Jensen Ackles as a Director on Supernatural
Excerpted from Supernatural Then and Now: Survival of the Fittest with Bob Singer (S7EP23)
ROB BENEDICT: Jensen directed his second episode this season. We've heard his side of the story, but what's your side on how that came to be, him directing another episode.
BOB SINGER: He did really well on the first one, he wanted to direct, it was kind of a no-brainer. The only thing we majorly had to deal with was giving him prep time.
ROB BENEDICT: Right, so it's gotta be first.
BOB SINGER: Yes, exactly. Jensen, like you, Rich, once we saw the first episode, it's a no-brainer. As you guys know, finding a good director, especially for this show… I used to tell people, we're not doing a rookie director any favor by having him or her direct this show, 'cause this is a hard show to direct. Between stunts, and visual effects, and special effects, and sometimes all three in the same scene. You gotta really kinda be buttoned up, and for somebody who's not experienced, it can really be overwhelming. But the thing is, with Jensen and you, Rich, is that you guys, especially Jensen, had been on set and there every single day and saw how it was done. Now he also has a natural affinity for directing--his staging is really good--so he knows what he's doing, and same thing for you, Rich, you'd been around, you knew the tricks. You never know until somebody really tries; I mean in the case of Misha, it didn't really work [laughter]. Maybe he's listening and getting pissed off at me.
RICHARD SPEIGHT JR.: If Misha listens to this podcast, I'll eat this hat. I think that gets a solid no.
ROB BENEDICT: Cut to you putting ketchup on your hat.
RICHARD SPEIGHT JR.: Yeah, well I guess I'll hat flambé.
ROB BENEDICT: If I could, from my non-director point of view, it seems the difference between Rich and Jensen--they're both similar in that they know how to talk to actors from my point of view--but Richard comes more from a filmmaker point of view, made films when he was younger and took film classes. Where Jensen, having worked in TV for so long, he just gets it. He's like one of those basketball players who just understands the court, he understands the game.
RICHARD SPEIGHT JR.: Like, player-coach type thing?
ROB BENEDICT: Yeah, like he knows where the players are going to go to make the perfect pass. He's just one of those guys, he just kinda knows, he knows what the camera sees, which, again, not easy.
BOB SINGER: [describes a scene he that directed a certain way to avoid the need for additional shots that Jensen commented on appreciatively] He got what I was doing.
RICHARD SPEIGHT JR.: He also seemed like the guy who wanted to get it. He paid attention. It wasn't just osmosis, it was him clocking in on what was going on around him.
ROB BENEDICT: Yeah, asking the questions, what lens are you using and things like that.
