https://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/SS0607-Deans-Salon-Invite-2.jpg11101878Assistant Editorhttps://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/lass_logo-helvetica-281x300-1.jpgAssistant Editor2021-05-24 18:46:302021-05-24 18:46:30UCLA Social Sciences Dean’s Salon Presents “2021 Hollywood Diversity Report: Lessons Learned” on June 7
Academy Award®-nominated actor Edward James Olmos announced today that the Latino Film Institute (LFI) has named Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, director of research and civic engagement of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as the inaugural Latino Film Institute Scholar. The award comes with a $100,000 restrictive gift to be used over a two-year period for research designated by Dr. Ramón, including but not limited to, The Hollywood Diversity Report and a dedicated study on Latino representation in Hollywood and the Latino audience.
“It is a great honor for the Latino Film Institute to be able to provide our inaugural award to Dr. Ramón who has worked vigorously in raising awareness about the lack of diversity in Hollywood. It is of the utmost urgency that we, as a society, realize the importance of having diversity not only on our screens but also behind the camera. For the benefit of our future Latino generations, we must all do better at creating positive and accurate representation of Latinos in Hollywood, and it is by supporting the research and work done by Dr. Ramón that we can continue to make the necessary changes in our industry, culture and education to push and move forward to a better and more equitable future.”
“The Latino Film Institute does tremendous work in the community and in Hollywood to launch the careers of Latinx content creators and artists. So, I am honored to be the inaugural Latino Film Institute Scholar,” stated Dr. Ramón. “This generous award helps fund the research that UCLA Dean Darnell Hunt and I have been doing for several years on racial/ethnic and gender representation and their relationship to the bottom line in film and television. Most importantly, it will provide funding to conduct a study focused on Latinx representation and the Latinx audience informed by my expertise in Latinx and other race/ethnic and gender research. I look forward to continuing to advance the work that will uplift the Latinx community and to provide data that can be used by both content creators and Hollywood network and studio executives.”
The Latino Film Institute (LFI) is dedicated to showcasing, strengthening, and celebrating the richness of Latino lives by providing a pipeline, platform, and launching pad from our community into the entertainment industry. LFI’s three most prominent programs are the LatinX in Animation (LXiA), the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) and the Youth Cinema Project (YCP). LXiA represents a diverse group within the Animation, VFX, and Gaming industries dedicated to uniting a talented pool of innovators with a heart to create exceptional stories across multiple platforms by organizing activities and events. LALIFF is a premier international event dedicated to showcasing the entirety of human experience from the Latino perspective, whether through film, television, digital, music, art, or any other vehicle, regardless of platform. As previously announced, LALIFF will host a virtual festival for the 2021 edition that will run from Wednesday, June 2 through Sunday, June 6. This year’s program will be comprised of feature films, episodics, music, XR projects and short films, including those from LALIFF’s inaugural Latinx Inclusion Fellowship Series. YCP introduces elementary, middle, and high school students to the art of filmmaking and bridges the achievement and opportunity gaps by creating lifelong learners and the entertainment industry’s multicultural future, implemented in public schools across California.
Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón is the Director of Research and Civic Engagement for the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA. Dr. Ramón is a social psychologist who has worked on social justice issues related to equity and access in higher education and the entertainment industry for over fifteen years. She is the co-principal investigator of the Hollywood Advancement Project and manages its graduate research team. She is the co-author (with Dr. Darnell Hunt) of the annual Hollywood Diversity Report series that the project produces. She is also the managing editor of LA Social Science, an e-forum that showcases the vibrant and cutting-edge knowledge generated within the Division of Social Sciences at UCLA.
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hortly before midnight on Saturday, 37 campus leaders, including the presidents of the undergraduate and graduate student associations, joined together to send a message to the UCLA community expressing their collective anger, sadness and solidarity.”
In addition, UCLA Dean of Social Sciences Darnell Hunt has recently been quoted when providing his expert insight on the nationwide protests against racism and injustice by several media outlets. Check out those articles below the statement.
To the Campus Community:
Across the country, people are horrified by the recent killings of three African Americans: Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd. We share that outrage. And these are only a few of the most recent deaths to cause particular anguish amongst those who for too long have endured cruelty after cruelty, indignity after indignity.
