Anna Daniels
The Mandalorian directory of photography Baz Idoine explained on the first episode of Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian why “Sanctuary” was such a heavy lift to film: “Bryce’s episode was a really unusual departure from all of the other episodes because it was on an agrarian type planet, very green very forested.” He added, “Bryce’s emotional appreciation of the drama and how to work with the actors was extraordinary to work with. She was really lovely director.” High praise from a veteran DP.
Although Howard is a relative newcomer to the directing game — especially compared to her Mandalorian cohort, which included filmmakers like Rick Famuyiwa and Taika Waititi, plus TV vets Deborah Chow and Dave Filoni – she clearly has the gift, and she comes by her talent honestly. The daughter of director Ron Howard said of the experience at the helm of episode 4, “It was incredible. And the truth is, is that so much of this process is about iterating and reiterating and figuring it out and problem-solving and making breakthroughs. I think it goes back to this thing of like when I watched Jurassic Park, it’s just the — oh my God, I will get emotional. The power of storytelling is immense, but if the magic act doesn’t work, then everything fails.”
It will be interesting to see what new locales The Mandalorian reaches on season 2, and which journeyman directors get tasked with bringing exotic corners of the Star Wars galaxy to life. With directors like Howard creating such a high standard, they’ll have a lot to live up to.
Written by: Looper
