Producers have to struggle a lot for everyone on their sets. They are battling for the creative vision of directors and writers, they are dedicated to creating sets free from harassment, abuse or COVID-19, they fight for diversity in front of the camera and behind the scenes, and the latest challenge is Row Vs. Wade’s world involves making sure everyone has access to abortion and reproductive health care.
But as the panel on The Grill’s Producers Roundtable presented by Gracenote explained on Wednesday, the battle between being inclusive and ensuring people have access to reproductive health care is more underlying than you might expect.
Tzba Chavez, a producer on FX’s “Reservation Dogs,” explained that in order for her show to give opportunities and visibility to indigenous tribes in Oklahoma, she needed to film in a location that today has strict restrictions on abortion. When one of his Indigenous actresses had an intrauterine pregnancy during filming, something that was fortunately still accessible within the state of Oklahoma, it forced the producers and crew to think more deeply about the issue.
“It puts us in a strange place,” Chavez said. “It shocked us and women into wondering if we were in a place where we would be taken care of? And how do we balance this with the work and the stories we tell in tribal communities and the people we employ. There’s a very nuanced conversation. For us, we can’t do it anywhere else, and we don’t want to take away opportunities from the indigenous people there.”
Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, national executive director and chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, was surprised how a conversation about Roe joined a conversation involving representation and diversity on screen. He explained that it’s important for producers to be able to expand beyond the New York and Los Angeles skyline to find new talent, seek out under-represented communities, and go beyond the call sheets of casting agents.
“It’s one of the things that is threatened by Roe’s situation,” Crabtree-Ireland said on the panel. “There are companies that are afraid of being attacked by right-wing politicians or prosecutors in the state. We have to focus on this and the industry has to be ready to live up to that. We cannot let the lowest common denominator determine the rights and protections of the people who work in our industry.”
“I need to tell you how crazy this all is,” said “U” creator and executive producer Sera Gamble. “We feel responsible for safety and health” [of our staff], It’s so elaborate to tell your boss you need an abortion.”
But Chavez took an even more nuanced take on the specifics of the situation. His team on “Reservation Dogs,” as well as several other shows that have used indigenous actors, have had to develop a process for people who are not part of directors’ directories, talking to people who aren’t. Those who are not involved in the industry yet have a specific script, representation or even a reel, all of which are individuals who may need additional protection and support from their producers.
“It’s looking at writers and actors and actors who have something to offer, even if they’re not working in the current context, because they’re still storytellers,” Chavez said. “It’s opening up the way we think about who can sit in these rooms and who can be on our set, and I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to do.”
The Grill’s Producers Roundtable panel also included “The Handmaid’s Tale” executive producer Warren Littlefield, Hello Sunshine’s President of Film and Television Lauren Neustadter, Madison Wells Head of TV and Film Rachel Shane and Producers Guild of America Executive Director Susan Sprung. were involved.
Watch the highlights from the top panel.
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For more than a decade, WrapPRO’s Grill event series has led conversations on the convergence between entertainment, media and technology, bringing newsmakers together to debate the challenges and opportunities facing content in the digital age. has been brought. Tailored to the C-suite and innovative, forward-thinking attendees, the event offers a unique array of curated discussions, industry panels and virtual networking activations that explore the ever-changing media landscape. For more information on The Grill, visit thegrill.thewrap.com
Sponsors for The Grill 2022 include Loeb & Loeb, Citi National Bank, Gracenote, Warner Bros. Discovery, Gerber Kawasaki, Sony Pictures, Take-Two Interactive, SAG-AFTRA, New York Festival, Samba TV and IMAX.
