PS: The film I did where I became a guild member was my seventh film, WAYNE'S WORLD. Had to become a member because PARAMOUNT was signatory. The films before that the companies loved not having to deal with the GUILD. When I did WAYNE'S WORLD it was a whole different environment. I remember driving to the set, being driven which was also a treat, and seeing all the trucks and I went, are we in the right place. I don't know why all these people are here. It was because it was a GUILD and union picture. Even though it was fourteen million dollars it was done the Hollywood way. I didn't know what my rights were. I didn't know that being a GUILD member came with amenities, perks. Creative rights, residuals. There were a lot of things, health, pension, I wasn't aware at the time. I had no idea what it meant. As the years passed, as problems came up, I knew I could call the GUILD and ask a question. Most of the time I was surprised by the answer which was they were there to support me. There was a time during THE LITTLE RASCALS where CASEY SILVER called me up and they said we don't think you can cut the picture together. I said the kids, we have the ADs holding their feet down, I only get snippets. I never walk away from a set up unless I know I can cut it together. He said "You have to show us some scenes cut together to prove that to us." I call the GUILD, they said I get a ten week cut. You don't have to show them anything before the ten weeks. It really made them mad. It got to be a problem. They were panicking. We handled it, BUD SNARE. Nice man. Works with SPIELBERG. They said would you let him look at what you've got. I said okay, I was nervous, I knew I had it. I wanted him to see what I saw. He went in and looked, he said "She's got it."

INT: Talk about your involvement on committees, national board?
PS: I was one of the founding members of the INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS COMMITTEE. At the time, given my background, I always had that independent spirit. Even though I had done so many of the studio movies, I really wanted to be involved with that committee. What was ironic was when it was born it felt like a few of us outsiders sitting and talking about how things might be. Since independent film has blossomed and come into its own, that committee has become prestigious. I'm proud to be a part. I left, came back and felt like I was home. I'm also a part of the social responsibility task force. I was interested in that because as a I mentioned a couple of times my personal stance on violence in films and I agree with ROB REINER about smoking and portraying too much debauchery. I don't think it's good lessons, I do believe children are affected. We have to be careful. The problem again is membership awareness. Just like I didn't know my rights, members don't think should I not have smoking, if it doesn't have to be there. JANIS JOPLIN did smoke, but if it doesn't actually have to be there, just frivolously putting it there, am I doing a disservice. They don't think about that. It just makes the air look good. [INT: Will JANIS smoke in your film?] She'll have to. I'm against it, but she's going to have to. You can't not do it. Is JANIS going to use drugs? She'll have to. If I'm making a movie like THE KID AND I, and there doesn't have to be drugs and alcohol and smoking, I'm fighting a writer that put it in there, that's when our struggle begins. It doesn't have to be there. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMMITTEE. I do a lot of introductions, I introduced WARREN BEATTY when he screened REDS here. I did the discussion with OLIVIER after the LA VIE EN ROSE screening, with MARION COTILLARD. That was interesting situation. Given he didn't want to talk about the movie. He wanted the movie to speak for itself. Difficult kind of discussion to have. Even the newspapers in Paris called me to interview me about it. I also loved so many other events at the DIRECTORS GUILD. The feature directors night dinner is a fun affair. I used to get nervous, I was one of four women. Now there are like eight. No, there are more. I was on the council quite a few times for a few years. I was also part of the negotiations committee for the basic agreement contract negotiations about ten years. I didn't know how complex the workings of this GUILD are. When you go through that thing you learn more about your own interactions and potential with the GUILD.

INT: Do you like being part of a club?
PS: A group that wouldn’t have me. We did that GROUCHO MARX club. I do, I enjoy it. [INT: We talked about this, have you ever needed the GUILD to fight a battle or arbitration?] I'm really kicking myself in the butt for not checking that the producers of the JANIS JOPLIN movie were signatory. Like I said I assumed that because they were WGA they were DGA. I wish I would have checked. I think directors can't just assume it. I started a picture over at OXYGEN the woman's network, called BANSHEE. I scouted and cast and redid the script, assuming since it was OXYGEN that they were signatory. They were not. MIRAMAX or whatever it is is not signatory. They form little companies that do become signatory. Unless that happened you are screwed. With JANIS I did budgets and schedules, meeting BRITNEY SPEARS, LINDSAY LOHAN. Why did I spend all that time? Not being able to be compensated for it, not even the 20,000 dollar development fee. Not until the movie is made, maybe at that point I will get it. At my point it is really important for members to know the GUILD and what it can do for them when they are in trouble. I went through that situation with OZZIE and SHARON, ultimately I got the clip rights and ultimately I was able to supervise. There is only one director per picture. She can't bring on anybody else to make my movie. [INT: That seems like one of the most important times of the GUILD for you.]

