“You Can’t Call the Same Five Friends”: Addressing Gender Bias in Production

LBB’s Zoe Antonov spoke to NERD’s Founder Milana Karaica and experts across the industry on International Women’s Day about how production companies can champion female talent, how to break gender bias and why trust is paramount.

Another International Women’s Day comes around, which means another March 8th spent pondering how the world has become better, or how it can do better going forward. A day or month of patting ourselves on the back for giving women space to speak, breathe and exist. The communications industry, as hundreds of other industries, has in recent years realised the painful irony of a day-long (or even month-long if we’re talking International Women’s Month) celebration of women, with the backdrop of the blatantly misogynist practices that still take place on the inside. They could be as small and negligible as office-based sexism, and go through to ruining somebody’s career, or wholly excluding women from work at certain stages of their lives.

So today, we look at how the production world in particular has changed for the women in it and for those trying to enter it. Do production companies make sure that female talent gets the same shot as their male counterparts, not only in commercials about cosmetics or periods, but also in automotive and sports; not only in scripting, but also in VFX, sound and music? We wanted to find out if the back-patting and echoing inclusivity discussions ever escaped the circles they initially began from, reaching C-suites and clients of the industry and ultimately changing minds and practices. Beyond Women’s Day, or Women’s Month, we wanted to know if brands and agencies actually want to trust female directors and other female production talent with their messaging. 

What does fostering female talent mean to the industry?

Back in 2019, according to Forbes, women drove 70-80% of all consumer purchasing decisions, yet somehow the communications world favours male creativity when it comes to selling and branding. “It only makes sense to speak to those individuals in a relatable and authentic way,” says NERD’s founder and executive producer Milana Karaica, speaking about this illogical split. “We can’t do that if their stories are told by men. Equality is really easy to achieve if you actually try rather than just tick boxes.”

Executive producer and partner at Merman Siobhan Murphy agrees: “Without female voices we end up recycling the same, somewhat stagnant stories, told in the same way.” To Siobhan, gender balance within production and the wider advertising industry should be spoken in the same breath as the discussions around ethnicity, sexuality, age and socio-economic backgrounds. 

Milana explains that when the team is looking at folios and CVs at NERD, they tend to remove the names, to be able to pick the person based solely on ‘raw talent and creative ability’. “No matter how extensive the reel or folio is, you can always see true potential if you put away any possibility of unconscious bias.”

The team at NERD are also very much aware of the need for a push when it comes to pitching female and underrepresented talent, so are always prepared to do whatever it takes to equalise the chances with those of more established talent. Milana continues, “We make it our mission to empower and support our young talent, so we can make a difference to their career, not just so we can make the industry more diverse and inclusive.”

Tango, which has, despite its origins in the ‘90s, become quite the female-driven force, also valuers harnessing varying points of view in this industry. “Throughout the years we have had a good gender mix at our company with both brilliant men and women. Having a diversified workforce, either at the office or not set, makes for a good balance and better work,” says executive producer at Tango Julia Bidakowska-Andren. 

On the musical side of production, things aren’t much different. Founders of music agency RESISTER, Hollie Hutton and Hannah Charman are categorical that the hunger for diverse talent has grown exponentially and parallel to the need for it. “There are also a lot more diverse voices in creative and senior roles, so the message is trickling down,” says Hannah. Hollie adds that the appetite for female-led stories has increased, whereby working with women composers feels like an important and natural choice. 

Admitting the need for equality and acquiring young female talent, however, is only half the story. It’s no secret that many women face struggles climbing the agency and communication ladders, and are more likely to drop out of their career than their male counterparts. Helping mothers return to work after having a baby, for PRETTYBIRD executive producer Paulette Caletti, is of huge importance for retaining women. “When I had my kids, I didn’t feel I could juggle work and being a parent, so I didn’t work. My confidence was low when I returned, but it takes support from production to get you back up to speed.

Children exist and industry has to support mums especially.” And although Paulette admits things have improved from when she had her eldest child nearly 13 years ago, we need to strive for a moment when this discussion becomes irrelevant. Juliette Larthe, PRETTYBIRD UK co-founder and EP however, isn’t as optimistic as her counterpart when it comes to any improvement from 13 years ago: “The situation has got worse in terms of the industry supporting and nurturing female talent. Everyone needs to do better.”

