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Fox just announced the 10 writers selected as the inaugural class of the Fox Writers Intensive writers program, which, unlike existing diversity writers programs designed to help young minority writers get an entry into the industry, targets more experienced writers and is not limited to ethnic minorities but open to any scribes with diverse backgrounds — LGBT, foreign-born, etc. The ten finalists were selected from more than 300 nominations and submissions through talent representatives and participating organizations, including National Hispanic Media Coalition, Sundance Institute, New York Foundation For The Arts, Outfest, Film Independent, Writers Bootcamp, Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, and Visual Communications. The 10 will spend the next four months honing their craft with an emphasis on developing original material, learning and honing writing skills for multiple mediums, and exploring the business of media and entertainment. Among the writers and producers who will work with them as part of the program are Bones creator Hart Hanson, Davey Holmes (Awake), Patrick Massett (Friday Night Lights), Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy), Virgil Williams (Criminal Minds), Peter Sollett (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist), Eli Dolleman (The Cleveland Show), Laurence Andries (The Pacific), Jessica Sharzer (American Horror Story) and Roy Lee (The Departed). Here is the list of winners, along with the representatives who submitted them:
· Nick Citton (Advance Talent Management, which no longer reps him)
· Alessia Costantini (Artist International Management. She is also repped by ICM)
· Jan Eliasberg (Rain Management Group)
· Jason Gavin (The Alpern Group)
· Nicole Jefferson Asher (The Gersh Agency)
· Tina Mabry (Independent)
· Eric Nazarian (Creative Artists Agency)
· Mark Valadez (Brant Rose Agency)
· Thomas Wong (The Gersh Agency)
· Iris Yamashita (The Gersh Agency)
TV Editor Nellie Andreeva - tip her here.
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Congrats to everyone involved!
So this is a “diversity” program that targets writers who are represented and have already been produced or had a shot on staff and haven’t been able to get a career going? After that first break, isn’t it a good thing for the fittest to survive?
Yeah, you’re right. Look at people like Chuck Lorre. Guy got fired off his first show and never amounted to anything. Yup, giving people second chances is such a waste.
Congratulations to all!!
It’s called perseverance.
Hollywood is all about multiple shots… not everyone can bat a 1000 all the time.
It’s not they weren’t good writers it’s just been thought that many voices have been overlooked.
What is the point of this program? I know one of these writers well and he has been working non-stop for a few years now on many different platforms (sitcom, one hours, etc). They are going to teach him what he already knows how to do? Confused.
With most shows already making diversity hires, why is this necessary?
Get a clue, Ivy. That said. I am still looking for the ‘diversity’ in this list…
You only need to look at the statistics regarding female show runners (a tiny minority) and female directors (7% of all television dramas) to know that “diversity hires” on the lowest levels don’t produce results. The reason this program is promising is precisely that it has selected talented writers in mid-career — people who can and run shows for Fox (and other studios) and contribute to changing a culture that is still dominated by white men at the top.
Most shows? Ummm, Ivy, no. On the search box at the top of this page on the right, type in ‘diversity.’ Nikki posted a lovely little report in the fourth quarter last year with the statistics of diversity hires – writers and directors – by studio/network. Please do your research.
And he did that with the aid of a diversity program for failed writers?
This program is ridiculous.
Looks like this program isn’t to help NEW diverse writers, but to “help” diverse writers that are ALREADY in the industry. Soooo… It’s basically just window dressing – Yeah, the industry is supposedly helping diversity, but in reality, it’s not taking on anyone new.
One need only look at the statistics to see that diversity hires haven’t worked: 90% of show-runners are white men, 80% of directors of episodic dramas are white men. And television has an infinitely better track record than features.
The value of a program like this is that it grooms talented writers in mid-career who can create and run shows for Fox and, presumably, other studios, thereby changing the culture at the top.
Some on the list are staff writers, others are writers’ assistants, others have never been staffed. Please explain how this is “mid-career”
Some have had films produced — LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, MISSISSIPPI DAMNED, THE BLUE HOUR — and some have had pilots sold and screenplays bought.
“is not limited to ethnic minorities but open to any scribes with diverse backgrounds — LGBT, foreign-born, etc.”
