Disney Entertainment Television (DET) Directing Program
The Disney Entertainment Television (DET) Directing Program is a highly-selective, one-year program for diverse directors. The program guarantees episodes to first-time television directors on DET scripted series, and guarantees segment directing opportunities on DET unscripted series. Directors receive mentorship, on-set shadowing experience, networking opportunities with the company’s creative executives, and limited professional and career development prior to directing their episodes.
Established in 2001, the DET Directing Program has kickstarted the careers of many established and award-winning directors and producing directors on hit shows, including Tessa Blake (“A Million Little Things”), Pete Chatmon (“black-ish”), Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther” franchise), Zetna Fuentes (“Jane the Virgin”), Regina King (“Insecure”), Marvin Lemus (“Gentefied”), Jaffar Mahmood (“Young Sheldon”), Nzingha Stewart (“Little Fires Everywhere”),
Disney Directing Program - TK Shom on THE ROOKIE
Directing Program 2022-2023 TK Shom talks about the Disney Directing Program and his experience on the ABC show THE ROOKIE.
PRIMETIME SCRIPTED
n 2021, the DET Directing Program evolved to guarantee episodes to first-time episodic directors on Disney Entertainment Television’s primetime scripted series. Since then, the program has provided episodic opportunities to first-time television directors on series such as ABC’s THE ROOKIE, 9-1-1, STATION 19, THE GOOD DOCTOR, and BLACK-ISH; Freeform’s GOOD TROUBLE and SINGLE DRUNK FEMALE; FX’s SNOWFALL; and Disney Branded Television’s RAVEN’S HOME and THE VILLAINS OF VALLEY VIEW, as well as Disney-produced series THE CHI and THE RESIDENT.
DAYTIME SCRIPTED
In 2022, the DET Directing Program expanded into the daytime scripted programming space, guaranteeing segment and episodic directing opportunities on ABC’s daytime scripted series, GENERAL HOSPITAL. This was the first formal engagement between daytime scripted and Disney’s talent programs.
UNSCRIPTED/ALTERNATIVE
In 2023, the DET Directing Program expanded into the unscripted/alternative programming space. The program provides segment directing opportunities on ABC’s hit unscripted series, such as THE BACHELOR, DANCING WITH THE STARS, AMERICAN IDOL, EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION, and more. This was the first formal engagement between unscripted/alternative and Disney’s talent programs.
2024-2025 DET Directing Programs
2024-2025 DET Directing Program
The DET Directing Program is a highly selective, one-year initiative that guarantees the opportunity to direct on a Disney scripted or unscripted series, as well as offering professional mentorship, on-set shadowing experiences, and unparalleled access to Disney’s creative executives for learning and networking.
This year, the program is adding 20th Television and ABC’s “9-1-1” to its impressive roster of scripted directing opportunities and is significantly expanding its unscripted slate to include ABC’s “American Idol” and “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” as well as Freeform’s “Project Runway.” Other directing opportunities include “The Chi,” “Dancing with the Stars,” “General Hospital” and “The Rookie.”
“We’re building on our collaboration with the Directing Program so that more emerging directors will receive the invaluable opportunity to learn firsthand from world-class creators, while also bringing their unique perspectives to some of our most beloved unscripted shows,” said Rob Mills, executive vice president, Unscripted and Alternative Entertainment, Walt Disney Television. “We’re excited to share their work with viewers at home when their episodes debut later this year.”
The 2024-2025 scripted directing cohort includes Karla Braun, Shawn Pipkin-West, Sarah Smith, Kate Sullivan, Ashley Williams and Kelly Yu. The unscripted cohort includes Jaclyn Amor, Ana Bretón, Dara DiGerolamo, Tiana Gandelman, and Roger Melvin.
Since its founding in 2001, the DET Directing Program has nurtured the careers of notable alumni including Pete Chatmon (“Interior Chinatown,” “High Potential”), Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther” franchise, “Anthem”), Regina King (“Insecure”), Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. (“Shōgun”), Amin Kaderali (“Grey’s Anatomy”), Jude Weng (“Only Murders in the Building”) and Hannah Fidell (“Pam & Tommy”).
