Director Nicholas Stoller discusses his new film, Bros, with fellow director Judd Apatow in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses where the idea for the film came from, how much improv factors into his process for directing actors, and what surprised him about directing the film. The film tells the story of Bobby, a neurotic podcast host who is content not to have a serious relationship. That all changes when he meets Aaron, an equally detached lawyer. As...
Oct 24, 2022•25 min•Transcript available on Metacast Directors Maya Forbes & Wallace Wolodarsky discuss their new film, The Good House, with fellow director Susannah Grant in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they discuss their particular method for co-directing, how they approached the tone of the film, and how they built the characters with the actors. The life of New England realtor Hildy Good begins to come to pieces as she rekindles a romance with her old high school flame. As their relationship heats up, t...
Oct 22, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Peter Farrelly discusses his new film, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, with fellow director Larry David in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Farrelly speaks about shooting the movie in Thailand, how the real-life story compares to the film, and why he loves to have weather in a movie. Based on a true story, the film follows Chickie, a slacker and former marine living with his parents in 1967 New York. When he decides that the best way to support his friends s...
Oct 14, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Brett Morgen discusses his new film, Moonage Daydream, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Morgen discusses the film's themes of transience, the careful process of mixing the film, and the method he selected the songs that ended up in the movie. Screened as part of the DGA's Documentary Series, Moonage Daydream is a cinematic odyssey exploring the creative and musical journey of David Bowie. This film is the first docume...
Oct 12, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director David O. Russell discusses his new film, Amsterdam, with fellow director Jon Avnet in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Russell speaks about setting the tone of the movie with his actors, capturing intimacy and immediacy with the camera, and how he personally connected with the story. Set in the 1930s, the film follows a doctor, a nurse, and a lawyer who witness a murder, become suspects themselves, and uncover one of the most secret plots in American his...
Oct 10, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Olivia Wilde discusses her new film, Don't Worry Darling, with fellow director Reed Morano in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, she speaks about reconfiguring the film's opening, melding the film's sound design and score, and guiding the film's ideas without sacrificing the entertainment value. The film follows couple Alice and Jack, who live in a utopian community for the workers of a top-secret project. But when cracks in her supposedly idyllic life begin ...
Oct 06, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Gina Prince-Bythewood discusses her new film, The Woman King, with fellow director Stan Lathan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Prince-Bythewood speaks about how she won the job, shooting the final battle in 11 days, and the grueling training process for the actors. Inspired by true events, the film follows general Nanisca, the Agojie's leader, as she prepares the next generation of recruits for a battle against an enemy determined to destroy their wa...
Oct 04, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Julian Higgins discusses his new film, God's Country, with fellow director Chloe Okuno in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Higgins discusses pulling off night exteriors on a small budget, the year hiatus during production, and the power of an impassioned letter. Based on a James Lee Burke's short story "Winter Light" and his own short film of the same name, Higgins' feature tells the story of a college professor who finds herself drawn into an escalating...
Sep 30, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Nick Hamm discusses his new film, Gigi & Nate, with fellow director Ben Lewin in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Hamm speaks about why he decided to take on the project, his approach to the rehearsal process, and the effect of Covid-19 on the production. Based on true events, the film tells the story of Nate Gibson, a young man whose life is turned upside down after he suffers a near-fatal accident. Although moving forward seems impossible, he finds...
Sep 23, 2022•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Zach Cregger discusses his new film, Barbarian, with fellow director David F. Sanberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses creating a photoboard for the film with his cinematographer, shooting Detroit for Bulgaria, and pulling off the last scene in the film in only 40 minutes. The film tells the story of Tess, a young woman who arrives at her Airbnb late at night only to find that her rental has been mistakenly double-booked and a strange man...
Sep 16, 2022•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Ron Howard discusses his new film, Thirteen Lives, with fellow director Akiva Goldsman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, Howard reveals how much of the stunts the actors performed, his thoughts on the future of theatrical film, and his favorite scene in the film. The film follows the miraculous story of the 2018 Tham Luang Nang Non rescue, in which an international team of divers was assembled to save a group of 12 young boys and their soccer coach after ...
Sep 02, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Olivia Newman discusses her new film, Where the Crawdads Sing, with fellow director Catherine Hardwicke in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Newman reveals how she pitched the film to producers, discusses the difficulty of doing chemistry reads via Zoom, and talks about the necessity of being flexible as a director. Based on the best-selling novel, the film follows Kya, an abandoned girl raised in the marshland, who finds herself falsely accused of murder...
Aug 26, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director James Ponsoldt discusses his new film, Summering, with fellow director Ry Russo Young in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about why Ponsoldt wanted to make the film, his cinematic influences for the project, and how he helped the young actresses to function as a group and build chemistry. The film follows four best friends on the brink of starting middle school who struggle with the harsh truths of growing up as they realize their lives are ab...
Aug 19, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director George Stevens, Jr. sat in conversation with Director Paul Thomas Anderson to discuss his career and upbringing with his father, DGA Past President George Stevens, Sr. The conversation follows the release of Stevens' memoir, My Place in the Sun: Life in the Golden Age of Hollywood and Washington in which Stevens reflects on the legacy of his father and that of his family in Hollywood and the Directors Guild of America. In the conversation, Stevens and Anderson talk about their shared Va...
Aug 11, 2022•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Theodore Braun discusses his new film, ¡Viva Maestro!, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Braun shares what drew him to the project, his approach to filming biographical documentaries, and how he captured the music of the film in Dolby Atmos. The film is a behind-the-scenes portrait of conductor and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel, following him around the world as his international tours are disrupted by deadly prote...
