How I Became the First Female 'Star Wars' Director (Guest Column)

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How I Became the First Female 'Star Wars' Director (Guest Column)
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'No one other than J.J. has stepped out of traditional hiring practices to take a risk on an outlier like me.' The second-unit helmer on TheRiseOfSkywalker reveals how J.J. Abrams found her through Ava DuVernay (Ava)

Second unit director Victoria Mahoney with J.J. Abrams on location for 'The Rise of Skywalker.'

Then an email comes from a director I deeply respect, asking if we can chat. Around 8 a.m. the following morning, the phone rings. No assistant. No conduits. No fanfare. Just J.J. Abrams. Straightforward. It's no secret to my peer group I'd been trying to break into the studio-franchise realm for 10 years. Begging to simply get a meeting. Nada. Zilch. Nunca. As for J.J., after numerous, widely circulated, almost identical lists of directors had landed on his desk, he decided to do outreach calls of his own. When he phoned Ava DuVernay for her list, she said, "I happen to have a great list, J.J., but I'm not giving it to you.

But with regards to protecting story, hunting for truth in performances, optimizing gear, wisely utilizing hours in a day, galvanizing a crew or making certain to never personalize notes from the bosses — all of this had long been a part of my learned experience and inherent skill set. There's a lot to be said for the countless amount of billable set hours I've worked since 1991.

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