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"With Hollywood facing unprecedented change given consolidation of companies like Paramount and Skydance, the bidding war for Warner Bros. and the American social pendulum swinging toward conservative ideals, the success of a show like 'Heated Rivalry' in the U.S. stands as proof that the entertainment industry need not pull back its stance on diverse storytelling to retain audience attention — but rather double down on stories that present the world as it really is."

Writers and assistants shared their workplace experiences with TTIE for the Behind the Scenes: The State of Inclusion & Equity in TV Writing report and a common factor for a healthy and successful room is good leadership. What that looks like (or doesn't), in their words:

"When I spoke to my showrunner about ongoing, toxic behavior from an upper-level writer, the showrunner then went to said writer and divulged both my name and the details of what I’d discussed with my boss in confidence. That upper-level writer thereafter stonewalled/ignored me in the room.”

“I shared my experience with the showrunners and they took immediate action to address the situation. When they realized the abuse continued, they involved HR and appropriate actions were taken. So grateful to my bosses for handling the situation so completely!”

“It can sometimes be more harmful than helpful if you speak up. If you’re labeled a problem, it can be much harder to procure work in the future. And I’m Black and also a woman, so... I feel like I have to choose my battles.”

“The amount of harassment and microaggressions I’ve experienced dropped drastically when working in positive, collaborative rooms. Leadership really makes all the difference!”

• 85% of showrunners hire from their own networks
• White women (41%) are far more likely to be promoted from assistant ranks than BIPOC women (11%)

When hiring depends on “who you know" — when the main path to breaking in favors some over others — writers rooms stay homogeneous and we all lose authentic stories.

For years, Hollywood has told stories from a specific point of view, often excluding or misrepresents a wealth of diverse communities. How do we expand the horizon and invite these communities to tell their own stories?

Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity, also known as TTIE (pronounced 'tie'), is a volunteer organization in Los Angeles on a mission to make that shift. It’s a dynamic collective of working TV writers representing a diverse range of communities, including BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled, and Women, who are dedicated to transforming Hollywood from both the top-down, working with studio executives, and the bottom-up, supporting lower-level writers from historically excluded communities.

Research, Education, Community Building, and Advocacy are the pillars of TTIE, supporting their mission to empower underrepresented writers and unite the entertainment industry so that every storyteller can thrive.

TTIE Co-Founder and Co-Executive Producer of ‘Vampire Academy’, Y. Shireen Razack, explains why this mission is so important: “If a lower-level writer has an amazing story to tell about a specific community, we want to help them grow and make that story come to life. We want to help others, from all the communities, tell the stories that need to be told.”

These stories are not the exception, they are the future. Global audiences demand an increase of inclusive storytelling, and with the recent success of projects like ‘Reservation Dogs’ on FX, and ABC’s ‘Abbott Elementary’, we can only expect these kinds of shows to continue growing.

TTIE's Research

Nowadays, buzzwords are everywhere as companies use “inclusion,” “equity,” “diversity,” and “accessibility” in marketing efforts or to highlight an awareness month. And then, life moves on without much impact. TTIE is dedicated to digging deeper into the meaning behind these words.

Through comprehensive studies and surveys, their research is translated into reports for lasting change, which can help individuals and studios to make better and more informed decisions, leading to truly authentic stories. In turn, these authentic stories lead to TV shows that have the power to expand the perspective of millions of viewers and capture the hearts of communities who perhaps have never seen themselves accurately portrayed on screen.

For the past three years, TTIE has released an annual report that quantifies the experiences of working TV writers. The report is a cornerstone of their work, and unique to TV writers, curated in partnership with leaders in entertainment, such as Women in Film and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender In Media Writers Guild of America, East.

The 2022 report titled, “Behind The Scenes: The State of Inclusion & Equity in TV Writing,” tracked important issues of representation in staffing, the writers' room, and development, as well as the experiences of historically excluded TV writers around bias, discrimination, and harassment.

These annual reports include both data and quotes from the experiences of historically excluded writers who are facing pushback as they navigate their way through the entertainment industry. Equipped with this data, TTIE leadership is educating studios—and validating the experiences of historically excluded writers—on how to make systematic change for more authentic storytelling.

