Gushing with positive energy, professional film producer Rachel Miller talks a mile a minute. But it’s easy to see why she’s so excited.
Miller’s nonprofit Film2Future, a two-week film lab for racially diverse groups of under-served high school students, is in full swing. Held at Deutsch’s advertising offices in Playa Vista, kids with cameras, storyboards and fresh ideas are buzzing about. This year’s project guides students through the creation of original animated films. The theme? Diversity — a word that’s been causing Hollywood a lot of grief as of late.
It’s hard to forget 2016’s #OscarsSoWhite hashtag on Twitter or the controversy over whitewashing certain roles like casting Emma Stone as a half-Chinese, half-Native Hawaiian character in the 2015 film “Aloha.” Even jobs behind the camera are predominantly white as well. But Miller sees a possible solution.
“People have been talking about lack of diversity, but it’s really lack of a pipeline. I wanted to build a real pipeline into Hollywood that not only sparks passion but also builds a resume of work,” she explains.
In addition to making films, Film2Future includes one-on-one mentorships, resume workshops, college essay review and panels of industry professions. Today’s panel featured Adolescent Content Executive Producer Hope Farley and two of the teenaged commercial directors she represents.
Yes, teenagers are directing television and internet commercials and getting paid for their work.
Read the rest of Building a Pipeline of Diversity via Playa Vista Direct’s website.
