Susan Ansman spent a year embedded with LeBron James, directing Netflix’s Starting 5 and capturing the most personal moments of his career. In this episode, Susan shares how she made the leap from ESPN to freelance, what it’s really like to direct a global superstar, and how she’s paving the way for women in sports filmmaking.
⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Intro: How Susan became LeBron’s director

01:09 – Why she quit ESPN for this opportunity

02:15 – First day: Inside LeBron’s house on Halloween

03:40 – Building trust with high-profile athletes

05:31 – Capturing LeBron rapping in the car

07:00 – Verité filmmaking and shooting solo

08:06 – The story structure behind Starting 5

10:00 – The toast, Bronny’s health scare & vulnerability

13:30 – Being a one-woman crew with LeBron

16:00 – What it takes to shoot elite athletes

19:00 – The power of listening as a director

21:45 – From EVS operator to Emmy-winning filmmaker

24:30 – How editing shaped her directing style

27:00 – Juggling directing, producing, and editing

30:00 – Shooting the Olympic basketball documentary

34:00 – Navigating confidence in a male-dominated industry

37:30 – Advice to women entering sports filmmaking

41:00 – Why representation behind the camera matters

44:00 – Final reflections + what’s next for Susan

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