WIF’s Post

🎬 In the world of filmmaking, I’ve learnt as a producer, the role of a producing partner cannot be overstated. They're not just a colleague; they're the backbone of your creative endeavor, pushing you to be your best and offering invaluable support every step of the way. Together, we navigate the complexities of development to production, ensuring that every detail is meticulously planned and executed. Filmmaking is undeniably a team sport, and the leadership of producers sets the tone for the entire project. With Paul Struthers by my side, I've learned the true essence of collaborative leadership – listening, compromising, and inspiring others to give their all. His unwavering dedication and passion have not only elevated our work but also strengthened our bond as partners. Our partnership goes beyond just sharing tasks; it's about sharing in each other's visions and dreams. His journey from a teenage dreams to now serves as a testament to the power of persistence and belief in oneself. I love that Paul has been identified as a #futureleader at Cannes this year. https://lnkd.in/eEc7u7cw As we embark on this filmmaking journey together, I couldn't be happier or more grateful to have Paul by my side. Our partnership isn't just about making great films; it's about fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect that drives us to achieve greatness. Here's to many more collaborations and shared successes ahead! #Filmmaking #Teamwork

I can’t echo this loudly enough. There are so many ways in which Hollywood’s current obsession with 9-digit IP-driven tentpole hopefuls is bad for our business but let’s unpack it from an inclusion perspective. It is absolutely TERRIBLE for building a more diverse and inclusive film business. Having worked in a role focused on gate-opening for filmmakers from historically-excluded and under-hired backgrounds for over 3 years now, I can tell you that getting the studio system to say yes to people who haven’t ever directed a feature before is very difficult. The money we spend is real and when you’re a public company, that money is highly scrutinized. While it seems reasonable to be cautious about spending money as safely as you can, the history of the demographics of film directors tells us that if we just hire directors who have already directed studio features as a means of spending money “wisely”, we will hire White male directors 90% of the time. Which is exactly why we have done, year after year, after year, whilst making earnest pledges to do better. It isn’t working. 99% of the directors that Hollywood has ever given a $100m+ film to direct are White men. If that’s 1 of the 15-20 movies you make a year, that could be okay. But when that’s 50% of the movies that get made each year by major studios and each studio is making fewer movies per year, it’s very problematic for progress. At the same time, the most impactful lever on how inclusive a film will become is the identity of the director. Female, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and/or disabled directors build more inclusive movies, tell stories about underrepresented communities, hire more diverse people in front of and behind the camera, etc etc etc. This is one of the few places where trickle-down theories actually hold. Now it is *very* hard to convince even the most committed gate-opener to give an untested director $50M+ for a movie. I mean, I probably wouldn’t do it. But $5-10m movies? That’s a more tolerable risk for most studios. Under $5m? Even better. History shows that when we take more shots, we’re more willing to spread it out a bit and that’s how new voices get in. Now it doesn’t happen automatically and this isn’t the post where I share the data that shows that even in lower budget films, Hollywood isn’t hiring nearly enough underrepresented filmmakers. But it’s a critical part of solving the problem. It’s the part I’m most passionate about these days in a few different ways for a few different reasons. Driven, excited, and committed to finding the next Cord and to bet on their great ideas. Let’s go!

Awesome read! To quote Kamala Avila-Salmon thoughts on the article, “Now it is *very* hard to convince even the most committed gate-opener to give an untested director $50M+ for a movie. I mean, I probably wouldn’t do it. But $5-10m movies? That’s a more tolerable risk for most studios. Under $5m? Even better. History shows that when we take more shots, we’re more willing to spread it out a bit and that’s how new voices get in.” We couldn’t agree more. There needs to be a shift and further investment by the major studios toward developing a higher quantity of fresh stories with new voices in the “tolerable risk” range financially. We’re no finance experts, but we do understand that diversifying a stock portfolio is better than having all of your eggs in one basket— *Viewers and critics notice the systemic weakness in the way studios have poured massive amounts of money into low performing franchises and have shied away from engaging in quality films. Proof of concept— Celine Song made her directorial feature debut with “Past Lives.” The budget was $12m and brought in close to $30m at the box office. “American Fiction” was budgeted at $10m and has grossed more than double that domestically. Studios need to take chances and diversify. This is why GDP was founded and where we plan to execute— Quality, fresh, story driven projects in the “tolerable risk”range. It’s a win-win solution for private equity/studios and new storytellers!

