5 Lessons to Being Unapologetic as a Content Creator in Hollywood
On October 2nd, a group of over 100 women of color gathered at Neuehouse Hollywood for a conversation on being a content creator promoting diverse work and talent at the #L2LMixer.
The vibe was right as attendees enjoyed cocktails inspired by Alice Walker, networked, and watched the sunset on Sunset Blvd. Everything about that night was filled with irony, because it was a space for women of color in Hollywood that has presented barriers of us. Four brilliant creators, Cela Sutton, Codie Elaine Oliver, Grace Edwards, and Kellee Edwards led the discussion on ownership, pitching, and being unapologetic. Here are their key takeaways:
Owning your content allows you to expand your brand and give you revenue options. It’s what Codie Elaine Oliver and her husband did with Black Love. The docs-series expands into other mediums helping to continue the conversation on Black relationships. “We bet on ourselves, and then we invested in ourselves,” shared Codie. Codie entered an acquisition with OWN Network, which means she and her husband took a lesser fee to own their show and invested that money into the website and the summit. “As a result of owning the show, we can do all of this. We can show exclusive clips on our website, and we can sell our show when our window with OWN is over. We can stream on Urban Movie Channel and license to Amazon to give us more revenue streams.”
It will take a while to see your dreams come into fruition, but keep going. Grace Edwards has been working on the Jodie project for years and pitching it to different production companies before getting Tracee Ellis Ross involved. Now her project is in development and includes the hiring of writers and animators with diverse backgrounds. Kellee Edwards knew that she wanted to host a show on Travel Channel. Kellee encountered the network twice before finally becoming the first Black woman host of a show on their network. It took her seven years to see her dream realized, but she did not give up.
Who is advocating for you in rooms you don’t occupy? Kellee believes her journey to hosting her own show on a network took a long time because “networks needed to wrap their heads around a Black woman leading anything.” Sponsorship is critical, and it’s what helped Kellee get a network with a traditional white audience bet on her as a host of a show. “Everyone loves the idea of me, but at the end of the day, it’s about dollars and cents. Can they sell advertising, and will their audience tune in to my show?” Not only did Kellee bring a new audience to the network, but their loyal viewers also tuned in. Now this chapter to Kellee’s journey has opened doors for more opportunities for her to create, own and executive produce content.
Be strategic with how you navigate your relationship with gatekeepers and always be ready to pitch yourself. Kellee had her sizzle reel and elevator speech ready when she went to meetings or attended summits where she knew producers and talent scouts would be. As Kellee continued to pitch herself, she learned who were the production companies she should approach. She discovered what types of subject lines could get her cold emails opened, and she understood that what made her unique.
Believe in your content, and be unapologetic about it. When Grace and Codie pitched their projects to networks, they did not look to change the premise of their projects to appease an investor or network. For them, it was “take it or leave it.” Grace shared what it was like to pitch a show around a Black woman character, and the networks kept trying to change the concept of the show. “There’s power in ‘no,’ shared Grace. “Be willing to walk away if people can’t see your vision because if it is a problem right from the start, it will remain a problem.” Codie added, “As content creators if you really love what you are doing, you can stick it out through the ‘no’s.’ Know why you are in it.”
Because of women like Ava Duvernay being unapologetic with their content and creating their own table, women like Cela Sutton can help create opportunities for women of color to get their work out to the masses. She shared the great opportunities women content creators have to get their work distributed by ARRAY Filmworks.
Now that you’ve read and watched these women’s key takeaways, how will you be unapologetic with your content moving forward?