For Helen Hadfield, owner, managing director and executive producer at Snapper, enough people in the industry are aware that diversity is the lifeblood of creativity, so the conversation itself might be getting a bit old – what is left now, is to commit to making it happen. “The popular rallying cry across our industry is to value creativity, so for the sake of its creative health we need to promote, foster and develop the talent to make that happen.”

The question is, how to do that effectively? Last month, Snapper, alongside Missing Link Films, showcased four short films from four young female filmmakers at Havas for interested advertising folk from multiple agencies. “The filmmakers and their films went down a storm,” says Helen. For her and Snapper, gaining awareness needs to be converted into creating opportunities. “This is where the rubber meets the road. We need people to embrace, not just sympathise with a mission. This can only create a stronger, more interesting industry and advertising we want to own up to.”

Production companies need to pass on the love in terms of crew and specialism

Diversity and equality are the key to adequate creative, and action rather than talk is key. Taking that action, for NERD’s Milana, means that you can’t call your five friends every time you’re on set – this is the surefire formula for getting repetitive, boring and samey work. NERD’s anonymity approach when looking at folios and CVs also helps them ensure equal chances when it comes to crew on set, animation crew or music/sound partners on projects. 

Siobhan stresses that many other actions can be taken when it comes to production companies helping women push through in the industry – mentoring, investing and working hard towards a gender balance across production specialisms. “The most important thing is that production companies work towards subverting conventional gender roles within crews,” she says. “As an industry we tend to conform to certain stereotypes and, in turn, pigeon-hole women into pursuing roles that are perceived to be female-centric, such as production, hair and make-up, wardrobe, art departments. It is imperative that women who aspire to more traditionally male-based roles, such as electrical, camera, grip, first assistant director, sound, VFX, etc., are provided with the right opportunities and training to propel their careers and address the imbalance.”

The same applies when addressing the gender imbalance when it comes to directing within ‘traditionally female’ sectors. Although more is being done industry-wide to challenge the stereotypical usage of female talent in healthcare, beauty and fashion, there is still more work to be done to pave the way for women to take part in automotive and sports-based campaigns. “The rise of misogyny and the crackdown on women’s freedom is based on men’s fear,” says Sara Eolin, partner and EP at Tinygiant.

So to combat this trend, we need to “normalise women in all traditional male roles, and men need to embrace stepping into the stereotypical female roles.” And while casting might have come a long way when it comes to portraying the customer, and brands have become better at ‘combatting the haters’, there is still change that needs to be done behind the content. Sara is categorical: “The more you see it, the more you accept it. The numbers of women directors, CEOs, presidents, CCOs has certainly risen, but it is not yet the norm. When it is a norm, we’re more likely to create content that depict our lived reality.”

Agencies and brands giving female talent a fair shot is imperative 

“Even though I strongly feel a director or any other member of crew should be chosen for a project based on their experience, knowledge and expertise and not based on gender, an extra push from big brands or agencies towards choosing a female director is one of the best ways to diversify the industry,” says Tango’s Julia. What she mentions about choosing a director based solely on gender or in some DE&I box ticking exercise touches on the wider topic of tokenism. NERD’s Milana looks forward to the day when production companies no longer see requests for female directors or underrepresented groups or pledges from agencies to have ‘one of those at pitch stage’. These are all the wrong reasons to get women or any underrepresented groups on board and a sure formula to make them feel like a token.

“Let’s just stop worrying about those little boxes and hire the right person for the project without them,” Milana says. “Stay mindful of the fact that not everyone has the endless list of awards under their belt, but you can help them get some and shape their career history if they’re the right person for your project.”

Siobhan from Merman turns to FREE THE WORK (formerly Free the Bid) as a fantastic example of an initiative that provides women with equal bidding opportunities, however is also aware that it is imperative that emerging female directors aren’t just included on the pitch list as the token ‘wildcard’. “It would be great if agencies and brands were to sign-off reels at the shortlisting stage and then base their decision to award the job purely on treatment and budget.” 

She and Milana both understand that it is to be expected that agencies and brands will seek security when picking the right person, or worry that they might be taking a risk, but the reality is, that risk is offset if a new or up-and-coming director is represented by a competent production company. “That production company is adept at developing talent and surrounding the director with highly skilled technicians to guide them through the process,” says Siobhan. For Milana, insisting on diversity is not being painful, but being fair, and means you’re seeking options that could make the project as good as possible. “If you have an up-and-comer on the list, don’t expect to see 20 examples of the same approach. They don’t have it. Hence the ‘up and coming’.”

