The New NBC/AWD Director’s ‘Craft Enrichment Series’ Unites the Companies’ Mutual Commitment to Reaching Gender Parity in Television Directing
Los Angeles, CA – United in their mutual commitment to reaching gender parity in television directing, the Alliance of Women Directors (AWD) and NBC have joined forces to launch the NBC/AWD Director’s “Craft Enrichment Series,” a set of master classes for emerging female episodic directors.
The new series will cover key skills in scripted directing with a spotlight on important on-set partnerships with showrunners, actors, writers and editors. Among the participants will be AWD members and finalists of NBC’s Female Forward, the network’s talent pipeline program for scripted female directors. As part of the series, emerging directors will have the opportunity to engage, learn from and be mentored by working episodic directors within AWD’s membership.
“The lack of employment is not the sole reason for the Alliance of Women Directors’ outspoken advocacy, but rather we also want to address a more serious problem, the importance ‘of which stories get told, and by whom,’” said Jennifer Warren, Chairperson and Founder of Alliance of Women Directors. “The feeling of being invisible, of being alone in the world, is created by rarely seeing images that reflect you or your life. We want to change that but can’t do it alone.
“We are proud to have an ally in the Alliance of Women Directors in our goal of reaching gender parity in the director’s chair. The more our industry promotes the need for more women in leadership positions, the faster we will reach gender parity in the entertainment industry,” said Karen Horne, Senior Vice President, Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Television. “I’m also thrilled that our new partnership will give emerging directors including the talented directors in our programs more opportunities to learn from established directors. When successful women in their fields share their knowledge and experiences with those rising talent, we give the next generation the tools to succeed.”
The new NBC/AWD Director’s “Craft Enrichment Series” will be under the umbrella of AWD’s existing premier “Craft Enrichment Series” that cultivates, educates, and supports the next generation of talented female television directors through master classes, hands-on workshops and panels with top industry professionals.
The first master class in the series will be “The Director/Editor Relationship in Episodic Television” led by Phillip J. Bartell, editor of “Dear White People”, and will take place next month. Future master classes will prepare directors to secure shadowing opportunities, book episodes and optimize their skills and experience on-set.
About AWD’s Career Advancement Program
Committed to increasing the number of women working as directors in film and television, the Career Advancement Program (CAP) provides advocacy and support to women-identifying directors through our Craft Enrichment Series, Industry Support Program, and In-House Shadowing Program. To learn more about CAP, contact Lagueria Davis lagueria@allianceofwomendirectors.org or visit https://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/career-advancement/
About Alliance of Women Directors (AWD)
Founded in 1997, Alliance of Women Directors is a collective of professional directors who have banded together to address film industry inequality and support one another’s career advancement. It is vital that stories are told from all perspectives, and AWD is dedicated to creating opportunity for women’s voices in our industry. The organization fosters a community that advances the art, craft, and visibility of women directors in all genres and mediums. Focused on providing education and professional support for members in the form of hands-on craft enrichment and mentorship, the AWD community is tireless in its advocacy efforts to increase opportunities for all.
About the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS)
Since 2000, NBC has been dedicated to discovering and nurturing on screen and behind-the-camera talent of diverse and inclusive backgrounds through the NBC Talent Infusion Programs (NBC TIPS). NBC TIPS are amongst the most extensive and robust diversity and inclusion programs in the television industry. They feature more than 20 programs including Writers on the Verge, the Diverse Staff Writer Initiative, Female Forward, Emerging Director Program, StandUp NBC nationwide search for stand-up comedians and the NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL that celebrates diverse stories and the filmmakers who create them. Program alumni are celebrated producers, writers, directors and actors in the entertainment industry who have gone on to win Emmys, Golden Globes and SAG Awards and include Alan Yang, Mindy Kaling, Deon Cole, Lil Rel Howery, Keto Shimizu, Natasha Rothwell, Danny Pudi and Danielle Sanchez-Witzel. For more information, visit NBCUniTIPS.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Stacy Adamski
Communications Chair, Alliance of Women Directors
comms@allianceofwomendirectors.org
Dupe Bosu
Director, Corporate Communications, NBC
dupe.bosu@nbcuni.com
