Two down-on-their-luck performers form a tribute band in Director Craig Brewer’s biographical musical drama, Song Sung Blue.

Based on real-life couple, Mike and Claire Sardina, Brewer’s film reveals how they experienced soaring success after creating Lightning and Thunder, a Neil Diamond tribute act, only to face tragedy when a serious accident leaves one of them disabled.

On December 7, after the DGA membership screening in Los Angeles, Brewer discussed the making of Song Sung Blue during a Q&A moderated by DGA Past President Taylor Hackford (The Comedian). He is also scheduled to speak about the film following the New York screening on December 13.

During the Los Angeles conversation, Brewer revealed what he learned about being creative with locations from directing television.

“What I love most is that it was all in the same location. I think that’s what television really did for me. I took a break from features and started doing a lot of television directing. In features, early on, I would fight for what I wanted and wouldn’t think too much about the machinations of how it all came together like, ‘I need 300 extras.’ ‘We can give you 150,’ and I’d fight with them about that. In television, ‘You have 50 extras and if you have a problem, we’re going to get somebody else in here to direct.’ So, it really began to be something where I would come to a place and work with the production. So, we had one venue and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a great stage, but what’s that corner over there?’ And they were like, ‘Oh, it’s where we usually put our band equipment.’ ‘Well what if we dress that up like it’s a location, and then we go into this corner and make that a location, and suddenly we have three locations in one location.”

Brewer’s other directorial credits include the feature films Coming 2 America, Dolemite Is My Name, Footloose, Black Snake Moan and Hustle & Flow; and episodes of Empire, Terriers, The Shield and the mini-series Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist.

Brewer has been a DGA member since 2004.