What stood out about the killing of George Floyd — more than its senselessness, more than its brutality – was its casualness. What was so chilling was the relaxed demeanor of a police officer — sworn to protect and to serve — his hands calmly in his pockets, kneeling on the neck of a fellow human being, indifferent to his cries of pain and the fear for his life. Equally harrowing was his three fellow officers who stood there and did not recognize the need to intervene in a life or death situation. All these behaviors reflected the utter dehumanization of Black life.
We must never let that indifference to human suffering become our own. We must never deaden our hearts to the pain of others. Our fundamental values demand that we care.
At UCLA, we believe deeply that equity, respect and justice are central to the character of our institution, to the health of our democracy and to the well-being of our world. Still, we recognize that UCLA also can and must do better. As campus leaders, we recommit ourselves to ensuring that our policies and actions value the lives, safety and dignity of every Bruin.
We have begun the process of coordinating virtual reflection spaces for departments and units, where we can come together to try and process what has happened. With assistance from the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and the university’s Equity Advisors, we are also trying to share ways we can honestly and humbly acknowledge the pain and search for solutions. This includes working with student government leaders to understand and address the needs of our students. Our efforts will be updated on the Resources for Racial Trauma web page as we push forward to deeper understanding and genuine change.
We conclude by stating unequivocally that Black lives DO matter. They matter at UCLA. They matter in Minnesota. They matter everywhere.
In solidarity,
Gene D. Block Chancellor
Emily A. Carter Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
Michael Meranze Chair, Academic Senate
Michael J. Beck Administrative Vice Chancellor
Gregg Goldman Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer
Monroe Gorden, Jr. Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs
Jerry Kang Vice Chancellor for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Michael S. Levine Vice Chancellor for Academic Personnel
John Mazziotta Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences CEO, UCLA Health
Louise C. Nelson Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs
Mary Osako Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications
Rhea Turteltaub Vice Chancellor for External Affairs
Roger Wakimoto Vice Chancellor for Research
Yolanda J. Gorman Senior Advisor to the Chancellor and Chief of Staff
Dan Guerrero The Alice and Nahum Lainer Family Director of Athletics
Antonio E. Bernardo Dean, Anderson School of Management
Ronald S. Brookmeyer Dean, Fielding School of Public Health
Eric Bullard Dean, Continuing Education and UCLA Extension
Miguel A. García-Garibay Dean, Division of Physical Sciences
Robin L. Garrell Vice Provost, Graduate Education Dean, Graduate Division
Darnell M. Hunt Dean, Division of Social Sciences
Brian Kite Interim Dean, School of Theater, Film and Television
Paul H. Krebsbach Dean, School of Dentistry
Kelsey Martin Dean, David Geffen School of Medicine
Jennifer L. Mnookin Dean, School of Law
Jayathi Y. Murthy Dean, Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
Linda Sarna Dean, School of Nursing
Gary M. Segura Dean, Luskin School of Public Affairs
David Schaberg Dean, Division of Humanities
Victoria Sork Dean, Division of Life Sciences
Brett Steele Dean, School of the Arts and Architecture
Eileen Strempel Dean, The Herb Alpert School of Music
Marcelo Suárez-Orozco Dean, Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
Pat Turner Senior Dean, College Dean and Vice Provost, Undergraduate Education
Tony Lee Chief of UCLA Police Department
Naomi Riley President, Undergraduate Students Association
Jean Paul Santos President, Graduate Students Association
Dean Darnell Hunt was interviewed in the following articles/podcasts (click links):
https://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/large_8YNNp6UMvy8t-yc08e1IFQcuK6O9gfTUKtK1kmrGV8o.jpg4351008Contributorhttps://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/lass_logo-helvetica-281x300-1.jpgContributor2020-06-01 20:01:292020-06-05 18:47:15UCLA Leadership Releases Statement in Support of Black Lives Matter and Provides Expertise in Protest Coverage
Diversity initiatives have become their own cottage industry in the entertainment industry. But how much do we really know about what has been working and why? This report considers some of the more significant past and present diversity initiatives in the industry in order to zero in on the essential practices that seem to differentiate the successful programs from those which are less successful. Toward this end, we interviewed nearly two dozen industry leaders for this report who currently work on the frontline of efforts to make Hollywood a more diverse and inclusive creative space. Their insights give rise to a M.E.A.N.S. model of essential practices already employed in isolated pockets of Hollywood that can be transferred throughout the entire industry.
