The crisis: Latino visibility continues to decline in Hollywood.
Latinos represent 20% of the U.S population and the largest driving force of growth for America’s economy, however when it comes to representation in Hollywood, they are nearly invisible at merely 3%. Subsequently, the negative stereotypical portrayals of Latinos in media, have contributed to the current rhetoric that is putting this community at risk.
Why is this a Problem?
- Perception is reality and Hollywood shapes the way the world sees Latinos and how Latinos see themselves.
- Latinos make up +24% of the U.S. box office and subscribe at higher rates to SVOD platforms. Of all U.S. Latinos, 56% have watched or downloaded movies or TV shows online surpassing non-Hispanic Whites by 24%.
- Latinos are the fastest growing consumer segment in entertainment, and by providing access at all levels, and prioritizing authentic representation, the business growth potential is exponential.
A Solution to the Crisis: LA Collab
A collective impact group of entertainment industry leaders and influencers that seeks to develop transformational collaboration between the creative community, studios, buyers and other organizations.
Our mission
To ignite a movement that inspires collaboration, accelerates Latino visibility and authentic representation in media, and drives exponential growth for the industry.
How we will work with you
We will be your one-stop shop to connect you to vetted Latino resources, top and emerging creators and talent. We will support your diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to ensure Latinos are represented in front-of and behind the camera, while you meet your business objectives.
LA Collab's Role
1. We connect creators with creators
- We connect Latino creators with top talent, filmmakers, producers, and show runners (Latinos and non-Latinos) to build an inclusive pipeline that promotes transformative creative collaborations and that can be lucrative to both parties.
- We connect human and financial capital to optimize the success of our community.
2. We connect creators with Hollywood’s Industry Leaders
- Through our partnerships, we are building an ecosystem that cultivates top talent and aggregates stories on an ongoing basis, making them readily available to the most influential buyers and producers in the industry.
- We support Latino creators in navigating the system as they access opportunities, in order to accelerate their growth and ensure they are successful in delivering the highest-quality product.
3. We connect the Latino creative community to our allies
- We foster collaboration between the Latino creative community and its allies, including brands, foundations, non-profits, and tech media companies to develop new projects and come up with solutions together.
- Our shared goal is to maximize the outcomes of diversity & inclusion initiatives across all sectors in the entertainment industry.
LA Collab 2020 Priorities
- Launch LA Collab Officially on Jan 13th 2020.
- Effectively launch our first set of projects:
- Latino creators database. Facilitating your search for writers, producers, show runners, DP's, animators, directors and beyond.
- Latino short stories. A national competition to source U.S. Latino short stories and fuel IP from the Latino community.
- Latino creative match - phase 1. Consolidated showrunners and producers to be matched with Latino projects, talent and creators.
- Latino workforce pipeline. Partner with agencies and nonprofits to build a more inclusive workforce in the entertainment industry.
- LA Collab Pledge. Recruit as many entertainment industry leaders, studios, artists, creators and organizations to expand and realize our mission.
- LA Collab impact report. A summary of our collective activities and achievements by the end of 2020, along with quarterly progress newsletters.
LA Collab long term goal
Increase authentic Latino representation (in front and behind the camera) in the entertainment industry by 100% by 2030.
LA Collab Advising Committee
- Alexis Garcia, Endeavor Content, Partner
- Axel Caballero, Warner Media, VP, Talent incubation, artistic & cultural innovation
- DeVon Franklin, Franklin Entertainment, Principal
- Genna Terranova, Amazon Studios, Head of Programming and Audience Development
- Lorenza Munoz, AMPAS, Director of membership and Awards
- Marlis Pujol, Producer
- Mary Vernieu, Betty Mae Casting, Principal
- Ruben Garcia, CAA
- William Chun, Mayor’s Office of Economic Development, Deputy Mayor
Special thanks to our pro bono professional supporters
- Adria Marquez - Project lead
- Christy Salcido - Communications
- Jorge Garcia | Hello Iconic - Website and Database
- Lisa Oropeza | Ever Gold Agency - Events and Travel Services
- Liz Biber - Communications
- Paul Almond - Legal consultation
