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Fox’s Audience Strategy division, the successor of the network’s diversity department, is launching a new writers program, the Fox Writer’s Intensive. Unlike existing diversity writers programs at TV networks and studios designed to help young minority writers get an entry into the industry, Fox’s initiative targets more experienced writers and is not limited to ethnic minorities but open to any scribes with diverse backgrounds — LGBT, foreign-born, etc. (For newcomers, there will be a separate, entry-level Fox writers program in the fall of 2012). Per the network, the initiative “is designed to nurture experienced writers with diverse voices, backgrounds and life experiences and create a strong pipeline of well-rounded talent for potential staffing as writers, story editors or showrunners on Fox productions.” The program will kick off in February 2012 with an inaugural class of 10 participants who will undergo intensive training under the tutelage of Fox showrunners, screenwriters, directors and creative from TV, feature films and digital entertainment. The four-month curriculum will be focused on 1) developing original material, 2) learning and honing writing skills for multiple mediums, and 3) exploring the business of media and entertainment. Selected writers will have the opportunity to receive feedback and guidance on their scripts through interactive “master classes” and will attend guest-speaker sessions with experienced writers, show runners and directors to discuss case studies of their films and television shows.
At the end of the four months, Fox will select one participant as Fox Writer’s Intensive Fellow, who will get one-on-one meetings with network and studio heads as well as priority staffing opportunities across all Fox divisions. In addition, Fox commits to buying and developing the winning participant’s original submission. As for the others, Fox will also look to staff them, and the company will have first look on their original scripts. “Through the Fox Writer’s Intensive we are, for the first time, actively investing in experienced talent to bridge the gap between the emerging writer and showrunner,” said Nicole A. Bernard, SVP Audience Strategy for The Fox Group.
The deadline for submissions is November 9. Candidates can’t apply directly. They have to be nominated through one of the program’s partnering organizations (list below) or submitted through a talent agency/management company. Candidates must have published/produced material “or other accomplished presentation of their work” in TV, film, literature or theater. For more information, go to www.fox.com/audiencestrategy and click on Fox Writer’s Initiative under the Fox Writers Programs menu. Here is the list of participating organizations:
- Film Independent
- Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment
- National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
- New York Foundation for the Arts
- Visual Communications
- Writer’s Bootcamp
- National Association of Latino Independent Producers
- Organization of Black Screenwriters
- East West Players
- Women In Film Los Angeles
- Media Access Awards
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As a Jew, do I count as a minority in Hollywood? Seriously.
Your kidding right? Why don’t you just call your Uncle to green light your not-so-great script…
Dude, now I just spit my fake vitamin water. you owe me a wireless keyboard.
Hollywood is the only exception where you can’t use being Jewish as a minority status.
Doesn’t work to get any special minority considerations for schools or jobs.
if all of you writers actually got off the boards and back to WRITING, perhaps you all wouldn’t have as much free time to hate on everyone else….because you’d be WORKING
This should help white male writers, right? Awesome! Because, you know, minorities have a much tougher time finding work then us. Right. Ugh. Bite me, and I say that in the nicest of ways.
Seeing how there are a ton of minority programs, initiatives, and quotas needing to be filled already, I don’t see how this is productive or morally right. Is it legally right, even? It’s just absurd. Opportunities are hard to come by in this business, period. It’s not about skin color or sexual orientation or ethnicity. When your script is being read, the reader doesn’t know these things. They just know your name and if you’re a writer. My name sounds like a girl’s name, but I’m a dude. It also can be a black name. Or a white name! And a gay name! And a straight name! UGH.
And your voice as a writer should be diverse enough that you can write gay without being gay, black without being black, white without being white, spanish without having an accent. So this program isn’t right or necessary.
BTW, if I’m in the closet should I come out so I can join this program?
It’s a token program, dude. That’s all. There has never been one diversity program that’s gone to series, but you get a lot of LONE STAR, CHARLIE’S ANGELS (reboot), CHAOS type shows that go nowhere.
