20 Jul 2021

If you watched the Oscars this year, you may have seen a lot of news about Chloe Zhao becoming the first Asian woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director. A small part of you may have asked yourself ‘what’s all the fuss about?’. Diversity in the arts has been a hot topic at the moment, but if you’ve been left scratching your head a little, we’re happy to take ya through what the deal is and why it’s so important:

You create real, authentic characters and stories

You know that feeling when you’re watching an American sitcom, and some Aussie character comes on (usually doing a piss-poor accent) and you just cringe inside? That right there is the importance of authenticity. People act differently in different situations based on their cultural background, their values, how they see the world and how the world sees them. Authenticity makes characters feel real, fleshed-out and relatable instead of just a stereotype based on what a writer or actor thinks a diverse character would do in that situation. 

Diverse stories are more engaging stories

At the end of the day, the importance of creating diverse, realistic and relatable characters comes down to engagement. We’ve come a long way from the old days of TV where show writers were trying to capture as many people as possible on only 5 channels every night. 

The amazing thing about TV and film these days is that it’s all about picking and choosing what you want to watch. In a weird way, our relationships with what we watch are kind of like making friends. Your average friend will like you because of all the similarities you have with the rest of your group, but your best friends really love you for what makes you different and unique. Have a think about some of your favorite movies and TV, and you’ll find that you love them because they connect with your identity in some way.

Role models are important (behind the screen and in front!)

One of the most important effects of diversity is the flow-on effect it has on helping more stories like that come into the world. Watch an interview with someone who feels like they’re underrepresented in film and TV and they will either mention seeing someone who was just like them succeeding and feeling like it’s possible, or being upset about not seeing people like them out there and wanting to be a role model for the next generation.

It also sends a message to someone out there who may think that they can’t have a career in film and TV, that maybe they could be in their shoes one day.

If diversity and inclusion are important to you (if you’ve read the article, they should be!), and you’re considering a career in media, then you should check out AFTRS. 

AFTRS has a big focus on educating their students and the Australian industry at large about how to build diversity into the fabric of our media. They’ve also expanded their scholarships program to make sure as many people as possible have a shot at a world-class education at AFTRS.

If you want to be a part of this dynamic content industry, come join us at our Virtual Open Day  next month, August 14, and have a chat to our lecturers, and past students who’ve done our Bachelor of Arts Screen: Production course.
You can check-out our Virtual Open Day details here.