April 7, 2022

Take 61 - Director Tessa Blake, NCIS Hawaii, American Horror Story

Take 61 - Director Tessa Blake, NCIS Hawaii, American Horror Story

We talk to director Tessa Blake about her rise through the world of episodic TV.
She talks about the balance between craft and leadership skills, what she learned as a cocktail waitress and the importance of learning people's names.
Tessa tells us about early rejections, insinuations that women couldn't succeed in this part of the industry and her attempts at writing.
She explains how she overcame the obstacles in front of her, her legendary levels of preparation and how she uses that preparation to free her up to be flexible on set.
An honest and powerful discussion about directing, industry bias and making great television.