2024-25 DET Scripted Directing Program
Shawn Pipkin-West was born and raised in Houston, TX. As a young production assistant on numerous commercials, music videos, industrials and films that came to Texas, she applied to the Directors Guild-Producer Training Program. She's worked as a First Assistant Director on TV shows such as EXTANT, THE CATCH, GREY’S ANATOMY, FOR THE PEOPLE, SHOTS FIRED and BIG SHOT. Pipkin-West’s directorial debut was the short film, MO (starring STARZ’S BLINDSPOTTING actor Atticus Woodward). The short was accepted and won several awards on the film festival circuit such as Toronto International Film Festival, Women in Film Festival, Independent Shorts Awards, and The Santa Monica Film Festival. Pipkin-West’s latest project is a mini-series titled WORK RETREAT, where she directed the penultimate episode by showrunner Emmy Diaz. A graduate of the Directors Guild of America’s Director Development Initiative Program (DDI), Pipkin-West is constantly participating in workshops, seminars, presentations and classes where she is learning the craft of blocking, designing shots, working with actors, and new filmmaking technology in order to become an experienced and knowledgeable Director.
Karla Braun is an award-winning director and Emmy-nominated writer based in Los Angeles. She was raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BA in Film, and began her career at Miramax Films in 2001. Growing up in Brazil has deeply informed and molded her strong sense of storytelling and innate passion for tapping into the viewers’ senses through a well-curated use of color, music, pace, and human emotion. Karla has directed, written, and creative produced television, brand campaigns, promos, music videos and commercial spots for clients including: Apple, Marvel Studios, Netflix, Activision, Sony Pictures, Universal, HBO, NBC, ABC, FOX, ESPN, OWN, Showtime, Mattel, Lifetime, History, Pixar, Disney and Amazon. Her creative work has received international recognition and an Emmy nomination in 2019. Karla directed a recap episode on season 6 of VIKINGS on History. She also produced the short film #twitterkills, featuring Sarah Paulson; it was a festival circuit success followed by a Funny or Die online launch and has won multiple awards to date. Karla is an alumna of Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative for Directors. She is an active mentor and advocate for cultivating a more diversely inclusive space for creatives in the entertainment business.
Kelly Yu is a Swedish-born, New Orleans raised, Chinese-American writer and director. Her work is driven by a deep fascination with finding humanity in the absurd and surreal, exploring complex familial relationships and personal identity often through an "East-meets-West" lens. Her short films have screened at film festivals around the world, with her first short PLUM TOWN winning the Grand Jury Award at Boston Independent Film Festival, the NFFTY New Talent Award for 'Best Director Under 25," and premiering online on the renowned platform Short of the Week. Her second short film, ENDLING, was executive produced by Emmy award winning actress and producer Lena Waithe and premiered at Tribeca June 2024 as part of the Indeed Rising Voices fellowship. Kelly holds a B.F.A from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and is based in LA developing a variety of feature and TV projects
Ashley Williams directed, wrote, produced, and starred in MEATS, a short film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and received the Creative Coalition Spotlight Award. The film sold to Showtime and was included there as part of a series of shorts called SPOTLIGHTS. Ashley just directed her second feature film, NASHVILLE COUNTRY CHRISTMAS for Paramount Network/CBS TV Studios, which stars Tanya Tucker and Keith Carradine. She made her feature-length directorial debut with CIRCLE OF DECEPTION for Lifetime/A&E based on an Ann Rule true-crime book, starring Tamara Tunie and Diane Neal. Ashley has shadowed directors Seth Gordon, Bonnie Hunt, Sean McNamara, and Michael Nankin (often “prep-to-post”) and has shot 2nd unit several times. She has deals to direct multiple movies at Hallmark, including one she’s currently writing for them called THE HIKES. She produced/starred in LOVE ON A LIMB, as well as produced/starred in a pair of interconnected movies called SISTER SWAP, opposite her real sister, actor Kimberly Williams-Paisley. Ashley wrote an entire season of television on spec, based on the memoir of a female butcher called KILLING IT, which she has the rights to. Ashley’s acted in 200+ episodes of television, a dozen+ TV pilots, and many movies. Ashley is a former birth doula, supporting mothers through childbirth. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, producer Neal Dodson, and their two sons.
