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DGA QUARTERLY 39 Q: What were some of the changes you brought to the series? A: I helped to find the voice of the show and continued to open it up in season two and in season three. I hopefully brought a depth in emotion to these characters' arcs. We actual- ly shut down for three weeks and rejiggered personnel. We put out a new edict. They had a single cameraman. After we shut down, I brought in three cameras. It gave us the ability to find more moments. The show was mostly handheld but oc- casionally, we'd mix handheld with these super-long lenses, and it was always very powerful. I wanted [guest] directors to talk to their cinematographers. So much more comes out of prepping with your DP and ac- tually planning what you're going to do. Q: There are so many almost painterly im- ages from the final episode. You used a drone, for example, to shoot Carrie Coon riding a bike through fields of bright yellow flowers. A: The drone is a piece of equipment that if used properly, is far more effective than the helicopter. You can get in closer, and you can get out wide. We were in Australia, and all of a sudden, these canola fields started bloom- ing; you'd smell them and everything was yellow. And I said, "Jesus, this is so beauti- ful." So all the high-angle shots were a drone, then mixed with crane. In this canola field, it was a way to take us to this crazy image of Carrie on this bicycle with pigeons on the back, and pedaling, and she did everything. Q: You've had so many transitions in your ca- reer. Talk about returning to features. A: The Leftovers was life-changing for me. I had complete autonomy. I was boots on the ground. I was Damon's partner. We had total respect for each other. We love each other dearly. It was like producing a 25-hour movie. So was the transition difficult? Not at all. It's just a different kind of prep. It's a longer prep for a shorter period of time di- recting. So you just have to adjust your body clock a little bit. When you do high-end tele- vision, you get about eight to 10 days to prep and then you're shooting for about 12 days. It's very fast. I love that. I love working fast because I love making decisions organical- ly, spontaneously. With features, you have more time in prep to think about it. I don't like to over-think things. Q: How did On the Basis of Sex come together? A: My agent sent [the script] to me. I met with Robert Cort. Natalie Portman was attached at the time. Natalie and Robert hired me. Robert said, "You have to leave The Leftovers. We have to do it now." I'd just signed on for the third season. I said, "Can you wait for me?" "No." So I passed and moved on. A few months later, they called me in Australia and said, "Okay. We'll wait for you." And here I am. It was meant to be. It was the right movie for me to make. Telling Ruth Bader Ginsburg's story was one of the highlights [of my career]. I so identi- fied with her and what she's done. She's a su- perhero. I understand a lot of her struggles because I've had them. They're different, but I've had them. Q: Your line producer, editor and casting director were all women. What sorts of con- siderations do you make when staffing a crew? A: I tried to have gender parity with the de- partment heads. You walk into our editing suite and it's a very estrogen-filled space but men are very welcome. I had three camera crews on On the Basis of Sex. One of them was entirely women. That's unusual and hard to find. My costume designer was also female. It was pretty 50-50. I really strive for gender parity in hiring. You don't want to discriminate against men who are beauti- ful artists. I'm not going to not hire Michael Grady because he's a man—but I'd love to work with a female DP as well. Q: In a way, you've come full circle. A: It's like I'm in this second wind. To be able to make a film and feel its magic is ex- tremely gratifying and satisfying. I feel, odd- ly, like I'm 25—but with all this wisdom and experience. And it feels tremendous. ® "I feel, oddly, like I'm 25–but with all this wis- dom and experience. And it feels tremendous."