GENERAL HOSPITAL won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Directing Team. Scott McKinsey, who spoke on behalf of the group onstage at the ceremony, expands his thoughts on what the award means for the show, the fans and the future.
Soap Opera Weekly: What does this win mean to the show?
Scott McKinsey: It was our one victory other than Julie Berman (Lulu), and there were some very deserving nominations. The writing staff was not nominated, and we felt badly for them. But a directing award is almost similar to the show award, in that everyone has a share in it, because our particular job encompasses coordinating everyone’s efforts. So it was felt by more people on the show than perhaps another award would have been, so it was very rewarding on that level.
Weekly: GH submitted a carnival episode that was shot outdoors. Was the reward worth the tough shoot?
McKinsey: It was. It was very hard work. I mean, for instance, we have two stage managers who are part of our directing group, and we took on two more stage managers that day, as well as assistants, and they had to wrangle over 300 background people! So, between makeup and hair and costume and all of the art department requirements, the coordination of the various rentals that all had to come in on the day and go back out that night — it was an incredible accomplishment. Everybody came through. Invariably, it was one of the episodes that was submitted by almost everybody on the show for their various categories. We’re excited also for our fans, because I think they come to expect us to do something like that once a year, and it’s on Bob‘s [Guza, head writer] shoulders to create and come up with the idea of the year that would necessitate all that hard work. I think he more than summed it up [2009], and it was nice that we all got acknowledged.
Weekly: Some viewers may not know that you have a number of directors who switch off on episodes.
McKinsey: Yes, we have four directors that each pick up a show a week, and sometimes a second show in a week. These days, we’re doing more work than we’ve ever done, just as a cost-cutting effort, and so sometimes, we’re only working the four days a week and we’re still shooting five shows in that time. Sometimes, we do seven shows in five days. We also have some outside directors who come in and fill in every once and a while; [they] have been on the show in one way or another for years. And we have associate directors who step up and sit in the chair every so often and take a show.
Weekly: Are you directing any of the episodes featuring James Franco (Franco)?
McKinsey: No, I have not. They’ve given that all to Owen Renfroe, because he started it, and they felt that once he began, they should stay consistent with that relationship. That’s worked out for everybody.
Weekly: Does GH have something big, like the carnival, coming up?
McKinsey: I don’t know. We’ve got Vanessa Marcil Giovinazzo (Brenda) coming back, and I’m sure that Bob will try to do something in the ratings periods this year that will feature her involvement with Sonny and Jax and Jason. I think that will be exciting; whether it involves chases and falling out of helicopters, I don’t know yet. We shall see.