Factsheets

The TTIE annual reports are designed to instigate action, and TTIE’s Factsheets are one of the many resources that have resulted from these ongoing studies. The factsheets, which range from 1-8 pages, are documents that give an overview of historically excluded communities on screen, explaining how they are misrepresented in stories we’ve seen in the past, including: Disabled Persons, U.S. Military Veterans, Middle Eastern & North African People.

Shared among writers, and distributed among studio writers' rooms, the factsheets serve as valuable tools to inform the development of honest and authentic characters from such historically excluded communities.

While the factsheets are not meant to be used in lieu of hiring historically excluded writers, TTIE sees them as conversation starters that provide examples of how each community can and should be authentically represented.

TTIE Factsheets are a source of hope in expanding Hollywood’s narrative horizon, according to Danny Tolli, TTIE’s Captain of Communications and Producer on the CW’s ‘Roswell, New Mexico.’ He shares, “The most uplifting moment is just seconds after we drop a factsheet, when our friends and allies promote TTIE’s work. And then watching new executives, writers, and audience members go ecstatic over representation and visibility of their communities that they haven't seen before. It’s remarkable and a nice reminder that this work TTIE does matters. I feel empowered because it speaks to my identity."

Community building and advocacy

While factsheets and reports are beneficial for long-term change, the day-to-day challenges can be discouraging for the working, historically excluded writer in the trenches, pursuing their dream. To instill confidence and help these writers navigate career obstacles, TTIE is cultivating a community for them to network and voice their experiences so they can advance.

“For a long time, I thought I was the only one,” admits Katherine Beattie, TTIE’s Steering Committee Member, Supervising Producer of ‘NCIS’ on CBS, and member of the Disabled Writers Committee of the Writers Guild. “I'm a disabled writer and disabled people are by far the most disproportionately underrepresented people in Hollywood. When I discovered TTIE, I realized there were others like me who felt the same and I had a platform to ask questions, like ‘What are the tips and tricks that you can use to be successful?’ ‘And how can I apply them to what I'm going through?’ The community within the TTIE Steering Committee, and the broader TTIE community at large who are involved in our events, have been the most beneficial part of me being involved in this organization,” she says.

TTIE’s community building programs and advocacy initiatives include: 

• Consulting and mentorship for studio executives and writers
• Events (IRL and Virtual) in partnership with other entertainment organizations, including the WGA, Women in Film, and with a purpose to empower the collective industry and better reflect the lived experiences of marginalized communities, as well as guide writers' rooms toward more forward-thinking storytelling
• Amplifying database of historically excluded writers for hire

TTIE’s Steering Committee is dedicated to channeling their collective resources and expertise for every level of writer and the C-Suite (CEO’s, CFO, etc.) as Y. Shireen Razack explains, “When historically excluded writers go into a meeting, they are being asked to market themselves on their pain, and that is very difficult and emotionally challenging… So we give them [writers] tools to protect themselves. Then, we teach showrunners and execs how to run a more inclusive room and how to shift their lens if they're giving notes on a project about a community they are not familiar with.”

Join the TTIE journey

Ultimately, TTIE is dedicated to building a future where authentic representation is the norm from the writers' room to the screen. Storytelling is about capturing the human experience—no matter the race, sexual orientation,  gender, nationality, or abilities of a person. Everyone deserves a chance to share their lived experience and write stories that matter to them and their communities. And as the stats continue to show, offering a wider lens that includes diverse communities leads to growing audiences; ones who crave fresh content that acknowledges our changing social climate.

Entertainment Partners is proud to partner with TTIE in our efforts to make the film and television industry a more equitable and accessible place for all. We encourage you to check out their resources and connect with them here on Production Lot.

If you’re a writer, studio executive, or an ally of TTIE’s efforts, we invite you to learn more about their initiatives or make a donation to build a future that supports sustainable careers for working writers and fosters accurate and authentic storytelling in the entertainment industry.

