The Director's Cut - A DGA Podcast
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.
Episodes
May 24, 2024 • 32 mins
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 t...
Mark as Played
May 24, 2024 • 38 mins
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 narratio...
Mark as Played
May 21, 2024 • 25 mins
Director Wes Ball discusses his new film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, with fellow Director Barry Jenkins in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the importance of mis-en-scene and notes taken from his time helming the Maze Runner series, working in a production that relied heavily on mocap and digital replacement, and the unique process he underwent with his editors in the cutting proces...
Mark as Played
May 14, 2024 • 44 mins
Director Lucy Walker discusses her new film, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses comparing and contrasting the act of mountain climbing with the struggle of personal life, exploring Lhakpa’s children’s arcs to add to the stakes of the story, and finding and fighting for the end of her feature.
The film follows...
Mark as Played
May 7, 2024 • 31 mins
Director Michael Showalter discusses his new film, The Idea of You, with fellow Director Kay Cannon in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the in-depth process of casting the Hayes character, working with a songwriter who writes for real pop bands to make a full soundtrack, and taking care to craft a realistic story that respects the genre.
The film tells the story of Solène, who while chaper...
Mark as Played
May 3, 2024 • 29 mins
Director Ned Benson discusses his new film, The Greatest Hits, with fellow Director Marc Webb in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses filming at landmark Los Angeles locations to ingrain the city as part of the story, working with the cinematographer to artistically convey the time traveling sequences, and working with his composer to craft a soundtrack that compliments a musically-inclined sto...
Mark as Played
April 22, 2024 • 31 mins
Directors David and Nathan Zellner discuss their new film, Sasquatch Sunset, with fellow Director James Ponsoldt in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss working with actors who are performing in full makeup, their use of live animals throughout the film, and utilizing a score that integrates the sounds of nature as an instrument.
The film tells the story of a family of sasquatches living in th...
Mark as Played
April 16, 2024 • 31 mins
Director Robert Lorenz discusses his new film, In the Land of Saints and Sinners, with fellow Director Brian Helgeland in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses retaining the film’s authenticity in its Irish cast and texture of its 1970s setting, balancing the tone with moments of humor and severity, and using landscape shots of the remote Irish location to accentuate the mood of the film.
The f...
Mark as Played
April 9, 2024 • 33 mins
Director Michael Mohan discusses his new film, Immaculate, with fellow Director Adam Robitel in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how his personal background played into his making of the film, his creative partnership with actress Sydney Sweeney on and off the camera, and using Italian locations to try and keep the setting in a timeless state.
The film tells the story of Cecelia, an Americ...
Mark as Played
March 28, 2024 • 32 mins
Director Maureen Bharoocha discusses her new film, The Prank, with fellow Director Lena Khan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses the influence of Hitchcock and Heathers on her tone, utilizing the score to control tension throughout the film, and working with Rita Moreno to portray the Actor in her first villain role.
The film follows Ben and Tanner, two seemingly ordinary high school seni...
Mark as Played
March 26, 2024 • 34 mins
Director Denis Villeneuve discusses his new film, Dune: Part Two, with fellow Director Steven Spielberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the throes of filming in the desert in comparison with Lawrence of Arabia, the comic and painterly inspirations for his imagery, and adjusting his adaptation to closer fit Frank Herbert’s original intentions.
In this sequel to 2021’s Dune, Paul unites ...
Mark as Played
March 25, 2024 • 31 mins
Director Jeff Wadlow discusses his new film, Imaginary, with fellow Director Ari Sandel in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with a child actor, creating his creatures with a renowned creature effect house, and collaborating with the film’s lead, DeWanda Wise, as a producing partner.
The film follows Jessica, whose daughter develops an eerie attachment to a stuffed bear they find in...
Mark as Played
March 22, 2024 • 39 mins
Director Johan Renck discusses his new film, Spaceman, with fellow Director Crystal Moselle in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses Adam Sandler’s casting and role in helping the film take off, consulting with real astronauts about the loneliness and melancholy of space, and working with an Actor and cgi character on a set simulating zero-g.
The film tells the story of Jakub, an astronaut on a so...
Mark as Played
March 19, 2024 • 31 mins
Director Nicholaus Goossen discusses his new film, Drugstore June, with fellow Director Sammi Cohen in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his first time writing, directing and editing a film himself, balancing his Actors’ improvisational scenes with the script when working on a tight shooting timeline, and referencing indie 80s and 90s movies to achieve a cinematic texture.
The film tells th...
Mark as Played
March 15, 2024 • 33 mins
Director Reinaldo Marcus Green discusses his new film, Bob Marley: One Love, with fellow Director Jeffrey W. Byrd in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses shooting in Jamaica to include authentic actors and locations, finding his Bob Marley in the 11th hour, and having Ziggy Marley supervising on-set.
The film tells the inspirational true story of Bob Marley, the legendary Jamaican reggae singe...
Mark as Played
March 13, 2024 • 61 mins
Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Alexander Payne, Yorgos Lanthimos and Christopher Nolan engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 33rd Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/March2024/MTN_TheatricalFeatureFilm2024
Mark as Played
March 12, 2024 • 52 mins
Martin Scorsese, Greta Gerwig, Alexander Payne, Yorgos Lanthimos and Christopher Nolan engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 33rd Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://dga.org/en/Events/2024/March2024/MTN_TheatricalFeatureFilm2024
Mark as Played
January 9, 2024 • 36 mins
Director Zack Snyder discusses his new film, Rebel Moon: Part One - A Child of Fire, with fellow Director Louis Leterrier in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he aimed to capture the post-Star Wars pulp science fiction aesthetic, his process when pitching the film, and how he worked on stunt scenes with his Actors.
The film tells the story of Kora, who crash-lands on a moon at the edge ...
Mark as Played
December 25, 2023 • 35 mins
Director George Clooney discusses his new film, The Boys in the Boat, with fellow Director Jon Watts in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the logistical nuances of filming scenes on the water, finding actors who could inhabit their characters and show physical prowess, and taking notes from other rowing movies as well as borrowing filming techniques from the actual 1936 Olympics.
The film t...
Mark as Played
December 22, 2023 • 33 mins
Director Sean Durkin discusses his new film, The Iron Claw, with fellow Director Catherine Hardwicke in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he aimed to make a complex narrative exploring the absence of grief, filming with live wrestling fans during the ring scenes, and utilizing one-takes to keep the performances authentic.
The film tells the true story of the Von Erich brothers, who made...
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Shootings are not unusual in Belize. Shootings of cops are. When a wealthy woman – part of one of the most powerful families in Belize – is found on a pier late at night, next to a body, it becomes the country’s biggest news story in a generation. New episodes every Monday!
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.