Join us for the first Members-only book signing and conversation during our next Member Appreciation Day on Sunday, September 3 from 6pm to 8pm. Director Randal Kleiser returns to the Academy Museum to discuss his latest book, Drawing Directors, in conversation with longtime friend Jeremy Kagan and featuring special guest Carl Weathers! 

Immerse yourself in the art of blind contour drawing blended with Hollywood's rich history. Drawing Directors is a heartfelt homage to some of the best directors of all time, from Buster Keaton to the Daniels. Learn about Randal’s creative process and hear memorable moments as these acclaimed directors reflect on their careers and highlights working together.


Schedule

6-6:45pm | Conversation with Randal Kleiser moderated by Jeremy Kagan, featuring Carl Weathers
Ted Mann Lobby on Lower Level 1.

7-8pm | Book Signing with Randal Kleiser
Ted Mann Lobby on Lower Level 1.

RANDAL KLEISER 
Randal Kleiser has been an internationally known film director since the release of his first feature, Grease (1978). Other credits include The Boy in the Plastic Bubble (1976), The Blue Lagoon (1980), Summer Lovers (1982), Flight of the Navigator (1986), White Fang (1991), and It's My Party (1996). In 2007, his USC thesis film, Peege (1973), was selected to be added to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress. With George Lucas and in association with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, he produced the documentary The Nina Foch Course for Filmmakers and Actors (2010). 

Kleiser has served as chair of the Directors Guild's annual Digital Day for over two decades and was invited to join the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.  His first book, Grease: The Director's Notebook, was published by HarperCollins in 2019. 

JEREMY KAGAN
Jeremy Kagan is an award-winning director, writer, and producer of feature films and television including Heroes (1977), The Big Fix (1978), The  Chosen (1982), The Journey of Natty Gann (1985), and Conspiracy: The Trial of the Chicago 8 (1987). He has written four books on filmmaking, including three volumes of DIRECTORS CLOSE UP and KEYS TO DIRECTING. He chairs the Directors Guild Special Projects Committee and served on the Academy's Directors Branch, and is a full tenured professor at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he also runs the Change Making Media Lab. 

CARL WEATHERS
Carl Weathers is a 21-year member of the Directors Guild of America. He serves on the DGA’s Western Directors Council, as an alternate to the DGA National Board of Directors, co-chair of the DGA PAC, and as secretary of the Directors Guild Foundation. 

Weathers continues to be a “desired brand” in both the film and television industries after more than 40 years. Feature films in which he has performed have grossed well over one billion dollars in box-office revenue worldwide, which include films such as Rocky (1976), Predator (1987), and Happy Gilmore (1996). Weathers’s directing credits include multiple episodes of The Mandalorian, Chicago Med, Hawaii Five-O.