I am for diversity programs because I’m a big Indian woman with multiple scripts that have won film festivals and writing contest. If you look at all the deals getting made, an enormous majority are white males. So you can rail on you want, B-Man, and I feel your pain, but people need all the help they can. Even if it means joining a token program.
Maybe you should read more carefully, B-Man, and not be such a hater. They explicitly state it does not apply strictly to ethnicity but also applies to people with diverse backgrounds. In other words, have you led an interesting life? If not, apply anyway. Maybe they’re looking for trolls.
But still nothing for older writers. You know, the ppl who want to transition from another kind of writing for this. Never anything at all for older writers in the world of TV where these 30-year-old execs are such pussies that they can’t bear to see someone that might look like their parents.
Diversity my ass. Everything on TV is written by children, and most of the time it shows.
You have a point. Ultimately there’s no progress being made if Hollywood hires a hundred minority writers and puts them to work on another show about single white women in Manhattan.
Actually, no, there IS a big difference, because having a minority writer on staff generally results in a diversity of viewpoints in the room and story ideas generated by the staff. Even in a show about a white woman in Manhattan.
For proof of this, see either Justified or Burn Notice, two amazingly successful shows on cable with lots of diverse writers. Diversity of thought is the most important asset writers from non-traditional backgrounds bring to a show.
Diversity hiring, in other words, is about money, not feeling good for being a good Liberal Elite.
Cuz there’s no diversity in Manhattan? Cuz women aren’t discriminated against? Maybe stick to the usual paradigm of average white men writing average stories for women and minorities. Or maybe you and B-Man should create your own average white men show and call it Michael B-Man.
Do you honestly believe people get jobs on staff based solely upon the quality of their scripts? NOTHING else comes into consideration? Seriously? And I’m not even arguing the merits of the program, just the merits of your opinion.
Wow, that’s a lot of bitter.
What’s so wrong about expressing bitterness? Even in Los Angeles, it’s not a crime to be angry or, gasp, “negative”.
Clap for yourself and cheer.
I have a better question; why aren’t you complaining about all the white male writers who are beating you out for jobs? I love how you fantasize that if only there weren’t any minority writing programs then you’d get chose!! Because obviously you don’t think you are capable of beating out a priviledged white male writer, but hey, you are certain you can beat out a minority writer! Especially one who’s struggling to break into the business and who has little opportunities in life! Yeah, you could surely beat one of those! Just admit it; you suck as a writer. Keep fantasizing that the 5 chosen writers are somehow putting you out of a job. Don’t accept that you can’t get ahead simply because you can’t write.
just worry about YOUR writing. if you’re a white male writer, you already have the inner-track. you’re winning dude! stop being the asshat football coach who insists on running up the point total on the other team.
Nice racism, buddy.
“this program isn’t right or necessary.”
Yes B-Man, the fact that Hollywood writers are over 90% Caucasian males shows that a program encouraging more diversity in writing isn’t at all necessary.
B-Man, have you ever worked on any television shows??? They are crawling with white men. Of all ages. There are sometimes, depending on the show, a reasonable number of women, never a majority, and I would go as far to say, on most TV shows, dramas and comedies, color is a rarity. I’ve been around. I’ve seen it. These people are lucky to just get to MEET folks who actually work in the industry, and it’s an extreme longshot that they ever get staffed. Personally, I think these programs exist so studios can steal ideas. They take a small, golden nugget of a thought from an aspiring writer then hand it off to development and then hire pros. But… it’s a learning experience. Why not?
Um, riiight. Because the fact that there are seven whole black writers in the ENTIRE industry shows how diverse the industry is and how this is soooo not needed. Kick rocks, dude — and while you’re at it, get a clue.
Then Fox executives can give themselves a nice pat on the back before ordering another five projects from Ryan Murphy and Seth Macfarlane.
Isn’t that the truth.
lol…my thought on it…exactly. Isn’t this a little like Hitler starting a summer camp for Jews?
Great thought, well said.
Too bad AARP isn’t one of the sponsoring organizations. “Writers Over 50″ would really be diverse for Hollywood!!
Older writers are included in the diversity writing programs.