Sarah Smith is an award-winning director, writer and editor. Her latest short film, CARDIFF, was nominated for a 2023 BAFTA Camera, and her previous short, BLACK HAT, was an official selection of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, and won the 2019 Iris prize. She is the co-creator and director of the web series pilot TENDER TOUCHES, which won 1st place at the 2018 AT&T create-a-thon. Her previous short film, D.Asian, went on to screen at over 35 festivals across the globe, and was awarded the 2017 AT&T Underrepresented Filmmaker Award. Sarah was also a Finalist for the Disney + Launchpad Season Two shorts incubator and a Semifinalist for the 2020 HBO Access Directing Fellowship. In 2018, Sarah’s short screenplay WHITE FERRARI was a Semifinalist for the Tribeca Through Her Lens program, as well as a Finalist for the Women In Film short film production grant. In 2022, Sarah was invited to participate in the Directing the Actor lab through the Alliance of Women Directors, and in 2023 she became an editing fellow in Film Independent's Project Involve where she was awarded the Amazon MGM Studios Film Fellowship grant. Sarah is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Sarah previously worked as a Writers' Assistant, Directors' Assistant and Writer on THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and AS THE WORLD TURNS.
Kate Sullivan is a filmmaker unbound. Her work ranges from award-winning television to experimental theater to effervescent music videos. Regardless of medium, her work celebrates stories centered on women, ideally with music at the core, and always with a sense of fun. Her short film, THE END OF THE PARTY, just premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. Previously, Kate served as Head of Development for Thomas Kail's (HAMILTON) production company, Old 320 Sycamore, and produced television shows such as FOSSE/VERDON (FX), UP HERE (Hulu), and WE WERE THE LUCKY ONES (Hulu). Kate also produced the feature film WORLD'S BEST (Disney+). And before all that, she had the good fortune to work alongside prolific, decorated directors including Steven Spielberg, Mark Waters, Marc Webb, Michael Mayer, Michael Grief, and Helen Hunt. Her theater work has been supported by New York Stage and Film, The Geffen, The American Conservatory Theater, among many others. Kate was raised in the tiny sea-side town of Marblehead, MA, where she honed expert skills in cracking open a lobster, discovered a passion for roller skating, and developed a deep love for crafting ice cream sundaes. She received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently resides in Los Angeles, CA.
2024-25 DET Unscripted Directing Program
Tiana Gandelman is a respected Creative Director and innovative TV Producer in Los Angeles, CA. Tiana has worked in the alternative/unscripted television space since 2010, after a decade of touring with Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, including many music videos, TV specials, and award shows for each pop icon as a professional dancer. She choreographed TV shows DANCE YOUR A** OFF and HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: GET IN THE PICTURE, and, shortly after that, joined multiple creative teams for primetime television stage performances. Her resume includes AMERICA'S GOT TALENT, THE X-FACTOR US, THE X-FACTOR UK and AUSTRALIA, and THE VOICE. She also creatively produced performances for Josh Groban, Fifth Harmony, Meghan Trainor, JoJo, and Fantasia. Tiana was the Creative Director of THE MASKED SINGER for nine seasons and the DICK VAN DYKE: 98 YEARS OF MAGIC TV special. Tiana also had the opportunity to be the AD for Becky G’s Coachella livestream show on YouTube and finished 2023 as the Show Director for a Jennifer Lopez concert in Miami at a private event. As an executive producer, Tiana developed a visual concept video that celebrated an all-female cast and crew called “Project Fabulous," her passion project which was recognized by the Telly Awards with a Silver honor. Tiana has conquered the responsibilities of a TV Producer and Creative Director specializing in Variety Specials and Reality-Competition programs, and is eager to transition to Unscripted Television Directing.
