George Clooney, Kerry Washington, Don Cheadle, and other industry leaders are teaming up to make Hollywood more inclusive.
The group is set to work with Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner to create the Roybal School of Film and Television Production, a specialized academy housed within the Edward R. Roybal Learning Center. Other stars on the project include Grant Heslov, Mindy Kaling, Nicole Avant, Eva Longoria, Working Title Films founders Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner, and CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd.
The magnet program will center its curriculum around industry production; They will provide education and practical training in the arts and sciences to marginalized communities, according to Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).
Beutner emphasizes that “this effort will help open the doors of opportunity for a diverse group of students from underserved communities. This groundbreaking program will help prepare students for good-paying jobs in the film and television industry by integrating practical industry experience and internships for students into the curriculum.”
“Physics is involved in how a cinematographer chooses a lens, math is a part of the foundation for a musical score in a film, critical-thinking skills are needed to design a set, screenwriters need a foundation in literacy, and a make-up artist needs to know the chemistry of the different materials they might use — and all of this will be tied into the curriculum at the school. We are excited to have the support of these extraordinary industry leaders to create opportunity for children throughout the Los Angeles area,” he continues in a press release.
In his statement to Variety, Clooney explains that “[their] aim is to better reflect the diversity of [the] country. That means starting early. It means creating high school programs that teach young people about cameras, and editing and visual effects and sound and all the career opportunities that this industry has to offer. It means internships that lead to well-paying careers. It means understanding that we’re all in this together.”
Deadline reports that The Roybal School is set to launch in fall 2022 as a magnet school, providing access to storytellers, industry professionals and experts, while supporting students with academic education and practical training.
Inclusivity is crucial in this ever changing industry, and we are so excited to watch the program blossom.
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