Since Coded for Inclusion’s launch last year, Staff Me Up expanded on its inclusive technology and infrastructure while tapping into the racial and social justice equity expertise of Hue You Know and Color of Change, to remove barriers to entry for job seekers from historically excluded groups (BIPOC, Women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and active military/veterans) to ensure studios and production houses have a direct pipeline to candidates. The additional partnerships with A+E Networks, Amazon Studios, Banijay Americas and Warner Bros Discovery will support further expansion into scripted production. The hiring platform provides transparency about available job opportunities and overcomes the obstacle of production leadership hiring predominantly from within their own networks.
“We’re thrilled to welcome A+E Networks, Amazon Studios, Banijay Americas, and Warner Bros. Discovery on board. It is our goal with these partnerships to increase the visibility of job opportunities in the industry while providing productions an easily adaptable infrastructure to diversify their talent pools and break down the barriers of entry into Hollywood,” said Daniel Rosenberg, Vice President of Business Development and Strategic Alliances, Staff Me Up.
“A+E Networks has long been committed to diverse representation in all roles – in front of and behind the camera – and we’re excited to uncover and be paired with underrepresented talent through Staff Me Up,” said Karen Gray, CHRO and Chief Diversity Officer, A+E Networks. “Our content across all of our platforms will be enhanced by this innovative solution that is helping the industry move forward.”
“Our support of Coded For Inclusion is aligned with our commitment to a more inclusive Hollywood, one that reflects the diversity of our world today,” said Latasha Gillespie, head of global DEI at Amazon Studios, Prime Video and IMDb. “To foster high performing and inclusive sets, we need to attract and hire the best talent. We are thrilled to extend this resource to our creative partners so they have improved access to high caliber, talented individuals.”
“At Banijay Americas, we are focused on building partnerships that translate into real jobs and meaningful change in the industry—those that help us deliver on our commitment to reflecting the rich diversity of our audiences both onscreen and behind the scenes on our sets,” said Karla Pita Loor, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Inclusion and Social Responsibility, Banijay Americas. “We are proud to broaden our work with Staff Me Up by investing in the Coded for Inclusion initiative, powered by Hue You Know and Color of Change, to ensure ongoing growth of the hiring platform as well as expanded access to the most highly skilled talent in the business.”
“Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to partner with Staff Me Up and support the Coded for Inclusion project. We believe that every role on a set contributes to the product and it is why we are committed to diversifying the people powering our content behind the scenes in order to be the most representative of the audience,” said Samata Narra, Senior Vice President, Equity and Inclusion, Content, Warner Bros. Discovery.
Staff Me Up currently has more than 380,000 crew profiles listed on its hiring platform, including over 100,000 people from historically underrepresented communities. Production crew who have experience in scripted film and television can self-identify and add unlimited credits to their profiles. With nearly 45,000 Black, Indigenous, People of Color already surfacing in Staff Me Up’s transformative DEI tools, Staff Me Up is uniquely positioned to affect change throughout the hiring process for both above-the-line and below-the-line talent in the scripted and unscripted space. In addition to the hiring platform, Staff Me Up has a robust production-focused vendor database, from craft services to insurance to equipment rentals.
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