Over 40 is consider diversity.
The truth is as a white male middle aged Jewish writer I have been told over and over again the last two years that shows are looking for diversity candidates (female, non-white) and that I would not be considered. One show runner even told me that she had too many middle aged Jewish men on staff (said it that just that way to my face) so I wouldn’t be getting a gig. Okay. I’m the first guy to believe that everyone deserves an opportunity, I have certainly supported affirmative action. But the truth is it sucks when your race and age and gender are stumbling blocks for getting work in a field in which you know you are otherwise well qualified. I don’t know what the solution is, but there are a limited number of gigs out there. Very limited and lately I have been thinking I’d be a lot more likely to get one if I was a girl.
…and someone on this same blog the list of minority writing hires proves that few if any minorities are being hired, and most networks hire none. As in zero. So if you need that fantasy to suck on to sleep at night go ahead and believe it. But if you truly were a great writer you’d have 100 producers calling you right now. Your phone isn’t ringing because your scripts stink. No one will ever tell you that to your face, but I am. It’s not too late to get your realtor’s license.
yo HAPPY DANCE you don’t seem very happy. I never claimed to be a great writer. I’m just a guy who has earned a living as a writer for the last twelve years and who was making an observation about – if nothing else – the lip service given to hiring diverse writing staffs and how it seems to have impacted my own job search. But you’re right, maybe I just suck. But while I may not be a great writer I can assure you I would be an even worse real estate agent.
Amen, HappyDance. Couldn’t have said it better!
According to your argument, if the “diversity” writers were any good they’d have “100 producers calling” them right now.
Does not compute.
While there is a plethora of miserable work out there, all fields — not just ours, there is also a great deal of work that is spectacular but simply isn’t seen in the right place or time or any of a myriad other factors.
Saying this person’s work “stinks” without knowing the work is just hateful.
~ Dao
Enjoy life, more often than not we get out in measure to that we put in — eventually. Alternately my friend it is even more rare we get out what we did not put in. Trust fund babies included.
You do know about the Princeton study that showed when they ended affirmative action in Cal. state schools, whites were thrown out, and they became majority Asian, right? Similarly, the Ivy’s have quotas to keep Asians and Indians out of the schools. They’re overrepresented. You know how hard it is to get into Harvard if you’re Indian, forget if you’re not a legacy. It’s tough. We also don’t have any nepotism to help us, and so many other factors. Grow up, and write better scripts.
That’s not accurate. The Princeton study showed that there white admissions would be stable, whereas African American and Latino admissions would drop and be replaced by Asians.
http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S11/80/77I23/index.xml
I’m not a writer, but I do agree with the notion that more than most any other industry, the entertainment system as a ‘who you know’ system. Being able to get one’s script to the right people is key, and I would think that a diversity program as stated above could be beneficial if it is done properly, which would be to reach out beyond one’s inner circle of friends and out into the world of people who don’t have the connections, but do have the talent.
*Offer only valid for nonwhite women.
You’d be more likely to get a gig if you were part of the Harvard Mafia, get funneled into a staff writer position at SNL, and then write more sketches that launch the careers of dumb, white comedian “actors.”
Not if you were a white girl though. Trust me on that one. One of those “single white girl shows” almost hired me… then went with an Asian man because the staff (of men) was too white. Which was also said to my face.
Your race, age, and gender are not stumbling blocks for getting work, they are potential stumbling blocks for getting into a diversity program. As a white man, you have a leg up in Hollywood, both socially and professionally. Just start networking more. Not that they don’t like anyone else, but powerful white guys love hanging out with other white guys. Your age may be your only detriment.
Network or shoot your own stuff. Not everyone makes it, but as a white guy, you really can’t blame your gender or race.
Well said, c4x. I would be the first to admit that I have advantages and connections – because of my race?… I don’t know… I guess. As far as networking goes, good suggestion, but I just stink at it. I’d rather talk to dogs than people. Frankly, I rather write scripts for dogs too. “Shoot your own stuff” is a great idea though, especially in the age of the internet where you can shoot it and post it and potentially get viewers all on your own.
