Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/653175
A P R I L 2 0 1 6 I 1 7 13th Annual Meet the AD/UPMs of the DGA Award-Winning and Nominated Projects On February 20, the AD/UPM Council West's Education Committee celebrated the ADs and UPMs of the award-winning and nominated projects honored during the 68th Annual DGA Awards. The 13th Meet the AD/UPMs event gave attendees the opportunity to hear firsthand what went into the making of these celebrated movies, television episodes and commercials with a special event in the Guild's Los Angeles Boardroom. This year's discussion featured 1st ADs Scott Robertson from Director Alejandro G. Iñárritu's DGA Award-winning feature The Revenant and Matt Rebenkoff from Director Adam McKay's DGA Award-nominated feature The Big Short; UPMs Richard G. King from Director Sasie Sealy's Children's Programs Award-nominated Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street episode "Gortimer and the Vengeful Violinist" and Dara Weintraub from Director Matthew Weiner's Dramatic Series Award-nominated Mad Men episode "Person to Person;" 2nd ADs Matthew Haggerty from Iñárritu's The Revenant and Director Joel Edgerton's First-Time Feature Award-nominated film The Gift and Michelle Gritzer from Director Chris Addison's Comedy Series Award-winning Veep episode "Election Night;" 1st AD/2nd AD Eric Topp from Director Andreas Nilsson's Commercial Award-winning Comcast spot Emily's Oz and Director Steve Rogers' Commercial Award-nominated Nike ad Snow Day; and UPM M. Blair Breard from Director Louis C.K.'s Comedy Award-nominated Louie episode "Sleepover" who participated via SKYPE. 2000 Frank Capra Achievement Award Recipient Cheryl Downey served as the event's moderator. Following a screening of clips from the nominated and award-winning works, Downey and the panelists covered a number of subjects including how to plan and budget a day, how to get what's needed from background actors on an important scene, and how to balance the creative desires of a director with what's feasible on a given day. After the discussion, members were able to mingle with the panelists and ask their own questions. Photos 1. ( l-r: Front Row) Meet the AD/UPMs Organizing Committee Co-Chairs Redelia Shaw and Peter E. Jackson, 2000 Capra Award Recipient Cheryl Downey (moderator), 1st ADs Scott Robertson and Matt Rebenkoff. (Back Row): 2nd AD Michelle Gritzer, Organizing Committee member Lucille OuYang, UPM Richard G. King, 2nd AD Matthew Haggerty, UPM Dara Weintraub, and 1st AD/2nd AD Eric Topp. 2. UPM M. Blair Breard participates via SKYPE. 3. Council Chair Marie Cantin and First Vice Chair Cleve Landsberg welcome the participants. 4. DGA members learn about the work of the AD/UPMs on the Award-winning and nominated films, television episodes and commercials. Hear audio from this event at www.dga.org. See more detailed descriptions, additional photos and audio where available posted online at www.dga.org. DGA Events Roundup Deniz Gamze Ergüven discusses Mustang On February 12, the Eastern Region Special Projects Committee's Global Cinema Series screened Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Mustang in the Guild's theater in New York. Mustang tells the story of five teenaged Turkish sisters whose lives are changed after an afternoon of innocent beach play with some male classmates is reported as illicit by a neighbor. Scandalized, their family turns the home into a virtual prison and subjects the girls to endless lessons in housework as bridal preparation. After the elder sisters are married off, the younger ones bond together in an attempt to avoid the same fate and determine their own lives. Following the screening, Ergüven discussed the making of Mustang in a conversation moderated by Director John Krokidas (Kill Your Darlings). Ergüven's other works include the short films A Drop of Water and Mon trajet préféré. Photo: Directors John Krokidas (moderator) and Deniz Gamze Ergüven talk about the making of Mustang at the DGA Theater in New York. photo by Krista Kennell 1 4 2 3 photos by Elisa Haber See video from this Q&A at www.dga.org.