DGA Monthly

N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 I 3 — continued on page 4 Director Glenn P. Weiss, a veteran of live events and variety shows who has helmed some of the biggest broadcasts including the Tonys, Oscars, Golden Globes, and Emmys, brought his expertise to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago this past August. With seven consecutive DNC conventions under his belt, Weiss oversaw the planning, design, staging, and execution of this year's event — made even more challenging by the late shift of candidates from Biden to Harris — as well as directing the official DNC feed. Weiss highlighted the unique challenges and triumphs of the 2024 convention, noting, "One of the biggest technical challenges was being able to create looks for a very 'screen-based' show and 'rehearse' everything from staging to roll call, to music acts to content displays while being in a room open to the press 24/7." Weiss also emphasized the crucial role of balancing speakers and audience reactions in live directing. "The balance of showing the speakers versus taking reaction shots is a very instinctual and important part of being a live Director," he explained, noting that their use of IMAG screens to display reaction shots in real-time "helped create the energy in the room" and advanced the story beyond mere event coverage. He particularly praised the innovative approach to the "Roll Call" on night two of the convention, describing it as his proudest moment. "We decided to find a song for each state and have a DJ spin it while doing a complete screen takeover to match it, to make the Roll Call itself become an experience and performance." Weiss's creative direction, especially in moments like Lil Jon's surprise appearance for Georgia, contributed to what he called "some of the biggest energy that I've ever felt from a show in my entire career." Associate Director Ken Diego, who also worked on the DNC's broadcast/streamcast teams in 2008, 2016, 2020 and the RNC's in 2012, agreed with Weiss's assessment regarding the "roll call" sequence. "Glenn called a highly energetic sequence that turned a what would have been a fairly static and dry procedural process into a party atmosphere. Associate Director Susan Kopensky, me and the rest of the DGA AD/SM team worked closely with Glenn to provide him with the ingredients he needed at his fingertips to keep the energy going throughout the nearly 80-minute long sequence. Catch it on YouTube if you've missed it!" "As the Associate Director on the event side, I can dig into the nuts and bolts of it all — coordinating with Producers, Stage Managers, the screens team, music department, which allows the Director to focus on the bigger picture and creative," added Associate Director Susan Kopensky, who has worked on the DNC since 2008. "My brain is very linear — so I like to look at the rundown in order and just talk and plan through it. It helps if I know each item in detail so I can communicate what's happening to everyone involved. Lots of information flows ahead of time but it really became about taking it day by day in the end." "The Director's team is highly integrated in an event like this," said Stage Manager Gary Natoli, who was handling his first national convention. "The rehearsals are much more challenging on most live variety programs than the show. In this instance, with the convention, the rehearsals were easier than the show. Things are constantly changing in real time, much like a news event. The run-of-show would be changed on the fly, with items added and deleted as the evening progressed. Because of this, communication was paramount between Glenn Weiss, Susan Kopensky and Ken Diego, myself and my Stage Managing team. As many program elements were crafted and adjusted on the day, we would have to be flexible and ready to pivot at any moment." "The challenges of executing a five-plus- hour show every night for four consecutive nights was reduced because we had a shorthand from working together in the past," summed up Valdez Flagg, a Stage Manager with nearly 40 years experience on Guild productions. "We met at 6:30 each morning and discussed the event elements of the day and then each had our assignments. We rehearsed key speakers and performance elements during the morning and afternoon with Glenn Weiss, then set for the show." L-R: Associate Director Randi Grossack, Stage Managers Lauren Class Schneider, Doug Fogel, Donna Lynn Parker, Karen Tasch Weiss and Jeffry S. Gitter, Associate Directors Susan Kopensky and Ricky A. Kirshner, Director Glenn P. Weiss, Stage Managers Gary R. Natoli and Valdez Flagg, Associate Directors Ken Diego, Brad Duns, Jennie Singer, Adam Mishler and Michelle Robinson were tasked with covering the DNC. — continued on page 4 Director Glenn P. Weiss and Stage Manager Gary R. Natoli onstage at the DNC with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The Democratic National Convention

• Cover