The Q&A Series
This new (launched June 2009) series of special events at our Los Angeles Studio has been amazing. Entertainment industry professionals come to our Studio for Q&A or special presentations – film directors, television directors and producers, web series producers, or actors – who are active in the industry and are supporters of Judith’s work. Many of them have taken classes at our Studio with Judith. (Some people call it “Inside the Two Lights Studio”…) All these events are free, and are open to people currently or recently in class with Judith, who are allowed to bring guests as space permits.
Every month since June we’ve been able to roll out very cool guests, terrific audiences with smart questions – evenings of energy, knowledge, and inspiration that have blown me away.
Two of my favorite things about every single event we’ve had:
I find the generosity of these busy and accomplished people personally moving. To me they are the best of Hollywood, evidence that creative and personal integrity, hard work, and generous impulses, count. Awesome guests keep wanting to come, so we’re going to keep having them, and if you haven’t been to one, you should really start coming.
- Every one of the guest speakers has been generous, open – and funny!
- All of these very successful people say exactly the same things that I tell directors and actors! They make it constantly clear, with all their advice and anecdotes, that the process-oriented tools and principles that I teach in my books and workshops are practical and time-saving on a professional set.
There is no recording (video or audio) at these events. There are photos of previous events posted on Facebook (Judith Weston Studio for Actors & Directors). And I’ve also cobbled together some brief notes which are posted here (click on the links below). People have sometimes asked whether these amazing events could be recorded and posted, but – with apologies to those who can’t travel to be here in person – I feel certain that the magic of these events has had something to do with the intimacy that comes with the no-recording policy. So really, if you can possibly come, you should.
Here is a list of recent and upcoming events. Click on each one for further details on the guest speakers, and sometimes brief notes on what happened. (These notes are painfully inadequate to convey the excitement and inspiration.)
6/16/10 Q&A with VICKY JENSON, director of animation (SHREK, SHARK TALE), commercials, shorts (FAMILY TREE) and features (POST GRAD)
4/14/10 Q&A with television director NORMAN BUCKLEY (GOSSIP GIRL, MAKE IT OR BREAK IT, CHUCK, GREEK, the new MELROSE PLACE, 90210, THE O.C., etc.)
2/25/10 Q&A with film and television director JOHN BADHAM (film: SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, DRACULA, WARGAMES, etc. Television: CRIMINAL MINDS, PSYCH, THE BEAST, IN PLAIN SIGHT, NIGHT GALLERY, etc.)
1/12/10 Q&A with television and film writer-director-producer LAWRENCE TRILLING (PUSHING DAISIES, DAMAGES, BROTHERS AND SISTERS, INVASION, ALIAS, NIP/TUCK, SCRUBS)
11/12/09 Q&A with writer-director MARK FERGUS (FIRST SNOW, and co-writer on IRON MAN, CHILDREN OF MEN)
10/19/09 Q&A with feature and documentary director ANDREW JARECKI (ALL GOOD THINGS, CAPTURING THE FRIEDMANS)
10/12/09 Q&A with writer-director SHANA FESTE (THE GREATEST) and BRIAN KAVANAUGH-JONES, Film Finance agent at CAA (THE WRESTLER, MILK, THE HURT LOCKER)
9/29/09 Q&A with television director LEV L. SPIRO (WEEDS, EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS, UGLY BETTY, PSYCH, ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, MY NAME IS EARL, THE O.C., GILMORE GIRLS, DAWSON’S CREEK)
8/12/09 Q&A with writer-director DOUG ATCHISON (AKEELAH AND THE BEE).
6/25/09 Special Event. Audition Demonstration by writer-director BILLY RAY (SHATTERED GLASS, BREACH)
TBA Q&A with Taika Waititi, aka Taika Cohen, writer/director/actor (THE FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS, plus independent films including three selected for Dramatic Competition at Sundance Film Festivals - in 2010, 2007, and 2005).
TBA Q&A with MICHAEL YOUN, Vice President of Strategic Planning and Business Development with LIONSGATE
TBA Q&A with ELAINE HALL, children's acting coach on the feature film AKEELAH AND THE BEE, and drama coach for Walt Disney Studios, Universal Studios, ABC Television, Nickelodeon, Wildwood School, UCLA Bruin Kids, Pressman Academy