DGA Panel: Making Your Day While Making a Great Episode

DGA EVENT: More than 200 DGA members seeking ways to better prepare for their next episodic directing assignment received valuable information on November 10 when the DGA Director Development Initiative (DDI) hosted the conversational lab, Making Your Day While Making a Great Episode. The final DDI lab of 2022 was an online event that featured Directors Norberto Barba, DeMane Davis and Viet Nguyen. In a conversation moderated by Director Rachel Raimist, they shared strategies for how to adapt when things go wrong.

The Directors discussed the importance of everything from getting to know the project you are working on before arriving to the set to getting to know the team who will help you achieve your artistic vision. Barba stressed the importance of knowing the difference between days that can be made and the work you’ll need to stretch in order to ensure the quality of the episode. Davis noted her desire to arrive early on the set to see what is happening on the set before she takes over and getting to know the writers’ intentions, understanding the pace and rhythm of the show, and doing specialty shots at the end of the day. Nguyen spoke about some of the technology he utilizes in the prep process – highlighting specifically the apps Scriptation and Shot Designer as reliable tools to help Directors move through their process more efficiently. Nguyen also noted the importance of Directors engaging with continuing education to improve their knowledge of tools available to support them. Moderator Raimist also pointed out using Endnote as a tool in the Director’s process.