CREATELatino Lens Incubators
NALIP’s Latino Lens Program aims to champion the work and careers of Latinx and diverse creatives and industry professionals. Through Incubators, Workshops, and Mentorships, this program allows professionals in all divisions of media and entertainment to share their voices and create meaningful representation within the industry. Incubators provide creatives with real-world experience that elevates their content, workshops that educate future industry decision makers, and mentorships that build community between emerging and advanced creatives.
In which areas of Los Angeles will you be directly working?
Central LA
East LA
San Fernando Valley
South LA
Westside
South Bay
County of Los Angeles
City of Los Angeles
In what stage of innovation is this project?
Expand existing program
What is the need you’re responding to?
Within entertainment, the lack of diversity and inclusion both in front and behind the camera is critical. Los Angeles is rich with creative professionals from all communities, and their skills and potential are groundbreaking. These creative professionals, however, often lack resources, knowledge, and access needed to take their careers to the next level.
Often stuck at a barrier of entry into the next phase of their development, creatives navigate through the tumultuous workforce, losing their passion for telling authentic stories. NALIP is a data driven, solutions based organization, and we see that the amount of talent from diverse backgrounds is not reflected in the workforce across all media platforms. The Latino Lens program not only aims to incubate projects that will serve as calling cards for creatives, but also to educate and guide through mentorship and workshops. NALIP recognizes the need to support these unique and talented voices that will impact the community-at-large.
Why is this project important to the work of your organization?
For over 20 years, NALIP has advocated for and supported talent from underrepresented communities. NALIP’s Latino Lens Program was created to address the discrepancies amongst Latinx and diverse creatives in the realm of professional development. This program, rooted in incubation, education, and mentorship, is uniquely suited to address these discrepancies often seen with emerging and mid-level talent.
NALIP is a nonprofit organization uniquely positioned to take this on as there is a proven track record of providing it’s constituency with programs that offer direct resources to further their professional development. Past program participants have seen success through this targeted approach and have expressed interest in seeing the generation of more programs that can offer practical tools such as incubation, mentorship, and hands-on experience. With support from grants, NALIP can expand its programs and reach creatives looking for tools and opportunities to advance their careers.
Approximately how many people will be impacted by this proposal?
Direct Impact: 400
Indirect Impact: 5,000
Please describe the broader impact of your proposal.
NALIP’s Latino Lens will have a broader impact on the industry-at-large by providing a platform for emerging to mid-level creatives from underrepresented communities to further their professional development. The need for diversity in film is well documented by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative: “Across 1,335 directors over 12 years, only 4.3% were female and 3.2% were Asian, with no change occurring over the 12-year time frame. Of the 112 directors working on the 100 top films of 2018, 2.7 % were Latino and 3.6% were Middle Eastern/North African.” Virtual mentorship sessions will allow us to scale our reach and impact. NALIP is working to improve representation in TV and film, not only in Los Angeles, but globally as well.
Please explain how you will define and measure success for your project.
NALIP seeks to measure the success of this Latino Lens program by evaluating the number of participants supported, growing the reach and engagement of creatives across Los Angeles County, increasing the industry mentors, as well as the projects incubated and produced. NALIP wants to maximize the number of case studies, through this grant, we will be able to support inclusive content and help to create calling cards that can be used to advance careers. We will be able to grow the number of workshops and participants that attend and are in need of resources. Participants will have access to insight about the industry and hands on training from seasoned professionals. A very important component to this program is the ability to track these individuals past completion, to provide additional support and thus increase the chances of success.
NALIP has created a pipeline of talent, and recommended participants for positions in the media. In 2019, NALIP secured 40+ individuals with full-time jobs. NALIP has incubated 40+ projects that led to distribution deals, licenses and development deals.
For these programs, success will manifest itself in the form of 4-5 short films incubated, an increase in the number of workshops hosted, and number of mentors engaged. NALIP’s programs have been proven successful in guiding filmmakers, and this grant would allow the organization to provide more scholarships, workshops, and mentorships to those who demonstrate significant need.
Which of the CREATE metrics will your submission impact?
Arts establishments, instillations, and exhibitions
Employment in the creative industries
Minority- and women-owned businesses
Are there any other LA2050 goal categories that your proposal will impact?
LA is the best place to LEARN
Which of LA2050’s resources will be of the most value to you?
Access to the LA2050 community
Host public events or gatherings
Communications support
Office space for meetings, events, or for staff
Capacity, including staff
Strategy assistance and implementation