The Cinematography Podcast Episode 161: Judith Weston
Judith Weston has coached and taught directing classes to several now renowned directors, such as David Chase, Ava DuVernay and Taika Waititi. She has updated her book, Directing Actors for its 25th anniversary edition, revising nearly every chapter and adding two new ones.
Judith teaches that a director must have a vision. It’s the director’s job to be the shepherd of the story and have it mean something. The director must also go deeper to figure out what matters to the story, and listen, communicate and collaborate with the actor on the ideas they are trying to convey. A key chapter in Directing Actors discusses how a director must find the “emotional event” or the key dynamics in each scene. This is something both the cinematographer and the editor must understand as well to make a good movie great. Finding the essential emotional event in a scene is what changes someone from simply wanting to be a director into actually thinking like a director.
Find Judith Weston
Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television, 25th Anniversary Edition is available on Amazon
WIN an autographed copy of Directing Actors, 25th Anniversary Edition! Follow us on Instagram (if you don’t already!) @thecinepod and comment on our post for this episode!
Close Focus: The Oscars this year will not be broadcasting the awards for 8 categories including documentary short, film editing, makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design, animated short, live action short and sound.
Ben’s short end: The documentary Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time can now be seen on Hulu. Director Robert B. Weide, most known for producing Curb Your Enthusiasm, spent 25 years, beginning in 1988, filming Kurt Vonnegut until his death in 2007.
Illya’s short end: A Russian arm is a small camera crane that is bolted to the top of a car, often used to film car racing sequences. The crane was actually designed and built in Ukraine, so Filmotechnic is rebranding their product the U-Crane. Instagram: @filmotechnicusa
Sponsored by Hot Rod Cameras
Sponsored by DZOFilm: The Catta Zoom Lenses by DZOFilm are full frame, inexpensive zoom lenses, and will soon have interchangeable mounts for PL and EF. You can buy them at Hot Rod Cameras.
Sponsored by Assemble: Sign up for Assemble’s production management software and get one month FREE! Use code “cinepod” to take advantage of this offer. Be sure to watch our YouTube video of Nate Watkin showing how Assemble works!
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Email: editor@camnoir.com
Facebook:@cinepod
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Twitter: @ShortEndz
Podcast Credits:
Producer: Alana Kode
All web and social media content written by Alana Kode
Host and editor in Chief: Illya Friedman
Instagram: @illyafriedman @hotrodcameras
Host: Ben Rock
Twitter: @neptunesalad
Instagram: @bejamin_rock
Editor: Ben Katz
Composer: Kays Al-Atrakchi
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