On March 15, the Latino Committee meeting was preceded by the panel discussion, Diplomacy on Set: DGA Leadership for Success. In a conversation moderated by Committee Co-Chair Edward Ornelas (Promised Land), Directors Norberto Barba (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) and Zetna Fuentes (The Old Man) and 1st AD Tony Becerra (The Sex Lives of College Girls), explored how Directors and Directorial team members can best exercise diplomacy while navigating the unique challenges of their jobs.
During the conversation, Fuentes discussed the importance of “laying the foundation for diplomacy” through researching a project’s team in advance and valuing every individual’s contribution to the collaboration. Barba offered detailed insight into the varying processes unique to Guest Directors versus Producing Directors. Becerra acknowledged the varying factors an Assistant Director faces towards the goal of supporting a Director’s vision, which he described as “carrying the football.”
Following the moderated portion of the conversation, the panelists took questions from the online audience.
About the Panelists:
 Director Norberto Barba
Barba’s directorial credits include the feature films Blue Tiger and SOLO; and the Emmy-nominated movie for television Apollo 11: The Movie. He has directed over 100 hours of television including the pilots of Mayans MC and Lights Out; and episodes of Better Call Saul, Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Preacher, The Strain, Chicago Justice, The Bridge, Fringe, Suits, NCIS: Los Angeles, CSI: Miami, The Mentalist, Numb3rs, and Resurrection Blvd. He served as an Executive Producer and Director on the series Grimm and Law & Order: Criminal Intent and is the current Executive Producer/Director for Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. A DGA member since 1994, Barba has served as an alternate on Western Directors Council, is an active member of the Latino Committee, a Career Advancement Subcommittee leader, and a Mentor for the Director’s Development Initiative. |
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 Director Zetna Fuentes
Fuentes’s directorial credits include the pilot for Bosch: Legacy; episodes of Black Cake, This Is Us, The Girl from Plainville, The Great, The Old Man, The Deuce, Ray Donovan, Shameless, Grey’s Anatomy, Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder, One Life to Live and Guiding Light. A DGA member since 2007, Fuentes is a former co-chair of the Latino Committee and the Eastern Diversity Steering Committee, and has served on the DGA National Board, the Diversity Task Force, the Western and the Eastern Directors Councils, and is a member of the Television Creative Rights Committee. |
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 1st AD Tony Becerra
A DGA member since 2014, Becerra’s Assistant Directing credits include features such as Kelly Reichardt’s First Cow and Richard Linklater’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette; and episodes of The Man in the High Castle, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19, Z Nation, Imposters, Life After First Failure, Three Busy Debras and The Sex Lives of College Girls. |
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 Director Edward Ornelas (moderator)
Ornelas’s directorial credits include the independent feature film, The Legend of Billy Fail; and episodes of Promised Land, Shelter, Fear the Walking Dead, Locke & Key, Grey’s Anatomy, Private Practice, NCIS: New Orleans, Code Black, The Resident and Roswell, New Mexico. DGA member since 2009, he serves as a current co-chair of the Latino Committee and also serves as an alternate on the DGA National Board and the Western Directors Council, is a mentor on the DGA Director Development Initiative’s Television Mentorship Program and a member of the Diversity Task Force. |
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ABOUT THE COMMITTEE:
The Latino Committee was created as a networking group to advance career and job opportunities for Latino DGA members by improving craft skills, networking, and making Latinos better known to the Hollywood creative community.