different components by working with heads of multiple departments. This episode takes a unique look at building and maintaining relationships with your crew, and examines one of most students’ greatest anxieties about filmmaki...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 7 - Actors (Part 1)

    23m — 1 text track

    At the very core of the craft of directing is working with actors. Central to the Bobby Roth method of directing is to prepare as extensively as possible in preparation in order to be available to the actors during production. During production, time is especially precious, and actors require gre...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 8 - Actors (Part 2)

    19m — 1 text track

    At the very core of the craft of directing is working with actors. Central to the Bobby Roth method of directing is to prepare as extensively as possible in preparation in order to be available to the actors during production. During production, time is especially precious, and actors require gre...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 9 - Editing

    22m — 1 text track

    If casting is the key ingredient of prep, and working with actors is the focus of production, then editors are the main character of post-production. This episode looks at the fast-spaced editing in the television world and compares it with the more flexible possibilities of independent cinema, u...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 10 - Career

    17m — 1 text track

    The final episode looks outside the process of production itself towards what many film students find an even more urgent topic: the business of getting hired, raising funds, and getting brought back to work again. This episode focuses on interviews with showrunners, agents, and executives, who c...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, The Complete Series

    10 videos

    Bobby Roth has directed more than eighty episodes of television, twenty-five TV movies, and thirteen feature films, and he has been teaching film seminars throughout the world for the last ten years. Now, through interviews with more than fifty of his colleagues in the film industry, hours of or...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 1 - Preparation & Imagination

    1 video

    Bobby Roth has directed more than eighty episodes of television, twenty-five TV movies, and thirteen feature films, and he has been teaching film seminars throughout the world for the last ten years. Now, through interviews with more than fifty of his colleagues in the film industry, hours of or...

  • A Director Prepares: Bobby Roth's Masterclass, Episode 2 - How to Read a Script

    1 video

    It may seem self-explanatory, but how a director reads a script has a large impact on the way s/he prepares. This episode looks at how various key collaborators, such as first assistant directors, cinematographers, and editors, read a script in different ways, and emphasizes the many different ki...