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20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos

March 8, 2019

An Eastern Region Special Projects Committee Panel Discussion

On March 7, DGA members gathered in the Guild’s New York Theater for the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion, 20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos. The evening featured Director/Executive Producer David Chase and Directors Henry Bronchtein, Steve Buscemi, Allen Coulter and Alan Taylor, who engaged in an enlightening evening of conversation and exploration about their work on the series moderated by Director Phil Abraham, who also served as the DP for 47 episodes of the series.

The groundbreaking HBO series, The Sopranos, told the story of New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, who seeks psychiatric counseling to help deal with personal and professional issues in his home and business life. During its run from 1999 to 2008, the series was hit with both critics and audiences and also garnered DGA Award nominations for Directors Daniel Attias, Henry Bronchtein, Steve Buscemi, Allen Coulter, David Nutter and Timothy Van Patten; and DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night Award wins for Chase, who won a DGA Award for his 1999 pilot episode and John Patterson who took home the award for his 2002 episode “Whitecaps.” The series also earned an Emmy Award for Director Alan Taylor for his 2007 episode “Kennedy and Heidi” and Emmy directing nominations for Buscemi, Chase, Coulter, Nutter, Patterson and Van Patten.

The evening kicked off with a welcome from Eastern Region Special Projects Committee member Gary Donatelli who spoke briefly about the work of the Committee before turning the stage over to Chase, Bronchtein, Buscemi, Coulter, Taylor and Abraham. Illustrated by clips from the show, the panelists engaged in an informative discussion where they shared their experiences of crafting one of the most venerated series in the history of television. Following the moderated portion of the panel discussion, the panelists took questions from the audience.

VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT CAN BE FOUND IN THE GALLERY BELOW.
About the Panelists:

David Chase has produced, written and directed critically acclaimed television shows such as influential Peabody Award-winning HBO drama The Sopranos, which he created. He began writing for network television and eventually became a writer and producer on the classic NBC show, The Rockford Files, winning his first Emmy in 1978 when the show was named Outstanding Dramatic Series. Chase made his directorial debut with a self-penned episode of the ‘80s incarnation of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and continued writing, directing and producing, garnering further Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama Series with Northern Exposure and the civil rights drama I’ll Fly Away. He made his feature film directorial debut with Not Fade Away in 2012 and is currently in pre-production on the highly anticipated film prequel to The Sopranos. A DGA member since 1986, Chase won the DGA Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night Award wins for his 1999 pilot episode of The Sopranos.

Henry Bronchtein is a producer/director with over 30 years of experience in film and television production. He began his careers as an Assistant Director and worked with such directors as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Paul Mazursky, Michael Mann and many others. In addition to his work on The Sopranos — where he also served as a UPM and Co-Executive Producer — Bronchtein’s directorial resume includes episodes of Hostages, Luck, The Following, The Lottery and Turn: Washington’s Spies. He has been a DGA member since 1979.
 

Steve Buscemi has built a career out of portraying unique and unforgettable characters. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy for his role as Tony Blundetto in season five of The Sopranos.For his directing work on The Sopranos, Buscemi was nominated for an Emmy and DGA Award. He has also directed episodes of 30 Rock, Nurse Jackie, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Portlandia. Buscemi has been a DGA member since 1998.

 

Allen Coulter is one of today’s most sought-after television directors, with critically-acclaimed episodes of Ray Donovan, House of Cards and Sons of Anarchy among his credits. He has earned multiple Emmy and DGA nominations for his work on groundbreaking HBO shows like The Sopranos and Sex and the City; another DGA nomination for his work on Boardwalk Empire and Emmy nominations for Nurse Jackie and Damages. His resume also includes the pilot of the series Get Shorty and the feature films Hollywoodland and Remember Me. Coulter has been a DGA member since 1995.
 

