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The Director’s Prep: Blocking & Shot Listing

April 6, 2019

A DGA Director Development Initiative interactive lab in New York

On April 6, the DGA Director Development Initiative held its first interactive lab of 2019 on the East Coast. DGA members seeking ways to better prepare for their next episodic directing assignment gathered at the Guild’s New York offices for The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing, an event where members participated in an experiential workshop in which they would block and shot list a scene and get feedback on their work from experienced directors.

Following a welcome by DGA Assistant Executive Director Michael Berger, DGA Diversity Task Force Co-Chair Bethany Rooney (Bull) spoke briefly about the program and introduced the panelists for the lab: Directors David McCoy Barrett (Blue Bloods), Jim McKay (Better Call Saul) and Michael Slovis (New Amsterdam).

In a conversation moderated by Rooney, the panelists defined “blocking” and “shot listing” and discussed why directors do this, the benefits of doing so and some of the pitfalls in not doing it.

Following the discussion, the assembly broke into pods where the panelists acted as moderators to teach the attendees how to block and shot list. Each pod worked with a sample script and floor plan provided by the moderator and the participants were given 20 minutes to block and shot list a scene and receive feedback. At the end of the day, the pods reassembled and the moderators screened the actual scenes from the sample scripts as they were originally shot.


DGA members can watch the full video from other
Director Development Initiative events by clicking here.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Bethany Rooney (moderator)
Rooney has directed over 220 episodes of primetime network television over the past thirty years and is still amazingly enthusiastic about the creative process and the craft! She has expanded her visibility in the business, moving from freelance director (NCIS, Criminal Minds, The Blacklist) to producer/director (The Originals, Bull) She is sharing her hard-earned knowledge and giving back, especially to incoming directors, by teaching the Warner Brothers TV Directors Workshop and co-chairing the DGA Diversity Committee. Along with her co-chair, Todd Holland, Rooney has created, developed and now oversees the Directors Development Initiative, the training and networking program for new directors at the DGA. The directing textbook she co-wrote with Mary Lou Belli, Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing, remains the preeminent resource for episodic directors and is in wide use in studio diversity programs and university classes. A DGA member since 1985, Rooney formerly served as a Co-Chair of the Guild’s Women’s Steering Committee and is currently member of the Western Directors Council, an alternate on the DGA National Board and a Co-Chair of the DGA Diversity Task Force.
 

David McCoy Barrett
Barrett is a television/film director and producer who has directed over 100 episodes for more than 40 different television series. Presently a recurring director and co-executive producer of the hit CBS crime drama, Blue Bloods Barrett’s other directorial credits include episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, Fear the Walking Dead, Zoo, Under the Dome, Arrow, The Mentalist, Once Upon a Time, Castle, NCIS: Los Angeles, Cold Case, Smallville, Fastlane, FreakyLinks and Pacific Blue. Barrett has been a DGA member since 1998.
 

Jim McKay
A DGA member since 2003, McKay currently serves on the Eastern Directors Council. His directorial credits includes the feature films Girls Town, Our Song, Everyday People and En el Séptimo Día (On the Seventh Day); the full-length documentary Lighthearted Nation; the feature-length concert film Tourfilm: R.E.M.; the movie for television Angel; and episodes of the series Wire, In Treatment, Treme, Mr. Robot, The Americans, The Good Wife, Boss, Breaking Bad, Rectify, Power, The Good Fight and Better Call Saul.
 

Michael Slovis
Slovis has worked as a producer/director with fellow key creative producers that developed the visual/audio languages and performance styles of Preacher and, currently, New Amsterdam. His directorial credits include episodes of The Walking Dead, Ed, Rubicon, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, 30 Rock, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., Hell on Wheels, Grace Point, Elementary, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Man in the High Castle, The Affair, The New Yorker, The Path and The Looming Tower. Slovis has been a DGA member since 2003.
About the Director Development Initiative:

The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s mission to increase the diversity of the industry.

Pictures

photos by Marcie Revens

View slideshow
Director Jim McKay, DGA Diversity Task Force Co-Chair Bethany Rooney (moderator) and Directors David McCoy Barrett and Michael Slovis were the panelists for the DDI interactive lab, The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing.
DGA Assistant Executive Director Michael Berger welcomes the attendees to the Director Development Initiative interactive lab, The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing.
DGA Diversity Task Force Co-Chair Bethany Rooney (moderator) speaks about the program and introduces the panelists for the DDI interactive lab, The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing.
DGA members gather to learn about the Episodic Television Directors’ approach to “blocking” and “shot listing” during the Director Development Initiative interactive lab, The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing.
Director David McCoy Barrett, DGA Diversity Task Force Co-Chair Bethany Rooney (moderator) and Directors Michael Slovis and Jim McKay define “blocking” and “shot listing” for the attendees of the Director Development Initiative interactive lab.
Director Jim McKay speaks about his approach to blocking on shows like Better Call Saul.
Director David McCoy Barrett reveals how his years of experience in the industry has shaped his approach to the blocking process on series from FreakyLinks to Blue Bloods.
Director Michael Slovis reveals how finds the best ways to shoot a scene for maximum effect by meticulous preparation on shows like New Amsterdam.
Veteran director Bethany Rooney lends her expertise on “blocking” and “shot listing” to a breakout pod during the Director Development Initiative interactive lab.
A lab attendee gets feedback on his approach to the “blocking” process during a breakout pod led by Bethany Rooney.
Veteran director David McCoy Barrett gives practical advice on “blocking” and “shot listing” during a Director Development Initiative interactive lab breakout pod.
DGA members learn more about how directors block scenes and make shot lists during the Director Development Initiative interactive lab, The Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing.
Veteran director Jim McKay shares his personal insights on the prep process during a Director Development Initiative interactive lab breakout pod.
A Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing lab attendee gets feedback on the process from during a breakout session led by Jim McKay.
Using a sample script, veteran Director Michael Slovis (right) leads a breakout pod through his views on the process of “blocking” and “shot listing.”
A Director’s Prep: Blocking and Shot Listing lab attendee gets hands-on experience on the process from during a breakout session led by Michael Slovis.

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5/31/2025 - 6/6/2025

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