Increasing Latino Representation in Hollywood

Access to tech and creative industry employment

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Latinos in the US have the highest per capita annual film attendance by race and ethnicity accounting for 24% of film ticket sales, 24% of streaming subscribers, and 29% of daily TV viewers. When Latinos are represented both on and off screen, Latino viewership doubles. In 2022, films with casts that were 31-40% minority performed highest in the box office and films that had a less 11% minority casts performed poorest. Despite the highest consumers, Latinos are grossly underrepresented in the entertainment industry. Approximately 25% of the US population, Latinos occupied 2.3% of theatrical film leads and 6.1% of streaming film leads in 2023. Of the 252 top English-language films in 2021 only 18 movies were led by Latino actors compared to 154 films led by white actors. Only 1.1% of theatrical film directors and 5% of streaming film directors and 1.1% of film writers and 4% of streaming writers are Latino. LA Collab’s Latinos In Hollywood Internship Program aims to change this.

LA Collab will launch the Latinos in Hollywood Internship Program. The program will empower promising young Latinos, facilitating their journey towards diverse career pathways within Entertainment and Media including in marketing, creative endeavors, and executive positions, ensuring a comprehensive approach to career advancement and industry representation. LA Collab is in the development stage and is seeking funding to pilot this program locally. LA Collab’s Latinos in Hollywood Internship Program offers targeted training, coaching, and ongoing mentorship in order to build the capacity of Latino professionals in a wide range of occupations throughout the industry. Modeled after the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s program model, participants in the internship program will be placed in full time positions at LA based entertainment and media companies and studios, working four days per week and participating in leadership development activities one day per week. Leadership development is designed to help participants better understand the industry, help them market themselves and tell their story, and stand out among other talent in decision making spaces and conversations. LA Collab will partner with local organizations, colleges, and universities to recruit a pilot cohort of LA-based participants. The selection process will include a competitive application followed by a select round of interview with the selection committee.

If LA Collab's initiative is successful, Los Angeles County will witness a transformative shift towards a more inclusive and diverse entertainment industry. This initiative will not only enhance representation but also provide participants with universal skills that boost their employability across various industries. Our vision of success includes empowering aspiring Latino professionals with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the entertainment industry effectively. This empowerment will translate into increased employment opportunities and higher income for our program participants. Our plans for scaling include expanding our programs and outreach to ensure broader impact and sustained progress towards this vision. In the long term, LA Collab's efforts will contribute significantly to our goal of doubling Latino representation in Hollywood by 2030 and making lasting positive change in Los Angeles County.

We have established the following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to ensure our efforts are effective:
Short Term
Skill Development: Evaluate participants’ acquisition of universal skills enhancing their employability across various industries.
Industry Navigation: Assess participants' increased knowledge of the entertainment industry and their capacity to navigate it.
Long Term
Representation in Films: Monitor the percentage of theatrical and streaming films featuring Latino actors, leads, directors, and writers.
Storytelling Diversity: Measure the number of films that tell stories centered on the Latino experience.
We will collect qualitative and quantitative data including participant feedback and employment outcomes to ensure we are on track to achieving our long-term goals. Through these efforts, we will demonstrate the value of our initiative and make a lasting positive impact on Los Angeles County.