Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/835200
38 DGA QUARTERLY PHOTOS: (TOP) MICHAEL YARISH/WARNER BROS.; (BOTTOM) DUSTIN SNIPES that says, 'Oh, comedy has to look this way, it has to look super bright.' But the way we shoot Insecure is motivated by the mental state of each of our characters." Matsoukas filmed one seduction sequence entirely in deep indigo and black. "We wanted to take a stylized approach, hide some things in the shadow to make it more intimate and sexy and real," she says. "If you've ever been in a studio, they tend to be smoky and dark. I try to think about all of that when we do the color timing of our scenes." Matsoukas also tailors camera moves to suit the show's key characters. "Issa lives in this un- stable mentality with her relationships and her work," says the director. "She finds herself in a lot of awkward situations so I mimic that with the camera work and use a lot more hand-held in Issa's setups." The star's best friend Molly (Yvonne Orji) calls for a different look. "Molly's very confident in her corporate workspace so we usually go with cooler tones and static, com- posed camera work for her scenes. My approach for the series is all about creating different worlds for different characters." Traditional sitcoms rely on a clear-cut divi- sion of labor. Directors coax the funniest perfor- mances from actors who deliver scripted jokes supplied, and sometimes tweaked, on set by the show's writers. "I'm the last piece in the puzzle," Cendrowski says. "It's my job to establish trust between the players on the stage and what's coming down every week from the writers." But many contemporary comedies feature performers with improv backgrounds who re- gard the written word as a jumping-off point. "On The Office, we'd do the scene as scripted and then go, 'All right, let's do a fun run,' meaning ev- erybody does whatever they want to do for two or three takes," says Whittingham, who's also directed such improv-friendly sitcoms as Parks and Recreation and The Mindy Project. " We might just keep going if the stuff we found was funnier than what's on the page." However, he adds, "Some people are good comedic actors but they're not good at improv." Berg became adept at catching improvisa- tional lightning in a bottle when he directed ac- tors in Curb Your Enthusiasm who made up their own dialogue within a tightly structured story outline. By contrast, Silicon Valley cast members usually stick to the script. "The show's so tech- nical, if an actor says something the wrong way or changes a word here or there, it's not accu- "It's much more difficult to be successful in a multi- camera show because you're being judged con- stantly by the jokes you have on every page." — M A R K C E N D R O W S K I Mark Cendrowski, center, stays on point on the set of The Big Bang Theory; opposite, Alec Berg, in black hoodie, keeps things lively while filming Silicon Valley.