Film Riot

How a Hollywood Legend Directs Actors

With films like Saturday Night Fever, Short Circuit, WarGames, and Dracula in his filmography, the term “legendary director” flows out of your mouth when talking about John Badham.

But film isn’t the only medium where he left his mark. Badham also directed a list of iconic shows like Heroes, The Shieldand Supernatural. His incredible career has led to a wealth of knowledge about the craft.

Lucky for us, John is passionate about sharing, and in this episode, Ryan and John dive deep into working with actors. They cover everything from staging a scene to managing big-name talent.

John Badham on Directing is a must read! It details methods for working with action, building suspense, and a 12 step “Director’s Checklist” for comprehensively analyzing any scene and how best to approach it with your actors.

Check out this amazing collection of lighting gear!

More from John

Produced by Ron Dawson

Edited by Emily Connolly