The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

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  • #76
    Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

    Originally posted by sc111 View Post
    This is an example of institutional prejudice I was talking about. And it's so subtle it slipped by everyone here who went on to discuss it as if it were normal.

    When it's accepted as a given that women and minorities are only suitable to write stories about women and minorities, you have BIAS. Right there. Under your nose.

    And the fact that, as writers, we've bought into this line of thought is proof of how insidious institutional prejudice is. We're all infected with it. We all have to be cognizant of it or else we all perpetuate it unknowingly.
    Ha! It is funny how no one wanted to debate that point. Sometimes I just feel ignored... sigh...

    Just to be clear, the statement you quoted from me is what I feel would happen, but doesn't represent my belief in the abilities of writers to create outside their demographic.

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    • #77
      Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

      I'm black. Got my first manager roughly two years ago when I was 20 years old. A Jewish woman in her 60s. All she saw was green after reading one of my screenplays. Last year I worked with The Wolper Organization. They were working on material about minorities. Within no time I was working with the Director of Development on a television show which unfortunately didn't get picked up. Then I met Bonnie Forbes. For those who don't know, she's the head of Fortress Features. She wanted me to work on an African-American tv show she is putting together but I ultimately declined. The show just wasn't the direction I was looking to head in.

      I've never gotten any shocked looks or weird comments about my race. With that said, I can't deny that I look different than your stereotypical black guy. I'm brown skin with long curly hair, I dress like John Cryer and I'm so small I make Michael Cera look like a menacing giant. I'm basically the Malcolm Gladwell type. I cannot deny I get the benefit of the doubt over the large black guy that looks like Debo.

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      • #78
        Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

        Well you're obviously a higher caliber of black given your brown skin and "good" curly hair.

        I'm not sure what the stereotypical black looks like, but I do know Debo is not average, size-wise.

        If you're implying black males should dress more like John Cryer to get more opportunities, I disagree.

        Congrats on your success though.

        Originally posted by Aros View Post
        I'm black. Got my first manager roughly two years ago when I was 20 years old. A Jewish woman in her 60s. All she saw was green after reading one of my screenplays. Last year I worked with The Wolper Organization. They were working on material about minorities. Within no time I was working with the Director of Development on a television show which unfortunately didn't get picked up. Then I met Bonnie Forbes. For those who don't know, she's the head of Fortress Features. She wanted me to work on an African-American tv show she is putting together but I ultimately declined. The show just wasn't the direction I was looking to head in.

        I've never gotten any shocked looks or weird comments about my race. With that said, I can't deny that I look different than your stereotypical black guy. I'm brown skin with long curly hair, I dress like John Cryer and I'm so small I make Michael Cera look like a menacing giant. I'm basically the Malcolm Gladwell type. I cannot deny I get the benefit of the doubt over the large black guy that looks like Debo.

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        • #79
          Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

          Originally posted by mgwriter View Post
          Well you're obviously a higher caliber of black given your brown skin and "good" curly hair.

          I'm not sure what the stereotypical black looks like, but I do know Debo is not average, size-wise.

          If you're implying black males should dress more like John Cryer to get more opportunities, I disagree.

          Congrats on your success though.
          Sorry, I wasn't clear about the Debo reference. In this thread a few pages back, someone posted a story in which a writer, who was a large black guy, got cold stares from an agent. It is unfortunate. Thankfully his talents were recognized elsewhere and he's an editor for one of the biggest comic sites on the net.

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          • #80
            Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

            Originally posted by mgwriter View Post
            Well you're obviously a higher caliber of black given your brown skin and "good" curly hair.

            I'm not sure what the stereotypical black looks like, but I do know Debo is not average, size-wise.

            If you're implying black males should dress more like John Cryer to get more opportunities, I disagree.

            Congrats on your success though.
            It's "Jon".

