LIVE ONLINE COURSE

TV DRAMA DIRECTOR

Dates: 18 NOV 2026 - 18 JAN 2027

Duration:

7 WEEKS
MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
6 PM BST

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SARAH ESDAILE
TELEVISION DIRECTOR

LIVE ONLINE COURSE

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THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF…

YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE INDUSTRY, BUT NOT CALLING THE SHOTS

You've spent enough time making productions run smoothly or shaping scripts behind the scenes. Now it's time to step into the creative driver's seat. This TV drama director course helps Assistant Directors, Script Editors, Development Executives, and film graduates make the leap from supporting the vision to leading it, developing the visual language, on-set confidence, and storytelling instincts that producers and showrunners trust.
YOU'RE A DIRECTOR READY TO MAKE THE JUMP TO TV DRAMA

You know how to frame a shot. Now learn how to run a set where every scene, performance, and camera move has to land. Whether you come from documentaries, commercials, music videos, or branded content, we’ll translate your directing experience into the fast-paced world of television drama. Master actor collaboration, scene blocking, episodic storytelling, and the realities of delivering compelling drama on professional production schedules.
YOU'RE READY TO BREAK INTO SCRIPTED TELEVISION

TV drama can feel like a club where everyone already knows the rules. This course changes that. Learn how productions actually work — from prep through post — understand the creative hierarchy, build a portfolio that showcases your directing voice, and gain the practical knowledge to pitch yourself with confidence. If you're serious about directing scripted television, this is where you stop guessing and start building a career.

Every great drama needs someone calling the shots.

Learn how television directors transform scripts into compelling performances through visual language, decisive leadership, and seamless collaboration with actors, cinematographers, producers, and crew.

Train with someone who's done exactly that.

Award-winning instructor brings decades of experience across theatre, television, and audio drama to help you build practical directing skills, develop your creative voice, and prepare for the realities of professional TV production.

COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM

From your first script breakdown to your final pitch, go through every stage of directing premium TV drama. You'll learn how to work with actors, shape visual language, collaborate with every department, survive the pressures of production, and deliver stories that hold an audience from opening scene to end credits.

INDUSTRY INSIGHTS & GUEST SPEAKERS

Go beyond theory with real case studies and guest sessions led by the people who make TV happen. Hear directly from actors, casting directors, cinematographers, editors, sound pros, and assistant directors as they unpack the creative decisions, on-set realities, and collaborative process behind successful TV drama.

FINAL PROJECT

Build a professional pitch deck and deliver a polished presentation that brings together your story, casting choices, visual style, and directing vision. It's the same skill you'll need when pitching producers, commissioners, and executives — and a standout addition to your portfolio.

SARAH ESDAILE LinkedIn Profile

Directed acclaimed television dramas including Call the Midwife, EastEnders, Casualty, and The Chelsea Detective after an award-winning career in British theatre.
Built her directing career through the National Theatre Studio, Shakespeare's Globe, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, working alongside industry leaders including Sir Mark Rylance.
Led major productions at West Yorkshire Playhouse, directing celebrated classics by Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Terence Rattigan.
Earned Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards for Coyote on a Fence and James and the Giant Peach, with productions transferring to the West End and touring nationwide.
Brings over two decades of experience across theatre, television, and audio drama, including her recent Audible production A Pressing Engagement.
Combines classical theatre craft with modern screen storytelling, offering students practical insight into directing across stage, television, and audio.

WED (18/11), 6:00 PM BST

The Democratic Art: The Power of Storytelling

Explore why storytelling matters, unpack the director's role across prep, shoot and edit, and see how one landmark drama proved television's cultural weight.

Storytelling's cultural power
Representation and creative responsibility
Television's reach vs. theatre
The director's role across prep, shoot and edit
UK television hierarchy
Case Study: Mr Bates vs. the Post Office

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MON (23/11), 6:00 PM BST

Forensics of the Page: Cracking the Script

Learn how to break a script into its essential story beats, shape notes that actually help your actors, and get hands-on with a real production script.

Story structure and beats
Script prep methodology
Working across script drafts
Collaborating with writers and producers
Character beats and actor support
Workshop: Script notes on The Chelsea Detective

Assignment #1: Exploring Narrative & Character
Choose a story strand from the episode and set out what makes it worth directing.

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WED (25/11), 6:00 PM BST

The Performance Puzzle: Directing Actors (Part 1) + Guest Speaker

Discover what separates screen acting from stage performance, and learn to give notes that unlock a performance rather than flatten it.

