Production Professionals

John Bartley on the importance of the camera operator (and other camera crew)

John Bartley on the responsibilities of a Director of Photography

Wade Bingham on working with CBS News correspondents and producers when shooting a story

Wade Bingham on the job of a camera operator/cinematographer on a news program or documentary series

Wade Bingham on starting to use multiple cameras for news stories

Frank Biondo on going to school for TV production

Frank Biondo on the types of cameras he worked with in TV production in the 1960s and working in early color television

Frank Biondo on the types of camera shots on Sesame Street Christmas specials and Sesame Street

Frank Biondo on what he enjoys about being a camera operator

Haskell Boggs on new filming techniques that came about during the run of Bonanza

Haskell Boggs on learning to deal with the smaller sized television screen during his time was director of photography on Bonanza

Haskell Boggs on acting as director of photography for the Bonanza episode "Bushwhacked, and on the importance of a director of photography knowing the script

Haskell Boggs on dealing with the weather and daylight when working on location on Bonanza

Haskell Boggs on how cinematography techniques changed during his time on Bonanza and moving to the Warner Bros. set

Haskell Boggs on the differences between shooting for television and shooting features and on working with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope

Haskell Boggs on advice to aspiring directors of photography

Robert Caminiti on the difference between stage managing and being an assistant director

Robert Caminiti on assistant directors editing footage

Robert Caminiti on how technology has impacted Saturday Night Live and the job of assistant director

Robert Caminiti on advice for aspiring television production professionals

Robert Caminiti on advice for aspiring assistant directors

Charles Cappleman on his duties as a stage manager, and on working on Climax! and Playhouse 90

Charles Cappleman on his duties as assistant director of design and production operations at CBS in the 1960s

Charles Cappleman on managing the production electronics department at CBS

Charles Cappleman on the technological innovation he oversaw at CBS as manager of production electronics

Charles Cappleman on the role CBS executives like Frank Stanton played in technological innovation while he was manager of production electronic, and on its impact on news gathering

Charles Cappleman on how new technology impacted the CBS coverage of political conventions

Charles Cappleman on his duties as director of special projects at CBS

Charles Cappleman on his duties as director of program production services at CBS

Thomas Del Ruth on his style of communication and his early projects as a cameraman 

Thomas Del Ruth on what a director of photography does and working with directors

Thomas Del Ruth on acting as director of photography on various made-for-television movies and on the technical aspects of the job

Thomas Del Ruth on his visual style 

Thomas Del Ruth on the most important developments in television cinematography 

Thomas Del Ruth on his advice to an aspiring cinematographer 

Gerald Perry Finnerman on dealing with the color scheme on Star Trek, and on the visual style of the show

Gerald Perry Finnerman on making the Enterprise lurch forward or stop short on Star Trek, and on the challenges of lighting the interior

Gerald Perry Finnerman on the equipment used to shoot Star Trek, and on the special effects of the show

Gerald Perry Finnerman on dealing with the budgets of Star Trek as the cinematographer

Gerald Perry Finnerman on being director of photography for Police Woman, being signed to work at Columbia Television, and working with different types of film stock

Gerald Perry Finnerman on the challenges of doing cinematography for made-for-television movies

Gerald Perry Finnerman on filming the black and white Moonlighting episode "The Dream Sequence Always Rings Twice"

Gerald Perry Finnerman on the cinematographer's relationship with the director, and on what he looks for in a gaffer

Frank Inn on the keys to his success as an animal trainer

Frank Inn on advice to aspiring Hollywood animal trainers

Frank Inn on the specific talents an animal trainer must possess

Frank Inn on his technique training animals

Frank Inn on the difference between training male dogs and female dogs, and on his animals getting awards

Charles Floyd Johnson on being a production coordinator at Universal Studios

Stewart MacGregory on how the advent of color affected his job as stage coordinator 

Stewart MacGregory on the technical aspects of being a unit manager on Wide Wide World

Stewart MacGregory on the difference between a unit manager and a production manager 

Stewart MacGregory on the duties of a stage coordinator 

Kent McCray on the craft of being a production manager

Kent McCray on the importance of keeping things light with his crew

Barney McNulty on how he became involved with The Ed Wynn Show, where he first wrote out cue cards

Barney McNulty on the physical aspects of cue cards

Barney McNulty on the logistics of writing out cue cards and working with performers

Barney McNulty on dealing with emergency situations with cue cards and on the need to be quick on your feet

Barney McNulty on perfecting his cue card system over the years and on his competition

