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HBO Max and Ava DuVernay are making a series based on the @OnePerfectShot Twitter account

HBO Max and Ava DuVernay are making a series based on the @OnePerfectShot Twitter account

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A celebration of cinematography

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Danielle Levitt/August Images

Ava DuVernay is partnering with HBO Max and the team behind Twitter’s popular One Perfect Shot account to create a half-hour documentary series of the same name, the company announced today.

One Perfect Shot will look at an iconic shot from different films, with the directors of those films walking viewers through a detailed breakdown of how it came to be. Each episode will feature a different director “walking through the scene in 360 moments that allow viewers to join an immersive exploration of moviemaking,” according to a press release. Essentially, think of the show as a celebration of cinematography. DuVernay, who directed A Wrinkle in Time, Selma, 13th, and created Netflix’s When They See Us, is set to narrate and executive produce the series. One Perfect Shot is designed around the actual act of filmmaking — the technology and behind-the-scenes work that goes into making movies.

“I’ve long wanted to create a series about the art of directing,” DuVernay said. “To chronicle the craft of great filmmakers is a dream come true for me and all of us at ARRAY Filmworks.”

The One Perfect Shot Twitter account, which has just over 560,000 followers, was started in 2013 by filmmaker Geoff Todd. In 2016, the account’s ownership was given to publisher Neil Miller and became a part of the Film School Rejects portfolio. Since then, the account has grown and Miller has launched a newsletter under the same name to further talk about the art of filmmaking. Here’s a brief excerpt on why Miller and Todd believe that One Perfect Shot has become as popular as it has online:

We’re fans of the work. We obsess over every scene, every frame, and every filmmaking technique. We’re often attracted to sophisticated, detail-oriented filmmaking and storytelling. We love filmmakers who use the entire frame, regardless of their medium. And most of all, we love learning about the craft of filmmaking. Whether it’s the director’s commentary track on a home video release, a deep-dive essay that explains a filmmaking technique, a thoughtful video essay, or a conversation with anyone who works on set, we are always seeking to learn about how the things we love are made.

There’s no estimated premiere date for the show or a list of which directors are attached right now.