Claim OwnershipThe Director's Cut - A DGA Podcast
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Brought to you by the Directors Guild of America, "The Director's Cut" will bring you the behind-the-scenes stories of today's most talked about films. Each episode features a different director interviewed by one of their peers, leading to revealing conversations about the grueling, but rewarding process of bringing their films to life.
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Director Hallie Meyers-Shyer discusses her new film, Goodrich, with fellow Director Max Minghella in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses creating the titular role with Actor Michael Keaton in mind, having audiences react in the way she hoped after modeling the film off of personal experiences, and assembling a crew that helped her craft her desired feel for the film.
The film tells the story of Andy, whose wife unexpectedly checks herself into rehab, leaving him to take care of their two young children. When Grace, his daughter from a first marriage, steps up to help him, she watches him evolve into the father she never had.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/GoodRich_QnA_1024
Director Jason Reitman discusses his new film, Saturday Night, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses originally conceptualizing the film as a one-take to play out in real time, recording the score live on set with the film's Actor and Composer Jon Batiste, and casting his Actors for how well they understood their characters' deeper interests over their recreations of sketch work.
Seen through the eyes of a young Lorne Michaels as he juggles equipment failures, actor fights and producers pushing for reruns, the film follows Lorne and his troupe of trailblazers behind the scenes leading up to the landmark show’s first airing.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/SaturdayNight_QnA_1024
Director Marc Forster discusses his new film, White Bird, with fellow Director Michael Pressman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the use of magical realism in the visuals of the film, filming in an empty Prague during the pandemic and working with young Actors to find character growth between the film’s time jumps.
The film follows Julian, who struggles to fit in to his new school after being expelled for bullying a student. When his grandmother hears of his expulsion, she attempts to transform his outlook on life by sharing the story of her youth in Nazi-occupied France.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/WhiteBird_QnA_1024
Director Ellen Kuras discusses her new film, Lee, with fellow Director Phillip Noyce in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses how her skillset as a cinematographer informed her directing, how she aimed to reach beyond the constraints of a typical biopic to create something more complex and working with Kate Winslet to capture Lee as a multidimensional character.
The film tells the true story of Lee Miller, who in the 1940s decides to abandon her career as a fashion model and become Vogue’s war correspondent during World War II. Capturing the extremes of the human experience in some of the most indelible images of war, Lee cements herself as one of the greatest war photographers of the 20th century.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/Lee_QnA_1024
Director Steve McQueen discusses his new film, Blitz, with fellow Director Barry Jenkins in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses portraying the hidden voices of all those affected by the real life London Blitz, casting the lead child actor as a silent vessel for the audience while being a distinctive character, and utilizing music and dancing throughout the film as a way to reclaim humanity in the face of war.
The film tells the story of George, a nine-year-old boy who is separated from his mother, Rita, amid the devastation of the London Blitz capital bombings. As George embarks on a journey to find the family he left behind, Rita embarks on her own journey to track down her son.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Dec2024/Blitz_QnA_1024
2Director Mohammad Rasoulof discusses his new film, The Seed of the Sacred Fig, with fellow Director Ramin Bahrani in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses his utilization of modern online spaces in the film as a reflection of current sentiments, shooting the film clandestinely to avoid castigation, and using his own personal experiences as reference for events within the film.
Screened as part of the DGA’s Global Cinema Series, the film tells the story of Iman, an investigating Judge of Tehran’s court system who becomes increasingly paranoid after his gun goes missing. With his wife and daughters as the prime suspects, he grapples with distrust in his household as political unrest unfolds in the streets.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Nov2024/GCSNY-SeedOfTheSacredFig_0924
Director Azazel Jacobs discusses his new film, His Three Daughters, with fellow Director David Zellner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how his personal experiences informed the film, working with his cast to capture performances against their usual types, and shooting scenes in the same order as they happen in the film to allow the performances to evolve with the story.
The film tells the story of Katie, Christina and Rachel, who reunite for the first time in many years at their dying father’s New York City apartment. Over the course of three claustrophobic days, the sisters unearth past grievances, traumas and hang-ups as they learn to coexist before their father’s departure.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/HisThreeDaughters_QnA_0924
Director Matt Tyrnauer discusses his new film, Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid!, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his cinema verite approach to the nuances of Carville’s life, puzzling where and how to include Carville’s wife, Mary Matalin in the film, and finding a new wind in his documentary following Joe Biden’s exit from the presidential race.
Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film follows the Democratic consultant’s career, from his rise to fame in 1992 to his current effort with Kamala Harris’ campaign. As he navigates America’s tumultuous 2024 election cycle, Carville is portrayed not only in his political element, but also in his personal life.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/DocSeries_CARVILLE-0924
Director Megan Park discusses her new film, My Old Ass, with fellow Director Siân Heder in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses finding and the means of capturing her tone, discovering scenes with the help of scouting the locations and the process of casting of Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza as the two leads.
The film tells the story of teenager Elliott who, after her first time taking mushrooms on a summer vacation, is visited by a 39-year-old version of herself. Through this apparition of her older self, she learns valuable lessons about family, friends, love and coming to terms with her sexual orientation.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/MyOldAss_QnA_0924
Director Austin Peters discusses his new film, Skincare, with fellow Director Mimi Cave in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses striving for a more authentic LA than the Hollywood image, creating something within the “Sunshine Noir” genre and working with Elizabeth Banks to discover her character.