Ana Bretón is a four-time, Emmy-nominated Latina director who specializes in unscripted television and comedy, oftentimes looking for ways to infuse comedy in the unscripted world. She most recently ran the unscripted department at 3Pas (tree-pahs) Studios in Los Angeles, where she developed unscripted television shows centered around the Latinx experience. Ana has worked on every aspect of television production across docu-series, reality, daytime and late night television. Most recently, she worked as a segment director on THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW, a field director on JIMMY FALLON'S THE KIDS' TONIGHT SHOW, and shadowed the director on A LITTLE LATE WITH LILY SINGH. She worked at FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE for five years, where she was nominated for two Emmy Awards. Throughout her career, Ana has directed in both English and Spanish. Ana was born in Mexico City, and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband, four-year-old daughter, and dog named Donut.
Roger Melvin is a versatile Director and Stage Manager who began his journey in the film industry in 2006 as an Assistant Director. Before his transition to live TV as a Stage Manager, Roger’s directorial expertise spanned from stage plays to multi-cam scripted TV. Roger's credits include AMERICAN IDOL, DANCING WITH THE STARS, THE ACADEMY AWARDS, NETFLIX IS A JOKE, BET AWARDS, SOUL TRAIN AWARDS, PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION 2020, and TO TELL THE TRUTH, among others. Although accomplished, he yearned for more creative expression and also began producing his own content through JjMuna Productions. As a Stage Manager, he possesses a comprehensive understanding of show production, allowing him to seamlessly integrate the narrative depth of film, the structured precision of TV, and the electrifying immediacy of live broadcasts. This unique blend of skills positions Roger as a creative leader capable of delivering captivating and cohesive productions across various mediums.
For the past 20 years, Dara DiGerolamo has worked in the entertainment industry creating programming for network and cable television and live streaming events. She was introduced to television production as the Script Coordinator on DR. PHIL. After seven seasons on the show, she moved up and went on to work as a Script Supervisor for a wide array of game, comedy, variety, competition, late night, award and red carpet shows. Dara eventually became an Associate Director (AD) for sports (including UFC, baseball, football and soccer), as well as television series, specials, and corporate live streaming events. Her AD credits include SUPERMARKET SWEEP, DON'T FORGET THE LYRICS, and DEAL OR NO DEAL, among many other series. She has been a part of two directorial teams that have been nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award in the Reality Programs category. Dara has directed corporate events for live streaming, but has yet to direct a program for air on television. With her creative background and years of multi-camera technical knowledge, she is always seeking out new and unique projects that present a challenge.
Often appropriately deemed as a "Jac of all trades", Jaclyn Amor is an international, Filipino Australian, director, producer, writer and artist. With a unique background in creative direction, fine arts (painting, sculpting, photography) and performance (singing, dancing, acting), Jaclyn’s work includes music videos, fashion editorial films, branded content, influencer campaigns, digital series, VR projects, narrative shorts and features. From directing the Asian American International Film Festival and off Broadway plays, to creating content for the likes of ABC Australia, Bravo, Google, YouTube, College Humor, Adaptive Studios, Snapchat, TikTok and Condé Nast (Architectural Digest, CN Traveler, Vanity Fair), Jaclyn has worked passionately towards highlighting the talents of fellow creators from diverse backgrounds, in hopes to contribute to the positive change in the entertainment industry.
Other accomplishments include winning a pitch competition and selling a lifestyle show to Bravo, an international Emmy nomination for a vertical series she produced and DP’d, and independently produced the horror/thriller feature BONE COLD which peaked at #6 on Amazon’s top 10 movies in the US during the fall of 2023.