This is where trust comes in – trusting the production company to put up diverse, exciting talent, regardless of if they have awards under their belt, and then stepping out of your comfort zone as a brand or agency and choosing who is actually right for the project, not who you have seen before. Milana turns to Havas as an example – “They’ve been a great partner to us when it comes to looking for exciting and fresh talent. They trust the process and our EPs, and a little trust goes a long way.” 

The team at Chromista calls out those brands who talk the talk, with zero walk and those whose messaging has very little to do with their practice. “When you’re brand messaging is ‘Let’s celebrate the joy of being a woman!’ maybe don’t award that job to a non-female identifying director this time.” Their advice is simple – hire women and pay them the market rate. In the case that they don’t know what that is – tell them. 

RESISTER believes that transparency and accountability about suppliers of talent is also to be taken into consideration. “All too often, music agencies won’t get a credit, and if they do, they don’t credit the actual composers and producers behind the work.” This leads to a lack of clarity on where more work needs to be done, and blurs the actual size of the gender gap in the space. “The first step is more transparent crediting and this hopefully would lead to more responsible talent choices,” says Hollie.

Of course, this journey doesn’t end with inclusion, it only begins with it. Showcasing how successful projects can be when they do trust new talent, especially female or other underrepresented talent, according to Snapper’s Helen, can make the world of a difference. “Not only should brands and agencies explore the production landscape for female talent, but develop a strategy which can be judged by positive results, not just intentions.” To her, actively using the talent, not just showing it exists, is what matters more, otherwise we risk lip service with no change. “Until more women directors direct more ads we create Groundhog Day.”

Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: NERD’s EP Milana Karaica – learning on the job, diversity & inclusivity and getting it done!

Milana began her journey in the production industry at just 17 as a runner and worked her way up to Executive Creative Producer, proving that nothing is impossible when you set your mind to it. But she didn’t stop there. Milana went on to set up her very own production company, one that champions diverse and inclusive talent. Her success story serves as a testament to her unwavering work ethic and her ability to learn and grow from every experience.

And now, Milana is sharing her story and valuable lessons. She wants to inspire and motivate those who are just starting out in the field of production, and help them connect with fellow producers and mentors.

What advice would you give to aspiring producers or content creators hoping to jump into production?

That’s easy! There are two bits of advice that I always share and those are the two things that have never let me down, to this day. Always have a ‘can do’ attitude and do the best you can. Nothing you present or do should be less than your best effort! It is the only way you will truly reach your goals and have a sense of achievement and fulfillment which only comes from doing hard work.

What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

It really depends on what area of our industry you wish to focus on. Production Producers are very different from agencies’ side Producers, for example. There is quite often this misconception that a ‘Producer’ should be able to do it all which is not the case at all!  It’s actually when things go wrong on production most frequently. 

I would say choose a direction and really try to master that before you start another 4 or 5 others. I know it is trendy to try and be a Jack of all trades these days BUT it just means you will eventually be the master of none. Being able to be that person that is absolutely a must-have on a project for a specific quality or skill is invaluable to your hiring success rate.


What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production – and why has that stayed with you?

I started my career at just 17 as a runner in Soho.. Literally making tea & coffee and dropping off parcels to post houses and agencies. We didn’t send anything on a link in those days… it was a DVD or printed out and you physically had to deliver everything. Seems like a strange concept now!

From there I crawled my way through the ranks and became an Office Manager and then a Producer, followed by Executive Producer. It all happened quite fast for me as I was relentless in how hard I worked and I worked hard. I feel it happened to me very young and even though I had the experience of doing the physical work and being in production I was not a seasoned individual. There came a certain point where I accepted the unfair treatment of crew, and staff, and just thought that was a way of life! I guess it was fear that my job would vanish that never allowed me to question that and put a stop to it until I found myself as a person through some amazing clients and friends.

Don’t get me wrong, going against that grain made me an enemy but it is this that motivated me the most to start NERD and make it a production company like no other! Empowering, nurturing and making D&I our focus to be a  better industry overall.

When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this? 

As a leading D&I-led production company we advocate diversity and inclusion by championing an innovative and forward-thinking company culture that focuses on constantly seeking, nurturing and empowering young talent, female talent and talent from under-represented backgrounds. We don’t have boxes to tick and quotas to meet. This is not how to achieve true diversity. It is simply by treating everyone as equal and giving them a chance at an equal playing field. 

