TV with MeeVee: MeeVee Interview: On the Set with Supernatural Producer-Director Kim Manners

In Part 2 of our series on MeeVee's visit to the set of Supernatural, we talk with Supernatural Director Kim Manners. Manners is no stranger to cult TV, having produced and directed The X-Files. Growing up in a showbiz family, Manners began his career early as a child actor, eventually making his way into directing and producing shows such as Mission: Impossible, Star Trek: TNG, and Baywatch. (Fun fact: his first gig was directing an episode of Charlie's Angels in 1978.)

Here, Kim talks with us about The X-Files, classic rock, and his hopes for the future of Supernatural.

Were there any shows or movies you saw as a kid that inspired you to get into the business?
Yeah, I was a horror movie freak. I loved Boris Karloff in Frankenstein; Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man. Those two guys were my heroes, big time.

What are your responsibilities as a combination director-producer?
I took over for David Nutter, when David left the pilot. Now that I'm here, I'm working with Eric (Kripke) and Bob (Singer). I'm directing. I'm giving the show a certain look. I'm the guy who works with the guest directors (as we call them). I make sure I talk to them, go through their homework with them, scout locations with them, help them cast. So yeah, there are certain advantages to having a producing director on a show.

How do you choose which episodes you will direct?
I direct the first and the last, and I am supposed to do three in the middle. We just kind of space them out so that they don't kill me. I do also scout, and I help produce the show. It's luck of the draw. The season opener and this one -- Episode 22 -- are mine, because I'm kind of the head director on the show. The ones in the middle -- sometimes I get really great scripts, and sometimes I don't get such great scripts, and it's up to me then to make them great. We had a problem--I won't say which show it was, I'll let you figure it out…We had a script this year that I directed that myself, and Jared and Jensen didn't particularly care for. And we talked to Eric and Bob about it, and we had a long discussion and we made the determination that we would have to work that much harder to make it work. And we did. We had a great guest cast, and we had great performances. I don't think anybody noticed the flaws in the script, because we all worked extra hard. It worked out well.

When they're coming up with story ideas, it must help to have you there to say, "The X-Files already did that."
I don't tell them that, they already know that. We've done X-Files for nine years. You know, in 200 episodes, you're going to touch on certain moments. You have to. It's not like we're stealing ideas; they just evolved that way. Of course The X-Files was more conspiracy and alien-oriented, and this is more of the horror.

Did you have a lot of talks early on about what kind of tone you wanted to set? Was there any thought about playing it more tongue-in-cheek?
Every script, we have a tone reading with Eric. Whether I'm directing or another director, we do page-turning through the script, we talk about performance levels, where we want to go for the jokes, where we want to go for the emotions, where we want to go for the drama. We always want to go for the scare. That's really the toughest thing -- timing out the scare. Finding out how to pace your audience to the "Boo!" When you see it, you don't see the whole thing, just a piece of it; maybe that's scarier than eyeballing some of it.

Were there specific changes the network wanted when the show transitioned from The WB to The CW?
No, not really. As a matter of fact, Eric and Bob think that the support from The CW was a lot stronger than it was from The WB. In the notes, they're not as critical of the show and the scripts. They're letting Bob and Eric and the writers do more of what they want to do. So, down here in the trenches, we don't feel a change.

Supernatural has such a distinctive feel -- the classic rock, the muscle cars, even the Winchesters' clothes. How long did it take to establish that?
That was kind of established before the pilot. We've had some struggles with The WB, and now The CW. Some people have wanted the show to be brighter, more colorful. We keep saying: This is a horror movie -- they're not bright, and they're not colorful. They're dark, and they're edgy, and they're scary. So we still have those struggles, but I think we found the show after the first 13 episodes of the last season. The first 13 shows were a little all over the map. I think on the back 9 -- starting actually on Episode 11, "Scarecrow" -- is where we really found the rhythm of the show.

What made you decide to switch directions at that point?
We didn't switch directions. It just took that long to find our feet, if you will -- to really understand what we're trying to do here;. [It was] the crew, the writers, the actors, and myself really figuring out how to define the show -- what is was going to be and where it was going to go. In "Scarecrow," we introduced Meg. It was a very scary show. We did a great monster, and I think that's when we finally went, "Aha! Now we know. Now we've got it."

Has there been much discussion about how many episodes should be devoted to building the show's internal mythology?
That's really Eric and Bob's job down in Los Angeles, working with the writers. For myself -- we had a character last year named Meg, who I thought we should have kept alive, though we killed her off; because I thought Meg was the kind of modern-day Supernatural version of Cigarette Smoking Man. I think she could have been a great emphasis. I personally think the mythology of a series like this is what really keeps the fans glued.

I also have a theory that the reason Supernatural is working is for the same reason that The X-Files worked. If the shows are so silly, so unbelievable based on human emotional reality, then the shows won't work. People will believe and be frightened of this world if there is an emotional connection, to even the bad guy. You've got to somehow feel an emotional connection with the bad guy or this stuff just doesn't work.

