Jon Cassar

Jon Cassar was a director and executive producer of 24. He holds the record for most episodes directed of the series, with 59 total between 2002 and 2009, as well as directing 24: Redemption. He started out as a successful camera operation in feature films and the 80s show War of the Worlds prior to snatching the director's chair.

Cassar worked previously with 24 producer Stephen Kronish on Street Time and Profiler, and with 24 co-creator Joel Surnow on La Femme Nikita. He has also produced/directed for other TV shows, including: Mutant X, Due South, Queen of Swords, Sheena (with John Allen Nelson), Kung Fu: The Legend Continues... (with Al Leong), Profiler and Baywatch: Nights. Movie credits include cable TV features such as "Danger Beneath the Sea" and three Hulk Hogan actioners for TNT cable TV.

In addition to his work as a director and producer, Cassar is a founding member of the Motion Picture Industry Charitable Alliance, an entertainment industry-based non-profit organization that hosts charity auctions featuring items donated by studios, theatres, actors, directors, producers and crew members of popular movies, television series and stage productions.

After completing Season 7, Cassar chose to leave prior to the production of Season 8 of 24, opting instead to work on the new CBS pilot Washington Field and work on movie projects for Pixar. Neither one was picked up so instead he guest directed a few popular shows like Criminal Minds and Human Target.

In 2011, Cassar worked as executive producer and director of both Terra Nova (with Brannon Braga, David Fury and Mido Hamada) and Joel Surnows's The Kennedys. The following year, he also directed an episode of Touch, which headlines Kiefer and was involved with the hit SciFi show Continuum, which stars Roger Cross.

Cassar will return to executive produce and direct the upcoming 24 miniseries, 24: Live Another Day, in 2014.

24-related appearances


Cassar appears in more DVD special features and behind-the-scenes videos than any other member of the 24 crew. He has also directed the most episodes, totaling at 59 episodes altogether (beating out Brad Turner, the second one with the most directing credits).
 * Cassar provided DVD audio commentary for the following:
 * "Day 2: 1:00pm-2:00pm" (with Sarah Clarke)
 * All 44 season 2 deleted scenes (with Rodney Charters and Howard Gordon)
 * 16 season 3 deleted scenes
 * "Day 4: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with Joseph Hodges)
 * "Day 4: 12:00am-1:00am" (with Sean Callery)
 * All 39 season 4 deleted scenes
 * "Day 6: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with Joseph Hodges)
 * 24: Redemption (with Howard Gordon and Kiefer Sutherland)
 * "Day 7: 8:00am-9:00am" (with Carlos Bernard)
 * "Day 7: 12:00pm-1:00pm" (with Annie Wersching)
 * "Day 7: 7:00am-8:00am" (with Howard Gordon)
 * 24: Access All Areas
 * 24 Inside - Day 3: 11:00am-12:00pm
 * Pure 24 episode 1x06
 * Pure 24 episode 1x07
 * 24: Exposed, Season 2 DVD
 * 24: On the Loose, Season 3 DVD
 * Making a Scene - Season 5 Prequel, Season 4 DVD
 * Breaking Ground: Building the New CTU, Season 4 DVD
 * Blood on the Tracks, Season 4 DVD
 * Unsung Heroes: 24 Camera Department, Season 5 DVD
 * 24: Behind the Scenes Book Sample, Season 5 DVD
 * 24 Season 6: Opening with a Bang, Season 6 DVD
 * Webcast Diaries, Season 6 DVD
 * Changing All the Rules, 24: The Official Companion: Season 6 DVD
 * Keepin' It Real: The Stunts and Special Effects of 24, 24: The Official Companion: Season 6 DVD
 * Making of 24: Redemption, 24: Redemption DVD
 * 24 in 24
 * Scenemakers, Episode 2 | 3 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 17
 * Cassar appears uncredited as a mugshot of Vincent Cardiff, during "Day 7: 2:00am-3:00am."
 * In an advertisement for People's Choice Magazine, he complements dialogue coach and CTU extra/stand-in Marci Michelle by saying "You need every advantage you can get in making today's ambitious shooting schedules ... the intricate nature of the storytelling meant the script was always changing and improving making it a daily challenge to track and learn. Marci was a valuable asset to production on both these fronts working with the actors and script assistant."

Author credits
Cassar put together the photography book 24: Behind the Scenes, which collects candid pictures and stories from the cast and crew.

Producer credits
Cassar served as Producer during Day 2 and Day 3, Co-Executive Producer for Day 4 and Day 5 and Executive Producer for Day 6 and Day 7.

Director credits
{| width="100%"
 * valign="top" |
 * valign="top" |

Season 1

 * "Day 1: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
 * "Day 1: 2:00pm-3:00pm"

Season 2

 * "Day 2: 8:00am-9:00am"
 * "Day 2: 9:00am-10:00am"
 * "Day 2: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * "Day 2: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
 * "Day 2: 8:00pm-9:00pm"
 * "Day 2: 9:00pm-10:00pm"
 * "Day 2: 12:00am-1:00am"
 * "Day 2: 1:00am-2:00am"
 * "Day 2: 6:00am-7:00am"
 * "Day 2: 7:00am-8:00am"

Season 3

 * "Day 3: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
 * "Day 3: 2:00pm-3:00pm"
 * "Day 3: 5:00pm-6:00pm"
 * "Day 3: 6:00pm-7:00pm"
 * "Day 3: 11:00pm-12:00am"
 * "Day 3: 12:00am-1:00am"
 * "Day 3: 7:00am-8:00am"
 * "Day 3: 8:00am-9:00am"
 * "Day 3: 11:00am-12:00pm"
 * "Day 3: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * valign="top" style="width:33%;" |

Season 4

 * "Day 4: 7:00am-8:00am"
 * "Day 4: 8:00am-9:00am"
 * "Day 4: 11:00am-12:00pm"
 * "Day 4: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * "Day 4: 5:00pm-6:00pm"
 * "Day 4: 6:00pm-7:00pm"
 * "Day 4: 11:00pm-12:00am"
 * "Day 4: 12:00am-1:00am"
 * "Day 4: 5:00am-6:00am"
 * "Day 4: 6:00am-7:00am"

Season 5

 * "Day 5: 7:00am-8:00am"
 * "Day 5: 8:00am-9:00am"
 * "Day 5: 11:00am-12:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 5:00pm-6:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 6:00pm-7:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 9:00pm-10:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 10:00pm-11:00pm"
 * "Day 5: 5:00am-6:00am"
 * "Day 5: 6:00am-7:00am"
 * valign="top" style="width:33%;" |

Season 6

 * "Day 6: 6:00am-7:00am"
 * "Day 6: 7:00am-8:00am"
 * "Day 6: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * "Day 6: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
 * "Day 6: 6:00pm-7:00pm"
 * "Day 6: 7:00pm-8:00pm"

Season 7

 * 24: Redemption
 * "Day 7: 8:00am-9:00am"
 * "Day 7: 9:00am-10:00am"
 * "Day 7: 12:00pm-1:00pm"
 * "Day 7: 1:00pm-2:00pm"
 * "Day 7: 10:00pm-11:00pm"
 * "Day 7: 11:00pm-12:00am"
 * "Day 7: 6:00am-7:00am"
 * "Day 7: 7:00am-8:00am"
 * }



Awards

 * 2007 - DGA: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series
 * 2006 - Emmy: Outstanding Dramatic Series
 * 2006 - Emmy: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for "Day 5: 7:00am-8:00am."