Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1126636
84 DGA QUARTERLY PHOTOS: PHOTOFEST FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Peter Berg (Oct. 3, 2006) > Emmy-nominated pilot director Peter Berg— who also directed a fi lm version of the source material, the nonfi ction Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream, by H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger—has said that one of his motivations for developing the series about high school football culture in Texas was to fl esh out many of the book's interpersonal relationships that were excised from the fi lm due to time constraints. Berg also insisted on shooting in Texas and giving the actors freedom to roam without artifi cial marks. "The core philosophy of the shooting style," said Berg, "is that the cameras should organize their movements and behaviors based upon what the actors are doing"—like a documentary crew going after the action. THE WIRE Clark Johnson "The Target" (June 2, 2002) > Although this series—which ambitiously tackles everything from Baltimore's drug trade to the interworkings of its city government, educational system and news media— received mixed reviews upon its initial outing. It has come to be regarded by several critics as one of the most rewarding TV shows of all time. Clark Johnson, who directed three of the fi rst fi ve episodes, including the pilot, helped establish The Wire's gritty authenticity. "The show has a look of its own, and the place that it's set in (Baltimore), is an important character," Johnson told NPR. "And because of the theme of the show, which is to surveil and observe and watch from a distance, we took the idea to use a long lens and watch from afar. That's been the look of the show—that detached view."