Issa Rae Says Hollywood Is Waiting on the Election Amid Challenging Film and TV Landscape

As a long-time gamer who has navigated countless virtual worlds, I find myself oddly drawn to Issa Rae’s real-world journey in Hollywood. Her resilience and determination are reminiscent of a high-level boss fight that I’ve encountered countless times – challenging, but ultimately rewarding when overcome.

Issa Rae is focusing on establishing her own production studio as a means to oversee the distribution of her TV shows, due to limited opportunities and challenges in securing approval for her projects within Hollywood.

At a recent Fast Company Innovation Festival in Manhattan, the star and creator of Insecure expressed her concerns about the current television industry despite her own achievements. She mentioned that several shows she has produced, such as Rap Shit, Sweet Life, and A Black Lady Sketch Show, have been unfortunately canceled. Rae believes that this difficult landscape is also influenced by anticipation for the results of the U.S. presidential election.

Rae stated that the market has undergone significant shifts, impacting everyone involved. Not a single person is immune to these changes. Many discussions about our LA-filmed movie revolve around the fact that nothing is being shot in LA currently, and there’s a lack of work opportunities. My inbox is consistently filled with messages from people asking if I have any projects because they’re available, indicating how challenging it is. It’s a lengthy waiting game to predict what will happen to the industry in general.

I have an exceptional bond with my current colleagues at work, and I truly enjoy collaborating with them. However, almost everyone, every professional connection except perhaps Netflix, is currently under the influence of Wall Street. I believe that following the elections, things will shift significantly as people will understand what can be achieved, albeit in a rather unsettling manner. The industry is simply in a holding pattern.

At the time she signed the contract in 2021, Rae was already bound by a five-year agreement with the company that is now called WarnerMedia.

In September 2020, the duo behind it established Hoorae Media – an autonomous media production firm – with the intention to take charge of the projects they produce, focusing especially on narratives penned by Black authors and featuring Black actors.

Rae emphasized the importance of being involved in every stage of the project, aiming to eventually establish a studio, whether it’s a network or a distribution platform. This goal serves as our guiding star, but for now, we’re focusing on telling these stories one by one. What I’ve noticed and what many have observed when looking at current TV programming, is that there are not many Black narratives being shown. Ensuring diversity in storytelling is a key focus for us, and it seems few networks or studios share this perspective.

2024-09-20 01:24

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