Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has launched HPA ALL, a foundational program that will drive HPA-led initiatives for outreach, education, and networking focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion within the industry. Under the leadership of ALL co-chairs and HPA board members Kari Grubin and Renard Jenkins, HPA ALL is designed to highlight career pathways and create opportunities for contributions by and visibility for underrepresented groups, which in turn, strengthens the media and entertainment community.
The committee that will support the HPA ALL initiative includes representatives from HPA Women in Post (WIP) and HPA Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP), as well as a full commitment from the HPA board of directors and staff.
HPA ALL launches with ALL IN, a week of education, connection, and honors May 24-27. Open to everyone with free registration, the event schedule includes a live session with transformational coach and diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker Rajkumari Neogy and social and networking events.
Seth Hallen, HPA president, commented, “At our very core, HPA is about community–recognition, education and connection–and we see a need to create an action-oriented initiative that transforms our community, and opens the doors to all who are interested in the media and entertainment technology. Our efforts to build a diverse and inclusive industry, which began some time ago, have been some of the most important work the organization has ever undertaken. We did not want to roll out a plan of empty words, but rather, a plan of action.”
The week-long event culminates in the HPA League Honors which recognize diverse members of the HPA community who shine as examples of innovation and leadership. HPA League Honors will be awarded to five groundbreaking individuals on May 27. Details for the HPA League Awards will be announced shortly.
“It’s exciting to see HPA’s commitment to true inclusion and equity in this industry,” said Jenkins. “We’re already working with a number of organizational partners and through HPA ALL IN and events like it, we intend to weave equity and inclusion through the fabric of HPA and the industry at large. I’m confident our efforts will yield real change.”
“HPA’s commitment to WIP and YEP over the years laid the groundwork for ALL’s ambitious scope,” said Grubin. “The ALL IN event in May, culminating in the HPA League Honors, is just the first step in integrating the work of ALL into the knowledge exchange, recognition, and community goals of the larger organization.”
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More