Ep 271: Not To Be Afraid To Be Yourself - Norman Buckley (Executive Producer & Director, Sweet Magnolias)
Norman Buckley is a prolific director whose work spans various networks, genres, and styles. Most recently, he executive produced and edited the short film STORAGE FEES. He is currently the co-executive producer/producing director on the Netflix show SWEET MAGNOLIAS. His previous credits include NCIS: HAWAII, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, CHARMED, IN THE DARK, ZOO, QUANTICO, RIZZOLI AND ISLES, CHUCK, GOSSIP GIRL, AND THE OC. He was co-executive producer/producing director on PRETTY LITTLE LIARS: THE PERFECTIONISTS.After editing the pilot episode of THE OC in 2003, he began his directing career by helming six episodes of that series. He has gone on to direct over 140 episodes of television since then. His television movie THE PREGNANCY PROJECT won Best Primetime Program (Special or Movie of the Week) and Best Actress (Alexa Vega) at the 2012 Imagen Awards. His episode of THE OC “The Metamorphosis” was chosen by Entertainment Weekly magazine as one of the five best episodes of the series. His episode of GOSSIP GIRL “The Handmaiden’s Tale” was chosen by Newsweek Magazine as one of the top ten television episodes of 2007.Buckley began working in the industry as an assistant editor on the Oscar-nominated films TENDER MERCIES, SILKWOOD, and PLACES IN THE HEART. He continued editing for a number of years on many films, television series, and TV movies. He worked with many outstanding directors, including Bruce Beresford, Robert Benton, Mike Nichols, Rob Reiner, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Richard Donner, J.S. Cardone, McG, Doug Liman, and Robert M. Young. He also learned the editing craft from some of the best film editors in the business, including Carol Littleton, Sam O'Steen, William Anderson, and Bob Leighton.He worked as an editor on many independent films at the Sundance, Toronto, and Telluride film festivals, including HAPPY, TEXAS, which he also associate-produced. Beginning in 2000, Buckley edited several television pilots, all of which were picked up to series, which led to his regular work in television.He has been nominated twice for an American Cinema Editors award: in 2003 for JOE AND MAX, for best-edited motion picture for non-commercial television, and he won the award in 2008 for the pilot of CHUCK, for best-edited one-hour series for commercial television.Buckley grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and studied history at the University of Texas at Arlington, before moving to Los Angeles where he would later graduate from the University of Southern California with a degree in Cinema/Television.He was an adjunct professor at the University of California Los Angeles film school, teaching both graduates and undergraduates.Norman Buckley was married to the late artist Davyd Whaley and he established The Davyd Whaley Foundation (davydwhaleyfoundation.org) to carry on Davyd’s legacy by supporting emerging artists with annual grants. Most recently the Foundation has funded scholarships at the Art Students League in New York and the film school at UCLA, as well as providing funding for Art Division, Art of Elysium, and the Brentwood Art Center in Los Angeles.