INT: How do you feel the GUILD has impacted you or influenced your life and career?
PS: Well, a lot of times, if producers or studio know you are intimately involved at the GUILD they treat you differently, with more respect. I started to notice that. If I dropped some line about how I was in the GUILD at some meeting, all of a sudden there is a different kind of, there perception of you is different. That, I think is a cool thing, what else are you going to do to get their respect? [INTL Make them millions of dollars like you have] Yeah that works for a while, creepy isn't it?

INT: As a young director asking you whether they should join the GUILD or not, what would you say to them?
PS: I would say to a young director call me right away, absolutely, no question, if you don’t you are not doing the best thing for yourself. I can't imagine, even major directors not in the GUILD I don't understand it. [INT: Why did it take you seven pictures to join?] None of the companies giving me jobs were willing to be signatory. I didn't know at that point, I didn't know. A lot of new directors they didn't know that if they have a picture being financed by any kind of entity or a well established entity, they don't know they can ask that entity to become signatory and follow simple rules to protect the director and picture. They don't know that they can even ask. I do this column on IMDB called ask a director, it's on the film page. I'm constantly letting them know that is the best way to go for them.

INT: Let's talk some about crew, cinematographer what do you look for?
PS: Big part, there are a lot of egos. Directors have a large ego, I like to think of mine as not being too terrible. The DP, I've only worked with men DP and I think that’s a mistake. My next picture I really want to hire a woman DP. The egos, you really have to be careful. I've had them walk off the set before. I'll tell you a good story, check this out. I was on - the kids in the LITTLE RASCALS moved around so much because what do they know about hitting a mark. They were moving around so much I had to have the first AD who was in control of the focus, I had to have a guy who was following them. I fired four of them. One day I'm on the set, trying to get them focused. I look up on this hill by the field, there is a whole line of guys who look like Indians or cowboys, on the crest looking down on me. I said "Who are those guys?" "It's the cameraman's union, they want to know why you are firing so many people." I said "I guess we need to sit down and have a chat then." I said "You want to see some film? I'll show you the film and show you why I fired four ACs." I found the guys. It's hard to find the focus. [INT: You don't know until you see the film if you have the focus.] The first AC, I hired the DP, he brings his favorite operator, that's cool, but who hires the AC, the operator or the DP? I don't talk too much to the guy but if it aint up to snuff, if your film is not in focus, you are screwed. The DP I think one of the major things with the DP is to get a person that you really gel with creatively and communicate with so well. I sit down and watch movie after movie and talk about this is what I want, can you make this happen. I have my assistant collect twenty movies and talk about them. I use other films to refer to what I'm looking for. And it works pretty well. Then he brings in movies he thinks might be right.

INT: What about your relationship with your assistant director, preproduction relationship, how do you work with him?
PS: Let me just say, give them gifts, money, name your child after them. The first AD is most important job. Do everything to show your appreciation and make him or her happy. Be thankful. They don't get enough credit. I can never do what they do. They are in control of so many aspects of production it's just bizarre to me. It takes a certain kind of individual to be able to balance time that way across forty days and have everything lined up for the day coming up. It's unbelievable what they do. I found this guy when I worked on CRACKING UP, he was an AD for the series. They work so fast on the series that those guys are razor sharp. I had him AD the feature THE KID AND I and he did an incredible job. It's such an important aspect. I always get along really well with my ADs because I treasure them, and if always fight with my line producers which are usually DGA members. You are fighting because they are the guys who yank the money out from under you and the thing with me is I'm hard to fool. I know this stuff. I think a lot of directors don't know budgets or scheduling as well as I do and I've got a photographic memory for numbers. If someone says we only have 20,000 I know the numbers well. The line producers and me go head to head. I actually let the air out of the tires of a line producer on the last night of a shoot. It was on SENSELESS, DON CARMODY. He kept messing with me through this whole shoot. I don't mind if you cut back here and there but don't be sneaky about it. I don't mind if you're a little late for location scout but don't sit over there for 20 minutes talking to your wife you are trying to divorce. I left him one time. The last night of the shoot, we were in New York. He pulls up, has got his hot new girlfriend with him, I hope this story is ok. He pulls up in a stretch white limo, a guy in a turban opens the door, CARMODY gets out and says so it's the last night of the shoot I want every one to know it's a wonderful experience. This guy has screwed me over so many times so while he's making his speech I take a ballpoint pen and I go over and let the air out of the tires, the front two and I had a grip watching for me. I didn't let it all out, but it was pretty much gone. So we're driving back towards the Holland Tunnel, I look over and the tires are getting low. We are in the van. So I call him up because I thought if we get in the tunnel and they stop they're going to get killed and I'm going to be arrested for murder. I said "DON, I noticed the front wheels of your limo are getting flat." He says "Thank you." They were late for the party. Line producers. [INT: You get to choose your AD, you don’t get to choose your line producer?] I wish we could. I make strong suggestions and it doesn’t ever happen.