And why is it an essential issue for the production community to address? 

Our consumers are literally EVERY single person on this planet! So as an industry, we need to be talking to all those individuals in a relevant way and with an authentic approach. At NERD we are constantly inspired by the people around us that share the same passion for building an environment reflective of the people that we create the work for – the consumers.


There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other? 

As a company, we do actually see a mix of asks for both of those approaches!  To us they do feed into each other and why not?! Again, as influencers and shapers of lifestyle trends, we do need to see emerging trends in culture as something to embrace and not fear. I know this is a concept that our industry doesn’t quite accept on so many levels but the sooner we do the sooner we will have less out-of-touch advertising! 


If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production/ Exec Producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?) 

When I first started, EPs were mostly at lunch or flying someplace exotic to shoot something super exciting!  It was the dream role for many for this very reason. I kind of feel sorry for the EPs of today. They are often overwhelmed by responsibility, lack of support and this endless expectation that they can and should just do everything alone! Don’t get me wrong, we will still get that afternoon at Soho House but these guys do need a little support. 

When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this? (I know we’re always hearing about how much easier it is to educate or train oneself on tech etc, but what areas do you think producers can benefit from more directed or structured training?)

It is really difficult to supply structured training for Producers and we do prefer hands-on training. Working alongside our seasoned senior producers and directors is the best and most efficient way to absorb knowledge and gain hands-on skills. Seeing others at work and crafting together is also great for social skills development and gives a sense of team play you can never have in any other approach. 


On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?

I think this is covered in the question about EPs. Everyone has their value! Those that are very experienced and have the knowledge to share- we still need to help them keep up with the latest equipment, software etc We must all keep learning and helping each other by sharing that newly learned knowledge with our team. There is always something new to gain for all of us no matter the level of experience. 

Clearly, there is so much change, but what personality traits and skills will always be in demand from producers? 

  1. Being nice! It is really not that hard! Those Producers who are very kind will always get more out of their team. 
  1. Keeping a cool head. As a Producer, you can not afford to be the one creating the drama on set. You need to be calm and zen, smoothing everything out and ensuring everyone else is not feeling the stress. You will have a very successful shoot if your whole crew is supported and able to do their part. 
  1. Being organized! Don’t think I need to go into that one hehe! 

Women and their allies at NERD on IWD2022

NERD has always been a creative bunch full of diverse talent with strong values at our core and we are on a mission to help our industry be a more diverse & inclusive one for all!


We’ve seen the power of diversity and varied perspectives in our own NERD team and talent roster – more than 75% of our squad is female – but wouldn’t it be great if we could live in a world where this number is not something impressive, where it is just normal? For us IWD is all about breaking the bias, supporting the underrepresented and being surrounded by the proud allies of women!

At NERD we believe that our differences make us stronger! This International Women’s Day we would like to share our thoughts on what this day means to each of us:


Margaux, Social Media Assistant :

‘IWD lets us reflect on the successes of women throughout the years. This is the best day to celebrate and appreciate everything women have achieved and are still trying to achieve.

At NERD, we celebrate women everyday. We celebrate the talent, the passion, and the dedication of the beautiful women that are a part of this team.

The IWD has never just been celebrated one day out of the year. It is celebrated everyday because in every day, there is something for us to celebrate and appreciate in the women around us.’


Lydia, Head of Talent & New Biz:

‘I’ve worked in media sales for over 20 years representing some incredible female directors. At NERD it is so exciting to see so much female talent rising up in animation & live action. A great example to young women making their way through what was a male dominated industry. Keep going girls!!!  I am excited about what is yet to come #wehavegotthis’


Maria, Head of Talent & New Biz Europe:

“IWM is a good moment to remind us of the huge importance of feminine presence in leading roles in society. 

We will always need the equilibrium of masculine ideas, but with all things happening in the world right now, it is evident that the planet Earth is urging for the compassion, sympathy, loving essence of the feminine forces. The world needs us now as leaders!

NERD’s team, including our executive producer, Milana, is a reflection of what compassionate and mindful leaders are, even in a tough industry as advertising could be”


Ira, Creative Producer –  proud ally of women everywhere:

‘International Women’s Day is a great time to celebrate all the courageous and persevering women of the world who endlessly strive to do good and make the world a better place against all odds. 

I see it as the perfect opportunity to be still and reflect on all the women who’ve shown me love and helped me become everything I am today. My heart goes out to my mum, my grandma and all my titas (aunties) and ninangs (godmothers) – today is for you!


