AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER ASCMAG.COM I applied what I learned there on Dolemite Is My Name and Coming 2 America, and I can point a direct arrow from that to working with Jody on Empire. On Empire, we had actors who weren't just standing on their marks - they were bringing something unique. It could be an intense set. It's not for people who aren't strong. You have to understand that your job as director is to be cool and to provide a comfortable zone for artists to be artists. That was embraced from the top down. You've got to harness the actors' energy. Don't bend them to you - you've got to bend around them. I found that when things got tough, Jody had a coolness about him that I responded to, and I wanted my directing to be that way, too. It was an attitude that Jody and I had cultivated on Empire that really worked when we got to the feature-film environment. Joe " Jody " Williams: Empire was a training ground for me, too. I had worked on quite a few big features as an assistant or an operator, but I hadn't [served as a] DP on any major features. On Empire, there was a lot of repetition from day " Sets require empathy so people feel comfortable bringing their best. " APRIL 2021 / 19 p.18-23 Picture Partners Coming 2 America V3 DONE.indd 19 3/9/21 1:02 PMhttp://www.ASCMAG.COM