Conversations from the Sundance Institute Labs | Karyn Kusama (DESTROYER) on Directing and Prepping Your Film
About this Event Recording
Go behind the scenes to learn from Sundance Institute Advisors in our Conversations from the Labs series. This collection of 90-minute videos will deepen your understanding of all the creative disciplines that are supported through our Labs including Feature Film Directing and Writing, TV Writing, Emerging Media, Documentary, Producing, Film Music, and Theater.
In this video, writer/director Karyn Kusama shares her approach to prepping and directing films. Reflecting on her experience directing THE INVITATION, DESTROYER, and GIRLFIGHT, she explains her process for getting to the essence, the emotional feeling of a film, the connection between scheduling and budget, and how she approaches rehearsing. She stresses the need to accept mistakes as part of the filmmaking process and why practicing self-care while directing is essential.
Other conversations in the series include those with editor Dylan Tichenor, actor/director Ed Harris, writer/director Rick Famuyiwa, writer/director/producer Kasi Lemmons, and others.
Event RecordingTeam
Karyn Kusama
Director
Karyn Kusama most recently directed the first two episodes of AMC's horror anthology series, THE TERROR: THE DEVIL IN SILVER, of which she is also an executive producer. The show is set to premiere in 2026. Karyn was also an executive producer of Showtime’s coming-of-age survival drama, YELLOWJACKETS. The show has garnered ten Emmy nominations to date, including one for Karyn’s direction of the pilot episode.
Prior to that, Karyn helmed the Golden Globe-nominated film DESTROYER starring Nicole Kidman and written by her frequent collaborators, Phil Hay and Matt Manfredi. Her feature credits include indie thriller THE INVITATION, cult horror comedy JENNIFER'S BODY, sci-fi love story AEON FLUX, and her Cannes and Sundance-award winning debut, GIRLFIGHT. Karyn has also worked extensively in television, directing episodes for such series as THE MYSTERIOUS BENEDICT SOCIETY (for which she won a Children’s and Family Emmy Award), DEAD RINGERS, HALT AND CATCH FIRE, THE OUTSIDER, and THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE.
In 2018, Karyn launched Familystyle Film, her production company with Hay and Manfredi, where they produce for film and television across multiple genres.