A project's intent has to be defined before anyone is asked to commit to it.

principle — attributed to Jason Alexander

Alexander turns down projects whose creators only know they want something to happen. Award shows give out awards. Galas raise money. That is the given, not the point. Before he says yes to direct, he asks what the show is actually about, what the moral is, why anyone should care, how it builds, what the tone is, and how the participants are meant to resonate. The interrogation is the project's first commitment. If those answers do not exist yet, he is not the right collaborator. Specificity is the precondition for connecting people to do superior work, and it has to exist before the room forms.

For directors, executive producers, and creative leads choosing whether to take on a project. The questions also work as a diagnostic for projects already in motion that feel unfocused.

intent, creative-leadership, casting, pre-production