<onelifetoliveADM> 

okay...the next question is:

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Angie asks: What was it like to work with Ty and Hillary in the park scenes??

<Jill> 

At the time we thought these were the last scenes that the 3 of us would have together, so there was both sadness and desire to make them really great. I gave Ty something specific to do on practically every single line (notice the number of shots I used for the scarf section), so he really had to focus in rehearsal on collecting all that information from me and figure out my concept. We were determined to have these

<Jill> 

"final" scenes show the complexity of the Colin/Nora relationship and the chemistry between them, so we were all very intense during our all too short rehearsal process. If you check out tyonline.org, one of the letters I wrote to Pam and Laura has many details about these scenes and what I did achieve my goals in this sequence.**

<Angie> 

thanks Jill:) glad u are here with us tonight:)

<lindam> 

Final scenes with actors/actresses must be the hardest

<llanfan> 

plus they are emotional too

<Diane1> 

They must be sad

<Pammus> 

It's letter #1, to be more precise, Jill. ;-) I thought those scenes were incredible - as you well know already. ;)

<Jill> 

Yes, they were special

<CabooseHOST> 

Pam and Laura, people will be hitting your site soon

<LauraL> 

Great! LOL

<Pammus> 

Looking forward to it! EVERYONE is welcome!!

<CabooseHOST> 

Linda Martindale asks: Ms. Mitwell, you have directed some of the more memorable storylines of OLTL. Which is your favorite and why?

<Jill> 

I've been lucky to have many opportunities at OLTL to express myself through my work. Although I enjoy all the small moments - meaning interactions between characters in scenes that come alive emotionally, I'd have to say that the high concept shows are the most satisfying, i.e., a show that has a theme for the entire episode, in which I (along with the other depts) develop an aesthetic for the entire episode

<Jill> 

and throughout which I can match the visual presentation with the emotional. Before we did the Christmas show last year. Susan Gammie(costume designer) and Bob Bessoir (lighting director) and I met for several hours (!) just discussing the aesthetic (color, tone, style, etc.) it was so exciting and creative to throw around ideas. Examples of those kind of episodes were Midsummer Nights Dream, Nora Courtroom,

<Jill> 

Viki's day she entered the hospital for surgery, the last Christmas show with fantasies.**

<lindam> 

Thank you for this information -- the Midsummer's Night Dream stands out in my mind as well as the rest of that arc.

<Diane1> 

I remember that episode

<vtgrammy> 

Viki's 1 day episode was very memorable.

<lindam> 

You do mean the one with Megan, don't you?

<Jill> 

Michael Malone wrote some amazing stories - funny, panorama of the human condition, and with a deep moral center.

<Diane1> 

That's very true

<CabooseHOST> 

Jill, do you choose the sets that are used too, or do the writers?

<lindam> 

Malone was one of the best -- a native son of my home state

<Jill> 

MM has a new novel out this fall, First Lady, check it out!

<llanfan> 

the AIDS quilt is still one of the best Malone stories

<lindam> 

Thanks -- will let fellow NC know.

<Ann> 

Thanks for the heads up, Jill.

<onelifetoliveADM> 

wow...looking forward to his novel, should be great.

<Jill> 

The sets are determined by the writers in consultation with the exec producer. They try to use the same sets for a few days to save money in putting them up and down.

<CabooseHOST> 

Thanks!

<lindam> 

location shots must be hard

<Jill> 

Location shooting is hard - very long hours - dawn to dusk, but it's fun having a change of pace. We don't seem to have them anymore. (budget)

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Okay...moving on to the next question:

<onelifetoliveADM> 

Patti and Dawn ask: What has to be taken into account from a technical standpoint when an actor ad-libs? Some performers seem to have a real knack for improvisation. Curious to know whether or not ad-libbing is always revealed in rehearsal prior to filming. Or is there any potential for spontaneous ad-libbing to occur while the scene is being filmed? Does it depend on how experienced the actors (and director) are in working together?

<Jill> 

This is as interesting question. Yes, generally changes to the script are worked out in dry rehearsal (private rehearsal with the actors before working with the crew) or presented during dress rehearsal. Big changes would be presented a day or so before. Out of respect for the system and the producers, we give them the opportunity to view and approve or veto the changes and not be surprised on tape. If there was a spontaneous

<Jill> 

adlib during tape and the producer disagreed with it, we would re-tape that part. Sometimes there might be a change during tape due to going to full performance level. A speech may take more or less time than in rehearsal, or maybe in the heat of taping some lines are skipped. When that happens, the crew and I try to adjust and keep up with the changes live without stopping the tape or performance flow.

<Jill> 

The crew has shot lists, but as we're taping, I might add or delete shots as I conduct the scene, feeling my way along the emotions with the actors. This is challenging and a lot of fun to do. And yes, the more experienced the actors and directors are in working together, the better that telepathic connection as I follow their emotional flow as I cut the scene from the control booth. **

<Dawn> 

thanks, Jill...a very interesting process indeed

<Diane1> 

It sure is

<llanfan> 

are cut shots the director's prerogative?

<DianaB> 

cut the scene from the control room???

<Jill> 

Yes, the director makes editing choices in advance on paper, then cuts 'live"" in the control booth. However the output of each camera is recorded, so the producer could override the directors cut in the edit.

<llanfan> 

thanks

<Jill> 

P.S. in the ""old days"" this didn't happen, since cameras were not iso-d.

<CabooseHOST> 

Speaking of that wonderful Ty Treadway site, here is the next question:

<CabooseHOST> 

Pam asks: Hi Jill, its Pam from TyOnline! Wanted to thank you again for taking the time to answer so many of our questions, in ""person"". ;) You mentioned in ""Colin/Nora: The Advanced Course"" pt. 2 that ""if I got a phone call 'out of the blue' I would be happy to accept"", so my question is this: If one day, your phone rang with your dream job, what would it be?

<Jill> 

It wouldn't be too far away from what I'm doing right now; there would just be a bit more time and a higher budget for the project. That would give us more of an opportunity to fix and refine the show. Of course it would involve the actors and crew members who really have a passion for their work and love the process of collaborating. As you know, Pam, I always had an interest in the Masterpiece Theatre type of show,

<Jill> 

but those shows always seemed to be produced in England. Here soaps were the closest to that kind of character driven drama.**

<lindam> 

Alas -- American has no Masterpiece Theatre

<pj> 

You'd be fantastic, Jill!

<Diane1> 

We don't, do we

<vtgrammy> 

Do you find less character driven drama today in daytime...it feels that way to me as a viewer?

<DianaB> 

'Were' being the operative word

<Pammus> 

Ah ha! That's what I asked! LOL Thanks, Jill. :) I do remember you mentioning Masterpiece Theatre - I grew up with it.. so I do wish that you had a chance to work with that sometime!

<Jill> 

Sad but true. Imagine all the actors we love having material like that to work on! What fun!

<lindam> 

And what adventure and excitement

<Sheeglah> 

It would be great to watch

<Renee> 

that would be great

<Betsy> 

It sure would be

<Diane1> 

I agree

<kermit> 

just like the episode that everyone was switched

<Jill> 

I sure still have plenty of character scenes to work on. There are always phases when plot and events are emphasized, but that has always been the case, and we eventually get back to 2 person scenes. (if only to save $$!)