Okay, so you admit you can’t network or talk to people…
…so what do you think TV Writing is?
Because the last time I was on staff, I spent 70 hours a week in a room with 8 other writers. People who can’t or won’t speak to others don’t tend to last long.
hey aggregator, relax man. does it make you feel better to vent and posture all over these boards. I hope so, cause from my view you just look like a person with some major anger issues. I admitted I made a mistake in the way I posted the first time. I called myself out in about three four postings here. So chill. I know how a writers room works. I actually enjoy them very much. When it comes to talking about stories, I’m down. (The dog stuff is a joke, brah) The fact that I don’t like to go to parties and talk about the biz certainly is not doing my career any favors, but so be it, even if I never get another gig, at least I won’t have to sit 70 hours a week in a room with you. (70 hrs? I guess you write comedy, which is funny cause you’re not – people don’t usually do 70 hours on dramas – I never have.)
First off, that’s what lazy Agents say to their white male or Jewish male clients to explain why they can’t find them work.
Secondly, I always find it interesting to hear the cries from older writers that “I supported racial diversity!” — Really? Then why wasn’t Hollywood properly integrated a generation ago?
The simple fact is that racial and gender diversity are at a recent low in TV writing in the last few years. The overwhelming number of white male writers in TV and Film prove your sad-sack theories wrong. While Diversity programs might open opportunities for inexperienced women or minorities, they don’t stay in those positions long, and those positions wouldn’t even exist if not for the Diversity programs, so you are NOT losing jobs to women & minorities.
If you really think that age and gender are stacked against you as a middle-aged white man, then go write novels. No one has any idea what color or age you are there.
All good points, Aggregator. The thing about writing a novel is that it sounds really fun. Your own tastes and intentions rule the day. No pleasing a network or a show runner. Sounds awesome. The trouble is they pay you a lot of money for writing TV scripts, but for writing novels… well, you have to have real estate license too, if you know what I mean?
Well…do a Tootsie, try out your theory, and write a script about your it. I smell an Oscar.
Elle, I pitched that very idea to my agent. They thought I was just a crazy bitter middle aged Jew. Glad you like it though. Wanna be my agent?
“But the truth is it sucks when your race and age and gender are stumbling blocks for getting work in a field in which you know you are otherwise well qualified.”
Look at pretty much every writers’ room in Hollywood.
Read the Deadline post from a few weeks ago about this subject.
Read your statement again.
Think hard.
Repeat.
Dear IJustGottaSay,
You are right. I read your quote of my post and read what all the other people had to say and I realize that I made mistake. I have been lucky enough to have had quite a few jobs in H’Wood. I have been a part of several writers rooms and they are mostly all white men. Sometimes there’s a woman or two in the rooms. I have never worked anywhere with a minority writer. Not once. So I apologize for my earlier post and, actually, I’m surprised to find that I could gain a little bit of insight and introspection by posting on this or any website. I have been lucky, I have known the right people and I have gotten jobs and made a lot of money and had great opportunities. I think it is mostly because I went to a good college where I made good connections. I posted about the “diversity comments” out of frustration. While I may not be a great writer, I am a pretty good dad and I got used to supporting my family through writing. Like everybody else, I need to pay the bills. Writing is the business I know (and, at least until recently, that I was in). But over the last year and a half it hasn’t worked out so well and, yes people have literally told me that I wouldn’t get work because of “diversity.” I’d been stewing about that, but now that I’ve posted it and seen the responses, I realize diversity is really not my issue. Who knows why I haven’t gotten work lately, my talent, my timing, my taste… I dunno. But I can’t deny that I have had big advantages and “race and gender” are not real problems for me. So, thanks y’all for calling me on my BS. If these programs help diversify H’wood that’s great. But part of me thinks we’d all be better off doing something else anyway.
I agree 100 percent with what you said — to the poster named I just Gotta Say.
And further underscoring the lack of diversity in writing rooms is a recent profile in Rolling Stone magazine about the dozen or so writers behind the Jon Stewart Show. Judging from the photo the tally was 99 percent white and the majority men.
