One of the most important relationships in the filmmaking process is the collaboration of the director and cinematographer. In this discussion centered around the breakout satire, The American Society of Magical Negroes, we explore how they work together to set the tone and tell the story visually.


Join Glenn Kiser, Director of the Dolby Institute, for a conversation with writer/director Kobi Libii and Sundance Film Festival veteran cinematographer Doug Emmett (Sorry to Bother You, The One I Love). In this session, they discuss creating a cohesive and exciting visual language from pre-production through post, highlighting specific scenes from the film.


The American Society of Magical Negroes was released by Focus Features. Variety reviewer Owen Gleiberman wrote, “‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’ is a deftly observant fantasy comedy that stays true to its own irreverence.” The film was developed by Libii in the Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs in 2019, premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and was the recipient of a Dolby Institute Fellowship. 


Exclusive Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos Demos


Learn about the power of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos by watching exclusive demos available only in the Dolby XP app. Immerse yourself in these transformative experiences right on your mobile phone or TV - download the Dolby XP app for iPhone, Android, or Apple TV from the App Store or Google Play. Create an account, then use the VIP Code COLLAB to unlock access to the Dolby Institute x Sundance Collab room. Check out our setup guide PDF for setup tips.


Download Recommended Resources


Thanks to the generosity of Dolby Institute this recording will remain free for one year.



Presented in Conjunction with



Kobi Libii
writer/Director/Producer
Kobi Libii is an actor, writer, and director, most recently seen writing and performing on Comedy Central’s THE OPPOSITION WITH JORDAN KLEPPER. Past acting credits include TRANSPARENT, GIRLS, JESSICA JONES, MADAM SECRETARY, DOUBT, and ALPHA HOUSE. Libii studied theater at Yale University and comedy at Second City Chicago. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES is his feature film directorial debut. more...
Doug Emmett
Cinematographer
At the moment Doug is at home in Los Angeles raising a family and working in town on a new television series. His most recent feature, THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES (dir. Kobi Libii, Focus Features), premiered at Sundance and will release theatrically in March 2024. Later this year, Doug’s work on PRESUMED INNOCENT will debut on Apple TV. This reimagining of the classic novel stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Ruth Nega, and Peter Sarsgaard. In 2023 Emmett shot the independent series HAL & HARPER with Mark Ruffalo for writer-director Cooper Raiff. His prior work, the Sundance award-winning BREAKING (John Boyega, Dir. Abi Demaris Corbin) released theatrically summer 2022. In the fall of 2021 Doug shot the mini series ANGELYNE for Peacock based on the life of the eponymous billboard queen of Los Angeles. In 2020 Doug teamed up with writer-director Julie Delpy to shoot her new Netflix series ON THE VERGE, of which he shot 9 episodes. 2019 was a busy year between shooting 2nd unit on EUPHORIA, filming J Blakeson’s I CARE A LOT for Blackbear Pictures (Netflix), and for HBO Max UNPREGNANT - directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg. SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, written & directed by Boots Riley, premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for Gotham Awards and won at the Indie Spirit Awards. more...
Glenn Kiser
Moderator | Director of the Dolby Institute
Glenn Kiser is the Director of the Dolby Institute, Dolby’s initiative to bring education and inspiration to filmmakers and content creators about the creative use of sound and picture in storytelling. Previously, Kiser was the VP & General Manager of Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Sound, where he oversaw sound work on film projects such as AVATAR, THE INCREDIBLES, the STAR WARS prequels, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, and the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN and HARRY POTTER films.
Tags:Visual StorytellingComedy, Sci-Fi & Horror

Join the Discussion