Alessandro Ippolito, author, director and television producer, began his career as a literary journalist. He worked for the cultural department of RTSI, Radio Televisione della Svizzera Italiana, as author, screenwriter and director. After extensive training in New York at ABC, CBS and NBC — studying soap opera productions on the sets of “One Life to Live” and “Search for Tomorrow” — he went on to work with RAI1, RAI2, RAI3, Canale 5, Italia1, Rete4, RTSI and Odeon TV.

Ippolito wrote, directed and produced for Mondadori the first Italian soap opera (“L’altalena”, 1983). Following in Nanni Loi’s footsteps, he was the first in Italy to bring candid camera back to television (“W le donne”, 1984). He wrote and directed the first on-the-road cabaret show (“Help – Tuttoperdenaro” with i Gatti di Vicolo Miracoli). He co-wrote with Luciano Rispoli a highly successful RAI1 programme on the Italian language (“Parola mia”). For two years he was author, director and presenter of Mike Bongiorno’s outside broadcasts on Canale 5 (“Telemike”). He created, wrote, directed and hosted “Barzellette” (1990), the programme that gave birth to “La sai l’ultima?” (1992). He created, wrote and hosted the first Italian true-crime storytelling show (“Fatti di cronaca vera”). He adapted, wrote, directed and hosted with Alberto Castagna the first Italian reality show (“Stranamore”).

Alessandro Ippolito is also regarded as a master of the candid camera format (“Scherzi a parte”, “La stangata”, “La strana coppia” and “Italiani in vacanza”). With “Telecamere a richiesta” he was the first to broadcast live prime-time candid camera to great public success.

He was the first to produce a docu-show (“Pianto tutto e me ne vado”), for which he served as author, director, producer and host. He was author, director and host of a large-scale, highly complex live show broadcast from locations around the world (“Italiani nel mondo”).

In recent years, Ippolito ran an international television production company (Videomedia, Madrid, 2002–2010). A passionate and early adopter of the internet since 1995, he conceived the first project for the Mediaset web portal (Mediasetonline) and produced for Excite, as author, director and producer, the first two Italian web fiction series (“Girls” and “La grande sorella”, 2000).

Ippolito is credited with bringing RAI television fiction back to Milan as producer of the longest and most complex medical drama series ever made in Italy (“Terapia d’urgenza”, 18 episodes of 90 minutes each). He has built numerous creative teams and mentored some of Italy’s leading television professionals.

Today Alessandro Ippolito continues to work as an author and director while devoting a significant part of his time to teaching. He founded a hands-on television school in Milan (“professione.TV”), giving his students direct access to the biggest names in Italian television.

He produced and directed 15 live-streaming episodes for IED (“Banda Larga”), produced an educational reality show for young people (“-18”), and manages the production of a thematic YouTube channel with over 20,000 subscribers (youtube/filmmakerchannel). For some years Alessandro has been an enthusiastic advocate of e-learning (FilmMakerChannel.it), which he has always considered the great future of education.

With that conviction he has created four practical online courses for beginners, followed to date by more than 8,000 students worldwide: “Course of Video Direction and Shooting”; “How to Write a Film” (screenwriting); “How to Produce a Film” (film production); and “How to Get Ideas” (a practical guide to creativity).

Ippolito has also published on Amazon and all major online bookstores “Per soldi e per TV” (“For Money and for TV”), a book addressed to all filmmakers that retraces his long professional career with complete candour.