But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera

by Ken Kwapis

Overview

For over three decades, director Ken Kwapis has charted a career full of exceptional movies and television, from seminal shows like The Office to beloved films like He’s Just Not That Into You.

He is among the most respected directors in show business, but getting there wasn’t easy. He struggled just like everyone else. With each triumph came the occasional faceplant. Using his background and inside knowledge, But What I Really Want To Do is Direct tackles Hollywood myths through Ken’s highly entertaining experiences. It’s a rollercoaster ride fueled by brawls with the top brass, clashes over budgets, and the passion that makes it all worthwhile.

This humorous and refreshingly personal memoir is filled with inspiring instruction, behind-the-scenes hilarity, and unabashed joy. It’s a celebration of the director’s craft, and what it takes to succeed in show business on your own terms.

"Ken Kwapis always brought out the best in the actors on The Office. Whenever Ken was directing, I always felt safe to go out on a limb and take chances, knowing he had my back. Every aspiring director should read this book. (I can think of several 'professional' directors that should read it too!)" -Jenna Fischer

"A vital, magnificent manifesto on the art and craft of directing, written with emotional, instinctual and intellectual depth by one of America's most beloved film and television directors" -Amber Tamblyn

"In the years that I was fortunate to work with Ken on Malcolm in the Middle, he had an uncanny ability to guide actors right to the heart of a scene and reveal its truths. He admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, he’ll make mistakes, and at times he’ll struggle, but as he says in the book, 'It’s the struggle to get it right that makes us human.'" -Bryan Cranston

"Good luck finding a more kind, passionate, and talented director alive than Ken. Seriously, good luck." -Tig Notaro

“'Action!' is what most directors bark out to begin a scene. But Ken Kwapis starts by gently intoning the words 'Go ahead…' That simple suggestion assures everyone they’re in smart, capable, humble hands. That’s how you’ll feel reading this book. And so, if you’re anxious to discover how a top director always brings humor, honesty, and humanity to his work, all I can tell you is…Go ahead." -Larry Wilmore

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250260123
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/06/2020
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	680,667
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

KEN KWAPIS is an award-winning director who has moved easily between the worlds of feature filmmaking and television directing. He has directed eleven feature films and helped launch seven television series, including NBC's The Office.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Beyond Success and Failure in Hollywood 4

Cruising for Epiphanies 16

How to Take a Meeting 25

Memories of Bird 34

Breaking It Down: A Director's Checklist 48

HAL's Ready for His Close-Up 72

He Directed, She Directed 80

Being Proactive on Your Own Set 93

Garry Shandling's House of Mirrors 104

The Shot List Challenge 115

Been There, Dreamt That 126

What Makes Sammy Climb? 138

Playable Notes 149

Walking with Bernie 165

The Objective Correlative, or What Would Lubitsch Do? 179

Opening the Office 194

Escape from Video Village 207

Who Are You? 215

The Note Behind the Note 226

Trapped at Work 236

Designing a Fluid Master 247

Recognizing Yourself 260

Totally Unreleasable 271

Too Clever by Half 285

Fear of Music 299

They Need Your Blood 310

Tenacity 321

Humans Were Involved 335

Acknowledgments 339

Index 341

Editorial Reviews

"Ken Kwapis always brought out the best in the actors on The Office. Whenever Ken was directing, I always felt safe to go out on a limb and take chances, knowing he had my back. Every aspiring director should read this book. (I can think of several “professional” directors that should read it too!)" -Jenna Fischer

"A vital, magnificent manifesto on the art and craft of directing, written with emotional, instinctual and intellectual depth by one of America's most beloved film and television directors" -Amber Tamblyn

"In the years that I was fortunate to work with Ken on Malcolm in the Middle, he had an uncanny ability to guide actors right to the heart of a scene and reveal its truths. He admits that he doesn’t have all the answers, he’ll make mistakes, and at times he’ll struggle, but as he says in the book, 'It’s the struggle to get it right that makes us human.'" -Bryan Cranston

"Good luck finding a more kind, passionate, and talented director alive than Ken. Seriously, good luck." -Tig Notaro

