Photo Essay

As we gradually emerge from our quarantines, it’s worth taking a look at themes of isolation and confinement over the years, which served as a device for directors to study characters pushed to the breaking point.

Star-crossed romance has made for memorable drama over the years, proving that “happily ever after” doesn’t always apply.

For competition shows, directors still focus on the storytelling by concentrating on real people with relatable stories, whether it's an Iron Chef contestant or a singer on The Voice.

The author of a recent book about filming south of the border examines the experiences of such directors as Julie Taymor, Mel Gibson and Alfonso Cuarón, among others.

Looking back at select pilots launched since 2000, it's clear that the first decade of the New Millennium paved the way for the current Platinum Age of Television.

When it comes to fantasy and futurism, directors’ imaginations truly run wild. We glimpse a few examples of the big screen’s ability to transport us to realms that
only exist in the movies.

The maxim that "absolute power corrupts absolutely" is proven by history, providing particularly ripe subjects for filmmakers.

Earlier this year, there was a lot of tough talk traded back and forth between Washington and Pyongyang about nuclear arms, a subject that has inspired a few Hollywood doomsday scenarios over the years.

Episodic television's current renaissance has more than a little to do with the increasingly cinematic approach to some of the medium's more ambitious series, some of which are glimpsed herein.

One of WB's most prized contract players, Michael Curtiz directed such Golden Age classics as Casablanca and Mildred Pierce.

The life-or-death struggle has been an integral part of drama since filmdom's origin, but when the bulk of the story involves simply staying alive, the stakes couldn't be higher.

When food and drink play an epicurean role in movies, the result can have a Pavlovian effect.

In the wake of Jonathan Demme's passing in April, we take a visual tour through his bracingly eclectic film canon.

The music biopic, with its rise/fall/redemption dramatic arc, is a ripe subject for directors.

From Méliès to Spielberg, directors have long wondered what life would look like in the future. With the help of production and costume design, here’s how directors visualized the shape of things to come.

50 years ago, the New Hollywood was redefining the medium and echoing the tumult of the times.

Guild Lifetime Achievement Awards celebrate the remarkable careers of feature, television, news, and sports directors. Here are some of them creating their unique body of work.

Directors have long collaborated with designers to transport actors into the past in glorious costume dramas. Beneath the wardrobe, there is always a story to tell.

It’s the season for big movies and big hits—and the occasional sleeper. Here are directors living large in a selection of shots from some good old summertime films.

Television today—in all of its forms—may be better than ever. From The Sopranos to Fargo, here are directors working on some of the seminal series since 2000.

With so much raw material all around them, directors can’t resist the temptation to depict the machinations of filmmaking—both on the set and in studio executive suites. The result is often great entertainment.

Influenced by German Expressionism and Old World ennui, Hollywood directors—many of them European émigrés—created the look and feel of film noir to express the fears and desperation of postwar America. It’s a genre that never dies—though its heroes often do.

Coming of age is a subject that never gets old. From sexual awakening to peer pressure to work responsibilities, it’s an endless source of material. In a collection of rare set shots, we see how generations of directors have handled it.

With 476 films released, and many of them classics, 1939 is often considered the pinnacle of Hollywood filmmaking. To celebrate that year’s 75th anniversary, we look back at directors creating some of the high points—from Mounument Valley to Kansas.

With lost kids, dysfunctional families and too much food, the holidays have always been a perfect backdrop for comedy, drama and even action. Here's how some directors have celebrated the occasion.

Fright—in all of its forms—has always been an essential part of the moviegoing experience. No wonder directors have figured out so many ways to horrify an audience.

With the built-in drama of competition, it’s no wonder directors have long been attracted to the world of sports. In a collection of shots, here are some of the triumphs—real and fictional—they’ve captured on film.

Howard Hawks, one of the founders of the Guild, had a long and varied career ranging from pioneering aerial films to screwball comedies and rugged Westerns. A collection of vintage shots shows him creating Hollywood history.

Directors have always been part of a global community of filmmakers. We present a photo gallery of international directors at work who have profoundly influenced the craft.

