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Warner Bros. Discovery Changes Mind on Writers/Directors Workshops

Published Wed, 12 Oct 2022 15:36:11 -0500

Last updated Wed, 12 Oct 2022 17:55:37 -0500

It would appear that the news of the 40-plus-year-old Warner Bros. Television Workshop being shuttered was a bit premature. Of course, another way to say that would be Warner Bros. Discovery changed their mind after receiving waves of pushback both (reportedly) within the halls of WBD as well as from famous alums on social media. Either way, the good news is that the mentoring & training program for up-and-coming writers and directors will now be housed within WBD's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion unit in partnership with Warner Bros. Television. Warner Bros. Discovery DEI Vice President Grace Moss will now lead the program, with Warner Bros. Discovery DEI US Lead Karen Horne set to oversee.

What was truly heartbreaking about the initial decision was how successful the program had been in training & mentoring future writers and directors. In addition, the program was also an excellent opportunity to mentor the next generation of diverse writers & directors. Some of the influential names that have come through the program include actress/director Regina King (One Night in Miami), Jonathan I. Kidd & Sonya Winton-Odamtten (Lovecraft Country), Etan Frankel (Animal Kingdom EP), Charmaine Degrate (House of the Dragon), Bola Ogun (The Witcher), Stacey Muhammad (Queen Sugar), Pamela Romanowsky (Gossip Girl), Zak Schwartz (Wu-Tang: An American Saga, TNT's Snowpiercer), Jim Campolongo (The Sandman, Station 19), and Jude Weng (Only Murders in the Building, Finding 'Ohana). To be clear, the DGA was also a factor in the change, stating that the workshops were mandated by the union's collective bargaining agreement.

"By continuing this successful WBTV initiative through the DEI division, we ensure that Warner Bros. Discovery's continued commitment to training and development continues. Additionally, this is a strong example of how DEI plans to leverage our recently announced Creative Council to best align with our internal partners in maintaining our commitment to infuse our pipeline with diverse storytellers," said Asif Sadiq, Warner Bros. Discovery CDEIO. "As we solidify the agenda and scope of the Council, we are excited to be able to expand this important initiative alongside our other efforts providing opportunities for underrepresented creatives." Horne added, "Including the Writers and Directors Workshop within the scope of our current DEI pipeline programs, which include development opportunities for music supervisors, comedic voices, and showrunners among others will allow for a broader and more intense DEI focus and yield an even larger pool of cohorts to benefit from the experience and exposure we provide. We are encouraged by this chance to house this long-standing WBTV effort to impact the industry with emerging talent within the DEI team."

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