“Survivors of sexual harassment and assault in the entertainment industry have faced blacklisting and retaliation for too long. We must commit to uplift the voices of survivors who speak out against abuse and support them in sustaining the careers they deserve. Hire Survivors Hollywood is an important initiative that holds decision makers accountable and fosters the respect and care that survivors deserve.” – Kirsten Schaffer, Women In Film CEO
“Survivors are more than brave; they’re also talented. And they deserve the opportunity to showcase those talents. In fact, that’s all they ever wanted.” – Nell Scovell, TV Writer & Author
“Female Filmmakers Fuse, supports the efforts by Hire Survivors Hollywood. As we celebrate our 5th year as a nonprofit that stands for diversity, equality, inclusion and a safe workplace, we celebrate alongside Hire Survivors Hollywood; as we include them and their message in our annual film festivals.” – Female Filmmakers Fuse
“The fight to achieve gender equality in Hollywood is also the fight to end gender-based violence and harassment in Hollywood. We have to go beyond improving the numbers of women hired on a production, and examine what we are all doing to ensure those workplaces are free of harassment.” – Andria Wilson Mirza, Director ReFrame
“Taking the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge was an opportunity to dive deeper into intersectionality as a filmmaker and as a production company. Schoolhouse Pictures, at its core, thrives in constantly learning and evolving along with culture.Trauma as a topic is a revolving theme in my work, whether it’s a comedy, horror, or a family heist story like our latest film “Thru The Rinse”. For me, the production has to have a sense of trust to make authentic and captivating moments on camera. It starts in casting, where we are already actively seeking to make our projects as diverse and inclusive as possible. So, making it known that we are creating opportunities for survivors seemed like a logical next step. Taking the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge has rolled into conversations about intimacy coordinating, having someone for cast & crew to talk to onset in the case of triggering material, and other actions we can take to create a safe working environment for everyone.I think filmmakers could view enacting this pledge, or any inclusion effort for that matter, as “more homework” but it’s actually a great filmmaking tool to help navigate vulnerable topics with a consciousness that breathes life into our work, the performances, the story, and hopefully, of course, our audiences as well.”– Jason Avalos, writer, director, actor & Founder of The Schoolhouse Pictures
“What I have done so far (since taking the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge) is write a pilot, one character is a survivor which puts the conversation forward. I am taking steps, small as they are, to get this pilot picked up. The hope is to use my voice and the work itself to employ survivors and make room for the conversation to be on the table. I want survivors to know they are seen and believed, even in the foreground of projects before they are in fruition!” – Kat Smith, actor & writer
“Working with Hire Survivors Hollywood was straight-forward and simple. We met with Sarah early in the casting process to discuss the project at-large as well as key cameo roles we hoped to fill with name talent. It was an opportunity for Sarah to get to know our project a bit, and for us to ask questions about how we could actualize the pledge we’d made. It was a brainstorm, no wrong ideas type meeting that left us feeling inspired and excited to cast our film. When we hosted a table read for an early draft of the script, Sarah designed special character cards to blast on social media soliciting submissions for actors to participate in the read. We cast several survivors who saw her posts in our initial table read, and the read went quite well giving us lots of momentum as we made final revisions before heading into production. When it came time to cast the rest of the film, we included in our breakdown a note about our commitment to Hire Survivors Hollywood’s pledge and encouraged actors to self-identify as survivors if they felt comfortable doing so. I want to stress that we did not cast anyone in this film solely based on their status as a survivor. When we reviewed initial submissions, we noticed those who had self-identified and made sure to watch their reels. If they seemed right for the part we invited them to tape. Once we’d received audition tapes from all the actors we reached out to, we made our lists and reached out to top choices just as we would with any other project. We did not refer back to their notes to see who was a survivor and who wasn’t. We did end up hiring several talented survivors, all of whom did a wonderful job on set and were a pleasure to work with. For us it wasn’t so much about opening doors to some people and not others, it was about widening the doorway so all kinds of actors with all kinds of career paths felt comfortable walking through the door. Sarah and Hire Survivors Hollywood were remarkably supportive of our film and casting process, and made no attempts to influence our final choices. Working with Sarah we felt supported and understood, without pressure or control being exerted upon us. Taking the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge expanded our options in casting our film, making “A More Perfect Union” the best-cast film it could possibly be, and we will surely be taking the pledge with our future films.” – Ian Mark, actor, writer, director