Truth be told white men have it relatively easy in Hollywood because the “intangible” connections are just not available to blacks, Latinos and Asians. If you don’t party with the right people or get anointed by the right guru or come from a great school (the Harvards and Stanfords of the world!) then you are screwed.
Is it any surprise that Tyler Perry had to go OUTSIDE Hollywood to become ridiculously rich or that Oprah did her thing OUTSIDE the Hollywood paradigm and became a gazillionaire as a result?
Let’s face it, the diversity Hollywood accepts is handing out token Oscars or critical praise to black male or female actors who play maids (See Hattie McDaniel), subservients (see Will Smith in “Bagger Vance” or Morgan Freeman in “Driving Ms. Daisy) or for unfailingly portraying unbridled black social dysfunction (see Monique in “Precious” or Halle Berry in “Monster’s Ball”)
That’s the kind of “diversity” Hollywood relishes. Meanwhile, the writers rooms of major shows are about as Wonder Bread as Wall Street exec boards.
Don’t believe me? Watch “The Help” go to town next Oscar season!
not a girl, guaranteed, most of us have had that kind of meeting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been told by agents who brought me based on the strength of spec scripts, that they already had “a woman” writer in their stable (notice “a” woman), and they’d have to dump that one in order to bring me in. ONE female among the 8 or 10 they represent. How many female showrunners have you heard of? Shonda Rhimes? Diane English how many years ago? Put away the violins for men in this town, okay?
A) It’s ridiculous that these programs exist in the first place. I would like to think these studios would go after the best writers, PERIOD, regardless of skin color and sexual orientation.
B)I hate that these programs give unknown writers “hope”, only to quickly snatch it away with the words “must be nominated by an organization” or “can only be submitted by manager/agent.” Not all people belong to organizations…and if they have a manager or agent, they’re already that much closer to realizing their dreams ANYWAY. How about scouring schools for graduates who did well and are having problems finding people to help them? Sometimes I wonder why I even bother…
“Doing well” means you were talented enough to attract the attention of someone, not that you got an “A” in your advanced creative writing class. Part of the game is getting rep’d; if you haven’t, you aren’t “doing well.” If you have talent, you will find some level of success at some point in your career. If you don’t, you won’t. But it’s no one’s responsibility to “scour schools” and “help” struggling writers.
Geez, this generation…
I know part of the game is getting repped…a game that isn’t very easily played. “You need to be recommended to an agent”. Great…I know several working writers who love my work and have not helped me one bit…b/c who the hell wants to give work to someone who could possibly steal a gig from them in the end?
It’s possible that you just aren’t that good. Ever thought of that?
There are young, hungry managers out there who are burning the midnight oil, looking for new talent. It takes effort and networking to get to them, but if you are good enough, someone reputable will take you on as a client.
If you can’t find one or they won’t rep you, then you probably aren’t good enough yet. It’s that simple.
FYI: a good number of writing jobs in the feature business are currently being filled by young, inexpensive, inexperienced writers.
Showrunners don’t hire the best writers. They hire the writers they are most comfortable with, which usually means people they have worked with before. Same with studios. They don’t hire the best writer but the hot writer or the writer they are most comfortable with. It would be a different story if the people that did the hiring read scripts without first looking at credits or looking at the name of the writer.
you’re making the program’s point…white guys already have the inner-track because white guys like and give jobs to other white guys. this town is full of white guys who want to write. 75% of spec scripts are written by white guys- you HAVE the inner-track. YOU WIN! you need programs like this to give other people help and a chance. besides, it’s just a shot…if these writers aren’t good, they’re not going to stick around long. IF you are any good, you will…
I’m not white. Read the response I gave below to Aggrevator.
A) Spoken like a white man looking for a reason he can’t break in.
B) Go join one of those organizations. Many of them are open to anyone.
C) This program isn’t for BEGINNING LEVEL writers in the first place. It’s for mid-level TV Writers, ie people who have ALREADY written professionally. You’re complaining about the wrong things here. Even if the applications process was open to all comers, you couldn’t qualify.
