Black Representation in Film and TV: The Challenges and Impact of Increasing Diversity
TV and movies although they are an escape from reality they definitely shape social and cultural beliefs and attitudes about race both in the U.S. and internationally
Being someone who works in television is also a job and for black professionals trying to have a career in TV the industry has been very unwelcoming
Although there has been progress on-screen in recent years, there still exists inequity behind the scenes across film and TV workplaces
Data has been readily available for onscreen representation but there has been little research on the diversity of entire workplaces that create these shows including: studios, networks, production and streaming companies, distributors, on-screen talent, writers, producers, directors, crew members, executives, agents, etc.
Research aims to understand lived experience of black professions along content production journey and to shed light on racial disparities by analyzingthousands of film and TV shows
Conducted anonymous interviews with film and TV professionals to speak about system level obstacles they encounter
Addressing racial inequities could be beneficial for the industry allowing for 10 billion dollars in additional revenues - 7% more each year from addressing racial inequalities
Fewer black-led stories get told and when they are, the projects are consistently underfunded and undervalued despite earning higher returns than other works
Black creatives in advanced positions like creator, producer, writer or directors find themselves primarily responsible for providing opportunities to other black off screen talent. Unless one senior member of production is black, black talent is shut out of these roles.
Emerging black actors receive significantly ewer chances early int heir careers to make their mark in leading roles compared to white actors
Little minority representation in management and board rooms
Complex environment filled with dozens of hidden barriers and other points of exclusion reinforces racial status quo in industry
Study identified 40 different “pain points” that black professionals in TV regularly encounter in their careers
Structures of accountability lack in TV industry to reinforce an equitable environment
Work setting small and informal including locations outside of the united states
Work is temporary and contract based
Working with multiple agencies and companies
Black talent underrepresented across industry but particularly offscreen
In positions of creative control, less than 6 percent of writers, directors, or producers of US-produced films are Black. In some genres (ie. Superhero genre) representation is even lower.
Black talent tends to be shut out of projects unless senior team members are black
When a shows creator is black, it is much more likely that the show runner is also Black.
4/5 shows with black creator have a black show runner
Of all show runners only 5 percent are black
87% of TV executives are white
Less than 6% of all writers, directors, and producers are black
Films with 2 or more offscreen black professional receive significantly lower budgets, around 40% less than other productions
Television and film with black leads are distributed among less international markets than those with white leads despite earning the same amount of revenue
Barriers to entry
Black talent face number of obstacles entering TV industry many of which are hidden or rarely acklnowledged
Financial - breaking into industry often follows years of work without pay of for pay that is insufficient to cover basic needs ruling many people in less privileged positions out of the job
Wide and persistent gap in wealth bewtween black and white families in the United States with black families having about 150,000 dollars less than median white family
As a result: low or no pay jobs excludes many black americans in Hollywood from the start. Work is temporary and contract based making it less accessible for those who do not have person savings, inheritances or family money to fall back on.
Social: - jobs in industry are normally acquired through social networking of those inside the industry who tend to be white and upper class.
Thus, those who are chosen for jobs tend to be of an elite status often graduating from Ivy League universities. Those who do not operate in these elite spaces often have a hard time penetrating them causing marginalized groups to be excluded from behind the scenes oppurtunities.
Racial bias: pattern of industry gatekeepers such as agencies, unions and guilds responding to people who act, look, and sound as they do (ie. White people).
About 90 percent of agents and executive staff at industries top 3 talent agencies were white
Across leads, writers and directors the share of black talent as the same agenesi was less than half the black share of the U.S. population
Pain points:
Hard to gain talent representation
Stalled projects - 90% of optioned work is shelved, hurting emerging talent
Black talent must sell stories about personal trauma to get ideas optioned
Risk aversion and experience bias lowers interest in black content
Stereotypical assumptions of target audience that come from white execs. are more valued than lived experiences of creators from that group
Black creators lack networks and sponsorship to build out team and funding
Impossible to be set suffiencient in production given the massive costs
Crew is built through networks and is not easily accesible without right connections
Lack of black crew creates blindspots and less accommodating workspaces
Pervasive assumption that black media “does not travel”
Teams lack racial diversity/ relevant experiences limiting reach of marketing and its impact
Talent receives less recognition through awards, critics reporting, and festivals which help with negotiating better deals
Black Tax:
Everyday black professionals must navigate an environment that is set up to cater to white talent. Black actors often have to shoulder considerable expsenes for lighting, hair and makeup when white talent is treated as the norm (ie. Black talent not having appropriate hairstylist and refusal to hire appropriate person to do so).
One example of black tax that both aspiring and established black professionals in industry must deal with
Having to fight or pay out of pocket for what others typically dont have to, or a need to advocate on their own for more racial equity puts an unfair burden on black creatives
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