Jason Ensler
| Jason Ensler | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 21, 1970 |
| Occupation | Film/television director and television producer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Jason Ensler is an American film director, television director, producer, and screenwriter. He's directed the pilots to Andy Barker, P.I., Franklin & Bash, Hart of Dixie, and The Eastmans.
Early life
Jason Ensler was born in Northridge, California and raised in East Setauket, NY.1 He graduated Ward Melville High School in 1988 and attended Brandeis University where he earned a BA in Politics and Theater.2 He graduated USC School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Cinema/Television production.
Career
Early career
Ensler began his work in television as part of the creative team at NBC 2000, a division of NBC promo. As a writer, director and editor, he designed launch campaigns for The West Wing, Scrubs, Frasier, Third Watch, The Olympics, and The NBA. He produced and edited the Upfront presentation for NBC's 75th Anniversary, and wrote and directed The Zucker Follies, a musical mockumentary starring Megan Mullally, Sean Hayes, Martin Sheen, and many others.3
In the summer of 2002, Ensler was hired to direct Behind The Camera: The Unauthorized Story of Three's Company starring Bret Anthony, Melanie Paxson, Jud Tylor, and Brian Dennehy for NBC, which documents the true story of ambition, greed, and betrayal that rocked the set of the hit show Three's Company during it's eight year run. In an effort to make the film feel authentically 70's, Ensler shot exclusively on 16mm Agfa stock and signed a deal with Ohio Players to provide the soundtrack.4 He then directed Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart starring Cybill Shepherd and Tim Matheson, which chronicled Martha Stewart's rise to fame, subsequent incarceration for insider trading, and eventual comeback. Both films were critically acclaimed when they aired in May 2003, and became the highest rated TV movies of the decade.5
He began his career in episodic television with episodes of Scrubs and The West Wing before directing the feature film Grilled for New Line Cinema.6 Written by William Tepper, and starring Ray Romano, Kevin James, Burt Reynolds, Juliette Lewis, SophiaVergara, Kim Coates, and Michael Rapaport, Ensler created a darkly comedic character study which showcases Kevin James and Ray Romano in unexpected performances. Although it received mixed reviews, it has gained a loyal fan base with its release on VOD.7
Pilots
In 2006, Ensler was asked by Jonathan Groff and Conan O'Brien to direct and produce the pilot and series of Andy Barker, P.I. starring Andy Richter, Clea Lewis, and Tony Hale. Critically acclaimed for its smart and offbeat antics, the six episodes of Andy Barker P.I. have had a long shelf life as a cult TV hit, and was listed on Entertainment Weekly's top 10 shows of 2006. A more comprehensive oral history8 of the show was published by Uproxx in 2015.
Ensler has since directed and executive produced the pilots for:
Kath & Kim written by Michelle Nader, starring Molly Shannon, Selma Blair;
The Eastmans written by Margaret Nagle, starring Donald Sutherland, Jacqueline Bisset, Gaby Hoffman, Saffron Burrows;
Franklin & Bash written by Kevin Falls and Bill Chais, starring Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Breckin Meyer, Malcolm McDowell;
Hart of Dixie written by Leila Gerstein, starring Rachel Bilson, Jaime King, Scott Porter, Wilson Bethel, Cress Williams;
Cult written by Rockne O'Bannon, starring Matt Davis, Alona Tal, Jessica Lucas and Robert Knepper.
Recent Work
In 2013, Ensler directed the award-winning music video for Vintage Trouble’s Pelvis Pusher.
In 2014, Ensler was brought on to executive produce and direct the Steven Spielberg produced Red Band Society for Fox.10 Based upon the Catalan drama series Polseres Vermelles, developed by Margaret Nagle, and starring Octavia Spencer, Dave Annable, Zoe Levin, Charlie Rowe, and Ciara Bravo, this heartfelt drama series was well-reviewed for its irreverent, life-affirming tone11, and notable for its soundtrack - which successfully mixed punk, pop, alternative, and soul.12
In 2015, Ensler directed and executive produced the pilot The Curse of the Fuentes Women, written by Silvio Horta and starring Christina Vidal, Adan Canto, Rachel Ticotin, and Sonia Braga.9
He has recently directed episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Goldbergs, Sirens, Hostages, Grace and Frankie and The Newsroom.
