Before working on one of HBO's best series, The Sopranos, Tim Van Patten was an actor in the series The White Shadow. Under the tutelage of producer Bruce Paltrow, he learned the art of directoring while silently observing a work in progress. The Art of Television explores modern television directing and cinematography through intimate portraits. Six directors from iconic TV shows, share their work methods, their secret weapons, and strategies to survive. We also meet their close collaborators: showrunners, first assistants, directors of photography, editors, actors.