Five key strategies comprise the M.E.A.N.S. model: MODERNIZE your worldview to reflect changing U.S. demographics; EXPAND the net in routine talent searches; AMPLIFY the voices of women, especially women of color, within organizations; NORMALIZE compensation practices to reduce barriers to entry for marginalized groups; and STRUCTURE incentives for decision makers to prioritize diversity and inclusion. Action items associated with each essential practice are outlined in this report.
Despite audience yearnings for change, the history of diversity efforts in Hollywood suggests that the industry’s diversity problem will not simply correct itself. The path forward must be paved with intentions — by industry decision makers who actively embrace the means necessary for achieving the end of a more inclusive creative space.
M.E.A.N.S. Essential Practices
MODERNIZE your worldview to reflect changing U.S. demographics
EXPAND the net in routine talent searches
AMPLIFY the voices of women, especially women of color, within organizations
NORMALIZE compensation practices to reduce barriers to entry for marginalized groups
STRUCTURE incentives for decision makers to prioritize diversity and inclusion.
DOWNLOAD “By All M.E.A.N.S. Necessary: Essential Practices for Transforming Hollywood Diversity and Inclusion” HERE.
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Los Angeles is known for many things, such as warm weather, beautiful beaches, heavy traffic, busy airport, Hollywood, the entertainment business, and ethnic and cultural diversity. It is also a place that houses so much rich history. History of people and communities making meaning and home in L.A. for so many years. South Los Angeles in particular is an area that has been overlooked, yet has stories to tell. These stories have long been silenced, ignored, or misrepresented.
More recently, gentrification, brought hugely by the Crenshaw/LAX Metro rail line is contributing to the push out of long-time residents and businesses. It’s changing the area at the heart of Black Los Angeles, its population, and its culture to where much of the history of the community is at risk of being erased. As a response to this neglect by the city, local community members, leaders, activists, academics, planners, and artists have come together to create Destination Crenshaw. Among the team of experts who are excited to see this project succeed are UCLA’s Dean of Social Sciences, Darnell Hunt and Professor Marcus Hunter, Chair of the Department of African American Studies. Professor Hunter conducted a research project on Black L.A. that has contributed to the creation of Destination Crenshaw.
Destination Crenshaw is an art project that will be an experience, free for the public to enjoy. It will follow the LAX Metro rail line along Crenshaw Boulevard between 48th and 60th streets. It will be a 1.3-mile open-air museum that will capture themes such as Afro-futurism in South L.A. and community resiliency as well as recognize the unique history of African Americans in the area. It is a hope that this project can help to inform outsiders that there is much to be loved and appreciated in South L.A. as well as reignite community pride for Angelenos about the place they call home.
To learn more, read the Los Angeles Times article HERE.
To read an earlier post about the UCLA research that contributed to Destination Crenshaw, click HERE.
The Hollywood Diversity Report 2018 is the fifth in a series of annual reports that examines the relationship between diversity and the bottom line in the Hollywood entertainment industry. It considers the top 200 theatrical film releases in 2016 and 1,251 broadcast, cable and digital platform television shows from the 2015-16 season in order to document the degree to which women and people of color are present in front of and behind the camera. It discusses any patterns between these findings and box office receipts and audience ratings.
Consistent with the findings of earlier reports in this series, new evidence from 2015-16 suggests that America’s increasingly diverse audiences prefer diverse film and television content.
