Fred Toye

FRED TOYE has been a director of – wait for it – THE GOOD WIFE, CHUCK, FRINGE, CSI:NY, HAWAII FIVE-O, MELROSE PLACE, LOST, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, GHOST WHISPERER, ALIAS – wow. As well as a producer of FRINGE and ALIAS. Fred’s new show, FALLING SKIES, begins airing in June on TNT.

Fred has taken my Acting for Directors course and the Actor-Director Lab, and is a generous, loving person (who has sent me many prospective students!). He came to our Studio Monday June 6. It was a “round table” format – so Fred could give individual support and advice as well as answer general questions.

One of the things that has been most fascinating to me about our Q&A Series is that the television directors who have so generously shared their knowledge and insight with us, have such deep connections to their work that their advice and stories apply to film directors (and actors) just as much as to TV directors.

Following are a few notes from the evening. Fred gave so much specific advice and information. Thank you, Craig Ouellette, for sharing your notes with me. I just typed them up, so the advice for directors and the advice for actors is sort of mixed in together.

Fred was a P.A. for 5 years, and then an editor 15 years, before directing his first episode.

Actors he is drawn to in auditions have a certain measure of self confidence, which means:
1) they are present,
2) they have made a strong choice,
3) they are open to conversation, and to changing their choice.

He wants actors that take ownership of the role, and that love acting. If you love what you do, it shows.

Getting to know casting directors is still a good way for actors to get called in for roles in television.

A big part of casting for the director is fighting for casting choices. It’s the job of creative people to fight for the right person for the role. He always has a choice, plus 2 alternates. He wants to be in the room, not just look at a casting tape. He always remembers the good ones. He really wants every actor to give their best. Schedule and making the day are NOT the most important thing in TV. It’s telling the story through the actors’ performances. That’s why he goes to the mat on casting.

For him, the favorite part of his job is working with actors. He’s very confident about his work with camera images, cuts etc., but actors are where the magic happens.

TV is exciting now. TV has deadlines, so it WILL get made. Getting the greenlight on a movie goes on forever. When you are new, go in with a positive, forward-looking attitude. Sometimes a script is bad, what to do? He works on it until he turns his attitude around, to, “This is going to be greatest thing I’ll ever do.” Once he understands the scene, what is the coolest way to do this? What’s the coolest in the time we have? If you have to do 6 scenes in one day, blow the doors off the scenes that you can, but probably there will be 2 you will have to do more simply than you would like.

About shaping performances. He doesn't do a lot of shaping of performance; he wants to collaborate, not tell actors how to do their jobs. He wants actors to bring it and he then he can help shape it.

Result direction. He referred many times to the disasters caused by “result direction.” Sometimes he used other terms for it. Sometimes he referred to result direction as “overdirection” or “ridiculous direction” or “overstating” - as in, "When you overstate your ideas to creative people it ruins things."

Rehearsal. Even if there’s only 15-20 minutes, he tries to create an environment of plenty of time. He always sends the crew away, except the DP, AD, and script supervisor.
1) Sit and read scene.
2) Talk about it if necessary.
3) Share what he likes, what’s interesting, what it’s about. Be able to say what it’s about in a simple sentence. Stay relaxed. Let the actors feel it out and don’t step on their process. Give them the chance to find it. Be aware that they might not get it the first time.

Blocking, shot list, camera rehearsal. Before rehearsal, he has an idea of staging and blocking and shot list. He then throws it away for rehearsal. He lets actors read the scene. He says, "I watch humans do the scene, and see how I feel when they move and block – I ask myself, do I believe this?" Then he starts implementing ideas on blocking and comes up with a shot list. After all that, he has the camera rehearsal. He takes a few minutes with the DP before actors come in for camera rehearsal. Tell DP what you have in mind, ask what he/she thinks, clear your ideas with cameraman before setting up the blocking. The TV episodics with bigger budgets have two DPs, some have one. If there are two, you have time to prep with him/her, watch movies and clips together, talk tone and style; if there is only one, there may not be time for that in-depth work with the DP. On set, the DP is your right hand.

Engaging with actors.
He finds that the actors with the most experience who love what they do are the most open to direction.

Actors may be fighting with a role because there’s something too close to home. When actors have a problem, he doesn’t call the writers. If an actor says a line is stupid, he asks, “Why is it stupid?” Fish it out.

The fun of acting is being there. Convince them to play the moment. Especially in episodic - you don’t know how it’s going to turn out.

When you need to find patience – the way to find patience is to be in the moment, to love what you are doing in every moment. Being present in the moment is key to life.

Prefers to be by the camera with handheld monitor to check shots. Actors want you present and there and want to know you’re watching. Even confident actors want to know you’re there, watching.

Working with small kids. Kids have no inhibitions. The director must learn how to harness what they give. Over-direction (result direction) will kill a kid’s confidence. When directing kid actors, it’s even more important not to give result direction, because kids shut down. Cultivate what they’re doing. Don’t cast kids on looks; cast the right kids. Have lots of patience and keep shooting. Use action verbs. Be a kind, respectful, caring person.

Fred was asked about the relationship of the director to the Producing Director. He said the Producing Director (if there is one on the show) can be an asset for freelance director, can go and back you up, and also shoot stuff for you. Always navigate your relationship with the Producing Director with tact and gentle hand. The showrunner is usually not on set.

Tell your editor what your POV of each scene is, let them know you hope they’ll find that in the footage you’ve given them. Have a conversation about tone and what the plan was.

Understand the story. Understand your tools and how to use them. Understand the story and tell it the best way you can with the tools you have. “If I don’t understand a story, I will fail.” Make a strong choice on how to tell a story and convince everyone to do it. Let material speak to you and come up with an idea. Allow the material to speak to you. How is this going to come through me. Leave yourself open under any pressures to allow magical things to happen.

Sometimes you have to be alone, sometimes you have to step aside to think.

What a director needs to accomplish: dramatize the moment and get inside each character’s head.

His prep process about understanding a story:
1) Read it, take it in.
2) On the second read, make notes, every scene. Like it. Find connections.
3) Meet with showrunner and writers. Get them to tell you “what is the point” in simple terms, for example, “a crime story about betrayal.”

He was asked whether he uses Judith’s charts [from Directing Actors] as part of his prep. He replied that when he first started directing, he did all the charts, then it began to be easier and quicker and more streamlined.

When asked what he does to nourish his own creativity, Fred said he loves what he does and is excited to be doing it. Watches old movies for inspiration. In the old movies that are good you see the story so clearly.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, Fred!! It was an inspiring evening, full of insight and positive energy and encouragement.