“As a survivor myself, both in personal relationships and professionally in the modeling industry in NYC, I was excited when Ian told me he’d taken the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge for “A More Perfect Union”. Ian had known Sarah for some time and upon getting to know her myself, joining forces with her initiative was an easy decision. Our film has changed a lot since it’s conception and has become a braver and braver story. We decided if we’re going to put our personal resources and give our all to make a movie, it might as well be the boldest version of what we want to say. And if our script is going to tackle conflicting material, we want actors on board who are ready to use their voices for the greater good. We believe aligning with survivors surrounds us with people who are not only talented but have a depth and strength of character. It’s about us opening doors, sure, but it’s us who are ultimately blessed. At the end of the day, everything, and I mean everything, is about the people with whom you surround yourself, and the “WHY” of it all. ” – Blaize Hall, actor/writer/director
“I’ve taken the Hire Survivors Hollywood pledge since working alongside Sarah Ann Masse on our upcoming project “R Culture”. I continue with the pledge and affirmation as I will have my doors open for many of my upcoming projects for any and all survivors; giving them equal opportunity. Prior to Hire Survivors Hollywood, I’ve always pushed for having an intimacy coordinator, and other measures that make our sets safe for all, which is why it was easy for me to agree with what Hire Survivors was doing. I support them and encourage others to do the same.”– Alexa Polar, Filmmaker, co-writer “R Culture“, Founder Female Filmmakers Fuse and Butterfly Angel Entertainment
“Having the opportunity to be on set for this shoot demonstrated the radical change that is possible in this industry. Every person on set expressed how the presence of a therapist shifted the tone of the shoot and created a sense of safety. Although I was there primarily to support the survivors at the center of the story, my presence represented THR‘s commitment to care for everyone, including the makeup artists, assistants, and the photographer.” – Ashley Merriman, ASW and Women in Film Hotline Manager speaking about her experience working as a trauma therapist on set of a Hollywood Reporter Photoshoot with survivors that Hire Survivors Hollywood helped facilitate
“I was very concerned going into our shoot featuring several brave women who had agreed to be photographed in a story about their abuser. I did not feel equipped in ensuring the shoot environment would be safe and not cause more harm, and was beyond relieved to be introduced to Sarah who sourced hair and makeup artists who were not only survivors, but very talented, as well as a specialized counselor to be available for the subjects. Each of these people were incredible assets to the shoot, and invaluable in making it feel as safe as possible. I am thrilled to know Sarah now as a resource for amazing talent who can be trusted on set.” – Ash Barhamand, Visual Media Director at The Hollywood Reporter speaking about her experience organizing a Hollywood Reporter photoshoot featuring survivors that Hire Survivors Hollywood helped facilitate
“I truly believe the work Hire Survivors Hollywood is doing is not only a way to combat blacklisting, but one of the only ways to create a safer industry overall. The more we create trauma informed spaces in the entertainment industry and promote the people who deserve it, the less spaces will exist that not only allow but welcome predators like Eric Weinberg.” – Claire Wilson, survivor and photographer discussing her commitment to HSH’s mission and her experience being a subject for a Hollywood Reporter photoshoot that Hire Survivors Hollywood helped facilitate
“The experience was so positive and I thought it was super super cool to have a therapist on set and that’s something that should be normalized!” – McKenna Guy, survivor and makeup artist discussing her experience being hired for a Hollywood Reporter photoshoot featuring survivors that Hire Survivors Hollywood helped facilitate
Hire Survivors Hollywood was instrumental in connecting me to the crew members I was looking to hire. I was consistently impressed by the skill, experience, and generosity of the people who were recommended to me. Hire Survivors Hollywood made my job as a producer so much easier by saving me a ton of time during the hiring process. I can’t imagine having gone through pre-production without their help. Hire Survivors Hollywood enabled me to be a part of the solution and help create a film industry that does right by survivors and silence breakers. – Josh Wallace CEO, Founder at Podium Entertainment LLC