<Jill> 

I've put down my script reading homework to say hi everyone - this is certainly a new experience for me! I'm used to hiding behind the camera and letting the actors take the spotlight. I appreciate you taking an interest in what I do and hope my answers will give you some insight into how it works behind the scenes. I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank JillNotMitwell (who I may hire as my agent!) for that great compliment she paid me in one of her first columns.

<CabooseHOST> 

Welcome to the chat Jill

<Lilly> 

Hi Jill

<Diane1> 

Hi Jill

<Christina> 

Hi Jill

<Angie> 

hi Jill

<Betsy> 

Welcome Jill

<Patti> 

Hi Jill

<lindam> 

Hi Jill

<vtgrammy> 

Hi Jill

<Sheeglah> 

Welcome Jill

<JillNotMitwell> 

You're quite welcome

<cleo> 

Thanks for coming Jill

<Renee> 

Hi Jill

<Dawn> 

Hi Jill

<pj> 

Welcome Jill

<Ann> 

Welcome, Jill.

<JillNotMitwell> 

Welcome

<Lilly> 

hope you'll have FUN

<Melissa> 

Hi Jill. Thank You for taking the time to chat with use

<CabooseHOST> 

Well, Katherine is going to start with the first question.

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Welcome everyone to this very special chat with OLTL's Director Jill Mitwell. We are so pleased to have you here tonight Jill, and I know everyone is excited to be a part of this unique opportunity. So let's begin, and please remember to remain quiet until your question has been asked. Thank you!

<Jenna> 

Welcome, best director in all of Daytime! :)

<Jill> 

OK here we go!

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Phyllis and VTGrammy comment/ask: I am a great fan of your work as a director, especially the scenes for Erika Slezak and Mark Derwin. Have you ever considered the idea of becoming an executive producer of a daytime drama, preferably OLTL? Your visions and talent are so amazing and your idea of romance is so sadly lacking in daytime today I think you'd be very successful.

<Jill> 

How flattering! This is the first time someone has suggested that! No, I have never considered or wanted to be an executive producer. Being in charge of the whole system would be too many headaches for me, a never ending series of problems to fix. Too much stress (although somehow I do thrive on the pressure that comes with directing). It would also be hard for me to deal with firing people, which is part of that job. My

<Jill> 

skills tend more towards character and script interpretation rather than story development, meaning expanding what's already there rather than starting with a blank page. And finally, I would miss working directly with the actors and crew.

<Jill> 

It's important to figure out where your fun and passion are and to follow that, which for me is directing. I'm lucky to actually have paying job doing what I love to do! **

<vtgrammy> 

Well I think you'd make a great EP or at least an assistant Jill. Your vision is so beautifully done on screen.

<CabooseHOST> 

I agree

<Christina> 

ITA

<CabooseHOST> 

ITA means I totally Agree

<lindam> 

great job

<Jenna> 

Unanimous :)

<vtgrammy> 

The best days are always the Jill Mitwell days. Thanks for answering our questions.

<Jill> 

Wow it's great to know all my hard work is reaching you guys emotionally! That's what it's all about.

<CabooseHOST> 

Traci Taylor-Sharp asks: Where did you get your training and how long have you worked in daytime?

<Jill> 

I have a degree in English lit from Bucknell and a Masters in TV and Film from Boston University. I started (over 20 years ago) as a secretary answering phones and Xeroxing fan mail (and begging for a chance to direct). I've directed under contract at Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and One Life to Live and also directed at a few cable shows and on film at Remember WENN on AMC. **

<Jill> 

However my education did not prepare me for chatting - this is all new and amazing!

<CabooseHOST> 

You're doing great Jill

<Angie> 

yes u are doing great Jill:)

<Dawn> 

doing just fine

<JillNotMitwell> 

It's an acquired talent...you're doing fine...the masters helps

<lindam> 

and quick fingers

<Jill> 

I am less nervous working with Phil Carey!

