The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
‘Watchmen’ director is among women making an Emmy splash IN THE SPOTLIGHT
An awkward youth is coaxed into a carnival’s house of mirrors for what looks to be an innocent flirtation, but the “Watchmen” scene quickly turns emotionally grueling and, ultimately, destructive.
How that was achieved highlights the collaborative effort needed to make TV a cinematic experience that rivals the bigscreen — a comparison that director Steph Green is in a position to make.
An Emmy nominee for the “Little Fear of Lightning” episode from HBO’s acclaimed limited series, Green’s movie credits include the 2009 Oscar-nominated short film “New Boy” and 2013’s “Run & Jump,” with Will Forte.
But the scale of the graphic novel-based “Watchmen,” she said, exceeded the film and TV projects she’s worked on, including episodes of “The Americans,” “The Deuce” and “The L Word: Generation Q.” While TV typically sticks to a time- and cost-conscious schedule, HBO allowed the leeway needed to devise the intricate fun house mirrors for the drama’s fifth episode.
A San Francisco native, Green moved to Dublin to pursue a master’s in film, which led to several productive years working there. She felt at home in Ireland but realized it couldn’t provide the opportunities available in the increasingly robust U.S. TV industry.
“And I love television, and what was happening here was exciting because it was this sort of golden age,” she said. Her film work abroad proved a calling card that opened doors and gave her the chance to prove herself when she returned to California six years ago.
Green, who is now in a position to hire for projects, says it remains difficult for women and people of color to get entrylevel jobs and into the industry’s employment “pipeline.”
It’s a loss not only for them, she said. Early in her career, she recalled watching women direct and how differently they worked compared to men.
Sets feel “more collaborative and more nurturing, and the actors are so taken care of,” Green said. “I remember thinking just how clear it is, how well women can do this job.