DGA Monthly

J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 I 4 7 The DGA Director Development Initiative (DDI) Mentorship Program is a 9-month program focused on increasing diversity in the directorial pipeline for episodic television. The Program utilizies core strategies such as: Pairing Protégé with seasoned episodic television Directors as Mentors; furthering the development of Protégés through intensive Craft and Career Workshops; and creating meaningful space for networking and peer-to-peer learning within a competitive cohort space. Since the program launched in 2016, numerous members have completed the program as Protégés, receiving invaluable learning and guidance from seasoned episodic Directors who support this program through volunteering in service to the preservation of the craft. The 2024 program consisted of a three-step vetting process: application rating by experienced episodic Directors, experienced Directors conducting interviewers to determine who is selected as a finalist (also facilitated by members), and a match event that determined the program participants for the year based on our consultant's ability to make a solid match. Match Events – These events introduced program finalists to potential mentors based on genre interests and a process developed by our external consultant to ensure fairness in the member pairing process. The Los Angeles match event took place on March 9 and a New York match event was hosted on March 16. Orientation – Once the external consultant finalized matches, there was an orientation for the West Coast Program on April 21 and an East Coast orientation on April 27. During the orientations, members identified as Protégés were able to meet their fellow cohort members and the Mentors they were matched with. These orientations also covered the parameters of the program and facilitated a series of icebreaking activities to start the relationship building process. Career Workshops – The Career Workshops featured a "Headshot Happy Hour," a reel review session, mock Interviewing and a conversation with a Q&A featuring executives from Sony, NBCU, and CBS moderated by the program consultant Catrice Monson. These events were held separately for the East Coast and West Coast Programs. Craft Workshops – Directors Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli facilitated the Craft Workshops where the Protégés spent the first day prepping for their mock directing assignments using a script. On day two, they were able to work with Actors on a set and receive feedback about their respective approaches to directing a scene. The East Coast Craft Workshop was on the set of the series Elsbeth and the West Coast version took place on the set of Criminal Minds. Monthly Forums – The Monthly Forums were an opportunity for protégés from both coasts to connect about topics impacting their pursuit of a career in television directing, provide updates about their journey, share notes about their developing mentorship relationships, and build community more broadly. 2024 Program Protégés & Mentors Western Region: Phillip Rhys Chaudhary mentored by Shaz Bennett • Johnson Cheng mentored by Jeffrey Blitz • Anna Halberg and Spenser Cohen mentored by Tessa Blake • Jarrett Conaway mentored by Stephen Cragg • Will Joines and Karrie Crouse mentored by Nathan Hope • Juliana Curi mentored by Mary Lou Belli • Samantha Dock mentored by Chris Long • Courtney Franklin mentored by Alec Smight • Claire Fowler mentored by Rebecca Asher • Jeannette Godoy mentored by Iain B. MacDonald • Rami Hachache mentored by Anna Mastro • Gia-Rayne Harris mentored by Joanna Kerns • Jean Lee mentored by Tucker Gates • David Mahmoudieh mentored by Jaffar Mahmood • Henry Mason mentored by Chris Long • Anjali Nayar mentored by Ken Fink • Lisbon Okafor mentored by Sharat Raju • Tchaiko Omawale mentored by Michael Nankin • Talia Osteen mentored by Greg Beeman • Shawn Pipkin-West mentored by Pete Chatmon • Jessica Rae mentored by Andrew Wolk • Alvaro Ron mentored by Philip Sgriccia • Molly Smith mentored by Robert Cohen • James Takata mentored by Bethany Rooney • Cynthia Wade mentored by Maggie Kiley. Eastern Region: Shari Carpenter mentored by Maggie Kiley • Jon Delgado mentored by Andrew Fleming • Quincy Ledbetter mentored by Nick Copus • Allison Miller mentored by Timothy Busfield • Arthur Muhammad mentored by Jeremy Podeswa • Jamaal Parham and Bashan Aquart mentored by Pete Chatmon • Amy Rice mentored by Jessica Lowrey • Joan Schimke mentored by Elizabeth Rosenbaum • Nikki Taylor-Roberts mentored by Geoff Shotz. DGA Director Development Initiative Mentorship Program 2024 Recap photos by Elisa Haber & Quintin Lundy (LA) and Marcie Revens & Ryan Jensen (NY) See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup Protégés & Mentors attend the Los Angeles Orientation on April 21. Protégés attend the New York Orientation on April 27. The Los Angeles Career workshop on August 19 with Mentorship Program consultant Catrice Monson, NBCUniversal's VP TV Programming DEI Robert Baltazar, Paramount/CBS's EVP/Head of Production Liz Miller and CBS's EVP, Current Programs Eric Kim. The West Coast Craft Workshop was led by Directors Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli on the set of the series Criminal Minds.

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