On June 13, the DGA Special Projects Committee presented the tenth installment in its Directing for Professionals series, which provides practical skills and techniques for Directors to work productively with their creative teams. Members gathered in the Los Angeles Headquarters Boardroom for Action! Calling the Shots, a seminar that explored the collaboration of the Director and the 2nd Unit Director, Stunt Coordinator and Assistant Director on action sequences in film and television.
After a welcome from Directing for Professionals Subcommittee Chair Arthur Allan Seidelman, the attendees learned all about the subject of the day from a panel of experts consisting of Directors Tawnia McKiernan and Jeff Wadlow, 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator Jim Vickers and 1st AD Stacey Beneville. In a conversation moderated by Seidelman and illustrated by clips from their work, the panelists discussed a variety of topics including: the role of the 2nd Unit Director and Stunt Coordinator; camera strategies for each type of shot to maintain the overall look of the project; and budgetary considerations. The final hour of the seminar included an open forum where the attendees could ask the panelists questions on these matters and more.
A DGA member since 1993, McKiernan is a prolific director who has been working in the entertainment industry for over twenty years. Her filmography includes multiple episodes of series such as NYPD Blue, ER, Bones, The Closer, Army Wives, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Monk, Royal Pains, The Mentalist, Grimm, Burn Notice, Devious Maids, The Librarians, Blue Bloods and Criminal Minds; and the movie for television Secrets of Eden.
Wadlow conceived and directed his first short film, tHE tOWeR oF BabBLe as a student in USC’s Peter Stark Producing Program. He would go on to direct the feature films Cry_Wolf, Never Back Down and Kick-Ass 2; and the short films Catching Kringle and Manual Labor. He joined the DGA in 2007.
As a 2nd Unit Director, Stunt Coordinator and Fight Choreographer, Vickers has been involved in over 50 feature films and more than 700 episodes of television. A DGA member since 2002, he has received Emmy® nominations for his work on episodes of the series Workaholics, Numb3rs and House M.D. He received a 2007 Emmy® Award for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for his work on Director Sam Hill's CSI: Miami episode “Rush.”
A graduate of the DGA Assistant Director Training Program, Beneville has worked on features directed by Woody Allen, Nora Ephron and Barry Sonnenfeld. Her resume includes a wide variety of episodic television, features and commercial productions including Spider-Man 2 & 3, Little Children, For Love of the Game, The Gift, Celebrity, Law & Order, Third Watch, CSI: NY, NYPD Blue, and Criminal Minds. She has been a DGA member since 1997.
Seidelman has directed over 50 films including the features Puerto Vallarta Squeeze, The Awakening of Spring, Walking Across Egypt, and most recently, Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. His filmography also includes the movies for television By Dawn's Early Light, The Summer of Ben Tyler, Miracle in the Woods, A Friendship in Vienna and Poker Alice; and 23 episodic television series including Hill Street Blues; Magnum P.I.; Murder, She Wrote; L.A. Law and Trapper John, M.D. He has been honored with two Emmy Awards®, five Emmy® nominations, the Humanitas Award, and a Peabody Award. Seidelman has taught and guest lectured at UCLA, USC, NYU, Columbia and many other programs. A member of the DGA's Special Projects Committee he joined the Guild in 1978.
The Directing for Professionals series is designed to keep members up-to-date on developments in the industry and deepen their understanding of their craft. Workshops and seminars on various film and television related topics are offered throughout the year.