            As for the subject of dress, there was an episode of "Studio 60" where Matt Perry's. character complained how his writing staff dressed like junior high school students. I don't think you should dress like an executive in a meeting, but don't dress up like a bum.
            "A screenwriter is much like being a fire hydrant with a bunch of dogs lined up around it.- -Frank Miller

            "A real writer doesn't just want to write; a real writer has to write." -Alan Moore

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            • #81
              Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

              Originally posted by Madbandit View Post
              I don't think you should dress like an executive in a meeting, but don't dress up like a bum.
              How do you think executives dress?
              https://twitter.com/#!/moviewriterJeff

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              • #82
                Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                I realize there's all kinds of discrimination but I find it hard to believe an agent would hesitate to work with someone because they are large and black. Are we to assume a small black would have a better shot with said agent?

                This sounds silly to me, but I could be wrong.

                Originally posted by Aros View Post
                Sorry, I wasn't clear about the Debo reference. In this thread a few pages back, someone posted a story in which a writer, who was a large black guy, got cold stares from an agent. It is unfortunate. Thankfully his talents were recognized elsewhere and he's an editor for one of the biggest comic sites on the net.

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                • #83
                  Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                  It was comic book editor at one of the big 2. Not an agent.

                  I have heard of similar situations in Hollywood, though.
                  If you really like it you can have the rights
                  It could make a million for you overnight

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                  • #84
                    Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                    Originally posted by ducky1288 View Post
                    EDIT: I should be clear that I do think there is a lack of diversity in Hollywood for whatever those reasons may be. But I don't think making managers and agents sign more diverse clients is the answer... I'd love to see change but I know that I as one person cannot do it so I try not to worry about things that I can't control. I focus on writing the best material I can so that someone can't say no to me, my ethnicity, gender, background or whatever. Sometimes energy can be redirected into other things -- writing mainly.
                    So basically because it doesn't affect you, its not your problem, and those who feel like they are affected should be silent? And it's all about your viewpoint? Oh, and because you have no idea on how to change it, everyone else should also be silent because it makes you feel comfortable?
                    Check out my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/NyFilmmaker32/videos

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                    • #85
                      Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                      Originally posted by Rochjeff View Post
                      @Unequal productions...

                      You are absolutely right. The gatekeepers are mostly white dudes who are mostly interested in stories they can relate to. And that's what Hollywood doesn't understand, one third of Americans are not white. Two thirds of Americans are not white men. There are so many different stories to be told based on all of the many diverse experiences in this country.

                      The truth is that Hollywood is actually stifling creativity and missing out on opportunities to expand the marketplace of ideas.

                      Beyond that, people of color deserve to see themselves on screen. The last time Hollywood made a film that depicted Asians as multi-dimensional human beings was The Joy Luck Club...that movie was released 21 years ago.

                      Hollywood is always so baffled when POC make a movie that kills at the box office. It's because a lot of us are so desperate to see ourselves on screen that we rush out to support these films. We want to see ourselves be heroes and glamorous and beautiful and complex human beings, just like everyone else.

                      The same can be said about women.

                      Demographics are shifting. Hollywood needs to wake up.

                      I write "mainstream" material (my characters are always diverse), but I hope mainstream material opens the door for me to tell more stories about POC.
                      To be completely honest, the improving diversity would need to go far beyond the screenwriters. You'd need more diversity among agents, studio executives, producers, television networks, etc.

                      You'd definitely need more diversity among the gatekeepers themselves. Demographics have rapidly changed.

                      Personally, while I do think institutional bias is a big issue, another big issue is how well do people outside the industry know about all of the jobs in production companies, studios, etc? Outside the industry how many people know about film scorers, development directors, the various types of agents, etc.

                      I'm saying there were likely far fewer people of color who even knew certain key jobs in the industry exist, and if you don't know something exists you certainly can't apply for it. Keep in mind you need a good education to get many of the behind the scenes jobs in the film industry, and in the past good educations weren't so easily available to many Blacks and Hispanics.

                      The big wave of early Blacks going into the industry mainly were actors, and mainly didn't have much in the way of education. Spike Lee was the first Black filmmaker I recall hearing off in the 1990s.

