Backstage: Film and media incubator Big Vision Empty Wallet is launching a new incentive program to boost visibility of women, people of color, and LGBT individuals in film and television. For storytellers and media makers of marginalized demos, Kickstart Diversity—whose submission process launches today, Oct. 5—can help your work reach your audience.
10 comments:
I think that what Kickstart Diversity is building is like nothing I've ever heard of. Before reading this article I did not know much or I just didn't really think about the inequality of diversity in the industry but after hearing that only 6 percent of film directors are women and 18 percent are people of color and writers and producers are almost the same I am quite surprised. Knowing this now, I find it really commendable that Kickstart Diversity is being created in order to help get these people resources and opportunities that will in turn get their work noticed and by doing this, they are also spreading the word about the need for diversity.
This is a very uplifting initiative. As much as I would like to say that all minorities need is the same opportunity, the same chance that people of the majority have, time and time again companies claim to be interested in working with all races and genders equally, and yet the actual statistics show this not to be the case. I hate the thought of this being looked at as anything other than leveling the playing field. I do think at the end of the day it is about representation for two big reasons. The first being if executives stop thinking along the tracks of an all white male staff with a few bits of color and two women because companies like Big Vision Empty Wallet is high lighting their skill and helping them to fill up more seats in the space then we will begin to effectively erase the stigma surrounding this field. Secondly if we really do level out the diversity and gender gap we can inspire future generations of all races and gender to stay in this field and follow this position.
As much as I appreciate what Kickstart is doing, it reminds me of how hard it can be to convince those in power to do the right thing without the use of monetary gain as motivation. This effort seems to promote diversity in the film industry on the premise that this diversity is a good investment - which is, of course, true. With the United States' ever-changing ethnic landscape, it is only logical that a medium which seeks to relate to its audiences on a realistic level would need to work to better reflect the backgrounds of those watching. However, what troubles me is that programs which promote such reflection of audiences purely from a monetary standpoint fail to make clear to investing executives their true goal: the representation of life as we know it in art. Yes, Kickstart's efforts are honorable and commendable. Yes, such motivation may be a necessary evil. But this does not change the underlying prejudice which is causing the still very prevalent lack of diversity in this industry. If such diversity as Kickstart promotes is to last, they will need to go to the root of the problem. Scratching the surface through economic motivation can only do so much.
This is very exciting. I love the way that diversity in entertainment has become a much more mainstream topic recently. Within the last few years we have seen the arrival of very well received shows, such as Hamilton and Fun Home, which feature non-white actors, LGBT+ characters, and/or women. Television is also turning around with shows like Transparent, Sensate, and Orange is the New Black, all of whom focus on queer and race issues. Previously, such television shows were less common and were not often seen by the sweeping gaze of the public's eye. Hopefully with Kickstart's efforts we will see the arrival of more shows such as these. I'm aware that money is a huge issue for producers. Shows like these are hard to start and, even now, often are not wildly successful. Economic assistance will help directors and writers publish their work and gain visibility. It is my belief that media can have a huger influence on society, and if more diverse casts and ideas are seen by the public, these same ideas and people will gain greater standing in our society.
So the lack of diversity in Hollywood is definitely a thing, but sometimes I think we forget as artists that we live in one of the most diverse worlds we can choose to be in. It is by no means perfect, but in the world of art, because of the nature of free speech and expression, there are many female, non-white, and LGBT artists who are extremely successful.
I’m not trying to belittle the purpose of this initiative, I certainly support it and what it stands for, but I think that artists who believe in equality might be well served to comment on the inequality of the non-artistic world. I support this festival because this can be done by increasing art created by female, non-white, and LGBT artists. Many times when I see a show or a movie that I truly enjoy, it deals with one of these topics in a way that presents a new way of thinking to the issue, and that is a wonderful way of commenting on diversity. My hope is that this festival aims to use art to make people think and talk about inequality, because that is one of the most powerful tools that an artist has in soliciting change.
Although I do really appreciate what Kickstart is doing, I feel as if they should almost be doing more. It mentioned in the articles that they had already chosen a variety of other pieces through private submission earlier this, and I think that wasn't the right thing to do. If their endgame was really to empower oppressed groups of artists, they should be doing as much as possible. I do love the new, more-diverse direction that the entertainment industry seems to be taking, I'm just not sure if this is the best way to approach the issues. However, like they said in the article, “Tweeting from your couch isn’t the same as taking measurable action”. With all the people simply jumping onto bandwagons of empowerment left and right without actually changing anything, it's a great sign to see that someone is actually getting up and attempting to create tangible change. I'm not sure if it's the exact route I would have taken, I really do love that this group of people are putting their efforts toward empowerment and equal representation in the industry.
So, issues of diversity are very important to me. I feel as though everyone should have a range characters they feel they can connect to, and that simply can’t exist without diversity. I’m also a very big fan of supporting independent projects. Art thrives when it comes from a place of true passion and creativity, something that often gets lost amongst the various levels of large corporations. I applaud BVEW for their campaign, because it is hard enough as it is to get a break in the film industry, so I imagine it must be twice as hard when your films largely focus on diversity. This specific niche is something that should be fostered, because these films usually have a level of passion and truth that is unparalleled. But while campaigns like this are incredibly important, I worry this is an outlet where the bigger sponsors mentioned (Lionsgate, Film Rise, etc.) can absolve their guilt about the lack of diversity within their own companies. It’s lovely that these larger film corporations are supporting diversity, but that does not mean that these companies practice what they preach. I just hope that this campaign is not only a success, but also indicates a change in the industry for the better.
This article brings to light something very important. Diversity is such a big thing in today's world and with how much of a role media plays in our lives connecting the two seems important. Whether it is LGBT or racial diversity it is so important that minorities are seen on TV and in movies and in theater. The push for this is a great thing as it teaches audiences about a big part of our society. However, I as important as this education of audiences is, there are also so many other important stories to tell that can not involve minorities. Historical events can be turned into some of the greatest works, such as Hamilton which is blowing up right now, it does not involve minorities but still an incredible story to be told. So I think the push for writes and producers to create more with a diverse cast it really a good campaign, but it is also important to not have that be the focus of everything.
Diversity within the entertainment industry has become a hot topic this year and I'm glad that it keeps coming up. It should and is part of the social consciousness that we live in. It really is shocking the ratio between male directors vs. female directors: "only 6 percent of film directors are women and 18 percent are people of color." This hits home for me because my best friend back home in NYC is a woman who is trying to make it in the film industry as a director. I don't think for a hot second that the only reason why the ratio is so skewed is because there's a lack of females deciding to direct-- I believe it to be a diversity issue. Going from "The Mikado" being in yellow face to the amount of celebrities culturally appropriating aspects of Chinese culture at the Met Gala, we are beginning to become more sensitive to issues like this. While sometimes I feel that the reaction to cultural topics are very overboard, bringing about the issue organically is definitely something that I like seeing.
I never realized that such a large gap of diversity in the entertainment industry existed. After reading the statistic posed in this article I can agree with what Kickstart is doing. This topic of diversity is helping to expose more talent to a larger audience. The facilities provided to these emerging artists are top notch, allowing quality, viable work to be produced and showcased. I am glad to hear that Kickstart is not only helping these people to create and bring to life their ideas, but also how and to whom they should market. Branding and presentation of your work is just as if not more important than the work itself. Similar to drafting the presentation can make the difference. Kickstart is helping to make wellrounded diverse creators of different backgrounds and is on the right track to make this idea more mainstream.
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