Barney McNulty on dealing with shadows from cue cards and getting actors to not look like they're looking at the cards

Barney McNulty on using shorthand on the cue cards or using key words

Barney McNulty on how he got his cue card assignments and on his cue card company Ad-Libs

Barney McNulty on cue card professionals dealing with censorship

Barney McNulty on working with actors reading cue cards, including an initially reluctant Bette Davis

Emily Meisler on starting to work for The Ed Sullivan Show in 1963 -- on her job duties as a production secretary, including writing down lyrics for songs that would be performed

Donald A. Morgan on becoming a lighting director under Tommy Schamp's tutelage on Another Day

Donald A. Morgan on what a lighting director is responsible for

Donald A. Morgan on what makes a good lighting setup

Donald A. Morgan on lighting and camera basics - differences between a pedastal and dolly setup

Donald A. Morgan on shooting on videotape and how that impacts lighting decisions

Donald A. Morgan on lighting different skin tones for television in the 1970s

Donald A. Morgan on learning from film cinematographers on films that shot on the KTTV lot during summers

Donald A. Morgan on how he became a director of photography

Donald A. Morgan on the responsibilities of a director of photography

Donald A. Morgan on calling cues

Donald A. Morgan on becoming a gaffer/electrician/lighting designer

Donald A. Morgan on lighting cars, and a memorable setup on Last Man Standing

Donald A. Morgan on working with a fifth camera, often a jib

Donald A. Morgan on working on multiple shows at once and how his weekly schedule is divided for prep and production

Donald A. Morgan on where he physically is during shooting

Donald A. Morgan on the crew that he oversees and who has to be where when

Donald A. Morgan on how involved he is with post-production and on working with a colorist

Donald A. Morgan on a cinematographer and a director of photography being the same role

Donald A. Morgan on a cinematographer and a director of photography being the same role

Donald A. Morgan on advice to aspiring cinematographers

Donald A. Morgan on cinematographers who have influenced or mentored him and on cinematographers he has mentored

Donald A. Morgan on loving the creativity he gets to have with his work

Donald A. Morgan on how cinematography for television has changed since he first started in the business

Donald A. Morgan on his work as a mentor

Donald A. Morgan on advice to aspiring cinematographers

Donald A. Morgan on his signature style

Bernie Oseransky on deciding he wanted to work on the production side of television while he was still an usher at CBS studios in the 1950s; on his duties as an usher

Bernie Oseransky on what he learned as an usher at CBS Studios early in his career

Hector Ramirez on being staff vs. a freelance camera operator

Hector Ramirez on how shooting in front of a live audience changes what was done in rehearsal

Hector Ramirez on his start as a camera operator for CBS

Hector Ramirez on qualities a good camera operator has

Hector Ramirez on what makes a good camera operator

Hector Ramirez on the elements of good composition and his visual style

Ed Resnick on advice to aspiring cameramen

Abby Singer on the duties of a unit production manager

Abby Singer on what makes a good production manager

Abby Singer on the main responsibilities of a production manager/executive, and a typical work week

Abby Singer on advice to people getting into production management and his influence in the business

Ira Skutch on becoming a stage manager for NBC

Ira Skutch on his duties as a stage manager

Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television, and on stage managing Hour Glass

James Wall on being the first African-American stage manager on Broadway

James Wall on the basic role of a stage manager for television

James Wall on the importance of collaborating with the director as a television stage manager

James Wall on how television stage managers are assigned jobs

James Wall on how a stage manager is different from an assistant director in television

James Wall on advice to a young television stage manager

James Wall on how Vaudeville, nightclubs, and the Army prepared him to be a television stage manager

Joseph M. Wilcots on becoming the first Black member of the cinematographers union

Joseph M. Wilcots on the cinematographers union not being quick to welcome Black members

Joseph M. Wilcots on the challenges of lighting Roots

Joseph M. Wilcots on depth of field and selective focus when shooting; on the use of filters

Joseph M. Wilcots on technological innovations during his career and on working with a crew

Joseph M. Wilcots on advice to an aspiring cinematographer

Ben Wolf on the role of a cinematographer in television

Ben Wolf on how the television cinematographer works with the lighting director

Ben Wolf on the television cinematographer working with the director

Ben Wolf on cinematographers working with assistant directors and stage managers

Ben Wolf on cinematographers establishing a look for a show with lighting directors

Ben Wolf on shot composition 

Ben Wolf on advice to someone starting out in the cinematography business

Ben Wolf on how cinematography has changed

Ben Wolf on then-recent technological developments for cameras and then-current cinematography