Kathryn O’Kane on the Emmys, Jeff Goldblum, and the Challenges of Pandemic Productions
When NYWIFT Board Member Kathryn O’Kane headed off to direct season two of The World According to Jeff Goldblum for Disney+ it was, in her words, “the worst of times” – the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccines were available and film production felt particularly dangerous and fraught. But the difficult work paid off, and has led to the best of times! Season two of the docuseries, which follows the beloved quirky actor as he pulls on the thread of a familiar topic to unravel a world of fascinating secrets, has been nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special.
We checked in with Kathryn to offer our congratulations, learn more about the filming process, and discuss what’s next for her.
Top Takeaways: Preserving Your Mental Health During Challenging Times
As a director and producer, NYWIFT board member Kathryn O'Kane is a planner and she's used to solving problems. The biggest challenge she's finding during the COVID-19 crisis is that there’s not enough information to be able to plan. She attended the NYWIFT “Mental Health and Career Sustainability in the Doc World” panel because to learn how producers can come to terms with that and how to relax into the uncertainty of the moment when it goes against our nature. She offers her top takeaways.
READ MOREDeath Row Stories Season 5 Features Work of Six NYWIFT Members
Season 5 of Death Row Stories premieres this Sunday, April 19 at 8 PM ET/CT on HLN. Told by current and former death row inmates, each episode of Death Row Stories seeks to unravel the truth behind a different capital murder case and poses tough questions about the U.S. capital punishment system. This season, the series features work by six NYWIFT members.
READ MOREWhat’s in Your Toolkit: Kathryn O’Kane
"In this increasingly digital age, I still really like to work on paper," says television director and producer Kathryn O'Kane. Learn what else is in Kathryn's toolkit!
READ MORENYWIFT Members Doing Justice to True Crime
Death Row Stories explores the fallibility of the ultimate criminal penalty, capital punishment. Narrated by current and former death row inmates, each episode of Death Row Stories seeks to unravel the truth behind a different capital murder case and poses tough questions about the U.S. capital punishment system. Six NYWIFT members who worked on the show, including Board Member Kathryn O'Kane, share the insight they gained into the criminal justice system through their work on the show.
READ MOREMeet the New Board Members: Kathryn O’Kane
What do NASA, The Walking Dead and Maya Angelou all have in common? All have worked with new NYWIFT Board member Kathryn O'Kane! In the next installment of our Meet the New Board Members series, O'Kane talks to us about her 15 year career as a nonfiction producer and director for TV, web and advertising.
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