DGA Monthly

D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 I 7 5 On October 29, the Focus on Women Committee (FOWC) online meeting featured the discussion, Late Night Laughs: The Women Making Late Night Comedy Look Good. During a conversation moderated by FOWC Co-Chair, Director Alanna G.A. Campbell, Director Yvonne De Mare from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Segment Director Sarah Hamblin from The Daily Show and Associate Directors Laura Ouziel Mack from Saturday Night Live and Amy Mancini from Late Night with Seth Meyers, shared information about what goes into the making of some of the most legendary late night comedy franchises on television. De Mare, who recently ascended to the Director's chair from her former position as a longtime Associate Director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, revealed that the biggest stressor is getting the graphics right and getting Stephen's timing right. "Luckily, our show is taped, so we can clean things up in post." Ouziel Mack shared how critical Stage Managers are on Saturday Night Live and the unique roles that different members of the directorial team play. "I'm in a sub-control room which is separate from the others. I'm there with our technical manager to make sure we're not getting pushed by other programming." Mancini, who also works on Saturday Night Live, explained that she creates shot sheets from the week's notes for the camera team. "When we do the morning rehearsals, there's a lot of script changes and my day slows down at that point. I prepare the notes for the Director, then we do a dress rehearsal, and I do that all over again. I try to catch the little notes to track for the Director. When the show starts, I'm the second pair of eyes for her." Hamblin explained the process of creating segments for The Daily Show. "We shepherd the whole segment through from the pitch to making it our own, working with writers and correspondents, supervising the edit. It's very gratifying to get to watch it with the live audience. I try to be in the studio when my pieces air to get the reaction." Image Clockwise: Directors Yvonne De Mare and Sarah Hamblin and FOWC Co-Chair Alanna G.A. Campbell (moderator) and Associate Directors Laura Ouziel Mack and Amy Mancini. Late Night Laughs: The Women Making Late Night Comedy Look Good A Focus on Women Committee Meeting Discussion See more detailed descriptions and additional photos, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Committee Meeting Events On November 5, the Women's Steering Committee (WSC) meeting featured the panel discussion, From Scene to Screen: Actors Who Direct, a conversation with actors who have stepped behind the camera. In a dialogue moderated by Director Kestrin Pantera, Directors Lake Bell, Directors Lake Bell, Keesha Sharp and Milana Vayntrub discussed the challenges of earning opportunities to direct, the technical skills required in prep and post, and the strategies that help build trust on set. They explored how their work as actors informed their visual style, performance direction, collaboration with department heads and their overall approach to storytelling. Bell spoke about creating a short film to prove the concept for her feature, In a World..., which led to further directing opportunities. She shared how advocating for herself in writers' rooms and learning structure culminated in creating, starring in and directing ABC's Bless This Mess. She emphasized preparation, using stand-ins for framing when she is on camera, and trusting her instincts rather than relying on playback. Sharp described waiting 99 episodes before directing on a series where she was a lead, and how she prepared by shadowing Directors and key crew across departments. She outlined her practice of sending detailed visual keynote presentations in advance — effectively a mini-movie of how she plans to shoot each scene — to align cast and crew. She also spoke about the difficult but necessary choice, on some projects, to prioritize directing over acting, and her commitment to only directing material she is passionate about. Vayntrub discussed developing her directing voice by editing her own work and building successful digital series before becoming widely recognized in AT&T's commercial campaigns. She shared how she transitioned into directing those spots, including helming one of the world's first COVID-era, socially distanced productions, and reflected on some of the "best and worst" directing notes she has received—and how they shaped her work behind the camera. Image Clockwise: Directors Kestrin Pantera (moderator), Lake Bell, Keesha Sharp and Milana Vayntrub. From Scene to Screen: Actors Who Direct A Women's Steering Committee Meeting Discussion

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