2009: The Directors and Writers Thread

[boldfan01]

She wrote the script on Feb 5, but that was the day before her first breakdown work. But on Feb 13, she was the only name listed after Minardi Slater/Kanelos/Milstein, which according to Toups, means she wrote the script and Sheffer or the AHW's wrote the breakdown.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

After talking about B&B directing to a friend in-dept, he pointed out just how badly directed Deveney Kelly's episodes are, and I have to agree. At times, you can see the shadows of the boom/boom operator in her episodes and all sorts of other things.

I also don't know how Shaughnessy let Ron Moss do what he did at the end of last Monday's episode. I'm disappointed. But I still love him.

Cynthia J. Popp is hit or miss, but fairly consistent.

Michael Stich is flawless and the best.

[Soapsuds]

Try to ACT??

He is the best!

[Darlotto99]

glad to see most of the old Y&R regieme back in the Bell fold! im sure Kathy Foster eventually will make her way back to the Y&R but being at the B&B is not so bad she's close to home.

[boldfan01]

I never noticed, but maybe I'll pay a bit more attention when she shows up next in the rotation. Did you see any of that in the handful of Y&R episodes she directed late last year?

I'm assuming you're referring to Ridge storming in at the end with his, "You won't take Steffy from me, too, Rick!" rant. I guess only Shaughnessy and the others in the booth with him when they shot that - probably Rhonda Friedman, plus the assistant director - can say how it happened. I can think a few possible reasons, ranging from "that was they wanted" (although I'd probably question why if that was the case) to their having x number of takes to get that shot with the one they used being the best of the bunch. Sometimes, the director can only do so much with what's on hand for him or her to work with.

Agreed. He's a favorite with a lot of people for just that reason.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yes, most of them were fairly average episodes, but I think directors at B&B have a lot more free reign than directors at other soaps.

The only episode I can best remember from the few she directed at Y&R last year was the one with Katherine's fall outside of Murphy's trailer. That was well done. The overall directing at Y&R seems to taken a different tone too since Rauch started handling production. I notice they've done shots atop staircases, and they've been shooting from more angles that make the sets look bigger than they actually are. I remember Rauch doing some stuff like this when he first joined GL.

[sheilaforever]

I agree that Kelly's directing often sucks. She has those weird "insprirations" when they use the ceiling camera in the Forrester foyer. She loves staiwell shots, too. It often looks really strange. Cynthia Popp is a mix between such styles and the flawless Stich direction but her campy styles at least totally fit the show and look great.

Jennifer Howard is my second favorite director. She's fabulous and gets far too little chances to show it.

Nice to see Kathryn Foster back in the Bell fold, BTW.

[boldfan01]

I wonder Y&R undid some of Lynn Marie Latham's changes to the Y&R sets and soundstages. I remember all the hoopla about how Latham decided to revamp the sets, especially Newman Enterprises, to make them more true-to-life (e.g. walking in the halls, elevator scenes). It's been almost a year since Latham's ousting, and it's possible that Josh Griffith might have dealt with some of that stuff while he was in charge, so it could be a combination of him and Rauch if that happened. But getting rid of that stuff and going back to more traditional soap sets seems like it would be a smart move for Y&R, and that would give Rauch the opportunity to put his own personal stamp on it in the ways you describe.

[MarkH]

I do sincerely miss (*ducking*) the walking down the Newman corridor, the elevator scenes, and the break room.

[boldfan01]

Honestly, I liked them, too, and I really don't see why the breakroom had to be sacrificed other than the fact that it was one of LML's pride and joys. The set could have easily been rebuilt as a standard soap set and kept as a common place where people can logically run into each other.

At the same time, though, the revamp of the NE set that allowed all the "moving" scenes to exist, from what I remember reading, involved a substantial cost to create NE as a permanent set that took up a good chunk of soundstage space. I just have to question the cost/benefit comparison of just was gained and lost by that whole change. If we gained a sense of action in the show that kept scenes moving where they once were static in the standard style sets, how much money did we spend that could have been otherwise allocated to something else? If the new NE took up more space than the old one, did we lose the number of other locations that Y&R could use in an episode due to the size of their two soundstages? I'd be curious to see how that pros and cons comparison would measure up, and if there was a lot in the con column, it might explain why those sets had to go.

Looking at Y&R today, we have quite a few sets that have been getting frequent airplay like the diner (which we probably won't see much of now), Murphy's trailer, Jimmie's bar, and the Abbott cabin, along with the usual haunts like the Chancellor, Abbott and Newman homes, Jabot, NE, the Athletic Club, etc. Juts makes me wonder if we could have such a diverse set of sets on a regular basis if we had the big NE set that let LML work her magic.

[R Sinclair]

Anyway...

What's Michelle Patrick's ETA to AMC?

[MarkH]

All valid points...but I still liked that Newman set. Of course, the story suited it...for a time there, it seemed like EVERYTHING happened at Newman. Not that there was anything wrong with that...though it got a little nutty when Jack started running his campaign out of there, and NVP did too .

Another set I can't say I miss (except for one hot summer day when Blair Redford, Greg Rikaart and Michael Graziadei all got it in their head to do some shirtless tanning) is the rooftop, ceiling'ed-in pool of the GCAC. That seemed like a pretty extensive build...and then it just disappeared.

I did like LML's basketball court...but I think we've seen that under MAB (Amber and Daniel on the court), so I have hopes of seeing that again.

I wonder if this set discussion is appropriate for this thread?

[Darlotto99]

If I hear anyone say let LML magic work im gonna puke that woman is the daytime anti christ! she single handadley tryed to destroy the Y&R will all her bullshit belifes. hope to god we never see her again

[R Sinclair]

GOOD QUESTION!

[BethP]

R Sinclair....just thought I'd let you know that Michelle Patrick was credited as the writer on today's episode. I know you've been waiting with baited breath, LOL!