TV directors breaking into feature films

7/28/2019 TV directors breaking into feature films

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an even more suppnessed mito break into movies. Forhis hits "The War of the Roses" and"Throw Momma From the Train," De-Vito the director has broken a barrierthat's stymied some of TV's best andbrightest.Take James Burrows, the much-honored co-creator of "Cheers." Hisone feature film, the cop comedy"Partners" (1982), was a 20-mega.tonbomb. Likewise Peter Bonerz, whowent fiom playrng Jerry on "The BobNewhart Show" to directing "Murphy

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um shots, and use close-ups for punctu-ation," he says. "On the little screen,you use close-ups just to tell the darn'story."And also to help keep within rela-tively limited TV budgets. "On a tele-vision show," says Bilson, "you havetwo guys in a room talking. On a TVmovie, they're talking at a politicalconvention with a bunch of extras.On a feature, they're talking whilejumping from an airplane and wait-


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always looking at his watch, gongminutes until we break for lunch!Ict's hurry it up!' You find yourself- and I guess it'e true for directorsas well - going with your frrst in-stinctive choice. There's no time tomull it over and 'Hmmm, what if Itry this?' or 'What if I try that?"'I;ls assembiy-'ne approacnI naturallv eives rise to a cer-I tain desd of hackdom. JusrI ilx"'":Lt f,"Pr""ti:'"f,I"7


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TVAIID FILM DIlaughing about this. But he was such a shhe knew what the mumbling was about. Soin and shot one in ta.'o days!" says Kulik,"He knew they were sayrng, 'Let's see;iE;: great man can do."l:ji And, too, there's one area where TV:; ':1'-:'havd parity with their feature-film coun

i'1ii.i money. "I've made a fortune," chuckles A,i.i.r.j, swear to you, I've made a fortune. Not,i;,ii1 television pay well, but the reruns pay we

TV directors breaking into feature films

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