Films with casts that were from 21 percent to 30 percent minority enjoyed the highest median global box office receipts and the highest median return on investment, while films with the most racially and ethnically homogenous casts were the poorest performers
Minorities accounted for the majority of ticket sales for five of the top 10 films in 2016 (ranked by global box office)
Films with casts that were from 21 percent to 30 percent minority were released, on average, in the most international markets in 2016
Films with Black and Latino leads and majority-minority casts were released, on average, in the fewest international markets in 2016
Median 18-49 viewer ratings (as well as median household ratings among Blacks, Latinos, and Asian Americans) peaked during the 2015-16 season for broadcast scripted shows featuring casts that were greater than 20 percent minority
For White households, ratings peaked during the 2015-16 season for broadcast scripted shows with casts greater than 40 percent minority
Social media engagement during the 2015-16 season peaked for broadcast scripted shows with casts that reflected the diversity of America
Median Black household ratings peaked for cable scripted shows with casts that were majority minority in 2015-16
For viewers 18-49, White, Latino, and Asian households, median ratings peaked in the cable scripted arena for shows with casts that were from 31 to 40 percent minority in 2015-16
Social media engagement peaked for cable scripted shows with casts that were at least 31 percent minority in 2015-16
The majority of the top 10 broadcast scripted shows among viewers 18-49 and Asian, Black, and Latino households, as well as half of the top 10 shows among White households, featured casts that were at least 21 percent minority in 2015-16
The lion’s share of the top 10 cable scripted shows among Asian, Black, and Latino households, as well as half of the top 10 shows among White households and viewers 18-49, featured casts that were at least 21 percent minority in 2015-16
Previous releases in the Hollywood Diversity Report series present evidence supporting the idea that diversity sells when it comes to industry-produced films and television shows. People of color constituted nearly 40 percent of the U.S. population in 2016, and their share is growing by nearly half a percent each year. Increasingly diverse audiences, the evidence shows, prefer film and television content populated with characters to whom they can relate and whose stories drive the narrative. Europe accounted for only about 7 percent of the world’s population[1] and 17 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP)[2] in 2016, which underscores the reality that today’s (and tomorrow’s) global market looks much more like the diversity of America than the White audiences that traditionally drove Hollywood’s greenlighting practices. In short, the previous reports in this series dispel a stubborn Hollywood myth that in order to reach the widest audiences possible, films and television shows must center White characters in their narratives and relegate racial and ethnic others to, at best, supporting roles.
This report adds to the growing body of evidence that diversity is essential for Hollywood’s bottom line. Global box office and television ratings, on average, are highest for films and television shows with relatively diverse casts. Indeed, a consideration of top 10 films and television shows underscores how important diverse audiences have become as drivers of box office and ratings, and that these highly engaged audiences prefer diverse content. But the report’s findings also reveal missed opportunities. For example, we see that Hollywood continues to produce a plurality of films and television shows with casts that are 10 percent minority or less, despite the fact that these projects are collectively among the poorest performers. It also appears as if the industry undersells the relatively small number of films with diverse leads and casts in a global market that is primed to connect with them.
This post contains excerpts from the Hollywood Diversity Report 2018 that was released on February 27, 2018. To read the latest report, download it HERE.
To read the previous four annual reports, click HERE.
This research is led by Dr. Darnell Hunt, Dean of Social Sciences and Professor of Sociology and African American Studies at UCLA.
If you are interested in learning more about the Hollywood Diversity Report research, please contact the Director of Research and Civic Engagement for the Division of Social Sciences, Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, at acramon@ss.ucla.edu.
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of the report or donating to this research, please contact the Executive Director of Development for the Division of Social Sciences, Julie Strumwasser at jstrumwasser@support.ucla.edu.
https://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/HDR_pwpt_v2.jpg720960Contributorhttps://lasocialscience.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/lass_logo-helvetica-281x300-1.jpgContributor2018-06-05 13:34:592018-06-05 13:34:59Is Hollywood Leaving Money on the Table? Key Findings from the Hollywood Diversity Report 2018
Academy Award®-nominated actor Edward James Olmos announced today that the Latino Film Institute (LFI) has named Dr. Ana-Christina Ramón, director of research and civic engagement of the Division of Social Sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), as the inaugural Latino Film Institute Scholar. The award comes with a $100,000 restrictive gift to be used over a two-year period for research designated by Dr. Ramón, including but not limited to, The Hollywood Diversity Report and a dedicated study on Latino representation in Hollywood and the Latino audience.
