Supporting Survivors in The Pre-Production Phase
Production companies, filmmakers, and everyone who works in the entertainment industry should pledge to build a safer, more equitable industry by giving opportunities, auditions, and interviews to survivors and Silence Breakers. This includes never retaliating against anyone for coming forward about sexual violence, and committing to hiring on-camera talent, as well as department heads, crew, producers, directors, writers, showrunners, casting directors, and more.
“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, Writer, Director, Founder of Female Filmmakers Fuse, Member of the Alliance of Women Directors, Founder of Butterfly Angel Entertainment
Here are some quantifiable steps you can take to ensure you’re supporting survivors in the hiring phase. Hire Survivors Hollywood can assist with these steps, or connect you to the people and resources you might need to complete them!
Hire survivors for all positions, roles, and departments
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- For all positions, roles, and departments it is essential to identify those who have publicly come forward as survivors and Silence Breakers and then have the appropriate folks (producer, director, department head, casting director, etc.) reach out to them for interviews, meetings, or auditions.
- For all positions, roles, and departments it is essential to create a submissions system by which self identifying survivors who may, or may not, have come forward publicly can be considered for any and all job openings at your company or for a particular project or production.
- For all positions, roles, and departments it is essential to make it known that your project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- For all positions, roles, and department professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
- For all positions, roles, and departments, at no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- For all positions, roles, and departments it is essential that folks be informed ahead of time of any potentially triggering materials/subject matter they may come into contact with during the project. For example, if an actor will have to audition with a scene that involves sexual violence, that should be indicated in the casting notice.
- For all positions, roles, and departments it is essential to make sure that survivor representation is intersectional (e.g.survivors who are Disabled, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, from Indigenous Communities, etc.).
- For all positions, roles, and departments: similar to other DEI(A) initiatives, you should begin tracking how many folks you interview/audition and hire in each department/role and/or on each project from the survivor community with the aim of creating equitable hiring standards.
Department Heads
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions for implementation:
- It is essential that at least some Department Heads – on all projects – come from the survivor community. Survivors and Silence Breakers need to be represented in all areas of our industry in order for us to create a safer, more equitable Hollywood. Many department heads have not come forward publicly about their abuse due to fear of retaliation or seeming “weak”.
- It is essential to make it known that your project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Put out a press release indicating your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood with a call to action encouraging survivors and Silence Breakers to actively submit to your company or projects.
- Send out a similar notice to all appropriate professionals such as agents, managers, unions to encourage them to submit their clients – and inform their members – of your new efforts.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
Crew
- Crew members are often extremely vulnerable to abusive situations and there are many crew members who have been subjected to abuse that have not come forward publicly due to fear of retaliation.
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions:
- It is essential to make it known that your project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Put out a press release indicating your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood with a call to action encouraging survivors and Silence Breakers to actively submit to your company or projects.
- Send out a similar notice to all appropriate professionals such as agents, managers, unions to encourage them to submit their clients – and inform their members – of your new efforts.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
- While we don’t require stakeholders to hire someone simply because they are a survivor, we do ask our stakeholders to ensure that any submissions that indicate someone is a self-identified survivor will have all materials reviewed by the appropriate people e.g. Casting Director, Department Head, Showrunner, etc.
“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
For Film: Producers, Directors, Writers
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions:
- It is essential to make it known that your project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Any projects which deal with survivor issues (e.g. sexual violence, rape culture, domestic abuse, etc.) should always hire survivors and Silence Breakers as essential members of the creative team and crew, both above and below the line so that these stories ring true, do no harm, and so no stories about us are being made without us. For projects that do not obviously deal with survivor issues, it is just as important to be inclusive of survivors both above and below the line, so that these survivors, who face significant career setbacks and often face retaliation, are having equal opportunities to work in their field of expertise and are not forever being defined by their abuse.
- Put out a press release indicating your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood with a call to action encouraging survivors and Silence Breakers to actively submit to your company or projects.
- Send out a similar notice to all appropriate professionals such as agents, managers, unions to encourage them to submit their clients – and inform their members – of your new efforts.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
- While we don’t require stakeholders to hire someone simply because they are a survivor, we do ask our stakeholders to ensure that any submissions that indicate someone is a self-identified survivor will have all materials reviewed by the appropriate people e.g. Casting Director, Department Head, Showrunner, etc.
