The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

Director Kevin Williamson discusses his new film, Scream 7, with fellow Director Paul Feig in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how the original concept of Scream came to be, how he balanced horror and comedy to establish the tone, and the importance and careful use of score needed to maintain the film’s tension.

In the newest installment of the Scream franchi...

Director Tom Harper discusses his new film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, with fellow Director Mary Harron in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses working with Actor Cillian Murphy, how making a Peaky Blinders film differed from an episode of the series, and working closely with his composer to find a soundtrack befitting the tone.

A sequel to the award-winning ...

Director John Patton Ford discusses his new film, How to Make a Killing, with fellow Director Kobi Libii in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses inspirations and early iterations of the film, managing the tone as over-the-top events happening in a grounded and believable world, and the importance of sound design to the construction of the film.

Loosely inspired b...

Director Gore Verbinski discusses his new film, Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, with fellow Director Sacha Gervasi in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he wanted to approach the story with a modern take on AI, how Actor Sam Rockwell’s costume was made from scrap technology found in surplus stores, and finding a delicate balance for the film's tone in between apocalyptic...

Director Emerald Fennell discusses her new film, Wuthering Heights, with fellow Director J.J. Abrams in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses her approach to adapting the original text, working with her Production Design team to create surreal landscapes and environments reminiscent of human features, and collaborating with musical artist Charli XCX to create a soundtrack for ...

Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 35th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.

Please note: spoilers are included.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

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Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another), Ryan Coogler (Sinners), Guillermo del Toro (Frankenstein), Josh Safdie (Marty Supreme) and Chloé Zhao (Hamnet) engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 35th Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium.

Please note: spoilers are included.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https:...

Director Paul Feig discusses his new film, The Housemaid, with fellow Director Lesli Linka Glatter in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the intentional casting of Actors Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney opposite one another, finding the house that served as the main location and how its architecture led to the discovery of scenes, and balancing the film’s tone between com...

Director Bradley Cooper discusses his new film, Is This Thing On?, with fellow Director Bennett Miller in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the true story circumstances that inspired the film, how he envisioned and cast Will Arnett and Laura Dern in the leading roles, and utilizing his cinematography to emphasize the vulnerability of performing stand up comedy.

T...

Director Craig Brewer discusses his new film, Song Sung Blue, with fellow Director Taylor Hackford in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he cast Actors Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson for the lead roles, his care in handling a film that frequently changes tones, and getting the blessing from Neil Diamond to make the film.

Based on a true story, the film follow...

Director Mona Fastvold discusses her new film, The Testament of Ann Lee, with fellow Director Darius Marder in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she discusses how her background in movement and dance contributed to the choreography, the logistics of shooting the barn burning scene, and how she aimed to show authentic moments of womanhood to sympathize with the journey of Ann Lee.

Director Rian Johnson discusses his new film, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, with fellow Director Jon Watts in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses finding and casting Actor Josh O’Connor, the effort behind crafting and lighting the sets, and how his relationship with faith influenced the film.

The film finds Blanc teaming up with an earnest young priest...

Director Josh Safdie discusses his new film, Marty Supreme, with fellow Director Ben Affleck in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses how he uses his casting process to select Actors that make every character feel like a fleshed-out person, his attention to minute details in recreating the time period and texture of 1950s New York, and the process of working with Actor Timothée...

Director James Cameron discusses his new film, Avatar: Fire and Ash, with fellow Director Guillermo del Toro in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his experiences of shooting in performance capture and how they compare to real-world shoots, coming up with the concept for the fire clan and the complex characters that stray from their expected alignments, and his own thoughts ...

Director James L. Brooks discusses his new film, Ella McCay, with fellow Director Albert Brooks in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses his process of casting and how he found Actor Emma Mackey for the lead role, shares how he works with his Cinematographers and Actors, and takes time to reflect on his storied career and history with Albert Brooks.

The film tells...

Director Hikari discusses her new film, Rental Family, with fellow Director Nicole Holofcener in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses working with Actor Brendan Frasier to capture a character out of their element, working with her Cinematographer to capture the beauty of Japan, and how she wanted to use this film to address the real life loneliness epidemic.

The...

Directors Daniel Junge and Sam Pollard discusses their new film, I Was Born This Way, with fellow Director Jade Jenise Dixon in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss trying to paint an honest, human portrait of Carl Bean, how they manage the collaborative directorial process in their creative partnership, and working with figures such as Lady Gaga, Billy Porter and Maxine Water...

Director Jon M. Chu discusses his new film, Wicked: For Good, with fellow Director Rob Marshall in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the process of assembling the sequel having filmed both installments at the same time, how he chose to favor great Actor performances over interesting setups when they clashed, and how he strove to make the films relevant to the times.

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