A)I’m not white. Way to assume. I mean that there shouldn’t be any kinds of programs like this b/c the industry should always be putting its best foot forward. If they can covet racially diverse stars in blockbuster films, they should be able to open their arms to us in all other aspects of the industry.
B)I shouldn’t have to join an organization that may or may not help me with my career.
C)And re-read the article again, smart aleck. There’s a NEWCOMER version starting soon after, and will probably have some other ridiculous criteria, if not the same one shown here, as well!
“If they can covet racially diverse stars in blockbuster films, they should be able to open their arms to us in all other aspects of the industry.”
You think Hollywood includes that many racially diverse stars? How many summer films from this year can you think of that featured a racially diverse man or woman as the LEAD character? I can think of three off the top of my head; The Help, Jumping the Broom, Colombiana.
Honestly it is rare for a minority, particularly racial minorities to be featured as a lead in a blockbuster film that isn’t specifically targeting that particular market. One of the things I liked about Pixar’s film ‘Up’ was that the Asian kid as a lead had no impact on the story. It didn’t take place in Asia, it wasn’t a historical film that required an Asian, there were no stereotypes about his character, it was just a good movie that happened to have an Asian as a lead. That is the kind of diversity I would love to see in Hollywood. People always say it shouldn’t matter, so why are films with a predominately black cast labeled a “black comedy” rather than a comedy?
This isn’t to say white males should never be cast as leads, but this is a diverse country and it would be nice to see that more often. And I believe that the more diversity there is in the writers room the more diversity there should be in films and television
A) What’s ridiculous, though, is that they DON’T go after the best regardless of sex, color, etc. It’s who-you-know right? And when the top of every pyramid is filled with men, who are they hanging around with that want to get into the business? Other men, or women they date. Period. Rooms are filled with schlubby men and thin, hot, young women (or their slightly older, seasoned selves). If diversity already existed, the need to cater to finding it wouldn’t exist.
Intensive, huh? Sounds like a plan!
I’m not sure I understand why “experienced” writers – diverse or otherwise – need any “nurturing”, presuming that if they’re “experienced” they already have writing gigs.
What with the whole “nominating” process, this looks like a program designed not to discover talent, but to get it already-vetted.
Geeze, can *nobody* actually recognize new talent anymore??
Well the article does say they’re going to have a separate program for entry-level writers starting fall 2012
And what’s more disgusting is that the only people really reading specs and pilots and doing coverage at agencies are god-damned agent assistants who just blew into town a month ago and found a $10/hr gig on craigslist. It’s really a bloody miracle ANY decent script ever gets seen by the studios/networks.
I finally have a in.
Correction, it’s — “I’m gettin’ mine, bitches.”
This is ridiculous. I’m a good writer but i should be punished because i’m white and am attracted to women.
Exactly how are you being punished? You think that diversity is keeping you from being a great writer? People come out to LA, they either learn to write great scripts and find their place in the industry, or they write lousy ones and pretend that diversity, space aliens or karma or somehow stopping them from succeeeding. Grow a pair. If your scripts are being rejected that’s on you. It’s not on some tiny niche opportunity. If you are soooo amazing why didn’t you win a Warner Bros, Austin or ABC Disney writing fellowship? Those are all wide open to everyone. Could it be because you stink as a writer?
I guess you’re only attracting to WHITE women, you despicable Nazi !
If you can’t think of a single quality you possess that makes you stand out from the crowd, then maybe you aren’t the creative powerhouse you think you are. I know straight up and down white, heterosexual men who have gone through diversity writing programs; they each had interesting backgrounds, perspectives, or stories to tell. Do you?
Every other show on television is run by, staffed by and looking to hire straight white males but the creation of one program that’s looking to expand the pool of talent it has to choose from is somehow “punishing” you? Entitled much?
Why aren’t there writing programs for EVERYONE? The industry is already swamped with diversity programs. Allow everyone to enter and the best, original voices to flourish. There are a lot of talented, undiscovered white males out there.
