Show vrup ' WfWWy-4)- ” - ' ' - ’ jfej ‘Hill Street’s’ Haid heads up action behind the camera LYNN ELBER By AP Television Wntef LOS ANGELES — Charles Haid who played Officer Andy Renko in the breakthrough police drama "Hill Street Blues” in the 1980s is still part of outstanding television “Murder One” and ‘ER” are on his resume along with TV movies including TNT's recent "Riders of the Purple Sage” And he’s working on the first DreamWorks produc- company drama “High Incident” Don't look for the beefy actor with the broad grin in the acting credits Haid is calling the shots as a director And no cracks please about how every actor is a wannabe director Haid it turns out never really envisioned himself as a star directing — in the theatuh yet — was his goal He stumbled into acting Haid says because theater wasn’t paying enough to support his family and because his agent told him you’re a good type do some character roles Acting gigs in “Hill Street" and in movies like “Altered States” came easily So why ever since his drama student days at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh did Haid want to be the one yelling action? “Ultimately it’s really a cool job” he offers “You can turn to anybody and say ’Do this’ and they'll do it ‘Put this enormous truck in the middle of the road light an enormous fire and have a car drive straight at it’ “And they go ‘OK! Where do you want the truck?’ ’’ he tion concludes Haid who can lay down a line of fast patter with the best of them is playing a bit loose with the respect he has for directing — and for TV directing in particular While actors like Mel Gibson scoop up the glory and the Oscars when they venture behind the movie camera Haid contends the relative obscurity of most TV directors does not diminish the work they do What is traditionally a writer and producer's medium has increasingly reflected the director's touch he says Haid proceeds to pick apart some shows as evidence — giving a bit of insight into what makes them unique “If you look at the style of ‘NYPD Blue’ no one else has that The camera is an eye The way the camera moves it’s the way people look at things “It’s also very intimately shot They use a lot of long lenses (and) they’re able to focus people's attention on what's happening by focusing on the actors" Haid said He describes his own approach to the "Murder One” pilot episode as more sedate: “I did that almost because of all of the styles of the other shows moving around with steady cams (cameras) and all that I thought it was a very formal subject so I tried to make a formal show" For “High Incident" an ABC Monday night series about suburban police officers Haid is documenting the event We're using “I’m very loose with much wider lenses very much of a documentary style” film technique (He says of “Homicide’s” herky-jerk- y repeating a shot twice in quick succession: is) V hatever that talkie He breaks off his analysis “This is all director s call it the gospel according to Bob Butler the director of the Blues’ " first five episodes of ‘Hill Street It was his alma mater series Haid says that really helped APRIL 6 -- 13 1996 ma 'Hill Street Blues' in the I9H0's is calling the shots as a director energize TV direction setting the camera in motion and crafting a documentary style Gregory Hoblit picked up Butler's creative baton and went on to shape shows like “NYPD Blue” “He has constantly broken the mold" Haid said of Hoblit Both men are favorites of Steven Bochco producer of “NYPD Blue” “Murder One” and "Hill Street Blues” (“Hill Street" spawned yet another Betty Thomas who played Officer Lucille Bates directed HBO's “Late Shift” a'nd is set for shock jock Howard Stem’s upcoming movie) Does Haid who started out in local theater and produced “Godspell” off Broadway regret trading the stage for TV? Or after directing “Iron Will” for Disney would he rather spend more time on movie projects? Sure he says he looks forward to working in other arenas But he refuses to dismiss television ‘ “TV whatever they want to say about it if you work it right gives you an enormous chance to put out product and ideas that reach tens of millions of people more than motion pictures do in one night “And if you’re at the top of your game like ‘NYPD Blue you're doing what ultimately a storyteller and creative person is doing which is reaching people and mirroring the times they live in and human emotions” Standard-Examine- r 47 |