Advisor Studio: Justin Chon (PACHINKO) on Directing Actors
About this Advisor Studio
In Advisor Studio sessions, Sundance Collab Advisors share field experiences and insights into their specific areas of craft, including writing, directing and producing for TV and film.
The relationship between an actor and the director is unarguably one of the most important collaborations in the filmmaking process. With over 50 acting credits across film and television, including the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA series, Justin Chon has successfully transitioned from performing to writing and directing award-winning feature films. In this intimate conversation, writer/director/actor Justin Chon (GOOK, MS. PURPLE) takes us inside his process for directing actors—from the perspective of an artist who has deep experience in front of and behind the camera. We explore how his training as an actor shaped his work as a filmmaker, why he believes all directors should take acting classes and how he works with actors to build characters, prep for a role, and rehearse a scene. Chon also shares techniques to communicate with actors and to build the trust that is essential to the actor/director relationship.
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Justin Chon
Advisor
Justin Chon has quickly established himself as one of the industry’s top artists. Before PACHINKO, he most recently wrote, directed and starred in his original feature BLUE BAYOU, which sold competitively to Focus Features and premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. Chon plays the lead role opposite Oscar-winner Alicia Vikander. Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham and Emory Cohen also star.
His previous film, GOOK, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the NEXT category. He also won an Independent Spirit Award as a top director to watch. Chon wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film, which received stellar reviews, earning a 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. GOOK was picked up for distribution by Samuel Goldwyn Films and opened with the best per-theater average among specialty films.
His follow-up film, MS. PURPLE, premiered at Sundance in the U.S. Dramatic Competition to great reviews and sold to Oscilloscope Pictures. The film opened exclusively in Los Angeles for its first weekend with the best per-theater average among specialty films, becoming the best opening in over a year, and second-best opening in five years, at the Landmark Nuart. Up next for Justin, he’ll be directing the pilot and second episode of the new Jason Momoa led Apple TV+ series CHIEF OF WAR.