The Zack Arnold Podcast Breaking Into (and Making It) In the Industry as People of Color | with Mirra Watkins, Ariel Brown, and Isaiah Cary
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in?
Have you ever struggled to find role models that looked like you and had similar life experiences?
If you’re a person of color in Hollywood (specifically post-production), the likelihood is extremely high you know these issues all too well...like a likelihood of roughly 99% (as I discussed in a previous episode with seasoned editor and mentor Monty Degraff).
Furthermore, if you are a POC who’s a college student or recent grad, you might be concerned about how the color of your skin could affect the chances of you succeeding in the industry (and if it’s even worth trying), no?
In today’s conversation, I discuss these issues and more with two recent grads and one senior from Temple University in Philadelphia, all of whom are black. Ariel Brown is a senior in the Film and Media Arts Program. Mirra Watkins graduated from Temple 3 years ago and has since moved to Los Angeles and is working as an AE and Editor in unscripted television and digital media. And last but not least, Isaiah Carey is a 2018 Temple graduate now working in the video production world as a cameraman and editor in Philadelphia.
All three of these amazing, talented, intelligent, and hard-working individuals have navigated their way as minorities in a white-dominant industry and have learned some valuable lessons along the way that they have been courageous enough to share with you. Each of them have adopted the unique perspective to turn their struggles into their greatest assets. And each of them has learned that the adversity they face has made them stronger and more capable in their jobs and in life, and ultimately nothing will deter them from achieving their dreams.
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Here's What You'll Learn:
- Ariel’s deep desire to pursue her passion of the arts through filmmaking.
- Isaiah's love of learning and how that led him into post production.
- How Mirra began building her editing skills as a kid who loved to read.
- Why Mirra hopes to one day be the next Shonda Rhimes and her passion to tell “real s@#! to people” through films and stories.
- KEY TAKE AWAY: Being specific and vocal about your desires and goals will open up the right doors and opportunities to get you where you want to go.
- Isaiah’s dream is to be in a Post Production finishing facility working as a colorist and being part of a team environment.
- Ariel’s favorite stories show that anyone can do anything they can put their minds to and those are the stories she wants to tell.
- Mirra’s experience in high school trying to get into the band and the difficulty she had being accepted in a mostly white school.
- What it’s like to fight for every opportunity including the classes you want to take despite being qualified in every way.
- Even in Philadelphia at Temple University, the number of black students in post production is less than 1%.
- Isaiah’s experience with being treated unfairly on his college thesis project and how he handled it.
- KEY TAKE AWAY: Persistence and perseverance will help you find the right people and places to get the opportunities you want.
- The problem of gentrification for minorities negatively and the lack of awareness among whites.
- Ariel is the first in her family to go to college and graduate and she will not let the color of her skin stand in the way of achieving her dreams.
- KEY TAKE AWAY: Don’t be afraid to sell yourself and use your stories of adversity to demonstrate your value.
- Mirra is not looking for a handout based on her race and wants to be hired for her skills, attitude, and love of stories.
- Advice for hiring managers: Take a shot on those people with lesser experience. They often turn out to be the best.
- Advice for POC dealing with racism: Just keep going and don’t let it dictate the trajectory of your life.
Useful Resources Mentioned:
Ep107: Recognizing, Mentoring, and Promoting Diversity In Hollywood | with Monty DeGraff, ACE
Want to Be Part of the Solution but Don’t Know How? Start with Listening.
Guest Bios:
Mirra Watkins
I wear many hats, depending on the day. I am a Video Editor, an Assistant Editor, a Screenwriter, a Poet, a Podcaster, and a Mental Health Advocate. What I identify most as are a storyteller and an escapist.
Since a child, I’ve always had an affinity for storytelling. Growing up, the library and bookstore was my second home. Such a big love for reading developed my imagination in ways I had no clue would be a significant asset in my writing, filmmaking, and editing. As a teen, my love for film grew out of the desire of wanting to be an actress. I used both novels and films to escape from a depressing childhood, never realizing the connection between the two. An intermediate course in video editing at Community College of Philadelphia was where the two loves collided. Soon after, I continued my film education at Temple University and moved to Los Angeles to pursue my storytelling dreams.
I’ve been fortunate enough to work as an Editor and Assistant Editor in an array of mediums: documentary, commercial, corporate, digital media, and unscripted. I plan to switch to narratives to achieve my dream of editing, writing, and directing stories that help people escape from their harsh realities and help others heal from their heartaches and traumas. Creating and collaborating on real stories, much like my favorite films of 2019 (The Farewell, Honey Boy, and The Last Black Man in San Francisco), is on my horizon.
Ariel Brown
Ariel Brown is a student of Temple University Class of 2021. There she is studying to receive her Bachelor degree in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in post production. While finishing her degree she is also working as a freelance filmmaker and animator.
Ariel's long term goal is to create better accessibility to film and other arts for young, aspiring artists. She believes that art is an amazing outlet for people to flex their creative abilities and that everyone deserves a chance to gain experience in their preferred art form.
In her current endeavors towards this goal, she leads a student-run production organization on her campus, as President. The organization aims to provide more on set and networking opportunities among students throughout the university through a shared love of film.
Isaiah Cary
Hi everyone, my name is Isaiah Cary I am a 24 year old bi-racial male currently working in the film industry in the Greater Philadelphia Area. I graduated from Temple University in 2018 with a degree in Film and Media Arts with a concentration in Post Production. I would like to say that I entered the real film world in August of 2017 with my internship, interning at a production/post production house in Philadelphia. I was lucky enough to have that internship turn into my job/career and here I am now. Working on different productions every week for commercials, ads, tv shows, and many more.
In my free time I love to ski and snowboard and that is what got me into filming. Filming myself and my friends at the mountains having fun and coming home and editing when I was younger was the best thing I could think of, so why not go to school for it! Having gone through film school and entering the "adult" world of the film industry has taught me life lessons that I will never forget.
Show Credits:
This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.
The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).
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