| Jason Ensler | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 21, 1970 |
| Occupation | Film/television director and television producer |
| Years active | 2001–present |
Documentaries
Ensler has long been a member of and has shot documentary footage for the Network of Spiritual Progressives, founded by Tikkun editor Rabbi Michael Lerner, Sister Joan Chrittister, and Cornel West. He is on the executive board of Shifting Baselines, a think tank and production entity founded and run by author and filmmaker Randy Olson, that seeks to find more effective ways of communicating science to the public. He produced, directed and edited IRIS, a documentary for Children's Hospital Los Angeles, about Retinoblastoma, a rare form of children’s eye cancer, which was effective in passing legislation in California for early detection. And he produced, directed, and edited Farewell, My Subaru, a short documentary about author Doug Fine and the hard-won benefits of his carbon neutral lifestyle in rural New Mexico.13
Personal
Ensler is married to actress and multi-media artist Rebecca McFarland.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Credit | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Grilled | Director | ||
| 2001 | Kissing Jessica Stein | Additional Editor and Creative Consultant | ||
| 2000 | Alcatraz Avenue | TR Jones | ||
| 1999 | 12 Stops on the Road to Nowhere | Editor | ||
| 1998 | The List | Producer | Roxy Emcee | |
Television
| Year | Title | Credit | Notes/Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Red Band Society | Director
Executive Producer |
3 episodes
1 season |
| 2014 | Sirens | Director | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Hostages | Season 1, Episode 2 | |
| Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Season 1, Episode 5 | ||
| The Goldbergs | Season 1, Episode 4 | ||
| The Newsroom | Director | Season 2, Episode 8 | |
| 2013 | Cult | Director
Executive Producer |
Season 1, Episode 1
12 episodes |
| 2011-2012 | Franklin & Bash | Director
Executive Producer |
7 episodes
19 episodes |
| 2011 | Hart of Dixie | Season 1, Episode 1 Season 1, Episode 2 | |
| 2009 | Gossip Girl | Director | Season 3, Episode 12 |
| The Eastmans | Director and Co-Executive Producer | TV Movie | |
| 2008-2009 | Kath & Kim | 6 episodes | |
| 2008 | Man of Your Dreams | Director | TV Movie |
| 2008 | Psych | Director | Season 2, Episode 12 |
| 2007-2008 | Chuck | Season 1, Episode 3 Season 1, Episode 9 Season 2, Episode 1 | |
| 2007 | My Name Is Earl | Season 3, Episode 12 | |
| Andy Barker, P.I. | Director and Producer | 6 episodes | |
| The World According to Barnes | Director | TV Movie | |
| 2006 | South Beach | 2 episodes | |
| Help Me Help You | 2 episodes | ||
| 2005 | The West Wing | Season 6, Episode 18 | |
| 2004 | Scrubs | Season 3, Episode 18 | |
| Ed | Season 4, Episode 13 | ||
| 2003 | Martha, Inc.: The Story of Martha Stewart | TV Movie | |
| Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Three's Company' | TV Special | ||
References
1 http://www.reunion.com/jasonensler/
and http://2degreesofalie.tumblr.com/post/36148487895/directorproducer-jason-ensler-shares-stories-of
and http://gogoartqueen.tumblr.com/post/15462587273/pitypie-the-zucker-follies-an-nbc-promo-from
4 http://www.sitcomsonline.com/jacksbistro/nbcmovie.html
6 http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/07/movies/moviesspecial/the-class-of-200405.html?_r=0
and http://variety.com/2004/film/columns/eatery-immortalized-in-grilled-pic-1117908102/
7 http://www.cinemablend.com/dvds/Grilled-1663.html
8 http://uproxx.com/tv/2015/04/andy-barker-pi-oral-history/
9 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4730122/
10 https://cinema.usc.edu/alumni/hotsheet/2014april.cfm
11 http://www.wsj.com/articles/tv-review-foxs-red-band-society-1410491741
12 http://thisisjasonensler.com/blog/?p=444
13 http://scienceblogs.com/shiftingbaselines/2008/03/31/a-new-short-film-from-shifting/