SWAMPED with Diversity Programs? Sure… there’s this one, NBC’s, CBS’s, and Disney’s.
You’re right! Some 40-odd people a year are just HANDED careers in Television Writing simply because of their skin color and gender! Ability or talent has NOTHING to do with it!
Here’s a horrifying fact: there are more rookie Major League Baseball players who join the MBL players’ union every year than there are rookie film & TV writers who manage to write their way into the WGA.
AGAIN: Your odds of becoming a professional baseball player are greater than becoming a Hollywood writer.
Stop complaining and start working on your specs and your networking. Good material and good contacts are what get people jobs, and yes, BOTH are necessary.
“Good material and good contacts are what get people jobs, and yes, BOTH are necessary.”
Well said Aggregator.
Christ it’s like the studio audience at a GOP presidential debate in here. “Swamped with diversity programs”? Srsly? In 15 years, I’ve never talked to a working writer of color who wasn’t the only non-white, straight and/or Jewish male in the writer’s room. I’ve never even heard of a writer’s room wasn’t 90% male and/or white. Every studio has one office that sponsors a program that ends up staffing one attractive, black female every couple of years for one season and/or until the NAACP holds another press conference.
Stop wallowing in self-pity and go rewrite your script already.
So. Frakkin’. True.
No.
I wish they had a diversity program for people who comment on posts like this.
I want redheads included. Science says I’m descended from Neanderthals, and I’m feeling pretty “diverse” over it.
B-Man, maybe you can qualify for this minority program because you are a man with a woman’s name. Lol. If you are in the closet, come out and be yourself for yourself not some training program.
Without compassion and understanding you can only write for minorities through your own bi sexual, white male eyes. That’s been done to death.
These people have unique experience and it’s valuable. I’m sure you are unique also, find the program that values your uniqueness and join it.
The FOX Audience Strategy Division?! I’m glad to see mobs tactics are being fully assimilated @ FOX.
I call BS on this program. this is just a way for Fox to point to something to say they’re doing “something”. Experienced minority writers don’t need nurturing. They need access. They need showrunners willing to take a chance on a voice. They writers are out there. We don’t need another bullshit program to act as yet another hurdle to that elusive writing gig.
Ultimately this is a who you know business. Know program is gonna teach you that.
Call me crazy, but isn’t this program and others like it discriminatory by its very nature and a violation of Federal law? And seriously, how does who you prefer to stick your crank into make you any more any more diverse and worthy of consideration than anyone else?
Nope, you’re crazy. These types of programs are definitely NOT discriminatory, nor would Federal law apply because nowhere do the rules state that this program is only open to any one particular race or whatever. Even if it did, it’s not employment, so Federal law wouldn’t apply.
So yeah, pretty much everything you believe is wrong. Go figure from a guy who complains that “how does who you prefer to stick your crank into make you any more any more diverse and worthy of consideration than anyone else?” — Not everyone here has a “crank” but I love that you just presuppose that all TV writers should have one. I haven’t seen such a blisteringly phallic-centric outlook as yours since the last time Deadline wrote an article about a program designed to find people who aren’t stupid white men.
Interesting how LGBT writers are cited as example “minorities” targeted by the program, yet none of the participating orgs are at all LGBT-affiliated. Oh well, yet another Hollywood Catch-22.
It’s plain on its face that diversity programs are a good thing. Objectively speaking, for a myriad of reasons, it’s harder for minority writers to get a foot in the door. And it is unquestionably better for the industry, the programming, and the audiences if the writing staffs are more diverse.
I can’t see anything but self-involved jerks when I see people whine that because they are white and male, they can’t get into diversity programs. The world is bigger than you, and nobody is entitled to anything but a kick in the teeth.
There are writing programs for everyone out there… plus contests. Writers spend more time and energy writing then b*tching and moaning okay? The odds are stacked against everyone. Great writing / storytelling rises. Write, re-write, network, promote and repeat. Diversity here in most cases refers to your POV, voice, life experience. What sets you apart? Now get back to writing…
All the studios have a writer programs, only this one is a tad different But the reality of it is it’s a way for the studio to get both a tax write off and government grants( i.e. free money) and have a few well trained interns to help with the writers they actually DO pay.
