ABSTRACT
Julie Plec opens by talking about how she never intended to direct but gradually warmed up to the idea after years of writing and showrunning. She talks about how she prepped for her first episode of The Vampire Diaries by writing the episode to her strengths – to emotion and a lot of two-person character scenes. She explains why she utilized the visual motifs of sun flares and overhead shots throughout the episode, and describes how she approached a multi-character funeral scene. She then talks about the relationship between editing and directing, and how both disciplines inform each other and how happy accidents are one of the best parts of filmmaking. She discusses her comfort level as a director, and how that was challenged when she directed the pilot of Roswell. She also discusses other shows she directed that she did not produce, Time After Time and Riverdale, and lists the qualities she looks for in other directors. She concludes with a more in-depth discussion of Roswell, and how directing a pilot differs from an episode of a preexisting show.
