Design Matters with Debbie Millman 20th Anniversary Celebration with acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân Heder
Dec 30, 2025
Join acclaimed directors Brian Koppelman, Thomas Kail, Mike Mills, Sarah Polley, and Siân Heder as they discuss their creative journeys. Koppelman shares insights on storytelling and collaboration, while Kail reflects on his theater roots and early collaborations with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Mills dives into the emotional core of filmmaking, drawing from personal history. Polley explores family narratives and memory, emphasizing the value of listening. Heder highlights representation in cinema, sharing her experience adapting CODA and centering deaf stories.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Make Movies From Urgent Questions
- Mike Mills argues the best films come from confused, alive questions you urgently need to understand.
- He prefers stories that expand representation and report specific historical or personal complexities.
Start Filming With Simple Camera Choices
- Use simple, consistent camera positions when starting out to reduce complexity and focus on performance.
- Limiting lens choices helps retain emotional clarity and gives viewers space to think.
Creativity Holds Personal Loneliness
- Mills links creativity to a place that holds inherited loneliness and shame while offering solace.
- He views art as a vital space to name and survive difficult interior feelings.
