Hey friends,
If you ever dreamed of directing a hit TV show—or just surviving on a fast-paced set without losing your mind—then Jon Cassar’s wisdom might just become your new bible. The Emmy-winning director of “24” and “The Orville” recently shared his 31 no-nonsense rules for making episodic television, and let me tell you, these aren’t your average film school guidelines.
Here’s the hook: Television is war. And if you’re going into battle without a game plan, you’re destined to lose. Cassar’s rules aren’t just about telling stories—they’re about how to stay alive, stay respected, and stay ahead.
Let’s break down some of the biggest lessons from a man who’s directed over 200 TV episodes and still manages to teach, inspire, and hustle like a rookie.
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## Rule #1: See the Problem Before It Happens
Cassar’s first and most vital rule is as simple as it is deadly important: **Be early. Always.**
> “Get to the set an hour early, at least,” he says. “If you have to set cars for a scene—make it an hour and a half.”
Why? Because TV moves fast. By the time actors arrive, there’s no room for guesswork or improvisation. Cassar uses that early hour to stage the scene, block the timing, and make sure every single element is as planned. If you’re waiting to figure it out on set, you’re already a liability.
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## Stay on Set. Always.
This might sound obvious, but many directors sabotage themselves by hiding in trailers.
> “I never leave the set,” Cassar insists. “I’m watching everything—the camera operator, the boom mic, the shadows…”
He’s not micromanaging—he’s preserving momentum. Being present means he’s constantly course-correcting and saving minutes that, later in the day, translate into whole extra takes.
It’s also how he maintains control over the energy of the shoot. When a director disappears, the crew starts to move slower, the urgency fades, and suddenly you’re off schedule. That doesn’t happen when you’re watching every frame unfold.
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## Rule #17: Go Fast All Day
One of Cassar’s trademarks is his reputation for speed—and not just in the style of “24.”
> “Too many directors start the day slow because they feel like there’s time. They don’t realize they’re eating into the last act of the shoot.”
He comes out swinging, capturing as much as possible early on, so that every scene gets equal attention. The result? No rushed content at the end of a long day and nothing gets shortchanged in post-production.
Fast doesn’t mean sloppy. It means *prepared.*
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## Know When to Move On
Here’s where Cassar shows real maturity. He’s not trying to be “artistic” on set at the expense of output. He’s seen too many shoots die slow deaths because directors didn’t know when they had what they needed.
> “I never look at my watch,” he says. But he also doesn’t linger. “Once I have it, I move on.”
This is a subtle warning to every perfectionist out there—and a powerful reminder that most scenes won’t benefit from that twelfth angle you’re itching to shoot. Overcoverage is real, and knowing when enough is enough requires wisdom, not ego.
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## Real Talk from a Set Veteran
These are a few golden nuggets from Cassar’s 31 commandments, but here are some of the other gems he swears by:
### A Few Key Rules from Cassar’s Complete List:
– **Rehearse with the crew, not just the actors**: Set your camera, test your lighting, know your timing.
– **Don’t waste takes**: Every take should bring something new or necessary.
– **Give the editor options**: Don’t just shoot for one version.
– **Never panic**: Productivity drops the moment a director loses composure.
He sums up his overall style with this: *directing is about timing, tempo and tone.* And if you can’t maintain those on set, you’re just taking up space.
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## Why This Matters Now
In today’s streaming-driven TV landscape, new episodic content is being produced at lightning speed. Every director’s challenge is to stay sharp on short timelines and make tight budgets look like a million bucks.
That’s why Cassar’s rules matter more today than they ever did. They distill decades of experience into actionable steps that every creator—from new showrunners to indie filmmakers making their first jump to TV—can start applying immediately.
The magic of his method? It’s grounded in reality but leaves room for creativity—because once the machine is running smoothly, you get to experiment without disrupting the show.
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## Final Thoughts: Is Efficiency the New Creative Power?
Jon Cassar isn’t just a fast shooter—he’s a strategist in the trenches. What he teaches us is: creativity and efficiency are not enemies. When your set runs like a Swiss watch, that’s when you’re free to make bold choices. When everyone respects your process, that’s when actors give you their best.
So here’s the final question for you, especially if you want to thrive in today’s content-hungry industry:
**Are you turning your set into a creative factory—or are you one chaotic day away from collapse?**
Let me know—what rule do you live by on set, or wish more directors followed?
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