Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/569837
dga quarterly 7 Dear Members: Have you noticed how we still refer to movies as "films" even though the vast majority of them are no longer shot on film? Of course, it's partially a nod to where cinema has come from, but for directors like Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese and Richard Linklater, this is not just a matter of nostalgia and sentimentality. The option to shoot on film remains an important part of who they are as directors, and they believe other directors—young and old—should have the same opportunity to decide what works for them on any given project. For Nolan it's not only about aesthetics—though he does believe the film im- age is far superior to digital—he argues that it makes good business sense as well. Nolan and friends make their case in "Film Is Dead—Long Live Film." Shooting digitally, of course, is an invaluable tool for directors and it is unlikely Danny Boyle, the subject of this issue's DGA Interview, would have been able to capture the chaos of Mumbai street life in Slumdog Millionaire without the flexibility of small, hidden cameras. As you'll see, Boyle is up for trying anything and even makes it a point to keep challenging himself with something new. For his next excur- sion, Boyle explores the inner workings of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Andrew Pulver reports from Lon- don on "The Many Sides of Danny Boyle." Director may not be the first thing that comes to mind when the world thinks of Angelina Jolie Pitt, but she has been steadily putting together a solid career behind the camera with a mini-oeuvre of topical, searing real-life stories, including last year's Unbroken. Her third film, By the Sea, a more intimate marital drama, comes out later this year and then it's back to issue-related filmmaking with Africa, about ivory poaching in Kenya. She explains to Margy Rochlin why "'I'm Much Happier Directing.'" On the television side, new business and creative models are changing how series are being born: Back- door pilots, straight-to-series pilots, Web-to-TV pilots, and traditional pilots. We reached out to some of the top directors in each area to see how they are adapting to an evolving landscape. David Kronke lays it out in "Navigating Pilots." Meanwhile, in the middle of Hollywood, members of a skilled directorial team, led by Sandra Restrepo Considine, are having the time of their lives on Jimmy Kimmel Live! From staging live musical perfor- mances on the street, to Bill Murray entering on horseback, and Jim Carrey giving haircuts to passersby, it's never a dull moment. Lisa Rosen files this account from the set in "Hollywood Beat." As always, the Quarterly tries to honor the history of our members and connect the past to the present. In this regard, Terrence Rafferty considers "Why Orson Welles Still Matters" on the occasion of the great director's centennial. And in Screening Room, Lisa Cholodenko watches Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces, a film that influenced her in film school and continues to do so today. In short, it's a packed issue. I hope you enjoy it and I wish you all a safe summer. Best, James Greenberg jgreenberg@dga.org PHOTO: S. BETH ATKIN EDITOR'S L E T TE R