INT: What about production designers? What do you look for?
PS: Somebody who is not too extravagant or too much of an ego, and who has the best interest of the picture at heart. I fought like hell with the production designer on WAYNE'S WORLD. We fought and fought. [INT: Was it somebody you had worked with before?] No it was somebody who came to us everything was coming together really fast, Canadian guy, got thrust upon me. GREGG FONSECA was his name, he is dead now. I didn't want to shoot, there was this location he thought we should shoot. It was big telephone wires, they make all sorts of noises and give you cancer and he kept insisting this was a great place to shoot. First I don't think the production designer should be telling you what the locations are. He always had problems. It was a little bit of who's hipper than who. I'm hip I knew what the heavy metal scene was and he thought he knew, we went head to head on that. That one day was when it really blew up. I found out later he knew he had AIDS and it didn't bother him to be under that thing that gives you cancer.

INT: Talk about a good experience with a production designer, when it clicks or is a good thing?
PS: Yeah well when it clicks the thing is magic I tell ya. The guy on LITTLE RASCALS was amazing. PETER JAMISON on BEVERLY was amazing. [INT: I loved the way that film looked but tell me why was he amazing?] There are certain people who are incredibly talented, they are able to make it come out of them and into the world, and he was able to do that. We were friends, communicated really well. He came up with ideas I loved, ideas he loved. And the casting director GLENN DANIELS, same kind of thing, he just you know, casting directors I would get into it too. They get fed by all the politics behind your back. Then you are like I'm sensing you are pushing this actor because somebody told you this is who needs to play the part. I need a casting director who is loyal to me and who is casting because they believe in me as director as trying to cast it the right way. Again, not one of my fortes.

PS: Costume Designers. Every show is so different, sometimes you want somebody who has a background in period. I need for JANIS somebody who knows that period. When I get a 25 year old brilliant designer who says she knows the period I'm not going to trust her as much as someone who lived through it like myself. I don't want to get my wardrobe from Wet Seal because it looks like the 70's, I want the real thing. For a lot of movies, for me, like THE KID & I, we had no budget for costumes, we got a girl who was a designer for the first time, did an excellent job. I do like to have them interface closely with production designer. You can walk on a set and have the wardrobe the same color as the wall if you are not careful. They have to constantly consult with the designer, and the DP also. [INT: You have such a strong sense of style. How does that work with a designer, do you tell them what to do?] Oh yeah. I do, and it's like with editors too, they say what do you think I am a button pusher and I'm like yeah. I just need to get done what I need to get done. The costume designer, I just make it a rule upfront, you got to make choices. Me and TIA CARRERA went head to head a few times. I wanted her to look a certain way. She had a different way. I usually won but there were times when she would storm off. Hers was more Vegas tacky. I didn't want her to look that way. [INT: Have you had the actor come to the set in something that was not agreed to?] Absolutely, all the time. And I would say could we please have whoever is here working wardrobe, the designer is usually off buying stuff for next week, you have your on-set wardrobe there, and I would say now this is a very nice outfit, however I wonder if there are any choices about whatever is bothering me. You have to watch these things, sometimes you can't catch them all. I got a scene in THE KID AND I where TOM and ERIC have the same color T-shirt on. That's in the movie. It's hard to watch it all. I remember one time on THE KID & I, the guy ALEC GORE who financed the film dresses very sharp, like GODFATHER sharp. JOE MANTEGNA comes on the set playing him, and he has a suit on that was in proportion to the budget of the picture, so it was cheesy. ALEC said "Where did the suit come from?" "Sears. I don't know. He said "We can't do this, we have to get him a suit." He goes and gets him a 25,000 dollar suit. Says "Now you look more like me, you can keep the suit." [INT: If you had the 25,000 that would have been nice.] Yeah because we were shooting, but no it was all about him because he was playing him.

