Mary Lou Belli

Author: janasue@gmail.com

  • Directors Tell The Story

    Directors Tell The Story

    Master the technical aspects, hone your aesthetic, and find the leader inside of you who exudes that “X” factor that distinguishes the excellent director from the merely good one. Covering everything from prep to shoot, and post, I emphasize how aspiring directors can develop a creative vision-because without it, you are just technicians.

    Hands-on and practical, this book lets you not only read about the secrets of directors, it also includes exercises using original scripted material and scenes from the authors’ own TV shows, along with shot descriptions, and other materials that made the scenes possible. And if that isn’t enough, you’ll read about how 15 constantly working directors got their first job!

    Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing (Focal Press 2011)

    by Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli

    ISBN-10: 0240818733

    ISBN-13: 978-0240818733

    Buy Here

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     Review

    Written by two top female TV directors, who between them have directed hundreds of episodes of TV shows, this is an indispensable handbook for the aspiring TV director (the focus, despite the title, is largely on episodic television), and should find its place in the curriculum of any film school in the land. Its comprehensiveness is breathtaking.

    John Patterson, DGA Quarterly

     Review

    This is a precise and smart book about directing in general and directing television specifically. It is filled with common sense information that becomes second nature to a skilled, experienced director and can be so easily overlooked by a newcomer or even a working director who ought to think of another field of endeavor all together.

    Sally Field

    Review

    Directors Tell the Story has been referred to as “film school in 320 pages,” offers a different approach than most other “directing” textbooks by offering how-to’s from working professional directors. The authors designed a step-by-step format, breaking down the directing essentials to emphasize how aspiring directors can develop a creative vision:- Prep: Break-down, Casting, Production Design, Blocking, Scouting, etc; Shoot: Directing the Actors, Below the Line, Running the Set; Post: Working with Editors & Post Supervisors; Being a Director: The Demands of the Job, & Getting Started.

    TribecaFilm.com

    Review

    Trust me, this is a book that should be required reading for anyone who has aspirations in pursuing a career as a director. On the other hand, for readers as myself that have no intention of becoming directors, Directors Tell The Story: Master The Craft of Television and Film Directing will no doubt force you to watch television film from a much different perspective and appreciate the intense collaboration that takes place between the director and everyone else that plays a role in its production.

    BookPleasures.com

    Review

    Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli’s Directors Tell the Story sets out to fill the void; as directors of series, including Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives and Monk, the authors have hundreds of hours of experience between them and, thus, have first-hand knowledge of what it takes to mount television productions on tight schedules and modest budgets.

    The ASC.com

    Review

    Finally– Actual, Working Hollywood Directors Share their ‘Inner-Door’ Secrets of the Craft. These two ladies have worked on some of the most critically-acclaimed current shows, and still made time to write this ‘Can’t-Miss’ book! Call it-‘The ‘Hollywood Rules’ for Up & Coming Directors’!

    Dave A. Anselmi: Director, Producer, and Instructor, PracticalMysticProductions.com

  • Multi-Camera Sitcom Intensive

    Multi-Camera Sitcom Intensive

    You get to table read, rehearse and block, then shoot your scenes being directed by an Emmy award winning sitcom director…Me! Then I playback your “shot” scenes and give you more feedback so that when you book your next gig, you’ll feel like an old pro. Here’s how it works: you get material prior to class as if you were guest starring on a sitcom. You show up for class and in a compressed time frame, we table read, then I stage the scene. You run lines once while I mark shots, then we camera block, then shoot. You get to do 3 or 4 scenes each day and see playback of your work. I will often pinpoint a specific area I want you to focus on in your next scene. Results are amazing and casting directors notice the difference.

    WHAT: Mary Lou invites working directors to “guest direct” select scenes. 

    WHERE: To get notified on the next upcoming class, fill out our contact form under “CONTACT US” 

    WHEN: I book these around my directing schedule. Each day runs 6 hours plus a 30 minute break for lunch.

     
  • The Sitcom Basics

    The Sitcom Basics

    This short but interactive intro to my sitcom technique, is fast paced, just like working on a set. More than half the actors who show up on my sets (even award winners) look at the script and don’t know how to “Find the Joke.” We start with an interactive exercise that helps you pick out the jokes. Then I teach you how to deliver them. Then you’ll watch a few classic sitcom clips reinforcing what you already learned.To finish, you do up to a dozen micro-scenes aimed at mastering rhythm, emphasis and timing.

    This class works great with up to 30 people performing. Up to 20 more can audit…and laugh!

    WHERE:
    Available as stand alone class for Los Angeles acting schools or for universities throughout U.S. and Canada.

    WHEN:
    Anytime. Ideal class length is 90 minutes. Adaptable for 45 minutes to 3 hours.

    BONUS:
    I offer “The NEW Sitcom Career Book” at a discount.

  • The New Sitcom Career Book

    The New Sitcom Career Book

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     This book is in its 2nd edition because the 1st printing disappeared off the shelves and folks were clamoring to get a hold of a copy…and I wanted to make sure that new buyers had the most up-to-date info about the continually growing sitcom world. You’ll learn to find the jokes and how to deliver them. The rules, the language and the traditions will be revealed, along with a colorful, first person-account of what it feels like to be on the set. “The NEW Sitcom Career Book” includes insider information that guides many of the key players- actors, directors, writers, casting directors, costume designers, camera operators and editors. It also shares the unique language that directors use to get actors to “deliver the funny,” as well as the story and structure writers need to know to create a pilot.
    [orange-background-start] “The NEW Sitcom Career Book” (Maplewood Press, 2013) by Mary Lou Belli and Phil Ramuno Foreward by Henry Winkler, Preface by Robert Greenblatt ISBN-10: 0989342803 ISBN-13: 978-0989342803 Buy Here  
    Review: “There is not another book about sitcoms that gives this inside information. Mary Lou’s extensive experience as a working sitcom director is reflected on every page.”
    Scott Sedita  (Author “The Eight Characters of Comedy” “Scott Sedita’s Guide To Making It In Hollywood” and the “Actor Audition App”)

    Review: “This book should be mandatory reading for any actor, young or old, who is ever hired or hopes to be cast on a sitcom. The knowledge and tips in this book will make an actor feel confident and creative when the director yells, “Action!”
    Richard Roat (Amazon)

    Review: “Mary Lou knows her stuff and after you read her book, you will too!”
    Manny Basanese (Amazon)

    Review: “Mary Lou is clearly the “go to” mentor to every actor who has aspirations to achieve lasting success in the very competitive sitcom business. Directors and writers might also learn a few things from this very valuable book.”
    Basil Hoffman (Author of “Cold Reading And How To Be Good At It,” and “Acting and How To Be Good At It.”)