Defining strong screen acting
Screen vs. stage performance
The power of subtlety and the close-up
Giving clear, playable notes
Why line readings backfire

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MON (30/11), 6:00 PM BST

The Performance Puzzle: Directing Actors (Part 2) + Guest Speaker

Sharpen your eye for performance under camera scrutiny, and learn how casting choices set the tone of your creative vision before a single scene is shot.

From casting to set
Evaluating talent at audition
Clip analysis: grounded vs. theatrical acting

Assignment #2: Casting with Intent
Select up to 4 main characters from your chosen strand of the script. Pitch your "Dream Cast" for each role.

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WED (2/12), 6:00 PM BST

The Blueprint: Mastering the Prep Period

Get to grips with the realities of pre-production, from scouting locations to reading a schedule, and learn to turn a script into a shootable plan.

Scope and timeline of prep
Navigating late scripts and roadblocks
Case Study: Running a production meeting
Recces and location scouting
Storyboarding and camera plans with the DOP
Reading call sheets and schedules

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MON (7/12), 6:00 PM BST

Painting with Lenses: Visualising the Script + Guest Speaker

Learn to translate a script into visual grammar, and discover how lens choice, shot size and camera planning shape what an audience feels.

Camera plans, shot lists and storyboards
Shooting strategy and continuity rules
Working within a show's visual style
Lens choice and emotional resonance
Breakout: Everyday storyboarding exercise

Assignment #3: Visual Grammar & World-Building
Build a working mood board and colour palette that defines your story strand's look.

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WED (9/12), 6:00 PM BST

Commanding the Chaos: Running the Floor + Guest Speaker

Discover how to protect your creative vision under pressure, and learn the emergency tactics that keep a shoot on schedule when things go wrong.

Balancing artistic vision and schedule
Fast decision-making under pressure
Managing up and down on set
Practical shoot constraints and logistics
Emergency strategies for lost time

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MON (14/12), 6:00 PM BST

The Post-Production Process: Sculpting in the Edit + Guest Speaker

Explore the full post-production journey, from first assembly to final dub, and discover how much a story can still change after it's shot.

Stages of post-production
Picture lock, grade, ADR and dub
Giving notes on an assembly cut
Tightening pace and fixing problems
Reshaping performance in the edit

Assignment #4 (Optional): The Schedule Crunch
Outline your emergency shooting strategy for a complex scene with only two and a half hours left.

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WED (16/12), 6:00 PM BST

The Invisible Dimension: Soundscapes & Score + Guest Speaker

Learn how sound design and score build atmosphere and emotion, and discover how ADR can rescue or reshape a performance after the fact.

Sound design and atmosphere
Foley and physical realism
Scoring and spotting sessions with composers
The final dub and audio mix
ADR as a creative tool
The rise of audio drama

Assignment #5: Sound & Music Design
Outline a sound and music strategy for your story strand, including Foley, atmosphere and composer notes.

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MON (4/1), 6:00 PM BST

High-Volume Directing: Fast Turnarounds & Multi-Cam

Discover how to direct at speed, adapt to multi-camera setups, and thrive under the relentless pace of continuing drama.

Adjusting to high-volume schedules
Auteur mindset vs. efficient storytelling
Multi-camera blocking and cross-shooting
Prioritising coverage under time pressure
Case Study: Soaps versus the Queen's funeral broadcast
Directing performance at speed

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WED (6/1), 6:00 PM BST

The Human Element: Psychology, Power & Problem Solving

Explore the psychology of set politics, and learn to stay composed and resourceful when a shoot doesn't go to plan.

Responsibility without power
Emotional intelligence and set politics
Directing as a woman in UK TV
Persuasion as a directing tool
Adapting when plans change
Breakout: Improvising a set crisis

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MON (11/1), 6:00 PM BST

The Director's Hustle: Business & Longevity

Learn to build a sustainable directing career, from showreels and representation to the financial realities most directors never talk about.

Building a compelling showreel
Making short films with what you have
Finding and working with an agent
Networking, royalties and residuals
Second unit work and shadowing

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MON (18/1), 6:00 PM BST

That's a Wrap: Final Debrief & Departure

Reflect on how far your understanding of TV directing has come, and leave with a clear plan for your next steps in the industry.

Debrief on the course journey
Key lessons and mindsets to carry forward
Closing Q&A and career next steps

Final Project: Pitching Your Strand
Present your creative choices for your story strand to producers and execs through a live pitch and polished deck.

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TV DRAMA DIRECTOR

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF…

YOU'RE ALREADY IN THE INDUSTRY, BUT NOT CALLING THE SHOTS

YOU'RE A DIRECTOR READY TO MAKE THE JUMP TO TV DRAMA

YOU'RE READY TO BREAK INTO SCRIPTED TELEVISION

Every great drama needs someone calling the shots.

Train with someone who's done exactly that.

What our students say