Viktoriia, PR Executive:


‘On this day I would like to say THANK YOU to every woman who made a difference in my life. International Women’s Day is after all, just like any other day – a reminder to show your love to everyone and everything around you. I love being a part of a strong female community and on this day, I am insanely grateful to be working in one myself!’’

Shay Hamias, Animation Director & Talent Mentor:

I love finding opportunities to make change happen in the industry, often by simply helping clients discover the importance of inclusion and diversity. I find there’s a benefit to everyone involved!

I usually suggest considering portraying women as heroes, and not just picture-perfect glamorous models but actual women with real body types, skin tones and gender identities. Advertisers and agencies are slowly but surely catching onto the benefits of being more inclusive and forward thinking but it is also our role as creators to help shift perspectives, spark new ideas and allow hearts and minds to grow in love and understanding.


Milana, Executive Creative Producer & Founder:


‘I never had female role models in advertising, I also didn’t notice more than a handful of ethnic individuals in senior positions or those that came from ‘non-traditional’ backgrounds. Bearing in mind that I’m all of those things, my inspiration stemmed from many male-dominated meetings and my fondness for craft and filmmaking.

Together with our male counterparts – there is no reason why we can’t make the industry a more equal one for all talent! As a woman, I don’t want to take away anyone’s opportunity, just an equal chance to try for the same.’

This IWD we are celebrating NERD as a female founded business and pledge, once again , to empower and support women. We encourage you all to celebrate this day or simply say ‘Thank you’ to all the incredible women in your network, from partners and family to your lovely clients and team members.

All illustration by Esther Lalanne.

NERD’s Director Rafa Cortés on the power of printing and how to find the best ideas.

Rafa dives deep into the thoughts on how to find the best possible ideas, why he needs to print the scripts and what it takes to be a guy from ‘now’,

What elements of a script sets one apart from the other and what sort of scripts get you excited to shoot them?

Scripts choose me! People who get in touch with me usually already know what I can do for their projects. That’s why I don’t usually get scripts that could be difficult for me to end up shooting. I feel lucky because this saves the agencies, my producers and me a lot of time used in unnecessary pitches. The scripts that catch my attention the most are those where I can really tell a little story and provoke emotions to the audience.

How do you approach creating a treatment for a spot?

First and foremost, I print everything. I need to see a script on paper so I can draw on it, move things around. On the first day I never try to do anything with it, I just go away from my desk and spend some time with my family to let my mind relax trying to keep the project in the back of my head till the ideas start appearing by themselves. After that, I try to imagine what points of the treatment will help me explain what I would do with it. Mechanic typing comes then, I let everything I have flow naturally into the treatment.

What I don’t do is to start the process looking for references. It might be an ego thing, but I let my mind come to something on its own, look within myself. I, of course, can come to it naturally, although it might have already been created and it is perfectly normal. I do need references anyway, no matter how much I dislike it, because I need to find a way for the agencies and the clients to visualise my proposals. Although, I still think it is good to come up with something on your own first.

Nenuco – Regalo

If the script is for a brand that you’re not familiar with/don’t have a big affinity with or a market you’re new to, how important is it for you to do research and understand that strategic and contextual side of the ad? If it’s important to you, how do you do it? 

In my commercial work, I’m there to help sell a product/service, and to associate the companies and their brands to certain feelings or ideas. We always need to distinguish the brand from their competitors, how they’re different and how we can show it in the best possible and more effective way. There’s always a moment when I need to do some research, market research and also ask the agency/client some questions to help me understand where they are at and what they are looking for.  The best way to get a genuine, interesting spot, is to make bespoke work. 

For you, what is the most important working relationship for a director to have with another person in making an ad? And why?

I think the most important is trust and collaboration, with everyone – producer, creative team, management, crew, etc. An important part of my job is to help solve their problems, read between the lines, and come up with the best ideas!

La Quiniela 70 Aniversario (Trio)

What type of work are you most passionate about – is there a particular genre or subject matter or style you are most drawn to?

Fiction, storytelling, recreation of reality and anything that involves testimonials. Errol Morris is a director I look up to and I often think that I would feel at home facing a lot of the testimonial and commercials projects he has masterfully crafted. 

What misconception about you or your work do you most often encounter and why is it wrong?