Directors have long been fascinated by the workings of Washington. Here are some of them telling America's story in a collection of behind the scenes shots.

Since the early days of filmmaking, New York has been the world’s biggest back lot. Here’s how some directors used the city to help them tell their story.

Starting with the silent era to modern CGI, space travel and aliens have always been a new frontier for directors to explore. As these behind-the-scenes shots show, the only limitation is the filmmaker’s imagination.

With the emergence of youth culture in the ’50s, rock ’n’ roll became an important element—and sometimes the subject—of features and documentaries. Here are some directors capturing the beat.

DGA Award winners in comedy and drama showcasing how the range and quality of television has expanded in the last 20 years.

Directors broke new ground from 1965-1989 — politically, socially, and sexually. These were no longer your father's pictures. Here's a cross section of some of the most memorable work of the period.

Some of the most prominent directors from 1945-1965, seen in rare on-set shots, deal with new challenges on the job.

In the early days of filmmaking, directors were constantly expanding the possibilities of the young medium. In this selection of rare set shots, their sense of discovery is almost palpable.

Elia Kazan called himself a "desperate beast" in his quest to get the deepest emotions out of his cast. And in an extraordinary career that revolutionized screen acting, he usually got what he was looking for.

Directors do love Los Angeles, and frequently use it as a backdrop-and even character-in their movies. We assembled a collection of behind the scenes shots of filmmakers at work on locations all over the City of Angels.

Orson Welles is best known for two undisputed masterpieces—Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons. But he continued to make interesting, innovative (if troubled) films around the world.

Spurred by social changes in the mid-'60s, a new generation of directors pushed the boundaries of American filmmaking, producing some of the most provocative, exciting movies since Hollywood's heyday.

Underdogs, families in trouble, and men at war inspired John Ford to create movies of grandeur, grace, and, yes, beauty. Here he is capturing the inherent decency of people in flims from his unparalleled body of work.

Over the years, it's the director's vision that has made many kinds of comedy come to life. In rare set shots, we capture filmmakers working on some of the most amusing movies ever made.

With psychologically acute and philosophically challenging films, Ingmar Bergman helped the art-house picture. In The Ingmar Bergman Archives, we glimpse the director creating his remarkable body of work.

Hitting the road - for fame, fortune, or to stay one step ahead of the law - has been a staple of American films for over 80 years. Here are some shots of directors creating those odysseys.

Federico Fellini created a visual style that was unmistakable in the history of cinema. In rare set photos, we capture the Maestro at work crafting some of his unforgettable images.

The Hollywood musical has been declared dead countless times, only to rise up again singing and dancing. We take a look at the genre in its various incarnations over the years.

John Huston was a gambler, boxer, soldier, painter and actor in his 81 years. In photos from the set, here's a look at some of his cinematic adventures along the way.

Each year the DGA honors the greatest achievement in films. To mark the 60th anniversary of the Awards, we present a gallery of directors working on their winning pictures.

Directors have been drawn to the battlefield since the early days of silent films. In a series of shots, we look at the view from the cinematic front lines.

Alfred Hitchcock always claimed that, for him, shooting was the least interesting part of filmmaking. But in a rare series of set shots, he appears totally engaged with cast and crew.

With a slew of recent films, it might seem Hollywood has just discovered Africa as a location. But directors have been using the sweeping landscapes and dramatic terrain since the '30s.

The founders of the Guild were not labor leaders or businessmen - they were working directors. A selection of shots captures them on their day jobs.

Billy Wilder created some of the most memorable-and cynical-characters on the screen. In a selection of rare shots, we visit the director at work on the set.

From Summertime in Venice to Lawrence of Arabia in the desert, David Lean was one of cinema's great visual stylists. Here's a look at the great director at work.

Robert Wise was the consummate professional. His body of work ranged from musicals - West Side Story - to film noir - The Set-Up - and everything in between. Here's a look at the director at work.

Stanley Kubrick stamped his films with a unique visual style. A selection of photos from the new book, The Stanley Kubrick Archives, shows what the view looked like from the director's chair.