On August 15, the Women’s Steering Committee (WSC) meeting included the panel discussion, Shooting Internationally, an exploration of the logistical and creative concerns of working abroad. Moderated by Director/WSC Co-Chair Tara Miele, the conversation with Directors Jennifer Arnold, Hanelle Culpepper and Bola Ogun and 1st AD Maria Battle Campbell covered topics such as respect for local customs, cultural sensitivity, and things to be aware of such as additional taxes.
Miele kicked off things off by inviting DGA Executive Director Russell Hollander to provide a framework for DGA work performed outside of the US and Canada. Additionally, Hollander briefly described the Guild’s work with the international unions to strengthen relationships and create shared standards for an increasingly global industry.
The panelists then engaged in a conversation that highlighted some of the cultural differences when working abroad. All the panelists spoke about the prioritization of the work life balance outside our shores such as the fact that often productions have a 10-hour workday. They advised those with projects abroad to engage the local crew about how they do things and talk through what a typical day is like. The panelists also recommended seeking out DGA colleagues who may have worked in the country for their recommendations and when considering your fee, how it is important to understand if you will be paying additional country taxes or if there are limitations in how long you can stay.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
 Director Jennifer Arnold
Arnold’s directorial credits include episodes of Based on a True Story, P-Valley, Emily in Paris, American Horror Story, Younger, Shameless, The L-Word: Generation Q, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Last Man on Earth; and the pilot for XO Kitty; and the Humanitas Prize-winning feature documentary, A Small Act. She has been a DGA member since 2017. |
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 Director Hanelle Culpepper
Culpepper’s directorial credits include the features Within and Murder on the 13th Floor; and episodes of Parenthood, Counterpart, Mayans M.C., Criminal Minds, Grimm, American Crime, The Flash, Gotham, and the pilot for Star Trek: Picard, making her the first woman to launch a new Star Trek series in its 53-year history. She has been a DGA member since 2012 and currently serves as an Alternate to the DGA National Board and previously served as a Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. |
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 Director Bola Ogun
Ogun’s directorial credits include episodes of Queen Sugar, God Friended Me, Lucifer, Charmed, Siren, Two-Sentence Horror Stories, Raising Dion, Shadow and Bone, The Boys, The Witcher, Legacies and Walker. She has been a DGA member since 2019. |
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 1st AD Maria Battle Campbell
Battle Campbell’s Assistant Director credits include James Cameron’s DGA Award-nominated feature Avatar and its sequel Avatar: The Way of Water; Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights; Gavin Hood’s Ender’s Game; Shawn Levy’s The Internship and Real Steel; Joss Whedon’s Serenity and Michael Bay’s The Island. Her episodic television AD credits include episodes of Transparent, Perception and Raines and the Duffer Brothers’ DGA Award-nominated Stranger Things pilot “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers. She has been a DGA member since 1996. |
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 Director Tara Miele (moderator)
Miele’s directorial credits include the feature films Wander Darkly, Starving in Suburbia, Gone Missing and The Lake Effect; the movie for television Lost Boy; and episodes of Batwoman, La Brea, Fantasy Island, Arrow and Hawaii Five-0. She is also well known for the viral video Meet a Muslim which she created to combat Islamophobia and directed. Miele has been a DGA member since 2014 and serves as a Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee. |
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ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring net-working events, screenings and seminars, and fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities. The WSC’s current Co-Chairs are Tara Miele, Shawn Pipkin-West and Liz Ryan.