Susan Ansman spent a year embedded with LeBron James, directing Netflix’s Starting 5 and capturing the most personal moments of his career. In this episode, Susan shares how she made the leap from ESPN to freelance, what it’s really like to direct a global superstar, and how she’s paving the way for women in sports filmmaking.
⏱ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: How Susan became LeBron’s director
01:09 – Why she quit ESPN for this opportunity
02:15 – First day: Inside LeBron’s house on Halloween
03:40 – Building trust with high-profile athletes
05:31 – Capturing LeBron rapping in the car
07:00 – Verité filmmaking and shooting solo
08:06 – The story structure behind Starting 5
10:00 – The toast, Bronny’s health scare & vulnerability
13:30 – Being a one-woman crew with LeBron
16:00 – What it takes to shoot elite athletes
19:00 – The power of listening as a director
21:45 – From EVS operator to Emmy-winning filmmaker
24:30 – How editing shaped her directing style
27:00 – Juggling directing, producing, and editing
30:00 – Shooting the Olympic basketball documentary
34:00 – Navigating confidence in a male-dominated industry
37:30 – Advice to women entering sports filmmaking
41:00 – Why representation behind the camera matters
44:00 – Final reflections + what’s next for Susan
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