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DGA QUARTERLY 7 PHOTO: DAN DOPERALSKI Dear Members: Tentpole blockbusters and VFX-intensive entertainment—a large focus of this issue of the DGA Quarterly—aren't necessarily synonymous, but the two often overlap. Even the subjects of our cover story, James Cameron and Jon Favreau, can't be painted into a corner. Cameron is just as adept at period romance (Titanic) as he is at creating futuristic fantasy (Avatar), while Favreau is equally capable of intimate drama (Chef) as well as large- scale spectacle (Iron Man 1 & 2). That Cameron and Favreau are working on the bleeding edge of technology to achieve their visions is without doubt. In this regard, we asked the two to sound off on everything from tools to process to work flow to achieving a balance of emotion and visual dazzle—just two directors talking. Admittedly it's an experi- ment, but one we hope you'll find as fascinating, and enlightening, as we do. Likewise, Anthony and Joe Russo, who expound on their dynamic and methodology in our DGA Interview, aren't exclusively associated with the Marvel properties (Avengers, Captain America) that have made them fanboy favorites around the world. They estab- lished themselves with the indie caper comedy Welcome to Collinwood, as well as the quirky humor of TV's Arrested Development and Community. This unexpected route to the VFX-heavy blockbuster is becoming more and more common, as evidenced by such direc- tors as Patty Jenkins, Colin Trevorrow and Rupert Wyatt, who talk about that leap in our story "A Bigger Bang." We also rewind the clock to revisit Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975), which made huge waves as the first summer blockbuster of the modern era, and the first to breach $100 million in U.S. theatrical rentals. So it's only appropriate that David Yates discusses this watershed thriller as part of our Screening Room series. The director Barry Sonnenfeld also revisits another seminal summer blockbuster, his own Men in Black (1997), by dissecting a key scene early in the movie that underscores the film's combination of wry wit and sophisticated humor. But it's not all about bigger and biggest. Within these pages we also explore the break- through success of director Nisha Ganatra; Rupert Sanders' low-tech solutions to a high- concept commercial spot for Apple; how documentary filmmakers like Marina Zenovich and Alex Gibney gain the trust of their subjects; and separate the hype from the reality regarding 5G technology, among other offerings. As usual, it's our sincere hope that you'll find these stories both compelling and edifying. But we'll let you be the judge. Steve Chagollan schagollan@dga.org Steve Chagollan Editor in Chief Nancy Duckworth Art Director Jovita Dominguez Photo Researcher Brandon Kyle Goco Becca Nadler Editorial Assistants Tricia Noble Design Associate Carmel Dagan Copy Editor Mike Chapman Assistant Copy Editor Darrell L. Hope Editor, www.dga.org Contributing Writers Robert Abele, Adam Dawtrey, Rob Feld, Hugh Hart, Harry Haun, Karen Idelson, Addie Morfoot, Chris Morris, Amy Nicholson, Margy Rochlin, T.L. Stanley Publications Committee Thomas Schlamme, Chair Michael Apted, John Badham, Paris Barclay, Cameron Crowe, Mark Frost, Pamela Fryman, Randal Kleiser, Donald Petrie, Gene Reynolds, Arlene Sanford, Kevin Sullivan Print Production IngleDodd Media (310) 207-4410 Advertising IngleDodd Media (310) 207-4410 DGA@IngleDodd.com www.IngleDoddMedia.com Editorial Offices 7920 Sunset Blvd., 5th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90046-0907 (310) 289-5333 • Fax (310) 289-2029 dgaquarterly@dga.org Subscription Information (310) 289-5333 NEWSSTAND DISTRIBUTION Curtis Circulation Company (201) 634-7400 DGA Q U A R T E R L Y E D I TO R' S L ETT E R