                      And yes, being in on the right social networks is also a pretty important factor.
                      Last edited by NYNEX; 02-09-2014, 04:37 PM.
                      Check out my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/NyFilmmaker32/videos

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                      • #86
                        Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                        Originally posted by Deion22 View Post
                        I'm black, and my partner is Hispanic...Tomorrow I have a pitch meeting with a cable Network for my TV series, I'm backed by an A list producer and a TV studio, pushing an expensive show on the scale of Boardwalk Empire.
                        Originally posted by Aros View Post
                        I'm black. Got my first manager roughly two years ago when I was 20 years old.
                        So what I got from this thread is that if you're a minority MALE, it is possible to get somewhere in Hollywood. The OP is a minority FEMALE, so perhaps therein lies her problem.

                        Edited to add: Congrats to Deion and Aros, BTW.
                        Last edited by sallain; 02-09-2014, 05:22 PM.

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                        • #87
                          Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                          Originally posted by NYNEX View Post
                          So basically because it doesn't affect you, its not your problem, and those who feel like they are affected should be silent? And it's all about your viewpoint? Oh, and because you have no idea on how to change it, everyone else should also be silent because it makes you feel comfortable?
                          She's offering to read people's scripts and pass them up the food chain if she thinks they're good. What are you doing to help apart from starting frivolous lawsuits?

                          Originally posted by sallain View Post
                          So what I got from this thread is that if you're a minority MALE, it is possible to get somewhere in Hollywood. The OP is a minority FEMALE, so perhaps therein lies her problem.

                          Edited to add: Congrats to Deion and Aros, BTW.
                          Ducky is a minority female.

                          There's a minority female lesbian I met whose first ever attempt at a script (a short script) blew me away. The first and probably only time I read non-pro pages that had me gushing. I had to call her right away after reading it. I knew she would go places. Her second short script is now an BAFTA nominated short film. People are talking about her. She will continue to break down barriers if she keeps it up.
                          Last edited by Why One; 02-09-2014, 05:54 PM.

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                          • #88
                            Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                            Originally posted by NYNEX View Post
                            So basically because it doesn't affect you, its not your problem, and those who feel like they are affected should be silent? And it's all about your viewpoint? Oh, and because you have no idea on how to change it, everyone else should also be silent because it makes you feel comfortable?
                            No, I suppose there's freedom of speech so no one should be silent, but this is a topic people usually only bring up to complain about. Efforts could be spent better elsewhere because as you pointed out in your last post, the change doesn't necessarily start with aspiring screenwriters as individuals. We write, that is all that is expected of us at this point.

                            I'm not uncomfortable in the least.
                            Quack.

                            Writer on a cable drama.

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                            • #89
                              Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                              Originally posted by Why One View Post
                              She's offering to read people's scripts and pass them up the food chain if she thinks they're good. What are you doing to help apart from starting frivolous lawsuits?
                              I've participated in various film organizations that push to encourage greater diversity in the industry. One of these is Tribeca Film Institute (particularly Tribeca All Access). I'm still a member of Tribeca and I am a member of other film organizations addressing the diversity issue.

                              When it was going on, I participated in Occupy Wall Street, and yes, we covered issues of economic justice.
                              Check out my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/NyFilmmaker32/videos

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                              • #90
                                Re: The Hollywood Diversity Problem Starts at the Management/Agency Level

                                Originally posted by ducky1288 View Post
                                No, I suppose there's freedom of speech so no one should be silent, but this is a topic people usually only bring up to complain about. Efforts could be spent better elsewhere because as you pointed out in your last post, the change doesn't necessarily start with aspiring screenwriters as individuals. We write, that is all that is expected of us at this point.

                                I'm not uncomfortable in the least.
                                To be fair, in recent years certain film labs and organizations have become much more aware of these issues and have done things to increase the exposure of women and non whites in behind the scenes positions to the greater film industry. Films directed by women and non whites are many of the films showcased at Tribeca Film Festival and Tribeca Film Institute. The fact that encourage diversity at their events helps give a wider range of people industry access. Tribeca is not the only festival or institute to do this.

                                And as I previously noted, you need to diversity the industry in general and increase the exposure and awareness of behind the scenes jobs among historically underrepresented groups to bring about change.
                                Check out my videos at http://www.youtube.com/user/NyFilmmaker32/videos

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