One of my biggest frustrations is when people think there’s no script or mise en scene behind my work, that everything happened for real. My ability to make something that is fake seem very real is what I am also known for. But it is sometimes difficult to imagine that kind of work for people who haven’t been following the process. They usually think I am lucky with getting a lot of real stories, told by ‘real’ people, when in fact, there’s a lot of hard work in writing scripts, casting actors and all other things. I’m mostly about fiction!

What’s the craziest problem you’ve come across in the course of a production – and how did you solve it?

It was one of my personal projects, a feature film. I had a scene with one very complicated and strong actor. He had to wear a gorilla mask, you can imagine, as an actor it might be quite frustrating. Then he got really angry because of something I didn’t really understand. He is German and he started shouting in German, so what I had to deal with was a person wearing a gorilla mask, shouting in the language no one understood and I was the person in charge, who had to fix everything. What did I do? I went up to him and said “Wait a minute, do you realise I have a gorilla shouting at me in a foreign language in the middle of a set, can you help me solve this?”. After a deep pause, he smiled, we both laughed and the conflict was resolved.

La Quiniela – El Grito

How do you strike the balance between being open/collaborative with the agency and brand client while also protecting the idea?

In the commercial world, I really fight for finding the best possible idea that works for both me and my clients. The client knows the brand, I know filmmaking, and we create harmony of those things together.

What are your thoughts on opening up the production world to a more diverse pool of talent? Are you open to mentoring and apprenticeships on set?

I tend to be open to anything that makes me see the world from new different angles, I like meeting new people and hearing different and sometimes controversial ideas. I have different friends, I have worked with different people and I am very happy that I am able to learn from people who come from a different background than I do.

Although, I do not specifically look for anything but my doors are always open!

I mentored quite a few people who are now directors and actors. I wish I had more guys like me when I started, a mentor who would advise and help. This is essentially why I am mentoring everyone who comes to me and needs my help.

How do you feel the pandemic is going to influence the way you work into the longer term? Have you picked up new habits that you feel will stick around for a long time? 

I wanted to think that this pandemic would make us better than we were, same with the economic crisis. I tend to be optimistic and I have learned a few things myself.

Working from home has certainly made us appreciate our loved ones more, as well as the change in work ethic. For me, it was no new working from home, I live in Mallorca and I do most of my work from there, so I was trained to work from home for years 😀

Your work is now presented in so many different formats – to what extent do you keep each in mind while you’re working? 

It depends on every project, sometimes you need to put more effort in one of the formats and create others to support the main point of the campaign.

Depending on the format you shoot it, you always need to remember those extras to make it work across all platforms.

VW Polo – Pelota

What’s your relationship with new technology and, if at all, how do you incorporate future-facing tech into your work?

I am a guy from ‘now’. As soon as something new comes out, I will be one of the first people to try it out. I was one of the first guys in Spain who started shooting with a RedOne camera, when people were afraid of digital video, and will be happy to continue to incorporate new technologies in my work as soon as they come.

With new technologies, we should always keep ourselves at the top of the game. For me, it is applying my unique ideas to this new technology, it gives you the advantage over others and I would suggest everyone to do the same.

See more from Rafa here.

A Case For Diversity

Our industry is changing, and for the better. We have a long way still to go but we’re getting there, together. Director and diversity and inclusion advocate Fausto Becatti put his thoughts to virtual paper as he discusses the impactful choices we have as creatives and influencers, the potential positive effect this can have on our audience and how we can ensure that we’re working to be mindful of the media we’re creating, allowing everyone to feel included and empowered.

Continue reading “A Case For Diversity”

#PRIDE: +

LGBTQIA+: L for Lesbian, G for Gay, T for Trans, Q for Queer (or Questioning), I for Intersex and A for Asexual (or Allied) and + for… What does the + represent? Live-Action Director Brett De Vos explores his interpretation of the symbol through his intimate emotions and how this could have a positive impact on perceptions in society.

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An Open Letter to Art Students

“The piece below was originally a letter that I’d written to a former student. Since then it’s gone through a few alterations. I wanted to share it with you because it’s nearing the end of the school year, and as someone who keeps a thread to his past, I remember what it felt like to be there.

I don’t recall the specifics of why I wrote to her, but I wonder if it had to do with the uncertainties that come with being an artist, especially one who is about to graduate from school in a couple of weeks. I guess then, this letter is really an open letter to those of you who are in a similar space now.” – Marcos Chin

Continue reading “An Open Letter to Art Students”