16th Annual Meet the AD/UPMs of the DGA Award-Nominated Projects

UPM Robert J. Dohrmann
In addition to his work as a UPM and co-producer on Director Bradley Cooper’s DGA Award-nominated feature film, A Star Is Born, some of Dohrmann’s other UPM credits include The Cloverfield Paradox directed by Julius Onah, 10 Cloverfield Lane directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Get Hard directed by Etan Cohen, Jeff Who Lives at Home directed by Jay Duplass & Mark Duplass, 2 Guns directed by Baltasar Kormákur, and Grudge Match directed by Peter Segal. He was also an executive producer on the features The Girl in the Spider’s Web directed by Fede Alvarez and A Dog's Way Home directed by Charles Martin Smith. Dohrmann joined the DGA in 2006.

2nd AD Michelle Gritzer
In addition to her work on Director Bill Hader’s DGA Comedy Series Award-nominated episode of Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark,” some of Gritzer’s credits include episodes of the series House, Shut Eye, The Last Tycoon and Growing up Fisher, among others, and was previously been part of Becky Martin's DGA Comedy Series Award-winning team for the Veep episode “Inauguration” (2016) and Chris Addison's DGA Comedy Series Award-winning team for the Veep episode “Election Night” (2015). Gritzer recently transitioned from Key 2nd AD to 1st AD on the series American Princess, and is currently working as a 1st AD on season three of the series GLOW. A graduate of the DGA Assistant Directors Training Program, Gritzer joined the DGA in 2006.

2nd AD Eric Lasko
In addition to his work on Jean-Marc Vallée’s DGA Movies for Television and Limited Series Award Nominated series, Sharp Objects, some of Lasko’s other credits include Christopher Nolan’s 2017 DGA Award-nominated feature film, Dunkirk, George Clooney’s Suburbicon, Ben Affleck’s Live by Night, Ang Lee’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, Shane Black’s The Nice Guys, and Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2007 DGA Award-nominated feature, There Will Be Blood. Lasko has been a DGA member since 2004.

1st AD Matt Rebenkoff
Rebenkoff served as Adam McKay’s 1st AD on the DGA Award-nominated features Vice and The Big Short. Their other collaborations include the features Step Brothers, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and both Anchorman movies. Some of Rebenkoff’s other 1st AD credits include Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle directed by Jake Kasdan, Trainwreck, This Is 40 and Knocked Up directed by Judd Apatow and Bridesmaids and The Heat directed by Paul Feig. Rebenkoff joined the DGA in 1995.

1st AD J.B. Rogers
In addition to his work on as a 1st AD and Co-Producer on Peter Farrelly’s DGA Award-nominated feature Green Book, Rogers’ credits include Peter and Bobby Farrelly’s Dumb and Dumber, There’s Something About Mary, Kingpin and Me Myself & Irene, and Joe Dante’s Innerspace and The ‘Burbs. When not assistant directing, Rogers has also directed his own features such as American Pie 2 and Say It Isn't So. He has been a DGA member since 1993.

1st AD Thomas Patrick Smith
In addition to his work on Spike Jonze’s DGA Award-nominated Apple Homepod commercial Welcome Home, Smith has served as an Assistant Director on 14 DGA Award-nominated feature films and commercial spots including: Spike Jonze’s feature Being John Malkovich and Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris’ feature Little Miss Sunshine; Lance Acord’s VW Passat commercial The Force; Spike Jonze’s Adidas commercial Hello Tomorrow, his Gap commercial Pardon Our Dust and his Miller Beer commercial Penguin; and Tom Kuntz’s Old Spice commercials Boat, Questions and So It Begins as well as his DirecTV commercials Stray Animals, Roadside Ditch and Platoon. Smith joined the DGA in 1998.

UPM Mark Tobey
In addition to his work on Director Bill Hader’s DGA Comedy Series Award-nominated episode of Barry, “Chapter One: Make Your Mark,” some of Tobey’s credits include the feature films The Birdcage and Primary Colors directed by Mike Nichols and Bedazzled directed by Harold Ramis; and episodes of the series True Detective, Deadwood, The Newsroom, Carnivale and Big Love. A graduate of the DGA Assistant Directors Training Program, Tobey joined the DGA in 1992.

1st AD Michele “Shelley” Ziegler
Before her work on Director Bradley Cooper’s DGA Award-nominated feature film, A Star Is Born, Ziegler got her start as in the industry a PA on Bruce Beresford’s Her Alibi and Barry Levinson’s Avalon. Some of her other credits include Joseph Sargent's DGA Award-winning movie for television Something the Lord Made and Barry Levinson’s DGA Award-nominated movie for television The Wizard of Lies; feature films such as Scott Cooper’s Hostiles and David O. Russell’s Joy, American Hustle and Silver Linings Playbook; and episodes of the series Boardwalk Empire, The Wire, The Sopranos and Homicide: Life on the Street. Ziegler joined the DGA in 1991.

UPM Cleve Landsberg (moderator)
Landsberg is a Producer and a Unit Production Manager for feature films, television movies, and TV series. Some of his UPM credits include the feature films Bruce Almighty directed by Tom Shadyac, BASEketball directed by David Zucker and Weekend at Bernie’s directed by Ted Kotcheff; the movies for television The More Things Change... directed by Todd Phillips and The Court-Martial of Jackie Robinson directed by Larry Peerce; the pilot of the series Training Day directed by Danny Cannon and Devious Maids directed by Paul McGuigan; and episodes of the series Kingdom, Perception, Mistresses, Flashforward, The District, Earth 2 and Spenser: For Hire. The current chair of the Western AD/UPM Council, Landsberg serves on the DGA National Board has participated in the last eight DGA negotiations cycles and continues to contribute on various committees. A DGA member since 1985, In 2010, Landsberg received the prestigious DGA Frank Capra Achievement Award for his career achievement and service to the Guild.