Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1540124
2 6 I D G A M O N T H L Y Membership Screenings Q&As listed in alphabetical order by Director. See more detailed descriptions, additional photos & podcasts online at www.dga.org. DGA Screenings Q&As A valuable artifact throws a small South Dakota town into turmoil in Director Tony Tost's dark comedy western, Americana. The fi lm fi nds the lives of a town's local outsiders and outcasts violently intertwining when a rare Lakota Ghost shirt falls onto the black market. Tost discussed the making of the fi lm during a Q&A moderated by Director Mimi Cave and revealed how his previous work as a writer and executive producer in television gave him the confi dence to tackle directing his fi rst feature fi lm as well as valuable insights into communicating with actors. "I don't think I would have had the confi dence to do it without it. Knowing the importance of prep. Knowing the importance of hiring great department heads [and] how important those relationships are. I think when I fi rst started on TV, I would speak in paragraphs to actors which is not super helpful. The genealogy or the idea of the scene isn't necessarily what they need in the moment. So, a lot of those dumb mistakes I got out of my system before I stepped on to the Americana set." Tony Tost discusses Americana photo by Shane Karns Photo: Directors Tony Tost and Mimi Cave (moderator) discuss the making of Americana following the Los Angeles DGA screening on August 30. Director Anu Valia's comedic-drama, We Strangers, weaves the story of Rayelle, a quick-witted housekeeper in Gary, Indiana, who fi nds herself in an odd new position of power after impulsively claiming that she can speak to the dead. During a Q&A moderated by Director Janicza Bravo, Valia spoke about preserving actors' performances during the editing process. "You really owe the actors, when you're editing, to protect their performance, to protect what they've done. You know when you cut to them slightly too early and now it feels like they're acting like a hair earlier than they actually did. You are manipulating people's performances in an edit. They were so generous with their performance. You gain a different tenderness to everything they did for you when you're editing. That's also very spiritual. The act of making it with the actors and then our editor it felt like a [small breath] little blow. We'd [Valia and editor James Codoyannis] get very weepy with each other because it was just a very trusting exchange of energy." Anu Valia discusses We Strangers photo by Quintin Lundy Photo: Directors Anu Valia (right) and Janicza Bravo (moderator) discuss the making of We Strangers following the Los Angeles DGA screening on September 6. Facebook: www.facebook.com/directorsguildofamericadga Instagram: www.instagram.com/directorsguild YouTube: www.youtube.com/@directorsguildofamericaDGA Send Us Your On Set Photos and Follow Us On Social Media The DGA is looking for a few good stills from your on set experiences for our social media platforms. If you have current photos of yourself and/or fellow members at work, please send them, along with details about the image to: Press@dga.org. And remember to stay connected with the DGA by folowing us across social media to learn about events and Guild activities. Join the conversation by following our channels today! Photo: UPM Canella Williams-Larrabee, 1st AD Michelle Regina Iacobelli and 2nd AD Heather Verbeke on the set of the limited series I Will Find You in New York City's Times Square.