Randall Einhorn (‘Abbott Elementary’ director): ‘Often the hardest thing about our job is not laughing when you’re not supposed to’ [Exclusive Video Interview]

“I have two goals every day on the set,” says chief “Abbott Elementary” director Randall Einhorn. I want (creator and star) Quinta (Brunson) to say, ‘Randall, that is so stupid, let’s do it.’ And I want (co-star) Sheryl Lee Ralph to call me ‘Baby’.” And does that happen most days? “It really does,” Einhorn replies. If it sounds like he’s a man who loves his work, it’s because he does. Einhorn has now directed 21 “Abbott” episodes across three seasons, and he asserts, “I feel very fortunate that I get to go to work and play with really brilliant people and have a giggle while doing it. I mean, that’s often the hardest thing about our job s not laughing when you’re not supposed to.” Einhorn spoke to Gold Derby as part of our “Meet the Emmy Nominees” TV directors panel. Watch our exclusive video interview above.

Not that the job of directing a comedy series in the mockumentary style is easy. The five-time Emmy nominee who earned bids this year both as a producer and director (his first) loves to talk about the fact that people think the style he originally worked with as a director and cinematographer on “The Office” is somehow easier than helming a conventional multi-camera sitcom. But he insists it’s “absolutely the opposite.” Einhorn continues, “It’s so much easier to just frame a normal show. You could put a camera wherever you want., you could put it in the most optimal place. That’s not the case when shooting a mockumentary like ‘Abbott’.”

Einhorn isn’t complaining, however. “On ‘The Office,’ we always said that what makes it harder actually makes it better. But for instance, it is much more choreographed where the cameras move and how the characters move. There’s a scene in the (Emmy-nominated) episode, ‘Party,’ where we’re moving through a party with 35 people, and we’re a camera crew and a focus-puller and we’re a big machine and it takes a lot of choreography and a lot of thought to be able to do that and then come out looking good. It’s just harder to find those beautiful frames. But I think once you do, it’s so much more rewarding. On a conventional show, you’re not actually quite often motivating the viewer to look around a corner or to duck under a blind so they can see the people kissing, which is a really fun thing to play with. I’m always trying to activate the viewer as opposed to just entertain them. I want them to be hungry to see more.”

Now that “Abbott Elementary” has settled into a flow and rhythm, Einhorn is asked if it gets easier ore more comfortable to work with the case and crew the longer he’s on it – or if you just start getting on each other’s nerves more. “I think it’s both,” he admits. “The show is getting easier and easier to shoot for us together. The thing is, you know what pitfalls there may be in any scene with any cast member or crew mate. You’re just more aware and you have this shorthand and this language that’s just fantastic.”

And while it may seem difficult to blend laughs and pathos inside each episode the way “Abbott” manages to, Einhorn believes that’s the easy part – for the writers as well as the directors. “I mean, those emotional moments are what keep the viewer coming back,” he says. “You want to see whast’s happening with (the characters) week after week. They’re as important if not more important than the jokes.”

“Abbott Elementary” received 9 Emmy nominations this year in all. It airs on ABC and streams over Hulu.

PREDICT the 2024 Emmy winners through September 15

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions