{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Dr. Valerie Weiss shares how her PhD became her Superpower in Directing Star Trek and TV\/Film.","description":"She had a Harvard PhD and a career in science. Then she walked away to direct Star Trek. The twist? She'd never even watched it. Dr. Valerie Weiss joins Scene N Nerd to share the real story behind her career pivot from academics to Hollywood, how her scientific training became her secret weapon on set, and why sometimes the most logical decision is the one that makes no sense at all. We dig into: \ud83d\udd2c Why she left academia \u2014 and what she'd tell anyone weighing the same leap \ud83c\udfac How a scientist's brain approaches directing (her script &quot;radar&quot; is next-level) \u2694\ufe0f Directing the emotional fight scene in Outer Banks \ud83d\ude80 The moment she realized she'd be directing Star Trek \u2014 without having seen a single episode \ud83c\udf31 Her work on the DGA Sustainable Future Committee and making Hollywood greener \ud83d\udcfa Details on her new Amazon Prime dramedy It's Not Like That (premieres May 15!) Whether you're a Trek fan, a career-changer, or just love a good &quot;how did they pull that off?&quot; story \u2014 this one's for you. \u23f1\ufe0f CHAPTERS 0:00 \u2014 From Harvard PhD to Hollywood Director 1:10 \u2014 The Decision to Walk Away from Academics 3:30 \u2014 Science Skills That Made Her a Better Director 6:40 \u2014 Career Change Is a Chapter, Not a Switch 10:00 \u2014 How She Analyzes Scripts Like a Scientist 15:15 \u2014 Her Directing Process: Feel the Scene First 18:50 \u2014 Why Emotional Truth Beats Technical Perfection 21:10 \u2014 Directing the JJ vs. Dad Fight in Outer Banks 23:30 \u2014 What a TV Director Actually Does 27:30 \u2014 Linear TV vs. Streaming: What's Changing 30:40 \u2014 Shorter Seasons, Bigger Stakes 33:20 \u2014 It's Not Like That (Amazon Prime \u2014 May 15!) 39:50 \u2014 Sustainable &amp;amp; Green Filmmaking 45:10 \u2014 Women in Film &amp;amp; Industry Contraction 47:40 \u2014 Why Mentorship Matters 49:10 \u2014 Her First Day Directing Star Trek 51:00 \u2014 The Pressure of Directing a Franchise 55:00 \u2014 Star Trek's Vision of Leadership &amp;amp; Humanity 56:20 \u2014 What She'd Do If She Wasn't Directing 57:20 \u2014 Where to Watch It's Not Like That &amp;amp; More Follow Dr. Weiss: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/valerie.weiss.director and IMDB: https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/name\/nm1401177\/&amp;nbsp; Kids Mental Health Foundation: https:\/\/www.kidsmentalhealthfoundation.org\/&amp;nbsp; Sustainability:&amp;nbsp;https:\/\/scriptation.com\/blog\/tag\/valerie-weiss\/&amp;nbsp; and Earth Angel: https:\/\/www.earthangelsets.com\/blog\/dr-valerie-weiss&amp;nbsp; Want to keep the conversation going? Hit us up on X (formerly Twitter) @SceneNNerd, Bluesky @SceneNNerd.bsky.social, Facebook, Instagram @scene_n_nerd, and Threads @scene_n_nerd. Don't forget to check out our website at www.scenennerdpodcast.com. If you enjoyed this episode, drop us a rating and a shout-out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast fix! ","author_name":"Scene N Nerd","author_url":"https:\/\/www.scenennerdpodcast.com","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/41274305\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/201982110"}