On July 16, DGA members learned more about how to use photographic techniques to enhance the narrative during Director Development Initiative webinar, The Elements of Style: Telling the Story Visually Using Lenses & Lighting. Director Michael Goi (Megan is Missing, American Horror Story) led an examination of the process by which directors can make their work personally distinctive.
The seminar was designed to help directors make their work stand out and better enable them to present themselves in the best possible way during the all-important job interviews. Goi followed the evolution of artistic expression from inspiration to execution and demonstrated how to use simple filmmaking tools and concepts to express larger ideas effectively given the restrictions of time and resources.
Drawing on his three decades of experience as a DP and his current work directing episodic television and feature films, Goi centered his discussion on the use of creative camera and lighting techniques and a diversity of visual ways to expand upon the tools directors use to tell their stories. Explaining that he doesn’t believe in the idea of “bad lighting,” he screened specific examples from his own work — as well as other film and television productions that have inspired him — and used these samples to highlight different but effective visual strategies. The event concluded with Goi taking questions submitted by the online audience.
A DGA member since 2014, Goi currently serves as a co-chair of both the DGA’s Asian American Committee, and the DGA Diversity Task Force and as an alternate on the Western Directors Council. Goi’s directing credits include the feature films Megan Is Missing and Voyeur; and episodes of the television series Sexy Urban Legends, Pretty Little Liars, and American Horror Story. He is also known as an acclaimed cinematographer with over 70 narrative credits and earned Emmy nominations for his cinematography work on Glee, American Horror Story and My Name Is Earl.
About the Director Development Initiative:
The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s mission to increase the diversity of the industry.