Beyond Access and Representation in Media Making: Case Studies

How would the shows we watch be different if writer's rooms included our community leaders and organizational members? And how would that change the way we understand the world?

Cultural workers, youth media organizations, filmmakers, public media advocates and organizers have all put in so much work for us to reach this golden age of QT-BIPOC film production, where access and representation are central tenets of equity in entertainment. 

Even as we celebrate, many of us hear the cautionary voices of our political elders telling us, “we have been here before!” And still many others hear, “there are still so many other ways and so much more we can attain!” 

Movement Matters 2021 Report

Beyond Access
& Representation:
Media Case Studies. ​​

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​As we gear up for our own productions, we've delved into five case studies of media makers challenging our understanding of how to create stories in partnership with on-the-ground movements.

​These case studies provide but a fractal of the path that lies beyond access and representation; they point to radical institutional and systemic transformation, not just surface level change. To ensure our stories are as powerful as our vision for liberation, we must also center conversations around ownership, power, class, and the right to creative experimentation.

​      Key lessons include: ​

• The importance of building working relationships where there is mutual understanding of each person’s role and contribution to the production process. 
• Filmmakers need to be mindful of the impact of their productions once they reach the distribution stage and their responsibility to act accordingly alongside directly impacted communities.
• Production processes need to open up spaces for “interviewees” to contribute to and shape the story, rather than extracting information and leaving the creative work to the “artists.”
• Holistic support, which includes money, but also professional development and network building with other filmmakers of color, is necessary for the success of films that challenge dominant narratives and also work outside production systems derived from the Hollywood system.

​​Beyond Access & Representation showcases case studies that stretch all aspects of the production process to go beyond access and representation in dominant media and create our own pathways and platforms.

Download: Beyond Access & Representation

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​For more information on our research approach or to access our other reports visit our Action Research and Reports webpage. Connect with us if you have any questions.

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