How much time do you spend online? Do you read the fan sites and message boards?
I never had a computer until I did a project in Rome in 2004. My computer was a yellow stick with the number two on it. I don't go online much and talk to them. Eric checks it out now and again. It's very interesting to me that there's so much interest on the Internet, and I think it's what's helping keep the show on the air. Personally, I think there's a lot more people watching this show than the Nielsens reflect. I met one fan a couple of weeks ago, who said that she watched the show every Thursday night, and has 12 or 13 of her friends come over. Nielsen doesn't know that.

Obviously, Sam and Dean want to avenge their father's death, or get him back. What motivates the other hunters?
All of these people believe in the occult. They know that the supernatural exists, and they hunt evil. That's what they do. They're all, basically, undercover. I mean, if you murder a werewolf and that werewolf turns back into a human being, if you get caught for that murder, you're going to prison. So they live on the run. They rid the world of evil and things that are killing people in the night. These urban legends -- say they existed. Wouldn't you want somebody to wipe them out before they got your butt?

Have you heard anything about chances for a third season?
I guess it's as good as the second. Personally, I think we'll be back. I know they're talking to me about doing two more years. So, my agent is negotiating. That doesn't mean anything. But we're spending a lot of money here. I think if the network knew this show wasn't going to be coming back, they wouldn't let us spend this much money. So, take that for what it's worth.

Do you have an exit strategy, just in case -- a way to wrap up the story at the end? Is there a sort of overall vision for where the story's headed? Let's say it had to end tomorrow.
We'd all walk home, and Episode 22 would be the last one that you saw.

But do you know the ending of the story?
I do know the ending of the story, yes.

Any hints? (Laughter)
Nope.

Does Episode 22 of this season end on a cliffhanger?
Of sorts, yeah. I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you.

Check back each day this week for complete interviews with Jared and Jensen and the rest of the cast and crew in our special Supernatural Set Visit page. Photo coming albums soon!

-Marjorie Kase

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Comments

Please mr Kim!! I rather be killed~!!! XD argh! da spoilers... ehehee..:D lovely interview~ unlucky he seldom online, and he described his pc condition 'perfectly'~ ^^

Posted by: xanseviera | April 03, 2007 at 09:32 PM

Fabulous interview! I'm so glad you got a chance to speak with him and then share with all of us! He's one of the ones we don't hear much from, so it's all sorts of exciting to hear what he has to say.

So all that speak about his job details, then does that mean Manners is the one up in Vancouver on the set most of the time? I feel like I need to see their passports or something to understand how much time these execs spend in LA versus Vancouver. Come on, guys! I want time tables, pie charts, the works! ;)

Posted by: Shannon | April 04, 2007 at 09:01 PM

We had a script this year that I directed that myself, and Jared and Jensen didn't particularly care for

Does anyone know whi epi hes talking about? curious

Posted by: christina | April 05, 2007 at 07:14 PM

I just want to say i read every word of this interview, and i enjoyed all of it. THis is a comment for the supernatural crew. I know there's a lot of supernatural fans out there, more than anyone could count because the show is so exciting and edgy. Also all the supernatural crew are my heroes. I love all you guys jus for creating this amazing show and i'm looking forward to all the upcoming surprises. I just wanted to let you all know that I think the world of this show and i would be heartbroken if it had to go off air. Great Job to you all. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!

Posted by: Hillary | April 06, 2007 at 08:05 AM

Please keep this show going, it's really great. My girlfriend and I love it and have suffered through the demise of other great shows like Veronica Mars and Firefly.
Nielsen ratings are a really poor representation of who's watching what shows. Watching patterns should be tracked through the cable box or DVR unit.
Anyway, the show's tone and chemistry between the mains actors grips you. The dialogue is realistic and believable as are the characters' behavior.
We also have watched Smallville (all 7 seasons) and though we like it a lot, there is some terribly hokey dialogue and character behavior. That show went downhill after the death of Clark's father. So far, Supernatural successfully avoids these kinds of pitfalls and does a great job of having great, likable characters, mostly unpredictable outcomes and a fantastic mythology. Sure, you know Sam & Dean are going to make it out but seeing how they get out is what keeps it interesting.
I also like the pattern of starting off the season with Sam & Dean up to their necks in evil with what looks like no way out instead of ending the season with a big cliffhanger.

Supernatural is an AWESOME show and I'd love to see it enjoy the same staying power of Smallville.

Posted by: Aaron Arlof | February 08, 2008 at 07:25 AM

I love and watch Supernatural every Thursday. I have read above that you already have an ending, but I have an awesome next season twist that would capture Supernatural. Please e-mail me back A.S.A.P. This season is`nt only going to be about fighting demons! Hope to hear from you.

Posted by: Jacqulyn Osolky | February 25, 2008 at 10:30 AM