The film tells the story of skincare mogul Hope Goldman, whose business is thrown off the rails when a rival beauty parlor arrives in her neighborhood. With the help of her friend, Jordan, she seeks to uncover the person intent on ruining both her business and her reputation.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/Skincare_QnA_0924
Director Fede Alvarez discusses his new film, Alien: Romulus, with fellow Director Leigh Whannell in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process for crafting scenes, creating a believable relationship between a human and android character, and working with the effects team from previous films.
This continuation of the Alien franchise tells the story of a group of young space colonizers with a plan to scavenge a derelict space station. Instead, once they arrive, they discover they might not be alone.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/AlienRomulus_QnA_0824
Director Lee Daniels discusses his new film, The Deliverance, with fellow Director Adam Shankman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses making a horror film for the first time with his characters at the forefront, playing with serious and campy tonal points, and discovering his portrayals of religious imagery while considering his own beliefs.
The film tells the story of Ebony, a struggling single mother who moves her family into a new home for a fresh start. But when strange occurrences inside the home threaten to tear the family apart, Ebony soon finds herself locked in a battle for her and her children’s lives.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/Oct2024/TheDeliverance_QnA_0824
Director Irene Taylor discusses her new film, I Am: Celine Dion, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses discovering the purpose of her film as she was making it, Celine’s effort to participate more in the making of the film and being deliberate about how much she wanted to explore Celine’s stardom alongside more sensitive topics in her home life.
Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film tells the story of the Canadian singer’s past and present as well as the sacrifices she’s made to continue performing for her beloved fans, all while managing her life-altering illness.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2024/Sept2024/DocSeries_IAMCelineDion-0824
Director Greg Berlanti discusses his new film, Fly Me to the Moon, with fellow Director Dan Gilroy in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how his past work in film and television lead to him creating this film, utilizing authentic digital and practical production design to recreate aspects of the Apollo missions not seen before onscreen, and working with his actors to channel the tone of a classic workplace romantic comedy genre.
The film tells the story of Kelly, a marketing director, who’s brought on to fix NASA’s waning public image against the wishes of NASA’s launch director, Cole. But when the White House deems the mission too important to fail, Kelly and Cole must work together and stage a fake landing as the launch grows nearer.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/August2024/FlyMe2DMoon_QnA_0724
Director Ti West discusses his new film, MaXXXine, with fellow Director Sean Baker in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses filming his X trilogy without pause, working with Actor Mia Goth to develop her characters between each film, and using familiar film production steps as horror setpieces.
The third entry in West’s trilogy of X films tells the story of Maxine, an adult film star looking to break into mainstream cinema in 1980s Hollywood. But when a mysterious killer begins stalking starlets on the strip, a trail of blood threatens to reveal her sinister past.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/August2024/MaXXXine_QnA_0724
Director Tony Goldwyn discusses his new film, Ezra, with fellow Director Michael Pressman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses accurately casting the role of Ezra, utilizing selective shooting styles to capture the emotion he aimed for, and working with his friend and screenwriter - whose own experience the film is based on - to craft this story.
The film tells the story of Max, a stand-up comedian struggling to co-parent his autistic son, Ezra, with his ex-wife. But when he’s forced to confront difficult decisions about his son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/August2024/Ezra_QnA_0624
Director David Leitch discusses his new film, The Fall Guy, with fellow Director Jerry Zucker in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses striking a balance with the tension between jokes and action sequences, working with his actors to allow space for improvisation, and filming a meta-narrative feature that reveals how the magic tricks of movie stunts are accomplished.
The film tells the story of Colt, a stuntman trying to win back his ex-girlfriend while recovering from a nearly career-ending accident. But after the star of her movie disappears, he’ll have to search for the missing actor, solve a conspiracy and try to win back the love of his life, all while getting beat up at his day job.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/July2024/FallGuy_QnA_0524
Director George Miller discusses his new film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, with fellow Director Edgar Wright in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses utilizing Unreal Engine in his storyboarding process, utilizing a mixture of authentic locations and digital effects to achieve his vision, and the evolution of the series leading up to this installment.
The prequel to Mad Mad: Fury Road tells the origin story of Furiosa, who was snatched from her idyllic birthhome at a young age and enslaved by the warlord Dementus. But when Dementus encounters opposing warlord Immortan Joe, Furiosa strattles the line of freedom and fury as the two tyrants clash for dominance over the wasteland.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/July2024/Furiosa_QnA_0524
Director Chris Pine discusses his new film, Poolman, with fellow Director Patty Jenkins in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with Actors as a Director who came from acting, his preference of shooting on film instead of digital, and learning to be intuitive when working with a small budget.
The film tells the story of Darren, an unwavering optimist who spends his days looking after the pool of an LA apartment block. But when a femme fatale asks him to look into a shady business deal, Darren uncovers hidden truths about his beloved city and himself.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/Events/2024/July2024/Poolman_QnA_0524
Director Yance Ford discusses his new film, Power, with fellow Director Kristi Jacobson in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the endeavor of going through hundreds of years of archival material, how he wanted to challenge the notion of traditional experts in a documentary by approaching people from police-impacted communities, and the post production journey that led him to include his narration in the documentary.
The film investigates the American policing system, which has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Driven to contain threats to social order, now it can be described by one word: Power.
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I can't believe that the host cut off Steven Spielberg on that last question.
documentary? did we watch the same movie?
this conversation is so awkward but so rich
derekscottcarlisle-A DGA Podcast-TheDirectorsCut
Thank you so much for doing this!