Alan Taylor is an award-winning director, screenwriter and producer who, in addition to his work on The Sopranos, has directed episodes of Homicide: Life on the Street, Oz, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, Sex and the City, Carnivale, Deadwood, Lost, Rome, Big Love, Mad Men, Bored to Death and Boardwalk Empire; and the feature films Palookaville, Emperor’s New Clothes, Kill the Poor, Thor: The Dark World and Terminator Genisys. A DGA member since 1992, Taylor was nominated for DGA Awards for episodes of Game of Thrones and Mad Men and won the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series for his pilot episode of Mad Men, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” and an Emmy Award for his 2007 episode of The Sopranos, “Kennedy and Heidi.”
 

Phil Abraham (moderator) worked on all six seasons of The Sopranos, initially as a camera operator then as a cinematographer and eventually directing an episode for the series in its nal season. His directorial resume also includes episodes of Orange Is the New Black, Ozark, Ray Donovan, Bates Motel and the pilot episodes for Daredevil and The Long Road Home. Abraham received two Emmy nominations as a director for his work on Mad Men and won the 2008 Emmy Award for cinematography for his work on the pilot of that series. He has been a DGA member since 2006.
About the Committee:

Special Projects is the educational and cultural arm of the Directors Guild of America. It provides opportunities for creative exchange with programs for members and industry colleagues to celebrate the history and achievements of its members, advance their professional skills, and prepare them for the technological changes of the future. The Eastern Region Special Projects Committee is chaired by Raymond DeFelitta. The Committee Members are Ted Bogosian, Gary Donatelli, Daniel Hank, Dennis W. Mazzocco, and Susanna Styron.

Pictures & Video

photos by Marcie Revens

View slideshow
Watch Highlight
FULL TALK (1:00:52): Director Phil Abraham moderates a panel featuring Directors Henry Bronchtein, Steve Buscemi, David Chase, Allan Coulter, and Alan Taylor sharing anecdotes about shooting the series and discussing the challenges of creating The Sopranos.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director Allan Coulter explains how he used inclement weather to help convince the viewer of a character’s intentions and the logistics behind capturing it on camera.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director Alan Taylor shares stories about working with James Gandolfini.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director Steve Buscemi speaks about directing the first of his four episodes of The Sopranos (“Pine Barrens”) and commends the performances of James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti) and Tony Sirico (Paulie Gaultieri).
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director David Chase speaks about casting a reluctant James Gandolfini to take on the role of Tony Soprano.
Watch Highlight
HIGHLIGHT: Director/UPM Henry Bronchstein talks about the lessons learned from the early days of The Sopranos and how the crew was motivated by how much they loved the show.
Directors Phil Abraham (moderator), Steve Buscemi, David Chase, Allen Coulter, Henry Bronchtein and Alan Taylor discussed their work on the groundbreaking
series during the DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee event, 20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee member Gary Donatelli welcomes the audience and participants to the
Committee’s event, 20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
DGA members view clips from the show during the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
Director Phil Abraham (moderator) introduces the 20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos panelists.
Directors Phil Abraham (moderator), David Chase, Steve Buscemi, Allen Coulter,
Henry Bronchtein and Alan Taylor discuss their work on the groundbreaking series The Sopranos.
Director/Executive Producer David Chase discusses the genesis of the series during the DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee event,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
Henry Bronchtein worked his way up from Assistant Director to UPM, Co-Executive Producer and Director on The Sopranos.
DGA members and guests learn about the making of the groundbreaking series during the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
In addition to acting in the series, Steve Buscemi was nominated for an Emmy and DGA Award for his directing work on The Sopranos.
Allen Coulter directed 12 episodes of the award-winning series The Sopranos.
DGA members and guests learn about the making of the groundbreaking series during the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
Director Alan Taylor won an Emmy Award for his 2007 episode of The Sopranos, “Kennedy and Heidi.”
Ilene S. Landress, who served as a UPM and Co-Executive Producer on the series, makes a comment during the
Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion, 20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
DGA members and guests applaud the work of the panelists following the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s panel discussion,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
Directors Steve Buscemi and Alan Taylor chat with audience members after the DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s event,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.
Director Henry Bronchtein chats with audience members after the DGA Eastern Region Special Projects Committee’s event,
20 Years of Hits: An Evening with Directors of The Sopranos.

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