INT: As Mary's stand-in, what is the best and worst of directing?
PS: I think the best thing about directing is when you are sitting in an audience of a thousand people and they are having the time of their life. That happened on WAYNE'S WORLD. I had never had that before, at the village theater on opening night. And they were just crazy. You sit there and go okay this is what I was placed on earth to do, make other people feel happy. Another wonderful thing about directing is with DECLINE, when someone comes up to me and says thank you for making the movie, it changed my life. I came out to California, took up filmmaking, changed my thinking because of it. It changed my life. The experience of being a director to me is where I am most comfortable as a human being. I'm a shy person. Don't go to parties, do interviews, not a public person, but on my set I am in command and comfortable. Everywhere else I am insecure. The worst, I guess the worst is a problem that has compounded over the years, is the amount of politics involved. As a director you have to be a diplomat and a negotiator. a person who is a filter for everybody else's needs and angers. You have to try and balance the world out. You are the point person that everybody goes to. It's almost like a family, where you've got rivaling siblings. When it comes down to it you ask Penelope. On the spot you ask somebody. Say yes you make someone mad. I don't like being the arbitrator. I like doing the work, but it comes down to it, you have to be the cop sometimes. That's why ended up not producing probably, I really don't like that part of it. The other bad part, it's like a drug, addicting. When you are not doing it it's withdrawal. When you are doing it its the best. I think most people are happiest when they are avoiding the problems of their life, not sitting there and thinking about them. And that's what you are doing when you are directing. The problems are behind you, you are creating something new. It's gratifying.

INT: What about your cousin and the time you first came to that event at the DGA?
PS: When I first discovered that COSTA-GAVRAS and I were first cousins I was astounded. I always loved his work so much. To be honest I was incredibly intimidated. I was not in the GUILD at the time I met him and we became aware of our family relationship. A few years after I was not in the GUILD. I wasn't what should I say a prominent recognized director at that point. I always felt in the shadow, a privilege to be in his presence. I remember asking him to go to a screening of the first DECLINE. He didn't go and I was crushed. Then as years passed and I became more established as a director I learned to trust myself more to be around him, became less intimidated. It was actually a remarkably gratifying moment to sit on stage here and host the question and answer for THE ACTS and tell the audience that my father and COSTA's mother are brother and sister. I was able to learn a lot, my father was murdered when I was so young I didn't know the family. COSTA was able to bring that to me. I'm related to one of my idols.

INT: You’ve been active in the new member orientations for new members, we always love what you say to them, can you talk about that?
PS: Every time I come to the DGA and participate in whatever affairs, but especially the new member orientation, I always feel like I got more than I gave. You got these wide eyed, full of life, ready to break into the most gratifying part of their life, kids standing there going "Where am I? What does this mean?" I like to smooth over the fears and tell them not to be intimidated by the large lobby and tell them how I felt when I first joined the GUILD. And let them know they made one of the most important decisions of their life by being a part of such an organization that they can rest assured that their future is probably a little more secure. Unfortunately with young kids they don't look forward to the future, they don't ever think they are going to need a pension plan, need health coverage. When I tell them I go out to the mailbox and get these huge residuals for movies from 15 years ago. There was one year my accountant said you made a hundred grand on residuals. Oh my lord. That they listen to. They hear that. It's not just about the money. It's about camaraderie and understanding the craft. All the functions the GUILD performs. One of the most gratifying things for me about the GUILD - see directors have huge egos, they usually must. There are some directors who don't have those egos who are usually shy, I'm not going to mention SPIKE JONZE but anyway there are some who are like that. And I wish I was more like that. Some have these huge egos. Most of them are men, these big men. TAYLOR HACKFORD, PARIS BARCLAY, look at those big guys. You get here and sit in a room with human beings and you go man these are just human beings, MICHAEL APTED has had the same problems as I had, only not with SHARON and OZZIE but with the ROLLING STONES. You get to share stories, you get to commiserate. Know that you are not alone in your struggle. If you don't sit and talk to other directors about these issues, you think you are the only one who has these issues. I met BRIAN UNGER one day, is this an ordinary common thing that happens? One of my complaints. And he says "Oh it goes on all the time." I thought it was just me.