{"id":1585,"date":"2025-06-18T19:54:49","date_gmt":"2025-06-18T19:54:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/?p=1585"},"modified":"2025-06-18T19:54:49","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T19:54:49","slug":"what-we-do-in-the-shadows-producer-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfreeway.com\/articles\/what-we-do-in-the-shadows-producer-interview\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018What We Do in the Shadows\u2019 Director\u2013Executive Producer on Building a R\u00e9sum\u00e9"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For filmmakers who want to better understand how editing, directing, and producing skills complement one another, follow Yana Gorskaya\u2019s career.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Her credits across all specialties include four Emmy nominations for \u201cWhat We Do in the Shadows,\u201d \u201cReview,\u201d and the Oscar winner \u201cJojo Rabbit.\u201d If Gorskaya\u2019s accolades aren\u2019t proof enough that her sensibilities in the editing bay have lent themselves well to her other roles, she also served as director for 22 episodes of \u201cWhat We Do in the Shadows\u201d over the show\u2019s six seasons, hopping on as a producer in 2021.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how she learned to do it all.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Your first big editing job was the 2002 documentary \u201cSpellbound.\u201d You ended up winning an American Cinema Editors Award, and the film landed an Oscar nom. At the time, you were a student and you cut the film for free at first. What would you say to creatives who are weighing when it\u2019s worth doing free work in order to gain experience? What was that line for you?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The line for me was working on something I really believed in and thought would lead to concrete work. I was a student and building credits, and I knew nobody was going to hire me to edit something until I had edited something. As an immigrant who proved and validated herself through academic competition, the subject matter [about the competitors in a national children\u2019s spelling bee] really resonated for me. I also adored the director, Jeffrey Blitz, and believed in his vision.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Years later, when I was ready to transition, he gave me my first directing opportunity [on NBC\u2019s \u201cTrial & Error\u201d]. I would say, if you can afford to, working with people you really like on things you really like for little or no money is really worth it when you\u2019re just starting out. But your time still has value. Be picky on what you\u2019ll do for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>You and Taika Waititi have such a fruitful creative partnership. Your collaborations have included \u201cWhat We Do in the Shadows,\u201d \u201cJojo Rabbit,\u201d and \u201cThor: Ragnarok.\u201d What\u2019s the secret sauce to building a long-lasting working relationship with another creative person?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>With Taika, it\u2019s a shared overdeveloped sense of deadpan. Our comedic instincts are so similar. Who knew Russian immigrants and Kiwis shared comedic DNA? But we do, very much so. It also helped that Taika\u2019s mother was also a Russian Jew and we ate all the same food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s your top piece of advice for filmmakers looking to market and sell their projects?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a tough one. Taika and Jemaine [Clement, co-creator] made \u201cWhat We Do in the Shadows\u201d for almost no money as a lark, just because the idea made them laugh. I worked on it for the same reasons. None of us thought it would lead to what it led to, but we believed in it and adored making it. So, maybe just make something that pleases you dearly? And, hopefully, that weird, special POV other people will enjoy, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How has your editing experience influenced how you approach directing and vice versa?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t overcover, and I pretty much always get what we need to shape the scene. It gives me the confidence to move on. Every director should edit. Movies and shows would be so much better\u2014or at least, much easier on their editors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>For someone who\u2019s feeling stuck in the editing process, what advice do you have to start gaining momentum again?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Watch it with someone who hasn\u2019t seen it. Their notes don\u2019t matter all that much. If they have useful feedback, that\u2019s great, but the most valuable thing it\u2019ll give you is your own fresh eyes, experiencing the watch with someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What\u2019s your favorite part of attending film festivals?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Meeting other people who are truly passionate about film.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yana Gorskaya shares how she went from editing for free to being nominated for four Emmys.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":1587,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1585","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - 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