It talks about how a showrunner 'might' use a different director each episode when in fact that is standard practise. An episode of an hour long drama takes eight days to shoot, and about a week in pre production and a week post, both of which need the director completly involved. This means there is no way he could direct an episode straight after another one.

zz9 | August 12, 20:24 CET

I thought the bit about the Guild requirement that at least one episode a season be written by a freelancer was interesting -- I hadn't heard that before. I was glad to see an explanation for why once a season I look at the writing credit and go "What? Huh? Who?"....

Lolly | August 12, 23:32 CET

Is that Guild requirement really true? Cuz Buffy season 4, 5, & 7 didn't have any freelancers, as far as I can recall.

Invisible Green | August 13, 00:18 CET

Good little piece. I too am curious about the Guild rule concerning freelancers. It would certainly explain the show's rather odd habit of hiring the occasional freelancer but like Invisible Green says, it seems like some years don't have freelancers. The author seems knowledgeable enough that I will give her benefit of the doubt and simply say that I need to look into this more (but where is the question).

Also, the little part about showruners using different directors is there to merely highlight the differences between the director & executive producer in the two mediums (film & TV), how the showruner is the more powerful of the two in television.

Unitas | August 13, 04:33 CET

Invisible Green, I believe you are correct. I just checked those seasons and all of the writers were part of Joss' staff as far as I can tell. Now, he added writers such as Drew Goddard in season 7, but that isn't the same as a freelancer writer. May be a clause in rules perhaps?

Madhatter | August 13, 12:50 CET