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Diversity has long been a prominent issue in the entertainment industry, but until recently there were few state and local production incentives to encourage it. Current programs in California and Illinois require diversity reporting as part of qualifying for their respective incentive programs, and another program is offered again in California as well as New Jersey with specific production incentive uplifts related to diversity hiring. In recent events, however, New York has passed legislation that would require production companies to report diversity hiring data to help the state and the industry build equitable representation in the film community.

Effective January 1, 2023, applicants to the NY State Film Production tax credit program are required to file a diversity plan outlining specific goals and strategies for hiring a diverse workforce. The diversity plan will also indicate whether the applicant intends to participate in training, education, and recruitment programs that promote and encourage the film and television industry to train and hire New York residents who represent the State’s diverse population.

In addition to an already competitive film tax credit program, New York has collaborated with non-profit agencies and film industry leaders to implement programs that foster a new generation of diverse storytellers. By leading the way in cultivating diversity and inclusivity in film, television and commercials, New York paves the way for future legislative action.

New York State's Tax Incentive

In 2004, the New York State Film Tax Credit was introduced with the aim of supporting the state’s economy and strengthening its film production industry. This program offers production companies the opportunity to receive a fully refundable credit of 25% on all production and post-production expenses incurred within the state. Additionally, productions with budgets exceeding $500,000 may be eligible for an additional 10% credit on qualified labor expenses incurred in upstate New York.

Recently, New York Governor Kathy Hochul passed legislation related to the state’s film incentive programs in an effort to keep up with, or exceed, the tax credit programs offered by other states. Hochul has remained determined in her efforts to revitalize the stagnant film industry, and has been willing to entice studios with financial incentives to do so. Just some of the recent legislative changes include increasing the annual cap from $420M to $700M, increasing the credit from 25% back to 30%, allowing above-the-line  wage costs as eligible expenditures, incentivizing the relocation of TV series which are filming elsewhere with a 5% bump, a 5-year extension of the program to 2034, and introducing a 25% Digital Content/Gaming Credit.

The tax credit programs have been instrumental for growth in the film industry, as well as attracting industry activity to New York. In fact, the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) found that motion picture and video production has been the catalyst for economic growth, job creation and the development of new infrastructure. A recent study revealed that within 15 years, the New York City film industry supported: 185,000 jobs; $18.1 billion in total wages; and $81.6 billion in total output. With Hollywood’s influence running deep in New York, it is no surprise that film production could transform the state’s cultural and economic landscape.

New York addresses diversity in the film industry

With new productions replenishing New York’s workforce, more focus has been placed on how communities are being impacted. Are underserved communities benefiting from the film industry’s growth? More importantly, is the film workforce reflecting the diversity of New York?

In 2021, the state launched the New York Entertainment Workforce Diversity Grant Program, a first-in-the-nation initiative designed to foster diversity in the state’s entertainment sector by providing job training and promoting workforce development. Financed by a percentage of the film tax credit, this program offers over $1 million in annual grants to support efforts in developing and training a diverse and inclusive workforce. These training programs, in turn, are creating a more diverse pool that productions can hire from, allowing those individuals to work up the ranks into new positions.

Gretchen McGowan, board member and treasurer of New York Women in Film & Television (NYWIFT) and head of production at Goldcrest Films, is one of the leaders advocating for more inclusive hiring practices amongst production crews. The notion behind implementing a diversity initiative is that it would instill an excitement for film within communities that had previously not been involved in the film community.

“In addition to the age-old practice of recruiting film school grads, liberal arts graduates, and family members who were already in the industry, you’re giving an opportunity to everybody who wants to be in film. As long as someone is passionate about it, they should be given the opportunity” says McGowan. “It is impacting entire communities, entire neighborhoods. They are bringing it home and filming in their own neighborhoods.”

In collaboration with community partners, the state is doing its part in building the skill set of largely underrepresented populations in the film industry. Last year, Governor Hochul passed a three-year extension of the tax credit program which includes a requirement for productions to implement plans to ensure their vendors, actors, and crewmembers representing New York’s diverse population demographics.

