Award-winning director Ava DuVernay – whose portfolio includes the hard-hitting 2016 documentary 13th, the 2018 children’s fantasy film A Wrinkle in Time, and the 2019 limited series When They See Us – is teaming up with HBO to produce a series based on the popular @OnePerfectShot Twitter account.
One Perfect Shot was launched in 2013 by Geoff Todd, a Portland-based filmmaker who created the account to shine a light on iconic moments in cinematic history and celebrate the craft of storytelling. The account is one of the go-to outlets for cinephiles who want to learn about filmmaking techniques – the links provided indicate key information, such as the scope of the director’s vision or key shot details that may have been previously missed.
By the time it was bought by the popular blog Film School Rejects in 2016, One Perfect Shot had amassed over 175,000 followers. It now boasts over 600,000, and will only become more popular now that it has attracted the attention of Ava DuVernay. In addition to narrating the series, she will also executive produce it through her ARRAY Filmworks production company, alongside producer Lee Metzger and Film School Rejects owner Neil Miller.
The series will be organised in half-hour episodes, each centred around one director who will walk the audience through their most iconic shots. The series aims to provide an immersive experience to viewers, pulling back the curtain on their favourite scenes in a unique way. Using special effects technology, the directors will physically enter their most beloved scenes to explain all the work that went into them: the technique, the vision, the challenges encountered, and how they were overcome.
Each episode will also feature a sequence in which the director will present an emblematic shot from another director they admire and are influenced by, explaining how they channeled their inspiration into their very own creations.
“I’ve long wanted to create a series about the art of directing,” DuVernay said in a statement. As one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the industry right now, it seems she is perfect for the job.
Words by Chloé Meley
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