I love Kamala Avila-Salmon ‘s note here on how business models really impact diversity and inclusion. For example, entertainment companies that take multiple smaller bets on emerging directors vs two huge bets only on established directors changes the risk profile and can lead to dramatically more diverse and inclusive films. Check out her comments and the linked article. This applies to the venture capital / entrepreneurship world too on why we need to be investing in diverse startups especially in the early stages to get them off the ground. Where else do we need to think about how the business models need to change?

What's happening: The 11th annual UCLA Hollywood Diversity Report reveals a significant milestone in the film industry, as movies featuring diverse casts comprised a majority of 2023's top films, marking a first in more than a decade of reports by UCLA on Hollywood diversity. Notably, franchise hits like "Creed III," "Scream VI," and "John Wick: Chapter 4" boasted over 50% actors of color and achieved the highest earnings in their respective film series. Additionally, the report highlights the significant influence of diverse moviegoers and women, who drove box office sales for top films. However, challenges persist, particularly in Latino representation, which has stagnated despite the industry's progress in other areas. Ana-Christina Ramón, co-founder of the report, emphasizes the importance of retaining diversity in Hollywood's future productions, warning against cutting back on films that showcase diversity. As the industry faces commercial pressures and shifting trends, creators stress the necessity of continued efforts to promote diversity in storytelling, recognizing its potential to resonate with audiences and drive success. https://brnw.ch/21wHSw5. #LatinoBuzz

Exciting development for the American film and entertainment industry, and for Asian, Southeast Asian, South Asian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, women, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented independent filmmakers: Dave A. Liu has joined Robert Coppola Schwartzman and Cole Harper's Utopia media company as strategic advisor to the CEO and Board of Directors. Utopia is the company that has been outputting indie box office successes like Iranian drama Holy Spider (2022) by Ali Abbasi and Meet Me In The Bathroom (2022), which chronicled the heyday of the The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and LCD Soundsystem in 1999/2000s NYC. Liu will work toward the success and growth of this film buying and distribution company that has been specializing in independent films and documentaries since 2018, and has also developed the Altavod content discovery platform where filmmakers and people who want to support films can find one another. Importantly for the "AANHPI" fam, the company and Liu will also work together to ramp up its acquisition of films made by Asian and Pacific Islander creators. Looking forward to more and better films from all makers that we laypeople never usually get to see just because there isn't a Hollywood studio backing them. Best congratulations to advisor Liu and Utopia! Full disclosure: Dave A. Liu happens to be a major AsAmNews supporter as well as a member of its board of directors. But I wrote this announcer and am putting it on my * personal, * * professional * LinkedIn feed because I'm genuinely stoked about this and think an Asian film executive at a forward-looking media company is something that should be known and as virally celebrated as Asians receiving Golden Globes and Oscars. Also, I think that this is the first time in my life that I wrote and published something within the same day, so this piece represents a journalistic milestone for me, a serial longformist. 😆

From video production to content creation, we can do it all.

🌟 Big news in the film industry! The Oscars have added a new category recognizing the art of casting. Casting directors play a pivotal role in bringing stories to life. Kudos to all the heroes behind the scenes! Read more about this well-deserved recognition. #Oscars #CastingDirectors #FilmIndustry #EntertainmentNews

The 2024 Academy Awards nominations (popularly known as the Oscars) are out. Barbie doesn't get a nomination for the Director Greta Gerwig and its lead female actor Margot Robbie. One can say it's a trivial movie, more fluff, so let's talk business, * As of January 10, 2024, Greta Gerwig's very pink fantasy-comedy "Barbie" has collected : - more than 636 million U.S. dollars at the North American box office, - and garnering a total of 1.45 billion U.S. dollars worldwide. If the movie is so trivial then how did Ryan Gosling get a nomination for the Best Supporting Actor, shouldn't he get snubbed as well? So much so for embracing #diversity #inclusion and supporting pathbreaking women in Hollywood. #DEI #oscar #diversityequityinclusion #findyourwhy #equality #womenleaders #diversity #biases #careercoaching #Renuual