Hello and welcome back to the Directors Cut, brought to you by the Directors Guild of America,

where each episode we bring you a fresh and insightful interview featuring one of the film industry's top directors,

conducted by one of their peers.

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This episode we're breaking from the norm to bring you an exclusive panel discussion featuring the directing team of the FX Network series The Americans, presented by the DGA's Eastern Region Special Projects Committee.

Created by former CIA agent-turned author Joe Wiseberg,

The Americans tells the riveting story of Philip and Elizabeth Jennings,

two deep-cover KGB agents in an arranged marriage who masquerade as a typical American couple in Reagan-era Washington, D.C.

Last month, actor-directors Noah Emmerich and Matthew Reese, director-executive producer Christopher

Long, UPM and executive producer Mary Ray Thulis, UPM and co-producer Tyson Bidner, and

First AD Charlie Foster all gathered at the DGA Theater in New York to discuss the behind-the-scenes details of making the Americans with moderator David McCoy Barrett.

During the discussion, the group covered a variety of topics including working with the Jays,

aka Showrunners Joe Wiseberg and Joel Fields, the challenges of budgeting a period spy series shooting New York for Washington, D.C.,

and how Rees and Emmerich made the transition from acting to directing.

Thank you and good evening. To all of you DGA members and guests, welcome. I'm David Barrett, your host and moderator for this evening. What a great opportunity tonight will be to explore all aspects, responsibilities, and contributions of a DGA team on an Emmy winning show. I'd like to begin where it all began for you all. So I will ask you, where, when did you know you wanted to be in the business?

What was your first job and what job prepared you best for the Americans?

Chris, I'll start with you.

Uh-huh.

First of all, I want to say, thank you so much, David, for hosting tonight for us.

I've known David for a long time.

We've been friends for a very long time.

...