DGA Monthly

See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and video, where available, online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup Special Projects Classic Film Series Screens Merian C. Cooper's King Kong On December 3, the Special Projects Committee hosted the latest installment of their Classic Film Series with Merian C. Cooper's 1933 feature, King Kong. The series screens iconic movies, followed by a discussion on the film's legacy. 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, who, after the screening, moderated a discussion with special guests Directors Gareth Edwards and Jon Turteltaub. "I first saw the film on TV when I was a kid and I thought, 'This is horrible!' admitted Turteltaub. "Then I saw it again in film school and I couldn't believe how great it was. It was not anything like that I remembered, and I couldn't believe how riveted I was to the story." Marveling at the craftsmanship of the technical elements of the film, he said, "They didn't just wing anything! It was so detailed and planned because it's layer upon layer in the shot. With the animatronic characters, there's always people in the foreground which keeps you aware of the scale. So, what do you do for background? So, there's rear screen projection going on. You know, when the islanders are on the top of that wall, no they're not! That's a miniature wall. And then a perfect perspective of actors way high up… how do you even know how to do these things the first time? And they nailed it with layer after layer. And when you're doing stop motion, it's not like there's a couple takes. You're doing it that way. That's it." During a discussion about the fact that Max Steiner's score was the first ever written for a specific film and how important it was in pushing the scenes forward and enhancing the audience's emotion, Edwards revealed, "I had heard that at the end, with the airplane attack, the score goes away for a moment. There are great examples of that with things like the Jurassic Park T-Rex attack. There's no score. It just stops for that moment, and you don't notice and it's one of the great moments of cinema. And even the attack run on the Death Star in Star Wars, there's no score until halfway through. I was planning to watch for that, but I just got too lost in the story." After opening the evening by calling King Kong "Hollywood's first true blockbuster," Seidelman shared his thoughts on reasons why the film has continued to gain audience appreciation nearly 100 years after it was first released, due to the humanity imbued upon the monster. "The fascinating thing about the film — and I think the reason it has not only lasted but triumphed — is the fact that even though he kills hundreds of people, when he's on the Empire State Building being fired at your emotions are with him. It's a monumental feat." Later, continuing on that thought he added, "I think the first thing a Director needs to do is to make the audience care. You can fascinate the audience for a while, but they will lose their interest if their emotions aren't involved." photos 1: L-R Classic Film Series Subcommittee Chair Arthur Allan Seidelman (moderator) discusses the legacy and impact of King Kong with Directors Jon Turteltaub and Gareth Edwards. 2: Subcommittee member Luc OuYang welcomes the audience. 3-4: Director Merian Caldwell Cooper (1893-1973) and a poster from the film. 1 2 event photos by Quintin Lundy 3 4 MPTF was the safety net I didn't know I needed until I did. Alex Aguilar, Jr. Caring is Infinite Caring is Infinite Read more about Alex Aguilar, Jr.'s story and find out how you can help ensure the safety net for the entertainment industry for the next 100 years. MPTF.com MPTF_HalfPgBleedAd_AA.pdf 1 9/25/23 5:01 PM

• Cover