Director Emma Seligman discusses her new film, Bottoms, with fellow Director Gene Stupnitsky in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, Seligman discusses the difficulty of cutting favorite scenes to keep the tone she envisioned, building the world of a high school comedy with a unique set of rules, and the influences she pulled across films to form her vision.

The film tells the story of best friends PJ and Josie, two gay teens who take the unusual approach of launching a high school fight club in a plan to meet girls and lose their virginity. But soon they find themselves in over their heads when the most popular students begin to beat each other up. 

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://cms.dga.org/Events/2023/October2023/Bottoms_QnA_0923.aspx

Bottoms with Emma Seligman and Gene Stupnitsky (Ep. 431)

Brought to you by the Directors Guild of America, "The Director's Cut" will bring you the behind-the-scenes stories of today's most talked about films.  Each episode features a different director interviewed by one of their peers, leading to revealing conversations about the grueling, but rewarding process of bringing their films to life.

TV & Film

Director George Miller discusses his new film, Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, with fellow Director Edgar Wright in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses utilizing Unreal Engine in his storyboarding process, utilizing a mixture of authentic locations and digital effects to achieve his vision, and the evolution of the series leading up to this installment.

The prequel to Mad Mad: Fury Road tells the origin story of Furiosa, who was snatched from her idyllic birthhome at a young age and enslaved by the warlord Dementus. But when Dementus encounters opposing warlord Immortan Joe, Furiosa strattles the line of freedom and fury as the two tyrants clash for dominance over the wasteland.


See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2024/July2024/Furiosa_QnA_0524

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga with George Miller and Edgar Wright (Ep. 482)

Director Chris Pine discusses his new film, Poolman, with fellow Director Patty Jenkins in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses working with Actors as a Director who came from acting, his preference of shooting on film instead of digital, and learning to be intuitive when working with a small budget.

The film tells the story of Darren, an unwavering optimist who spends his days looking after the pool of  an LA apartment block. But when a femme fatale asks him to look into a shady business deal, Darren uncovers hidden truths about his beloved city and himself.

See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2024/July2024/Poolman_QnA_0524

Poolman with Chris Pine and Patty Jenkins (Ep. 481)

Director Yance Ford discusses his new film, Power, with fellow Director Kristi Jacobson in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. In the conversation, he discusses the endeavor of going through hundreds of years of archival material, how he wanted to challenge the notion of traditional experts in a documentary by approaching people from police-impacted communities, and the post production journey that led him to include his narration in the documentary.

The film investigates the American policing system, which has exploded in scope and scale over hundreds of years. Driven to contain threats to social order, now it can be described by one word: Power.

Power with Yance Ford and Kristi Jacobson (Ep. 480)

Director Wes Ball discusses his new film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, with fellow Director Barry Jenkins in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, he discusses the importance of mis-en-scene and notes taken from his time helming the Maze Runner series, working in a production that relied heavily on mocap and digital replacement, and the unique process he underwent with his editors in the cutting process.

Set 300 years after the events of the previous apes trilogy, the film tells the story of a young ape named Noa, who defies his tyrannical king and teams up with a human to embark on a harrowing journey. On his quest, he’ll uncover mysteries that lead him to question everything he’s been taught and make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.


See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2024/June2024/KingdomOfThePOTA_QnA_0524

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes with Wes Ball and Barry Jenkins (Ep. 479)

Director Lucy Walker discusses her new film, Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa, with fellow Director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the conversation, she discusses comparing and contrasting the act of mountain climbing with the struggle of personal life, exploring Lhakpa’s children’s arcs to add to the stakes of the story, and finding and fighting for the end of her feature.

The film follows the true story of Lhakpa Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to summit and survive Mount Everest. Now a single mother living a quiet life in Connecticut, she returns to the mountain in hopes of building a better life for her family.


See photos and a summary of this event below:

https://dga.org/Events/2024/June2024/DocSeries_MountainQueen-0524

Bottoms with Emma Seligman and Gene Stupnitsky (Ep. 431)

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