DGA Monthly

See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup On December 9, the Special Projects Committee hosted the latest installment of their Classic Films Series with George Stevens' DGA and Academy Award-winning 1951 feature, A Place in the Sun. The series screens iconic movies, followed by a discussion about the Director's contribution to the world of cinema. The evening in the Guild's Los Angeles Theater began with a welcome from Classic Film Series Subcommittee member Luc OuYang, followed by an introduction of the film by Subcommittee Chair Arthur Allan Seidelman. After the screening, Seidelman moderated a discussion on Stevens' legacy with Special Projects Committee Co-Chair Michael Goi and special guest, Director George Stevens, Jr. Via video, Stevens, Jr. recalled how how his father would rely on 'showing rather than telling' the audience to ensure the story got across and said, "One of the many things I learned working with my father was the idea of respect for the audience. Learning from him to trust the audience was as valuable a thing as has happened to me." Goi noted how the actors' performances in A Place in the Sun and Stevens' collaboration with his cast continue to inspire Directors and how they work with talent today. "The performances are a testament to the value of exploring the nuance of performance in that way. But also, your dad would screen dailies for the cast and the crew every day and invite the cast over, which is almost never done anymore. So, I greatly admire his craft and his knowledge of how to get everybody on board the same movie at the same time." Seidelman zeroed in on the famous close-ups of Elizabeth Taylor in the film and shared his memory of directing her in the movie for television Poker Alice. "The intimacy of the close- ups in A Place in the Sun is bearable to the highest degree, but unbearable because of the intimacy. I had the privilege of directing Elizabeth Taylor in a film and I was doing a scene of the first kiss between Elizabeth and Tom Skerritt in the story. And as I moved in the camera tighter and tighter, Elizabeth said to me, 'Arthur, what are you looking for?' and I said, 'I'm looking for George Stevens.'" Special Projects Classic Films Series Screens George Stevens' A Place in the Sun photos: 1. Special Projects Classic Film Series Subcommittee Chair Arthur Allan Seidelman (moderator). 2. Special Projects Committee Co-Chair Michael Goi. 3. Classic Film Series Subcommittee member Luc OuYang. 4. Director George Stevens, Jr. 5. Director George Stevens (1904–1975). 6. Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift in A Place in the Sun. 1 2 3 4 5 6 event photos by Elisa Haber Since 1992, the Directors Guild of America has hosted annual symposiums featuring its nominees for outstanding theatrical feature fi lm directing. In Directors Close Up, fi lm and television director Jeremy Kagan compiled the most insightful and entertaining responses from sessions conducted between 1992 and 2005, and then again in Directors Close Up 2 for those conducted between 2006 and 2012. In this all new sequel, Directors Close Up 3, Kagan shines his spotlight on nominees from the 2013–2020 seminars as directors discuss their work on some of the most brilliant fi lms in the last several years. From script development through pre-production to production and post- production, the directors offer personal insights into every step of the creative process and reveal their candid takes on the best and worst aspects of their profession. Featuring materials from their productions — including storyboards, script notes, sketches and on-set photos — Directors Close Up 3 will be of interest to both professional and aspiring directors, as well as fi lm fans who will enjoy this inside look into making movies. DIRECTORS CLOSE UP 3 Interviews with Directors nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film by the Directors Guild of America Moderated and edited by Jeremy Kagan Available for purchase at the DGA Store on www.dga.org Ben Affl eck · Wes Anderson · Kathryn Bigelow · Damien Chazelle · Bradley Cooper · Alfonso Cuarón · Garth Davis · Guillermo del Toro · Clint Eastwood · Peter Farrelly · Greta Gerwig · Paul Greengrass · Bong Joon Ho · Tom Hooper · Alejandro G. Iñárritu · Barry Jenkins · Ang Lee · Spike Lee · Richard Linklater · Kenneth Lonergan · Tom McCarthy · Martin McDonagh · Adam McKay · Steve McQueen · Sam Mendes · George Miller · Christopher Nolan · Jordan Peele · David O. Russell · Ridley Scott · Martin Scorsese · Steven Spielberg · Quentin Tarantino · Denis Villeneuve · Taika Waititi

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