Aug 04, 2022•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Kivu Ruhorahoza discusses his new film Father's Day, with fellow director Alex Stapleton at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Ruhorahoza discusses how the film examines masculinity in the country of Rwanda and his process with working with actors to reveal deeper layers within the characters. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/August2022/GCS_FathersDay_0622.aspx
Jul 22, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast In a special anniversary discussion, Director Jonathan Lynn discusses his film, My Cousin Vinny, with fellow director Raymond de Felitta in a screening at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, hear Lynn discuss the improvised moments, the grueling shoots of the courtroom scenes, and the clever method used to get the shoot with the owl. The film tells the tale of Vinny, a wildly inexperienced New York lawyer who must save his teenage cousin and his friend from jail or worse after they...
Jul 01, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Daniel Adams discusses his new film, The Walk, with fellow director Alejandro Brugués in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about Adams' childhood connections to the story, what a really great performance is about, and making New Orleans look like 1970s Boston. The film weaves together three story threads as an Irish cop, his bigoted 17-year-old daughter and a young African American student and her father are caught up in the turbulent court-ord...
Jun 24, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Joseph Kosinski discusses his new film, Top Gun: Maverick, with fellow director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how Top Gun came into his life (the first and second time), convincing Tom Cruise to hop back into the cockpit, and the complex process of shooting the actors while flying inside the jets. The sequel film takes us back down the highway to the danger zone as pilot Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, who has spent more th...
Jun 16, 2022•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Simon Curtis discusses his new film, Downton Abbey: A New Era, with fellow director Amy Holden Jones in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how Curtis made the film his own after the televsion show and the previous film and how he hopes the film will be perceived. Based on the popular television series and a follow-up to the 2019 feature film, A New Era reacquaints us with the Crawley family and their servants, as some venture to the South ...
Jun 10, 2022•17 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Charles Murray discusses his new film, The Devil You Know, with fellow director Matthew Cherry in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, they speak about how the film's premise developed over the years, his approach to casting Michael Ealy for the detective role, and his exploratory approach to directing actors. The film tells the story of Marcus, who after a lifetime of trouble is trying to turn his life around with the support of his loving family. When he d...
Jun 01, 2022•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Tom Gormican discusses his new film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, with fellow director Scott Z. Burns in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation they speak about the letter that convinced Nicolas Cage to do the movie, directing the film from an Ipad in a hotel room, and the importance of music in a film with a constantly changing tone. The film stars Nicolas Cage as a fictionalized version of himself who is hired to attend the birthday of a superfan,...
May 19, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Tia Lessin & Emma Pildes discuss their new film, The Janes, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. They talk about the origin of the project, give more context on the films central characters, share their thoughts on the future of Roe v. Wade. Screened as part of the DGA’s Documentary Series, the film tells the story of the Jane Collective, a group of women who used code names, blindfolds and safe houses in an underground service for women ...
May 13, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi discusses his new film, Drive My Car, with fellow director Victoria Hochberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The conversation took place via Zoom and was translated by Aiko Hamaguchi. The film follows an aging widowed actor who receives an offer to direct a production of Uncle Vanya. During the production, he is forced to confront painful truths from his past with the help of the young woman assigned to chauffeur him. Join Mr. Hamaguchi as he shares his...
Apr 29, 2022•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Directors Dan Kwan & Daniel Scheinert discuss their new film, Everything Everywhere All at Once, with fellow director Destin Daniel Cretton in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. When struggling laundromat owner Evelyn Wang finds out that only she can save the multiverse, she is swept into a dimension spanning adventure as she explores the other lives she could have led. Join Mr. Kwan and Mr. Scheinert as they speak about working with Michelle Yeoh, the films that inspired this film...
Apr 18, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Roland Emmerich discusses his new film, Moonfall, with fellow director Anna Foerster in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In a world on the brink of annihilation, two former astronauts team up with a conspiracy theorist to save humanity. Mr. Emmerich shares why Moonfall led him back to directing another disaster film, why production design led him to directing, how he copes with being in the edit. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event belo...
Apr 11, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Jane Campion, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 31st Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium. Part two finds the nominees discussing how they help actors find their characters, what they do when the shot just isn't working, and how they deal with fear. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: www.dga.org/Events/2022/April20…eatu...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Transcript available on Metacast Paul Thomas Anderson, Kenneth Branagh, Jane Campion, Steven Spielberg, and Denis Villeneuve engage in a conversation with moderator Jeremy Kagan for the 31st Annual DGA Meet the Nominees: Theatrical Feature Film Symposium. Part one finds the nominees discussing how they know they've "got the shot," where they like to sit on set, and how they prepare for production. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/April2022/MTN_Thea...
Mar 25, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Jeff Tremaine discusses his new film, Jackass Forever, with fellow director Spike Jonze in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The original Jackass crew return after 11 years to push the envelope with another round of hilarious and absurd displays of comedy. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/April2022/JackAssForever_QnA_0222.aspx
Mar 03, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Director Kat Coiro discusses her new film, Marry Me, with fellow director Gillian Robespierre in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. When pop star Kat Valdez learns that her fiancé has been unfaithful seconds before their wedding in front of a global audience of fans, she decides to marry Charlie, a middle school math teacher and stranger in the crowd, instead. Please note: spoilers are included. See photos and a summary of this event below: https://www.dga.org/Events/2022/April2022/MarryM...
Feb 24, 2022•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast