Navigate All Facets of Comedy With 'The Office' & 'Abbott Elementary' Director Ken Whittingham
Ken Whittingham has directed shows we all know and love such as, The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation. More recently, he has worked on the TV comedy, Abbot Elementary, which uses a mockumentary production style, similar to The Office. While Ken is an award-winning director with over 25 years of experience, he believes in the power of teamwork and respecting everyone on set regardless of their title.
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Show Notes
Ken Whittingham has directed shows we all know and love such as, The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation. More recently, he has worked on the TV comedy, Abbot Elementary, which uses a mockumentary production style, similar to The Office. While Ken is an award-winning director with over 25 years of experience, he believes in the power of teamwork and respecting everyone on set regardless of their title.
In today’s episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins speaks with director Ken Whittingham and BraveMaker podcast host Priscilla Lam to discuss:
- Selling a script as a new PA
- How Ken became a television director
- Learning how to clearly communicate with actors
- The balance between giving actors autonomy and giving them direction
- An awkward moment with Alec Baldwin on the set of 30 Rock
- Tone meetings - what are they and why are they important
- Treating the documentarian in The Office as if it were a separate character
- The power of subtlety in comedy
- How Ken and Priscilla met
- Transitioning from TV into film
- Our favorite shows, movies, and hobbies
Memorable Quotes
- “I still get nervous. Every Sunday night before I shoot Monday morning, I’m nervous.” [10:37]
- “You can’t get into this business, thinking about money. You have to go with your passion, and really believe in yourself.” [42:56]
- “Everybody’s job is important and nobody’s job is more important than the other. It’s a team effort.” [48:01]
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