On May 13, ahead of their online meeting, the Latino Committee (LC) hosted the discussions, Deciphering the QL and Navigating Your Career as a Director’s Team Member. In a conversation moderated by moderated by Director/LC Alternate Co-Chair John P. Aguirre, UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee, 1st AD Tracey Smith Baumert, 2nd AD Molly Rodriguez, DGA Assistant Executive Director Steven Knauss about understanding the Qualification Lists and how to utilize the Contract Services and the DGA Contract Administration East Coast and West Coast websites; and how to navigate a career as a member of the directorial team.
Following the moderated portion of the conversations, the panelists fielded questions submitted by the online audience.
About the Panelists:
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 Canella Williams-Larrabee
Williams-Larrabee has over 15 years of experience in the film and television industry whose resume includes episodes of series such as Evil, Raising Dion, NCIS: New Orleans and the DGA Award-nominated limited series, The Undoing. A DGA member since 2019, Williams-Larrabee also serves as an Alternate on the DGA Eastern AD/UPM Council and a Member of the DGA Eastern UPM Committee.
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 Tracey L. Smith Baumert
Smith Baumert is a 1st Assistant Director, Associate Director and Stage Manager whose resume includes series such as Cherish the Day, K.C. Undercover, I Didn’t Do It, The Affair, Good Luck Charlie, Cuts, Wanda at Large, Living Single and That’s So Raven. A DGA member since 1994, she also served two terms as Western AD/SM/PA Council Chair, an Alternate on the National Board, on two Negotiating Committees, Diversity Committee, Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee, Alternate Co- Chair of the African American Steering Committee and is a member of the Western AD/UPM Council’s 1st AD Committee.
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 Molly R. Rodriguez
Rodriguez a 2nd Assistant Director whose resume includes series such as Big Shot, Nashville, Dexter, ER, CSI, Black-ish, Resurrection Blvd. Soldier of Fortune and Malcolm in the Middle. She has been a DGA member since 1997.
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 Steven Knauss
Knauss joined the Guild in 2013 as a field representative and was promoted to Assistant Executive Director in the Guild's Los Angeles headquarters in 2016. Prior to that, he held a number of positions in the Nevada and Florida Locals of the Service Employees International Union where he served as healthcare division director and chief negotiator for Local 1107.
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 John P. Aguirre (moderator)
Aguirre is a multi-award-winning Director who joined the DGA in 1987 as a multi-cam Stage Manager then transitioned into the Assistant Director role. His directing credits include the feature The Utopian Society; and episodes of Buddy Bear’s Musical Adventure, Hollywood Green Cards: Doggy Date, Women on Top and Barnyard Buddies. Aguirre is also a recent protégé of the DGA's Director's Development Initiative.
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ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Latino Committee was created as a networking group to advance career and job opportunities for Latino DGA members by improving craft skills, networking, and making Latinos better known to the Hollywood creative community. The current LC Co-Chairs are Directors Regina Ainsworth and Edward Ornelas and Second Assistant Director Alicia Zaragoza.