Before Chris Wilcha became the acclaimed director of the televised This American Life, his employment took a few other turns. Back in the nineties, having quit his punk band, Wilcha took a job as a marketing assistant at music club Columbia House Records, showing up for his first day of work with his camera in tow. Soon his colleagues got used to the lens and began to gesture and vent to the camera. Even his supervisors imparted their wisdom and permitted him to film conference calls and meetings. For two years, as he climbed the ladder at Columbia, Wilcha filmed the footage that would become The Target Shoots First. A promotion offers him promising creative opportunities, but Wilcha soon finds himself caught between the creatives on the 17th floor and the suits on the 19th. How creative can you be while still playing by the rules, and how long can you play by the rules before you’ve sold out?  ST