CAA Amplify: the importance of addressing diversity beyond the surface

The CAA Amplify Summit discussed the complex conversation about diversity and inclusion in Hollywood beyond the surface.

Anthony Ramos, Lauren Ridloff and Storm Reid were among the most vulnerable in the creative community, speaking openly about the experiences that have brought them to where they are and the challenges they face that push them to continue.

Lauren Ridloff played Speedster McCarthy in Marvel’s eternalA deaf superhero whose disability gave him a super advantage over his peers.

“The superpower of Macarius is that he can create sonic bursts and, due to his deafness, this burst of sound affects other people but not him,” he said. “I remember one day I was shooting and we were talking about safety during explosions and the importance of protecting our delicate headphones. So when PA handed out the plugs, I refused. He asked me if I was sure and I said, “I don’t have delicate headphones. I’m sure.’ I really felt the impact of the explosion, but I didn’t find any hearing damage or impairment. He was still deaf. This is my super strength “.

He went on to explain the concept of “deaf gain”, a term that “brings back the narrative of hearing loss”. Ridloff recalled the narrative eternal Directed by Chloe Zhao on what it means.

“For the first time he heard about this concept and he encouraged me to say more. “She was on the floor and said she loved her,” Ridloff recalled. “She made me think that if she had known about it during pre-production on the film, this concept could have played a bigger role in my character’s development. A deaf writer was not involved in this process. There isn’t much I can do as an actor. We really need more deaf writers in these rooms. We need more deaf people involved in the development of history. That’s when the real acting happens. “

It continued to celebrate the notoriety of deaf actors who were late thanks to this type of film. eternal Y Code. While it was “surprising” to mention mostly deaf actors, he says deaf writers weren’t involved in the creative process.

“The world needs to see that deafness has a lot more to offer,” Riddle said. “My dream is to introduce and present to the world a deaf woman who is black and Mexican like me”.

Ridloff will have the chance to do so as the head and executive producer of the as-yet-untitled romantic drama series about Starz in collaboration with Ava Doverney and Joshua Jackson.

The gravity of responsibility attributed to the creativity of colors to represent everyone equally in their communities is often misunderstood in the conversation about diversity. It is important to understand that people with ethnic, sexual or other disabilities are not monolithic.

Grace, for example, is Dominican American and Afro-Latin. The fact that she is a lighter colored person means that her life experience of hers is different from that of a dark colored Latino. Your fair skin gives you different privileges in your life than dark skin. Playing Afro-Latina as Grace doesn’t mean she represents Afro-Latina society as a whole. Instead, she is part of that experience. All of this is important for casting directors, screenwriters and producers to understand Ridloff’s views on the deaf community.

“Yes, it seems like a responsibility, but I try to see it as an opportunity to do my best job and also to be the person you want to be,” said Grace, who sees Zoe Saldana as one of her earliest inspirations. “You can really be yourself and know that this is enough for you to sleep with a clear conscience, in the sense that you have done everything. It’s also a great opportunity to use your platform to share with others and hopefully inspire others to do the same. “

Director and songwriter James Samuels recalls that the producer offered $ 5 million to shoot his western film. The more they fall– A low ball for the project you had in mind, forcing you to create a much smaller feature.

He made this deal and got what he deserved. The more they fall Released by Netflix in 2021 with a budget of $ 90 million. The protagonist is Idris Elba, Jonathan Majors, Regina King, Zazi Bates, Delroy Lindo and Lake Stanfield, among others.

“When the trailer came out, this producer contacted me and kept portraying me as blah blah blah,” he recalled of a producer who didn’t believe in his vision. “Stop telling us what we can and can’t do.”

“I conclude with this: there are all the narrators in this room. My advice is to obey your folly. It will lead everyone to glory. Every person who inspired me was a fool. Remember, we are gods and there is nothing we can do about it. As soon as someone tells you it’s impossible to do something, do it. The films we make and the stories we tell are for the audience, right? But the elaboration of these projects is only for us and only for us. “This experience is yours and no one can take it away from you,” she concluded.

The summit provided a safe space for many conversations, some considered taboo or controversial, but the message was clear: while diversity and commitment remain our goals, the most important goal must be to normalize how inferior topics are displayed on the screen. . Providing a variety of representations both on and behind the screen, as Riddlef described it, requires going beyond the surface.