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    TV Academy Releases Annual Transparency Report On Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1847 Views
    ReadySet’s CEO and founder Y-Vonne Hutchinson
    LOS ANGELES --

    The Television Academy, in partnership with ReadySet–a leading consulting firms specializing in the creation of more diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces and cultures–has released its annual transparency report including membership demographics.

    The report is in keeping with the Academy’s commitment to transparency as it pursues its goal of systemic change across the organization. The demographics reported were derived from the updated database of more than 20,000 members, and the metric will be used as a benchmark for tracking the expansive diversity of its membership body year over year.

    “This report allows us to annually evaluate representation within our organization, advance our initiatives and outreach, and measure our improvements,” said Frank Scherma, chairman and CEO of the Television Academy. “We also have revised our Mission Statement to reflect the tenets of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility and our commitment to this journey. We continue to believe we have an important role to play in leading industry change.”

    The new Television Academy Mission Statement reads, “The Television Academy is dedicated to celebrating excellence, innovation and the advancement of the telecommunications arts and sciences through recognition, education and leadership, while fostering a diverse, inclusive and accessible professional community, building a lasting impact on creative generations to come.”

    As part of the commitments outlined in the initial 2021 report, the Academy has implemented holistic and comprehensive training, education and resources for its leadership, including a two-year governor training program focused on allyship skills, inclusive communications, equitable feedback and inclusion.

    “Transparency and accountability play a vital role in ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility. The Television Academy has demonstrated its commitment to leadership by sharing information about members’ experiences, their own challenges and the organizational changes they have enacted to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility internally and within the industry at large,” said ReadySet’s CEO and founder Y-Vonne Hutchinson. “The Academy’s long-term vision remains unchanged. This report is evidence of its commitment, and the latest of many steps the Academy is taking on the path to reaching their ambitious goals.”

    The Academy’s DEIA task force meets monthly to plan and implement strategy and has set several objectives for the upcoming year including:

    • Increasing membership involvement opportunities, including volunteer engagements and affinity groups.
    • Developing an accessible and intuitive communications system for members to connect with governors and the Academy.
    • Creating varied DEIA learning and training opportunities as well as DEIA resources for members.
    • In-person, industry-wide inclusion summits with DEIA and HR professionals twice a year at the Television Academy campus.

     
    Click here to access the Television Academy’s DEIA Transparency Report.

     

    Category:News
    Tags:diversityFrank SchermaReadySetTelevision AcademyY-Vonne Hutchinson

    Meet Honorary Oscar Recipient Juliet Taylor, Casting Director With A Filmography Spanning 40+ Years

    Friday, November 15, 2024

    Juliet Taylor does not give herself credit for Meryl Streep.

    In her over 40 years as top casting director behind so many classics, "Annie Hall," "Heartburn" and "Sleepless in Seattle" to name just a few, she did, technically give Streep her first film role. She gave many stars their big breaks. But Streep, she said, was always going to happen — the young stage actor was the talk of the town in New York as soon as she came on the scene. Taylor was simply the lucky one who happened to be casting for "Julia," which didn't conflict with a play.

    Modesty is not antithetical to being a great casting director, though, a profession of observation, negotiation and nuance that operates mostly out of the public eye. It's why Taylor's a little nervous about Sunday, when she'll be presented with an honorary Oscar at the film academy's annual Governors Awards in a room full of Hollywood greats.

    Recognition is long overdue for Taylor and her peers. Earlier this year, the film academy announced that it would add a new competitive Oscar for casting directors starting with films released in 2025.

    "There's so much people don't know about casting actors," Taylor said. "One thing is we negotiate all the contracts and we cast a movie within a budget."

    Casting wasn't always the art that it is today. In the studio system, it was more of cattle call, an organizational rather than creative job. But Taylor began her career in 1968 at time of change, mentored by one of the pioneers behind the movement: Marion Dougherty, who scouted talent in off-Broadway plays and turned casting into a more selective, humane process. It was also a profession led by a lot of women. Dougherty used to joke that it's because they didn't get paid much.

    The first movie... Read More

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