BLE Launch Series

BIPOC- and Women-Owned Businesses

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative

Los Angeles has so many misconceptions: a vapid wasteland full of shallow aspiring influencers who only care about appearances, a gang-ridden city splitting at the seams with no ability to control problems with violence and homelessness, a traffic-riddled dustbowl contributing to the ever-growing climate problem. While Los Angeles has issues like any other large city, its bad reputation is underserved.

We want to break the misconceptions and show how much GOOD Los Angeles has to offer by telling its true stories. This grant will fund our ability to produce a pilot for our series and create jobs for local television creatives and crew, as well as offer fees to those sharing their stories, opening their homes and businesses, and allowing us to document the lives and experiences of people who actually live in LA so we can provide an insider look and showcase WHY Los Angeles is an incredible place to live and work, and why people should stop giving it a bad rap! Los Angeles is at its heart, a place where everyone is welcome and where anyone can come and find their niche. We want to give people the message that no matter how alone they may feel in this vast and confusing world, somewhere out there (in LA!) there is someone who looks like, feels like, acts like, or is interested in the very same things they are. Angelenos are a proud people, and it's time to showcase why LA is a place to be proud of! With so much negativity and horrible news in the world today, we wish to create an uplifting series and empower people who normally wouldn't have access to a larger platform to share their stories of life, love, success here in LA. Inspired by Huell Howser's California Gold, we want to offer a modernized series which infuses real-life stories with comedy and heart. As we are a growing production company, this grant would enable us to retain creative control over our project.

We hope to showcase LA on a major steaming platform for the world to see its HEART. LA is not just Hollywood! It is our history, our incredibly diverse blended communities working together to create unique neighborhood enclaves, each with something unique to offer. It is our Mexican-Korean taco stands, community gardens-turned-local grocers, artists turning fallen fruit into installations, immigrant self-built architecture, a piano at the peak of a hiking trail overlooking our city of desert, sea and skyscrapers. It's a place where the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry allows whimsical businesses and experiences to thrive, where we can suspend our sense of disbelief and immerse ourselves in real-life dreams-come-true. It's a place where celebrities use their influence for immediate and tangible good - gang truces, educational initiatives, water conservation. Los Angeles is a place people look down on but its residents keep our heads up. We want to show the world why.

We are a collective of seasoned television vets with several successful series under our belts. We know what it takes to create compelling entertainment. We already know these stories need to be told, and the enthusiasm we've been met with thus far by colleagues and mentors within the industry tells us we're on a path to success. Content creation is a tough thing to measure - to quote James Burrows "you never know what's gonna make a hit - it's lightening in a bottle." We have to take a leap of faith and trust our guts - at the same time, with nearly two decades' experience under our belts, we know the difference between when something is on the right track and when it's going off the rails. We are producers often hired to come in and fix shows that are flailing. We are growing tired of working for those in the industry who have catapulted into positions of power having zero management or creative experience. We want the chance to make our own success.