“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
For TV: Showrunners, Writers, Directors
- Meet with self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions for implementation:
- It is essential to make it known that the stakeholder’s project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- It is essential that any projects which deal with survivor issues (e.g. sexual violence, rape culture, domestic abuse, etc.) always hire survivors and Silence Breakers as essential members of the creative team and crew, both above and below the line so that these stories ring true, do no harm, and so no stories about us are being made without us. For projects that do not obviously deal with survivor issues, it is just as important to be inclusive of survivors both above and below the line, so that these survivors, who face significant career setbacks and often face retaliation, are having equal opportunities to work in their field of expertise and are not forever being defined by their abuse.
- It is particularly important that your writers rooms are staffed with a diverse group of people (including survivors) in order to tell stories that honestly, and positively, reflect our world.
- The stakeholders should not require their staff writers who also happen to be survivors (or happen to be from any other historically marginalized group) to do sensitivity reads for them. A sensitivity reader should be a separate, paid position.
- Put out a press release indicating your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood with a call to action encouraging survivors and Silence Breakers to actively submit to your company or projects.
- Send out a similar notice to all appropriate professionals such as agents, managers, unions to encourage them to submit their clients – and inform their members – of your new efforts.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
- While we don’t require stakeholders to hire someone simply because they are a survivor, we do ask our stakeholders to ensure that any submissions that indicate someone is a self-identified survivor will have all materials reviewed by the appropriate people e.g. Casting Director, Department Head, Showrunner, etc.
Casting Survivors
- Consider self-identified survivors, regardless of their past credits or cachet. Hire Survivors Hollywood can help you design and implement all of the following suggestions for implementation:
- It is essential to make it known that the stakeholder’s project, company, production, etc. is committed to hiring survivors and creating a safe and equitable work environment for all.
- At no point is it appropriate to require any self identifying survivor to disclose the details or nature of their abuse, including (but not limited to) details about who abused them, when, or how. It is essential that everyone involved is trauma informed, and respectful at every point in the hiring process.
- Create a casting call to go out to Casting Networks/LA Casting, Actors Access, etc. for the project, as well as to SAG-AFTRA. List all open roles and encourage self identifying survivors and Silence Breakers to apply.
- Mention your partnership with Hire Survivors Hollywood. Please use your casting notices, breakdowns, websites, press releases, and social media posts to communicate directly with professional representatives, actors, producers, studios, execs, etc. regarding your commitment to creating opportunities for survivors, hiring survivors, and helping to create a safer, more equitable working environment.
- When putting casting notices up on Breakdown Services, indicate that agents and managers should submit any of their clients who are self identified survivors or Silence Breakers.
- Create a curated list of survivors and Silence Breakers who might fit the open roles that are being cast. Reach out to the survivor’s reps, or to them directly, with an audition request or offer.
- Professional representatives (agents, managers, etc.) should also be encouraged to send information about Hire Survivors Hollywood’s Survivor Talent Database to their entire roster so they have the opportunity to self identify and be submitted for all our partner projects.
- Everyone should have the opportunity to self identify as a survivor in your submission notes and to indicate their interest in working on projects that are specifically making an effort to center survivors, give them opportunities, and create safer, more equitable working environments.
- While we don’t require stakeholders to hire someone simply because they are a survivor, we do ask our stakeholders to ensure that any submissions that indicate someone is a self-identified survivor will have all materials reviewed by the appropriate people e.g. Casting Director, Department Head, Showrunner, etc.
Here is a sample draft of potential language to be used for casting calls and breakdowns and/or hiring notices:
We’ve partnered with Hire Survivors Hollywood, an initiative started by Weinstein Silence Breaker Sarah Ann Masse, which works to end retaliation against survivors of sexual violence by increasing employment opportunities for survivors and by creating a safer, more equitable entertainment industry for all.
We are actively seeking to hire survivors on our production. So, if you identify as a survivor, please feel free to mention that in your submission.
Note: we will never ask you to disclose the details of your abuse and identifying as a survivor in your submission is completely optional. We just want you to know you are welcome here.
