Only a couple weeks after taking Time’s Up and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s #4PercentChallenge — and promising to commit to a women-directed project in the next 18 months — Paramount has made another inclusivity-minded announcement. According to Deadline, Paramount Pictures Chairman and CEO Jim Gianopulos introduced a new development and green light process via a company-wide memo. In order to be greenlit, Paramount productions will need to complete a plan “designed to enhance access and opportunities for groups historically underrepresented in the media industry,” Gianopulos detailed.
Storylines, representation on both sides of the camera, vendors, and shooting locations in particular will receive “special attention” as part of the initiative.
Paramount also plans to track its progress and use information from its finished films to inform its prospective titles. Once a project is done, the studio’s new Content Creation Council will collect and analyze data to “develop metrics, establish benchmarks, and ensure ongoing accountability.”
“At Paramount, we believe that in order to create content that reflects and entertains our global audiences, we must be dedicated champions of diversity and inclusion. We recognize that we are on a journey, and we haven’t yet reached our destination,” Gianopulos wrote. “As an organization, we hope this [initiative] is a big step toward progress by showing that we are committed to doing better each and every day.”
An Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study of the top 1,200 films from 2007 to 2018 found Paramount Pictures to be the “least female friendly” distributor. Of 125 films distributed, just three were directed by women, or 2.4 percent. Zero of their 2018 offerings were helmed by women. Paramount Pictures’ 2019 slate includes Reed Morano spy thriller “The Rhythm Section.” Blake Lively stars in the pic, which is set to bow in November.
You can read Gianopulos’ entire memo below, courtesy of Deadline.
Paramount Family,
I want to follow up on an important topic that I touched on in this morning’s Spark welcoming remarks. I am proud to announce a new commitment we are making at the studio that we hope will have a broad ranging impact across our company culture and our broader community.
At Paramount, we believe that in order to create content that reflects and entertains our global audiences, we must be dedicated champions of diversity and inclusion. We recognize that we are on a journey, and we haven’t yet reached our destination. To continue to build on our commitment, as part of the development and green light process, our productions will be required to complete a plan designed to enhance access and opportunities for groups historically underrepresented in the media industry. Special attention will be paid to our storylines, our talent in front of and behind the camera, our vendors and our shooting locations.
After a project is completed, the production team will report their results to a newly established Content Creation Council, which will compile and analyze all data to develop metrics, establish benchmarks, and ensure ongoing accountability. As an organization, we hope this is a big step toward progress by showing that we are committed to doing better each and every day.
This commitment comes on the heels of our announcement that we will be participating in The Time’s Up and Annenberg Inclusion Initiative’s 4% Challenge, to announce a project with a female director on a feature film in the next 18 months. We are confident that we will meet this commitment not only in our film division, but in our TV, Animation and Players divisions as well.
Together, we strive to create a community that reflects the culturally-rich and diverse world in which we live. You will hear more about these initiatives as we progress.
Best,
Jim
