SEASON 2 - EPISODE 52 - AVA DUVERNAY - WRITER / DIRECTOR

On this episode of the Team Deakins Podcast, we sit down with writer and director Ava DuVernay (WHEN THEY SEE US, 13TH, SELMA) for a lively conversation about her career and her craft. Ava credits her early love for cinema to her classic-film-loving, night-shift-working aunt, and she describes the lightbulb moment while on location of Michael Mann’s COLLATERAL that catalyzed her transition from running her own boutique publicity agency to filmmaking. Ava later shares David Oyelowo’s persuasive pitch to her to direct SELMA, what changes she made to the script to make the film within its relatively modest budget, and how Oprah lent her influence during the shooting of a pivotal scene. After Ava reveals her newfound love for dailies while shooting her latest feature, we consider the viewing ritual’s collaborative nature, its widespread decline in use, and Ava’s commitment to the process in her future projects. Plus, at the end, Ava tells us which photo of Roger inspires her the most.

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This episode is sponsored by Dallas Film Commission