So the only persona non grata are straight white American (USA) men. Reverse racism is still racism, even if it’s qualified.
I’m a gay guy in L.A. and I’m trying to gain notoriety as a writer but I would never get involved in something like this. Isn’t it better to have someone approve one’s creativity, rather than approving one’s sexual proclivities? That’s a hypothetical question. The answer is ‘ yes’.
Amen to that.
The WGAW’s latest report shows that women represent 28% of television writers, people of color represent 10% of television writers. We have a long way to go.
True, but boosting a bunch of writers who’ve already proved they can’t cut it in the industry doesn’t seem like the best place to start. It simply reinforces the perception that diverse writers need special help, not only to break into the business, but to maintain a career. It’s a cutthroat business and hard for ANY writer, diverse or otherwise, to achieve career longevity. People of all shades, genders and sexual orientations wash out at every stage. Where’s the Second Chances Program for Straight White Guys?
True, but pushing a bunch of writers who haven’t been able to sustain careers isn’t helpful. It reinforces the notion that diverse writers aren’t able to maintain careers on the strength of their writing alone. Career longevity is difficult for ALL writers and people of all shades, genders and sexual orientations wash out at every stage along the way. This program is insulting.
What basis do you have for saying that these writers “haven’t been able to sustain careers?” Some have had feature careers but want to move into television; some have sold pilots but want to be staffed; some are directors who want to focus on writing.
Writing is not just about sustaining a career; it’s about talent and having something to say. David Seidler was a “washed up” writer who happened to write THE KING’S SPEECH at age 73; Ben Lewin wrote and directed THE SURROGATE at age 65, winning the Sundance Audience Prize and selling to to Fox Searchlight for $6 million dollars.
These are stories of second chances that everyone should be applauding.
As a struggling writer with no Hollywood connections, I am unable to benefit from this program because of a general lack of melanin and possession of external genitalia.
Oh I forgot, I don’t need help… all I have to do is knock on NBC’s door and they’ll give me a job because I’m white and have a penis.
Sweet!
Just hang in there (pun intended). “White male” will be an ethnic minority in the US very soon.
Wow… great to see the names of these writers on Deadline (for some their first time no doubt.) I have worked with Alessia Costantini before on Scrubs… and she is a super funny gal! I have been following her new twitter venture @buildingslut Congrats!
I guess young straight white men have no chance in hell at becoming writers then?
This program is a joke. Giving “minority” writers their fourth or fifth shot at riding the diversity train does nothing beyond assuaging the liberal guilt of the Fox studio execs. I have worked with one of the selected writers — nice enough person, not much in the way of talent, extraordinarily gifted at working the diversity angle.
The effect most diversity programs have had is to provide showrunners a way to hire diverse writers on the cheap, only to never hire them again once those writers had enough experience to move up the ranks. This program seeks to address that by targeting experienced diverse writers who deserve to be working but aren’t.
It’s a good idea. The selection process was a little suspect (no WGA affiliation? Seriously?) but at least they’re targeting a group that deserves the support.
Congrats to all.
“Diversity”– Code word for Corporate Racism.
Most of these “diversity” programs usually only bring in a few Asians, two Latinos, one Black woman and the rest are usually White gays and lesbians. I don’t have an issue with the need to bring in new writers of color, but diversity in Hollywood really means more gays and lesbians. When you look at the numbers, it’s still a white guy paradise so I don’t understand why any white male in this town would complain about anything. Doors will always be open for you. Always.
Couldn’t agree with you more, Comicbookwriter. In the case of the FOX WRITERS INTENSIVE, there is a significant amount of diversity: two white women; one asian woman; two african-american women; two hispanic men; two gay men, one of them asian.
But the real beauty of this program is that the selection was based entirely on talent — the scripts were read blind, without a cover page. The selection was based on the quality of the writing, not on any kind of quota system.
So those whining white guys who feel that they are being shafted by programs like this, were certainly free to apply based on the diversity of their background, voice, birthplace or experiences. They would have been judged exactly was everyone else was — on the merits of their work.
When are White Men persons non grata in this industry? Straight, gay, young, old – they maintain the power and hand over jobs to unqualified friends all the time