Television production is laborious. Mastered by some noted production houses, others salivate over the opportunity but often tend to bite more than one can chew, falling face first creating a content mess.

Some who live through the grind work in tandem with the creatives of the broadcasting networks weaving plots to lure the audiences into the world of make-belief.

The process is arduous, however, it’s a classic example of human symphony wherein many diverse thoughts and actions come together into a larger, almost perfect, whole of creative genius.

Many are involved, yet one person who holds it all together, like a conductor, is the director.

Director is the proverbial Captain of the Ship, and is responsible for steering a project to shores of success and popularity.

This is where we would like to put flashlight on a rising trend in the Indian television industry, that of set-up directors.

Set-up directors, like the term suggests, define the creative and production contours of a project, nurture it till a certain time and later move out handing the reins to a regular director.

They work closely with the makers, enhancing, refining and realising original ideas into finished programmes. They are responsible for ensuring that the final product is faithful to the original concept. They work across all genres. He or she is responsible for casting, supervising the placement of cameras, lighting equipment, microphones, props, graphics, and the overall pacing and feel of the production et al.

Set-up directors with their initial push garner necessary audience attention.

“Set-up directing includes everything be it casting, set building or designing. Basically everything is set-up by the director. Few directors don’t decide to stay on the show post setting it up. However, I stay on my shows for some time after doing the set-up. Be it Maryada, Veera or Gangaa, I have been part of it after setting it up,” said late Waseem Sabir.

He continued, “Set-up directing is not a new trend. It is going on for a long period of time but now it has earned a specific name or tag. There is no special contract. The producer and director mutually decide for how many episodes will the set-up director would be part of the show. We sometime need to handover things to the director coming on-board or sometime the creative team does it. It happens mostly with fiction shows. Non-fiction projects have limited time, hence it’s difficult for a set-up director to come in and move out.”

Gangaa (&TV), Chandra Nandni (Star Plus), Icchapyaari Naagin (SAB TV) are some of the shows in recent times which have employed the faculties of set-up directors.

“The best part of setting up any show is that you get to decide everything about the soap. Be it casting, location, special inputs, look of the show or shooting style. The set-up director is given the liberty. I like everything about setting any show as I believe that if you want to tell a story then you will understand the show better. How will be the characters and the shooting technique? It is actually better to set up a show than regularly direct it. I set up Kya Mast Hai Life and moved on with much dismay. I got attached to the project,” said director Arif Shamsi (Chandra Nandni, Maharana Pratap, Chandragupta Maurya).

So the entire credit of a show’s success goes to the set-up director? “Absolutely not.  

I have never been disappointed by any other director’s work. It’s a team work,” Arif clarified.

Director Kamal Mogha (Karn, Shani) further cleared the miasma on the above thought: “Once I am done setting up a show and the time arrives to move out, I don’t feel that the next director would do a bad job. We all are passionate ambitious individuals. Set-up directors are mostly freelancers and we put lot of effort in setting the right elements in a show.”

Director Santram Verma (Naagin, Jodha Akbar, Bandini) is another renowned set-up director and has played a key role in shaping up the destiny of many Balaji Telefilms serials.

Santram, currently helming Koi Laut Ke Aaye on Star Plus, is of the opinion that set-up directors need to be businesslike, minus the emotions. And the key is to match a writer’s vision to the final depiction on screen.

“There is no contract for a set-up director, we can choose to move out anytime we feel creativity is being compromised. Our job is to get the initial connect right which determines the future of a show. End of the day it’s business and we have to deliver,” averred Santram.

The comments did enlighten us on the rising trend of set-up directors. To fetch the light from the other side, we also spoke to a noted producer.

“Talking about my shows, I always have set-up directors who continue with the project. They stay on the show for a long time. For example –Waseem, who set up Gangaa, continued for a long period of time. Set-up director has his vision but the creative heads keep the vision alive throughout the show. I believe post the exit of the set-up director, the creative head of the show helps the new director tread the same path.  The new director gives his inputs but does follow the original concept which is done by the set-up director,” said Sunjoy Waddhwa of Sphereorigins.

Well mentioned Sunjoy, it’s all about working towards one common goal.

Set-up directors lay the foundation from where one takes a leap to great success.

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