On March 29, the DGA Special Projects Committee hosted the online event, Directorial Techniques: Directors on Various Methods of Directing, that featured Directors who have authored books on the craft of directing.
In a conversation moderated by DGA Special Projects Committee Chair Jeremy Kagan (Directors Close Up, Volumes 1, 2 & 3), Director/Authors Dan Attias (Directing Great Television: Inside TV’s New Golden Age), Mary Lou Belli (Co-Author Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing), Pete Chatmon (Transitions: A Director’s Journey and Motivational Handbook), Ken Kwapis (But What I Really Want to Do is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera) and Bethany Rooney (Co-Author Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing) shared valuable insights and advice on a variety of topics covered in their books including Directing Performance, On-Set Procedure and Use of Camera.
“Welcome to this evening’s broadcast! This one is going to be a bit different because we are going to be in conversation with Directors writing about directing,” said Kagan in his welcome to the online audience. “Clearly you are all communicators. The books and the work that you have done prove that.”
During the conversation, Attias imparted wisdom about directing performances, saying, “Great actors do the imaginative work and it’s our job to help them do it if we feel like they’re not there.” He then added, “Preparation enables you to improvise and be flexible because it does get you deeper into the story.”
Belli shared a tip for building trust on her productions, saying, “I try to make my relationship with them —while we’re filming — a party and I want to be a good host. I want them to make it a fun experience so that I’m enjoying the collaboration.” She also said about working with actors, “Never criticize. The last thing you want is for your actor to shut down. Have them be open to the idea that you are sharing.”
On the subject of working with Producer/Directors, Chatmon admitted that in terms of bringing others into his process, he seeks to get them to buy-in as early as possible. “I also ask them what makes them ecstatic as early as they see my cut. ‘What are the three things that make you feel that way?’”
When the topic turned to use of camera Rooney revealed, “It’s all about using the camera to help tell the story. Your episode won’t be as cookie-cutter if you know how to. The difference you use is two-fold: performance and use of camera.”
Continuing on that topic, Kwapis said, “I make sure there is a variety scene-to-scene on how I use the camera. But I also like the idea of not moving the camera and putting people in a frame and create the rhythm of a scene.”
See video from this event in the gallery below
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
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 Dan Attias
Attias has worked as a Director in the film and television industry since 1984. He has received the DGA Award for Outstanding Direction of Dramatic Television for The Wire and has been nominated for episodes of The Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Homeland and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. He has also received Emmy Award nominations for his comedy direction on Entourage and continues to work on some of the most celebrated American television including The Americans, Billions and The Boys. Attias is the author of Directing Great Television: Inside TV’s New Golden Age. He joined the DGA in 1980.
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 Mary Lou Belli
A two-time Emmy Award winner, Belli has been directing television for over 30 years in many genres from sitcoms to procedurals to documentaries. She is the Co-Author of four books: The NEW Sitcom Career Book, Acting for Young Actors, PERFORM: Acting for the Screen and Directors Tell the Story which she co-wrote with fellow DGA member Bethany Rooney. A DGA member since 1987, Belli has served two terms as a Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee and has also served on the Western Directors Council and as an alternate to the DGA National Board. |
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 Pete Chatmon
Chatmon’s directorial credits include the feature Premium; the documentary 761st; and episodes of The Flight Attendant, Insecure, Silicon Valley, Love Life, You, Grey’s Anatomy, Black-ish, Blindspotting, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Mythic Quest. He is currently in development on The Education of Matt Barnes, for which he will direct the pilot and serve as Executive Producer. He also serves as Co-Executive Producer and Producing Director on Reasonable Doubt. He is the author of the book, Transitions: A Director’s Journey and Motivational Handbook. Chatmon joined the DGA in 2017. |
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 Ken Kwapis
Kwapis has been a Director for nearly 40 years with feature credits that include A Walk in the Woods, He’s Just Not That into You and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. He helped launch nine television series including The Larry Sanders Show, The Bernie Mac Show and The Office, for which he earned an Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Emmy nomination for his episode “Gay Witch Hunt.” Most recently, he directed the entire second season Space Force. He is also the author of the memoir But What I Really Want to Do is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera. Kwapis joined the DGA in 1983. |
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 Bethany Rooney
Rooney has directed more than 230 episodes of primetime television including Law & Order: Organized Crime, Chicago PD, Desperate Housewives, Ally McBeal, Scandal, Arrow, Nashville, NCIS and Criminal Minds. For two seasons, she was the Producing Director on the series Bull, following her earlier stint in that position on The Originals. She is the co-author of Directors Tell the Story: Master the Craft of Television and Film Directing with Mary Lou Belli. A DGA member since 1985, Rooney has served as the Fifth Vice President of the DGA, on the Western Directors Council and formerly as a Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. She is currently an alternate on the DGA National Board and she Co-Chairs the DGA Diversity Task Force. |
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 Jeremy Kagan (moderator)
Kagan is a Director, Writer and Producer of feature films and television. His directorial credits include the features Shot, The Big Fix, The Chosen, The Journey of Natty Gann; the movies for television Roswell: The UFO Cover-Up and Katherine, The Making of an American Revolutionary; the television documentary Conspiracy: The Trial of The Chicago 8; and episodes of The Handler, Heroes and The West Wing. He was nominated for a DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Children’s Programs for Crown Heights. He is also the author of three volumes of Directors Close Up and the eTextbook Keys to Directing. A DGA member since 1972, Kagan chairs the DGA Special Projects Committee and initiated the DGA’s Meet the Nominees Theatrical Feature Film Symposia and received the DGA Robert B. Aldrich Award for his service to the Guild. |
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ABOUT THE SPECIAL PROJECTS COMMITTEE
Special Projects is the educational and cultural arm of the Directors Guild of America, providing its members opportunities for creative exchange to advance their craft and celebrate the achievements of directors and their teams. The Eastern Region Special Projects Committee is chaired by Raymond De Felitta.