DGA Monthly

M A R C H 2 0 2 6 I 5 Monday Night Football by fi ghting the league for better access for handheld and sideline cameras and employing larger camera crews. In a 1972 interview, Forte recalled, "What I wanted to do was get away from the conformity of CBS — a wide shot to a tight shot, over and over. I wanted to gain impact with enormous close-ups. I wanted to see all the action bigger." At the start of the 21st century, Larry Cavolina made his Super Bowl debut in 2001 with CBS' broadcast of Super Bowl XXXV. Cavolina introduced technological advancements including EyeVision and CableCam. He also directed Super Bowl XXXVIII in 2004, earning praise for the overall game broadcast despite the "wardrobe malfunction" controversy surrounding the halftime show directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller. In 2003, a new generation emerged when Drew Esocoff shepherded his fi rst Super Bowl with ABC's broadcast of Super Bowl XXXVII. "Directing the NFL is all about servicing the viewer," Esocoff once said. "The losers are sometimes a better visual than the winners." "He could just make magic," NFL announcer John Madden said of Grossman, who began isolating a camera on linemen so analysts could delve into the nuances of the game. "I'll see some old games he did, and they still hold up." When Grossman passed away in 2014, DGA 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award for Television Direction recipient Bob Fishman said of his mentor and friend, "Learning to choose the right camera shot for the moment was one of his great strengths, along with his desire to take chances. I learned those things from him as I made the transition from The NFL Today studio show to the remote and have applied them to everything I have covered." After nearly 20 years of exclusive broadcasts by CBS and NBC, ABC entered the Super Bowl rotation in 1985. Director Chet Forte guided the broadcast of Super Bowl XIX. Forte, a DGA Lifetime Achievement in Sports Direction Award recipient in 2000, had already made waves as the Director of — continued on page 6. THE 60TH SUPER BOWL: Director Drew Esocoff (inset top) has directed eight Super Bowls including this year's game at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Esocoff's team included (inset middle) Associate Directors Charlie Vancore and Alex Haubenstock. Also pictured are some of the DGA members that worked on Director Hamish Hamilton and Associate Director Hayley Collett's (inset bottom) halftime show with Bad Bunny. L-R: Stage Managers Jackie Stathis, Gary Natoli, Jeffry Gitter, Karen Tasch Weiss, Tammy Raab, Donna Parker, Alexis Stathis, Harvey Levine and Zach Figures.

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