I have directed a few and produced a lot (hundreds, if not thousands of hours) of talk shows for local and national audiences. Here are my suggestions (in no particular order):
1. First and foremost, listen. Listen to what is being said. You have to understand the conversation so that you know where it is gong to plan your next shots.
2. Don't cross the line.
3. Don't over cut. Over cutting can be very distracting for the audience.
4. Use cutaways to those listening when appropriate. Don't cut away just to cut away as your audience will try to read something into the shot that you did not intend.
5. Start with a geography shot (wide shot) so that your audience knows where each of the talent is sitting in relation to others.
6. Stay mainly with MCUs. CUs tend to over emphasize what is being said, an, of course, wide shots do the opposite.
7. Scout the location or studio with enough time to change lighting or background. Beware of backgroud objects that can be distracting or could appear to be "growing out of someone's head".
8. Listen to the producer. Usually (hopefully) they have done their homework and give you some insight in terms of what direction the discussion will take.
9. Tell your cameramen to always have a usable shot--no swish pans or snap zooms. This allows respond quickly to the discussion and go to a reaction shot or the next speaker quickly.
10. If possible, let your talent lead your shots. Use a glance or a nod or some action to motivate your change of cameras. This is not always possible but is good when possible.
11. Be sure the producer allows time for the talent to relax and if they have not met before to sit in the set and chat for a while.
12. Be sure that your crew acts professional around the talent. No horseplay. This can get things off on the wrong foot.
13. Pay close attention to audio. Basically, you are dong a radio show with pictures—so sound is very important. Use lav’s rather than a boom if possible.
14. Rehearse your open and close (and commercial breaks if any) before the talent arrives. You want to roll tape as soon as you feel the talent is ready.
15. The talent, host and guests, are the most important people on the set and they should be accorded the respect they deserve. They are the content of your show; they are your show.
Well, those are the things that come immediately to mind. If you have any specific questions, posit them and I will do my best to answer.
Best of luck,
JimT