“'Action!' is what most directors bark out to begin a scene. But Ken Kwapis starts by gently intoning the words 'Go ahead…' That simple suggestion assures everyone they’re in smart, capable, humble hands. That’s how you’ll feel reading this book. And so, if you’re anxious to discover how a top director always brings humor, honesty, and humanity to his work, all I can tell you is…Go ahead." -Larry Wilmore

"An entertaining and informative guide for film buffs and filmmakers." -Kirkus

"An enjoyable memoir that offers lessons of filmmaking, what counts as success in Hollywood, and the magic of film." -Library Journal

"[Kwapis'] illuminating memoir will appeal to both film and TV buffs and aspiring directors." -Booklist

"Ken Kwapis’ But What I Really Want To Do Is Direct is a must read... If you want to be a director, read this book." -James Gardner, Chapman University

"(Kwapis) effortlessly balances theory, empathy, intuition, and pragmatism as pillars of his directorial work and interactions with students and faculty. His perspective is an elixir to anyone struggling with stress, doubt, or anxiety over ongoing projects." -Norbert Herber, The Media School at Indiana University, Bloomington

"...Ken has just written an essential book about the craft of directing." -Jack Lecher, Columbia University

“But What I Really Want to Do is Direct offers thoughtful and thought-provoking meditations on directing for film and television. Kwapis's insights were born from his influential work in the media industry, but they apply to many other fields of endeavor.” -University of Alabama Professor Emeritus Dr. Jeremy Butler

From the Publisher

08/01/2020

In this blend of memoir and how-to guide to directing, Kwapis, who has directed TV series such as The Larry Sanders Show, The Office, and Santa Clarita Diet, explains that the seeds of his career were planted long ago, when he received a Super-8 camera as a birthday present. After earning a bachelor's degree and venturing to Southern California, he directed after-school specials before moving on to feature films including Follow That Bird, He Said, She Said, and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Kwapis discusses his directing experiences: working with volatile actors such as Rip Torn and Gary Shandling, blocking scenes, storyboarding, and storytelling. Film fans will be pleased at Kwapis's behind-the-scenes look, while those eager to launch a career in filmmaking will appreciate his blend of advice, anecdotes, and technical tricks. VERDICT An enjoyable memoir that offers lessons on filmmaking, what counts as success in Hollywood, and the magic of film.—Leah Huey, Dekalb P.L., IL

Library Journal

2020-07-29
Practical advice from a director's long and varied experience.

Kwapis, whose films include Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and He’s Just Not That Into You and whose TV credits include The Larry Sanders Show, The Office, and The Bernie Mac Show, draws on his nearly 40-year career to offer guidance and encouragement for aspiring directors. Aiming to “explore things that film schools don’t teach you,” the author creates helpful checklists, suggestions, and breakdowns of scenes he has directed or analyzed from others’ work, as well as plenty of lively anecdotes. Among the many directors he cites are Agnes Varda, Ernst Lubitsch, Bernardo Bertolucci, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Capra, Orson Welles, and Ingmar Bergman. Kwapis considers how to personally connect with the material, nurture morale on the set, “exercise creative muscles,” and stay flexible in the face of setbacks. Without being tyrannical, arrogant, cocky, or grim-faced, a director should be proactive, maintaining confident leadership and always remaining aware that “you are the only person entrusted to tell this story.” Directors must understand everyone’s job in the complex process of filmmaking. At film school, Kwapis was never offered an acting class—a regrettable omission—so he had to learn on the job how to talk to actors by developing insight into what they do and what suggestions would help them flesh out their characters. The competitiveness of film school, though, did alert him to the destructive impact of negative criticism, and he offers a “code of etiquette about feedback.” Rather than criticize dialogue for being too expositional, for example, it’s more productive to ask, “Do we need this information?” The author’s artistic sensibility emerges throughout the book: for instance, in his observation that “the best landscape a director can photograph is the face of a character in turmoil.”

An entertaining and informative guide for film buffs and filmmakers.

Kirkus Reviews