On October 29, the Focus on Women Committee (FOWC) online meeting featured the discussion, Late Night Laughs: The Women Making Late Night Comedy Look Good.

During a conversation moderated by FOWC Co-Chair, Director Alanna G.A. Campbell, Director Yvonne De Mare from The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Segment Director Sarah Hamblin from The Daily Show and Associate Directors Laura Ouziel Mack from Saturday Night Live and Amy Mancini from Late Night with Seth Meyers shared information about what goes into the making of some of the most legendary late night comedy franchises on television.

De Mare, who recently ascended to the Director’s chair from her former position as a longtime Associate Director on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, spoke about how she is preparing for upcoming segments that they haven’t done before. Noting that they have a lot of musical acts coming up, she explained that they usually spend an hour to an hour and a half prepping for music segments. “I came from that world on shows like The Rosie O’Donnell Show where we did Broadway segments. When we started on The Late Show, former Director Jim Hoskinson came from news, so I learned those beats from him, and I brought him into the musical world.” For De Mare, the biggest stressor is getting the graphics right and getting Stephen’s timing right. “Luckily, our show is taped, so we can clean things up in post.”

Ouziel Mack shared how critical Stage Managers are on Saturday Night Live and the unique roles that different members of the directorial team play. “I’m in a sub-control room which is separate from the others. I’m there with our technical manager to make sure we’re not getting pushed by other programming. Our Stage Managers’ jobs are so much harder than mine, from my control room.” She revealed that her dream guest is one that surprises her, like when a musical guest is also hosting and does a great job at both. “It gives me a chance to appreciate them in a different way.”

Mancini, who also works on Saturday Night Live, explained that she creates shot sheets from the week’s notes for the camera team. “When we do the morning rehearsals, there’s a lot of script changes and my day slows down at that point. I prepare the notes for the Director, then we do a dress rehearsal, and I do that all over again. I try to catch the little notes to track for the Director. When the show starts, I’m the second pair of eyes for her.” She remarked that Director Liz Patrick and Associate Producer Janine DeVito are the ones who coordinate with the Stage Managers. “It’s unbelievable to watch the moving parts and how it even happens. You go from dress rehearsal where things haven’t been put in place, but somehow 30 minutes later, they get it done on time for the live show.”

Hamblin, who came from a career as a cinematographer on shows like Nathan for You and The Eric Andre Show, gained experience in the niche of having real people in comedy segments. In 2016 she started at The Daily Show doing field pieces, explainers, sketches and more to specialize in field pieces. She explained the process of creating segments for the show. “We shepherd the whole segment through from the pitch to making it our own, working with writers and correspondents, supervising the edit. It’s very gratifying to get to watch it with the live audience. I try to be in the studio when my pieces air to get the reaction.”

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

About the Committee:

Originally a sub-committee of the Eastern Directors Council, in 2020 the Focus on Women Committee (FOWC) was designated an official and permanent committee of the DGA National Board for women members residing in the Eastern Region. The Committee would like to remind members that while their events are designed with a special focus on women Directors, all DGA members are welcome to attend.

• For more about the FOWC and to see coverage of other events, click here to visit the Committee's webpage.