As the first season of ‘Limitless’ reaches its finale on Tuesday, we continue to speak to director and executive producer Doug Aarniokoski about filming for television…
Read the first part of our interview with Doug here…
As many a director will tell you, filming for television and filming for the big-screen can be different muscles to flex – each with their own pros and cons. Films have bigger budgets and longer shooting schedules… television episodes often have a quick turnaround and a significantly lesser budget… but they do get to take a ‘marathon’ rather than ‘sprint’ mentality in the way they pace their story over what can be over twenty hours of story.
Doug Aarniokoski has experienced both formats. He handled second-unit on many of Robert Rodriguez’s films (including Spy Kids, The Faculty, Once Upon a Time in Mexico) and also helmed the likes of Highlander: Endgame and The Day. He’s well aware that the roles of director and executive producer can not only be significantly different from each other on a day-to-day basis but also vary from project to project as to what that entails. With Limitless he’s based in New York, though the production office is actually in California – a continent and several time-zones away.
“I am on the front-line every day for production. The writers and the editors and the main producers are in Los Angeles, but we’re in New York shooting the show. I am here as sort of the eyes and ears, if you will, for Los Angeles,” Doug explains. “I am here prepping the directors who are getting ready to shoot the episodes, I am here for production when we are shooting. With television there’s always two things going at once. You’re shooting Episode 1 but concurrently you’re prepping Episode 2. As soon as Episode 1 finishes, Episode 2 starts shooting and as soon as that happens, Episode 3 is prepping… so you’re always finding locations, casting, working on the script and getting all set up to shoot and at the same time you have an episode that is actually shooting. There’s a lot going back and forth… a lot of what I call ‘van time’ going back and forth in a van between the set and the office to meetings etc.
On the set of Highlander Endgame with Adrian Paul and Donnie Yen…
With Highlander: Endgame he’s spoken of the problems (and benefits) of being so far away from the main offices. Does the fact there’s some separation here as well work in his favour or not?
“You know, I would have to say that in television it’s the opposite. In film… with Highlander: Endgame we were shooting in Romania and in a very difficult scenario. We didn’t have time for any distractions,” he notes. For television it’s the opposite. I did two seasons of Sleepy Hollow and now this – and both shows being bi-coastal – yes, it would be nice if you could have that ability to walk down the hall and have questions answered, not having to wait for one coast to wake up while the other is half way through the morning. For television, it’s so fluid for an entire year… I do feel that with television the more you can have everyone under the same roof, the gears are greased. With Limitless we are bi-coastal BUT we make it work well… after all…it’s now 2016, we have Skype, we are actually as close as you can be without being able to touch…”
Doug also agrees that in addition to a strong and instinctual ensemble cast, one of the most important ‘characters’ in the show is the city of New York itself.
Limitless shoots in the heart of NYC…
“We really push it. Craig Sweeney – the creator of the show – and I… our whole philosophy is that we’re in New York for a reason. New York is a character in the show, very much like it was in the film and so we’re continuing that theme. Being in the city and among it all is hugely important to us from a story-telling perspective. We have standing sets, like our FBI offices and Brian’s safehouse, but other than that we’re pretty much out in the world, running and gunning and showing the city. It gives us a different feel, a vibrancy that I think a lot of shows suffer from (a lack of) when they’re encapsulated in four walls all the time. But it’s television and there IS a rigorous schedule – you have to find ways to make those days work for you. The more you go out and the more you are on location, the more difficult it is. We found a way to juggle both and it’s not easy to do – especially in New York which is a very tough city to move around in…” Doug notes.
While the last few years have seen Doug make a distinct niche for himself in episodic television he certainly intends to look at more movie opportunities when time and hiatus schedules allow. But he’s quick to point out that he doesn’t think there’s a distinction in quality any more. You just have to look at the broadcast schedules, he muses, to see the high standard of acting, writing and directing available to discerning audiences…
“It is the Golden Age of television again. There’s so much amazing story-telling coming out of television right now. That’s what I like. For me, it’s not necessarily the ‘process’ of it, it’s the type of stories you get to tell. Being able to work on a show like Limitless or Sleepy Hollow – those are dream jobs. It’s like we’re literally making a movie every week. For me, that’s what I get off on. I love that,” he explains. ” It just happens to be on television as opposed to being in movie-theatres. It’s not an ‘A’ or ‘B’, really. It doesn’t make a difference to me as long as it’s about good stories and good characters – that’s what I’m looking for. Knock on wood, I’ve been very blessed over the last few years to be able to work on good television.
Limitless action…
With filming on the Limitless now completed, there’s still no official decision on its renewal, though everyone feels optimistic that they’ve generated enough goodwill and ratings to give it a fighting chance in the fickle prime-time battlefield. Doug pulled double-duty on the finale, returning to direct the episode. Will it all end on a cliffhanger? He’s not saying. His lips are sealed, though he smiles and notes: “…without question, I’m excited. There’s so much coming down the pipe for the season finale. It’ll be a rollercoaster ride.”
So whether this is ultimately a limited run or merely a hiatus between NZT-tinged derring-do, will Doug get to relax during his long-anticipated break? Nope – he’s not having any of that ‘take a rest‘ attitide when there’s a camera nearby or a script in final draft mode…
“Nah, man… I love to work. It’s like that old Kubrick line ‘A vacation… from what?’ I get to make tv shows and movies and tell stories. That’s the dream job, I’d do that for free!” He pauses and then considers what he’s said. “Well,okay, no I wouldn’t (laughs)… but you know what I mean! I’m going off in the hiatus to do an episode of the new take on American Gothic which is being filmed up in Canada. It’s the reworking of the old Gary Cole show. I’m going in as a director, so I haven’t read the story-lines and script yet…”
Hopefully an announcement from CBS – and a positive one – about a Limitless renewal is imminent. We’ll let you know when we hear…
