Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1475662
SPRING 2022 15 D E PA R T M E N T When we met in 2014, we were both striving to become professional writers and wanting to tell self-discovery and coming-of- age stories. Most importantly, we wanted to see ourselves represented on-screen. These goals helped us decide to become writing partners. We get it, writing partners are pretty rare in the industry because collaboration isn't always easy. But we've found it to be the secret ingredient to our success. We became a community of two, and we knew if we were going to accomplish our goals, we would need to expand on that. Back then we were just a pair of unknown Latinx writers, standing in front of the entertainment industry, asking it to give us a shot—but the gates were bolted shut. We were aware that for many of us, our identity has always been the source of our struggles of fitting into an industry that didn't look like us. Despite that, we were determined to make our identities the source of our successes. The trails blazed for us, by generations past, were narrower and harder to find. But what we did find in our search for success was a group of like-minded individuals. › TAG MEMBERS AND WRITING PARTNERS JEANNETTE LARA AND MICHAEL J. BEALL DISCUSS GROWING THEIR "COMMUNITY OF TWO" AND HOW TO CREATE LASTING CHANGE IN THE ANIMATION INDUSTRY. RELENTLESSLY INTENTIONAL A TIME FOR LASTING CHANGE As an animation community, if we want to see change overall then we need to be relentlessly intentional. For the BIPOC community, continue to be vocal and bring people up the ladder with you as you succeed because we can't wait for the industry to magically change. We are the change. Continue acting like it. To our allies, thank you for believing in us and not just seeing our pigmentation, but also our determination, talent, and passion for storytelling. Everyone has jumped on the diversity train, but not everyone has paid for their ticket. For those looking to be part of the change, start by changing your hiring practices. Showrunners, the "one diverse hire" in the room doesn't round out the representation equation. Stop. This is an antiquated process. The rooms that we work in should be as diverse as the world that we live in. Fight for your room to be well-rounded in both life experience and background, then challenge others to do the same. Also, actively read people who aren't like you. Listen to their voices. Not only will it make you a greater storyteller, but it will also make your show immensely better. Studios, we're encouraged by the continuing efforts you're making with the diversity programs and/or fellowships you currently are offering. But you can and should do more. Instead of more initiatives, we need mandates. There's no reason why you can't mandate that every show company-wide is made up of half or more diverse professionals. We don't need more surveys or studies to prove that the industry is behind in the diversity dilemma. There are diversity and inclusion departments at every studio for this very reason. It's a great start, but it's not enough. So many diversity organizations exist because the system is broken and can't be trusted to bring the true change needed for authentic representation. If you're still unsure of what to do, please reach out to any of the organizations mentioned in this article and they'll be more than happy to help you. Ultimately, every single one of us plays a part in the larger community of the industry. Let's come together and communicate. In an industry full of competitors, dare to be collaborators, because collaboration breeds camaraderie, which in turn encourages community. And only from the community can true, lasting change occur. D I A L O G U E SPRING 2022 15