Programs working towards inclusivity in New York’s film industry:   

Along with New York taking a more proactive approach towards ensuring equitable hiring practices in the film industry, there are several well-established programs that have already taken root in local communities. This demonstrates how New York has been mindful of inclusivity for many years now. Below are a few highlighted programs that have been working tirelessly to create equal opportunities in the industry: 

• The Mayor’s Office, in partnership with other non-profit agencies in New York, has implemented several “Made in New York” programs to address the lack of diversity in the entertainment workforce. Launched in 2006, their Production Assistant Training Program works to provide individuals from diverse communities with training for positions within film production. In addition, the Post Production Training Program is a skills training and job placement program for residents who have faced barriers in launching their career within the post-production industry.
• Founded in 2015, the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema (in Brooklyn College) is one of the leading institutions contributing to the cultivation of diverse voices in cinema. Its student body is predominantly comprised of students of color, immigrants and other marginalized demographics, who are now breaking the mold in the film industry through their storytelling. Partly financed by the state of New York and MOME, Feirstein is the first public graduate film school in New York.
• The New York State Multicultural Creativity Summit has been expanding pathways for aspiring filmmakers, writers, and producers from diverse backgrounds since 2017. The annual Summit invites industry leaders to lead panel discussions on how underrepresented creators can advance their career in the film and television industry. The event is hosted by the Motion Picture Association, Empire State Development , the New York Latino Film Festival and the Governor's Office of Motion Picture and Television Development.
• Reel Works has partnered with leading studios to provide a program that mentors, inspires, and empowers underserved NYC youth to share their stories through filmmaking. Founded in 2021, co-founder and Executive Director of Reel Works, John Williams, established Reel Works to showcase the untapped talent of its 1,700 participants, of whom 90% are youth of color. 
  
  The program provides free award-winning workshops within the classroom and offers students a partnership with a professional filmmaker-mentor to develop a storytelling project. Addressing the crisis of inclusion in media by providing a foundation in film for New York’s under-served youth, Reel Works has been twice recognized by the White House as one of the top arts programs in the U.S.

The future of diversity in film

After creating opportunities for underrepresented groups to enter the industry, what is the next step for New York?

In 2023, productions participating in the tax credit program must submit diversity plans to the ESD with a commitment to hire a diverse workforce. They are given a survey that mandates actors, crew, and vendors to submit information regarding their gender and race. Producers are then required to pledge that they will take responsibility for submitting forms and following the process to promote diversity within their crew.  

The collected data, which is later distributed to studios as the Film & TV Diverse Suppliers Directory, is then used to encourage filmmakers to be more equitable in their hiring practices so that opportunities are available for a wider range of people.

The intention moving forward is to change how productions hire. “Productions are taking note of who their vendors are. For example, if they are working with only male-owned vendors, what can they do to change that? Where are the resources for finding LGBTQ+ owned caterers?” McGowan comments. It is a slow and gradual process that requires effort from production and continuous pressure from the state, but McGowan sees a promising future where hiring from a diverse pool will transform the film industry.

“It is incumbent upon producers to institute this change. As soon as you hire a more diverse director or producer, a more diverse crew will also follow. It really does trickle down. And when we have more diverse crews, we make better movies,” says McGowan. Authentic storytelling reflects the experiences of individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.

With diversity as a highly-visible issue in the film industry, states across the US are now considering legislation that requires productions to set hiring goals that reflect the state’s demographics, even the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences adopted inclusion standards to be eligible for best picture.

With more states making efforts towards inclusivity in the workforce, will other states be inspired to implement diversity accountability initiatives? According to Gretchen, other states will most likely follow whenever there is a financial incentive involved: “New Jersey has set things in motion and has motivated New York. Hollywood, independent producers and financiers all change course toward the most attractive production incentives; they’ll be further motivated if there’s something financial in it for them.”

The future of New York’s diversity in the film industry depends on a continued commitment to inclusivity and representation. There is hope that with the groundwork already in motion, the momentum will continue.

Entertainment Partners proudly supports diversity inside the company and throughout the industry. In addition, Entertainment Partners has the services and tools to support your production and production incentive needs in New York, and throughout North America, the UK and Ireland, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

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