Television promos often appear for only a moment. They flash across screens between programs, during major events, or online as viewers scroll past. Yet behind these brief segments is a process that requires collaboration, clear storytelling, and an understanding of what audiences respond to. Steven L. Wagner has spent years working in this space, shaping short pieces of content that launch new series or support ongoing ones, and helping networks find the right tone for their campaigns.
Unlike feature directors who work with actors for months, or television directors who get to collaborate with actors for a week or two, promo directors usually have mere hours or minutes with talent, and they have to make it count. For Wagner, it’s all about preparation, a steady hand, and being present with the actors.
His role often begins before a new show has much material available. For the Dwayne Johnson athletic competition series The Titan Games, which aired on NBC, the show production was only beginning when the network requested a promo. To work around the limited footage, Wagner developed a concept that centered on Johnson and the theme of building the ultimate challenges. With only a tight window of less than an hour, Wagner and crew needed to capture material for 6 complex promos. When working with a star of this magnitude, every shot and every minute needs to be planned out. Wagner recounts, “Dwayne is an amazing talent to work with on set, but his expectation is that you will be 100% dialed in when he arrives – it’s go time, he gives it his all and you’ve got to do the same.”
When Brooklyn Nine Nine moved from Fox to NBC, the network wanted a piece that marked the transition with energy and humor. Wagner contributed by helping to shape a promo centered on the playful Die Hard-inspired action movie references tied to the character Jake Peralta. With only one day to shoot all the sophisticated visual effects elements with the cast and a stunt performer, the team had multiple stages set up to maximize time.
The popular series Shades of Blue, starring Jennifer Lopez and Ray Liotta, was returning for a second season, and there was a desire to create a non-traditional promo featuring the two stars in a surreal city setting that served as a metaphor for their characters’ relationship. Wagner was concerned about shooting Liotta in a greenscreen environment, knowing the actor was more accustomed to performing in real locations, not ones created in CGI. With an incredibly tight timeline, he was able to shepherd both actors through their shots and made Liotta feel comfortable with the heavy VFX by sharing detailed concept images and storyboards.
Projects like these show the range of tasks that can fall under television promotion. Some involve action-heavy concepts. Others rely on humor, nostalgia, or a simple visual idea. Wagner often works at the point where creative direction, editing, and practical production overlap. His focus remains on clarity, tone, and sometimes spectacle, and he treats each assignment as an opportunity to introduce audiences to a world they have not yet seen.
Wagner has also contributed to launch campaigns for several other NBC titles and for larger broadcast events. His work has appeared during several Super Bowls and across multiple Olympic Games broadcasts. Over the years, he has received recognition from professional groups for his contributions to promotional media, including honors from PromaxBDA, the GEMA awards, and an Emmy nomination for an interactive social media campaign tied to The Good Place.
He continues to work in Los Angeles on a mix of television and promotional projects. For him, the interest lies in solving the small puzzles that each new assignment brings. A promo may be only seconds long, but within that short space, he aims to give viewers a sense of what a series feels like and why they might want to spend time with it. His career reflects a steady commitment to the craft of shaping these brief but purposeful pieces.