<Sheeglah> 

LOL

<JillNotMitwell> 

Holy Cow

<Patti> 

LOL

<Christina> 

really Phil Carey

<CabooseHOST> 

LOL is Laughing out loud. WOW

<vtgrammy> 

LOL

<Ann> 

We don't bite, honest! :)

<onelifetoliveADM> 

HicklandFan Jenn asks: What has been one of the most challenging episodes you have directed?

<Jill> 

Oh boy, thousands of scenes are running through my mind. The fraternity party/gang rape episode was very very difficult material to work on and do justice to and take responsibility for. It was very important to me to have the audience be inside Marty's experience with her and not to be voyeurs of it. Technically we were working in a 4-walled set (usually we only work with 3 walled sets) and all her point of view shots

<Jill> 

(which required the 4th wall to be added) were shot many hours after the rest of the scenes (more like a film) so I really had to plan carefully so it would all cut together technically

<Jill> 

and the performances would match between the part shot in the AM and the part in the PM. The Nora Courtroom Fantasy show was the most fulfilling show I've ever directed because I was allowed to work directly with the writers and was given free reign in the visual interpretation as well. It was fun to apply all I've learned about camera technique into using the cameras to reflect the fantasy state. Part of the challenge

<Jill> 

in this episode was to maintain the balance between the humor and Nora's emotional stakes as she struggled not to lose herself.**

<lindam> 

while horrible the rape stuff makes people stop and think

<Diane1> 

I remember the rape scenes and the courtroom fantasy

<CabooseHOST> 

Both excellent

<Diane1> 

They were great

<Sheeglah> 

I loved the courtroom fantasy

<Christina> 

both great

<JillNotMitwell> 

I loved Viki best in the courtroom scenes

<Christina> 

me too

<Diane1> 

Me too

<CabooseHOST> 

Loved the humor in the courtroom

<Patti> 

ita

<vtgrammy> 

She made a great judge.

<Betsy> 

You did a great job balancing the humor with the emotional side.

<Renee> 

ita

<Jill> 

Yes Erika really set the tone for the acting style.

<CabooseHOST> 

Kari asks: Hi Jill, I was just curious, do they use the different directors specifically for a certain type of episode? Like, love scenes get the same director, or action etc?

<Jill> 

When I worked on Guiding Light many years ago I was Ms. Tuesday, no matter what the show was about, unless there were special episodes (like Nola's musical fantasy). However at OLTL, attention is paid on a weekly basis to which episode should be given to which director.( By the way, at the moment the way our production schedule works, not all the scenes of an episode are shot on the same day. This means that the director or getting credit for the episode may not have directed all the scenes of that episode).

<Jill> 

Anyway, I was chosen to direct most of the important scenes during Viki's breast cancer story; as well as many of the love scenes that the show has had. But because there is so much volume in daytime, all the directors get to do a variety of sequences over time, and I have directed action, mystery, comedy as well as romantic and family conflict. That's one of the best parts about daytime. You get to do it all.**

<lindam> 

the breast cancer all day episode was superb

<Diane1> 

That's very interesting

<CabooseHOST> 

Ms. Tuesday sounds like a calendar gal. LOL I like that they use specific talents now.

<Sheeglah> 

I had no idea

<Ann> 

Interesting that they'd split things up like that.

<vtgrammy> 

The breast cancer scenes were masterful, especially the first love making scene.

<CabooseHOST> 

So now we won't know exactly which days you do though, right?

<llanfan> 

that is still one of the best

<Renee> 

yes, that was a wonderful scene

<onelifetoliveADM> 

okay...next question:

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Joyce asks: I've noticed that some of my favorite episodes listed you as the director, so here's my thanks for always giving us your best. My question: Do you have full creative control of a scene or are you given guidelines or specifics for how a scene should come off? Thanks again.

<Jill> 

This varies from show to show and is dependent on the executive producer/director relationship. My goal has always been to understand and fulfill the writers' intention as fully as possible, to entertain and get the audience to feel their way through the scene with the characters. I've been

<Jill> 

fortunate that the executive producer's I've worked with have given me a lot of creative freedom in interpreting the scene, but of course that's something I've earned over time, and it's with the understanding that I am going to fulfill the writers intention and work within our time schedule. (and that I will defer to the producer for the final OK). And thanks for the lovely compliment!**