“At the end of the four months, Fox will select one participant as Fox Writer’s Intensive Fellow, who will get one-on-one meetings with network and studio heads as well as priority staffing opportunities across Fox divisions. In addition, Fox commits to buying and developing the winning participant’s original submission. As for the others, Fox will also look to staff them, and the company will have first look on their original scripts.”
Hahahaha… ONE? They’re going to buy ONE script and give ONE person meetings? Hilarious. Meetings cost them NOTHING, not a single dime, and they can’t even guarantee meetings for 10 people? That’s pretty sad.
I note, however, that although they’re only buying ONE script, that Fox is helping themselves to First Look status on the original scripts that they AREN’T buying, so if one of these writers sets up a project elsewhere, Fox can swoop in and kill the deal by buying it themselves, if only so they don’t have to compete with it.
Also, how weird is it that this program, supposedly designed around the needs and career advancement of mid-level television writers, has so many film groups selecting who’s going to be participating? How are these film entities like Women in Film or Film Independent going to find and recruit qualified nominees for this television program?
Sigh. Hollywood: We’re not racist, it only looks that way.
Hollywood isn’t racist. They’re lazy. They go with whatever’s easy to sell. That’s why they keep going back to old white dudes who’ve put on shows. Consider David Kelley doing the new WONDERWOMAN series. It sucked because Kelley was just phoning that crap in. The pilot was tired and unoriginal just like these old white dudes. No, Hollywood is most definitely lazy and lazy breeds ignorance and ignorance creates racist. So… yeah, okay, Hollywood is racist.
Really? You think the best writing is what is “winning” in this town. Really? Have you seen the movies at the multi-plex, the shows on TV? No doubt there are some great shows and movies, but look at all the mediocre work. Done mostly but White Males, check that, Jewish White Males. There is no diversity in thought or ethnicity. Period. A token program is better than no program at all.
Has anyone ever gone into an agency? There are NO MINORITY AGENTS AT ALL working in any of the top agencies PERIOD unless they’re at the receptionist desk. Agencies should get one of these diversity programs also
so not true dude. so not true.
No minority agents? That’s a lie.
Well, um, I can just think of a few right off the top of my head though I’d be hard-pressed to tell you what they are up to these days:
Rowena Arguilles, long-time affiliation with CAA (Filipina America)….
Daisy Wu, Asian American woman agent on the rise — used to be with Endeavor, most recently with Gersh…
Andrea Nelson Meigs, long-time agent with CAA (African America….
But you are right…. in proportion to the rest of the white agents these minority agent superstars are rarified indeed.
The amount of minorities on staff in Hollywood is what? Six percent at last count? It’s amazing that people complain about these programs, because in the past ten years (after a decade of minority programs at the studios) diversity in writing staffs has Increased like two percent or some other miniscule percentage.
It’s not like minorities are taking over writing staffs in Hollywood. It’s crazy that a show will hire ten writers, nine Caucasians and one minority, and the fifty people who were turned down for the job will inevitably say: “I wasn’t hired because they gave my job to a minority.”
exactly.
“It’s crazy that a show will hire ten writers, nine Caucasians and one minority, and the fifty people who were turned down for the job will inevitably say: “I wasn’t hired because they gave my job to a minority.””
QFT.
Also, as much as I’m for making writing rooms more diverse, this program has a lot of problems, number one being that the recommendation has to come from one of the listed organizations or from a list of specific agents. To form a strong enough working relationship with most of those organizations usually requires one to be a paying member or customer. In other words, a lot of folks with negligible talent will be able to buy their way into a recommendation.
The even bigger problem is that this program seeks to distinguish itself by “targeting experienced writers,” yet it has no affiliation with the WGA, the best and most easily identifiable organization on earth to find experienced TV and film writers.
Now that the ABC Writers Program is requiring industry recommendations and some TV experience for all applicants, this effort by FOX seems a day late and $50,000 short.