On June 24, DGA members learned more about how Directors and their teams can work collaboratively on set to ensure voices are heard during the Director Development Initiative’s (DDI) online workshop, How to Facilitate Inclusion on Set.
In a conversation moderated by Director Phillip Rhys Chaudhary, Directors Olatunde Osunsanmi and Silas Howard, Director/1st AD Nandi Bowe and 1st AD Shawn Pipkin-West shared their experiences working across different shows and offered tips for how to promote a culture of belonging, respect, and collaboration on set so that all members of a production can be able to do their best work.
Collectively, the panelists emphasized how important it is for everyone on set to feel that they have a role in promoting inclusion. For example, Bowe expressed how critical it is for those on set to feel safe and accommodated and provided some resources for how members might approach this topic. She recommended that an anonymous survey be sent out to all team members at the beginning of a production to give people the space to note specific accommodations they might need.
Howard discussed the value of communication and modeling on set, and provided examples for how, through his work, he has taken an active role in promoting inclusion through advocating for authentic and accurate representation at all levels of production.
Osunsanmi and Pipkin-West shared some of their unique experiences working in episodic television and highlighted the role of key collaborators, such as Producing Directors, Showrunners, and Producers, who have helped them speak out about issues and to foster a shared sense of accountability for creating a supportive and inclusive work environment. They noted best practices for how to work effectively with collaborators to engage in difficult conversations and shared resources for addressing challenges that may arise.
DGA Members can watch the full video from
Director Development Initiative events by clicking here.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
 Director Olatunde OsunsanmiOsunsanmi’s directorial credits include the features Star Trek: Section 31, The Cavern, The Fourth Kind and Evidence; and episodes of Star Trek: Discovery, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Falling Skies, Extant, The Last Ship, Sleepy Hollow, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Timeless, Gotham, Blindspot and Bates Motel. Osunsanmi joined the DGA in 2011 |
 Director Silas HowardHoward’s directorial credits include the features By Hook or by Crook, A Kid Like Jake and Darby and the Dead; and episodes of Quantum Leap, A League of Their Own, Dickinson, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Tales of the City, High Maintenance, Pose, Step Up: High Water, This Is Us, Transparent and Hudson Valley Ballers. Howard has been a DGA member since 2015. |
 Director/1st AD Nandi BoweBowe’s directorial credits include the short film, Statistically Speaking. Her Assistant Directing credits include features such as Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing, Bill Duke’s Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit, Kenny Ortega’s Hocus Pocus, Phil Alden Robinson’s Sneakers, Garry Marshall’s Frankie and Johnny and Julie Dash’s Funny Valentines; and episodes of Just Jordan, The Stones and Method & Red. She also served as the 1st AD on Anne Renton’s 2022 DGA Children’s Programs Award-winning Best Foot Forward episode “Halloween.” Bowe has been a DGA member since 1989 and is a member of the Disability Committee. |
 1st AD Shawn Pipkin-WestA graduate of the DGA Assistant Director Training Program, Pipkin-West’s Assistant Director credits include features such as Barry Jenkins' Mufasa: The Lion King, Bill Condon’s Dreamgirls and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Beyond the Lights; and episodes of Big Shot, Raising Dion, Grey’s Anatomy, Shots Fired, Community, Friday Night Lights and Sorry for Your Loss. She was on the AD team for two DGA Award-winning productions: Thomas Schlamme’s 2020 special, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote and Mick Jackson’s 2010 movie for television, Temple Grandin. A DGA member since 2004, Pipkin-West serves as an Associate member of the DGA National Board, a Co-Chair of the Women’s Steering Committee, a member of the DGA Diversity Taskforce, is on the Board of Trustees for the Directors Guild-Producer Training Program and has been on the Western AD/UPM Council as a member and/or alternate from 2013 - present. |
 Director Phillip Rhys Chaudhary (moderator)Chaudhary’s directorial credits include an episode of the series, The Good Doctor and the short films The Scarecrow and The Rocky. Chaudhary became a DGA member in 2023 |
About the Director Development Initiative:
The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s goal to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry.
