As I walked through the large steel gate towards the vibrantly colored mural on the windowless concrete facade, the pulsing beat of Reggaetón greeted me. Meticulously trimmed trees lined the perimeter of the fence yet didn’t shield the benches in the courtyard from the California sun. An older woman barked instructions through her bullhorn to some kids who had congregated in the corner. Another staff member welcomed and guided guests upstairs. I began to sweat. Was it a hot flash or the half mile walk from the car? No. It’s High School Career Day and I was invited to speak.
A student volunteer ushered me into the library to collect my badge and class schedule. Many of the other guest speakers were already inside chatting and drinking coffee — a female firefighter in uniform, police officers, a doctor, accountants, attorneys, folks from City Hall – about 70 of us seated at long tables anxiously waiting to share what we do, how we made it and how to follow in our footsteps.
Knowing the realities of my work as a social impact entertainment Producer and the state of the industry – I silently screamed “Neo, take the blue pill!” With the bounce back from twin strikes that never manifested, the looming specter of AI on our doorstep that threatens thousands of jobs; and a political regime that has put the media and perhaps the state of California in its crosshairs, how many of us in recent years have actually woken up at 3AM for a 5AM call or have been on set in the freezing cold in the middle of nowhere while the crew sets up for the last shot of the night? What rational person would spend ten years trying to get one project made because you know there’s an audience for it and the story is worth telling? Hmm… are there any positions open at City Hall?
I reported to an eleventh grade English class and was greeted by an energetic young teacher who seemed glad to have a bit of a break. I wrote my name on the board as her students sauntered in, took their seats, and got on their phones. WTF?!? I cannot compete with TikTok. After the teacher scolded them and threatened to confiscate their phones, she handed out an engagement worksheet with a few questions listed to ask the guest speaker. I took a deep breath and began to share my story of how I became a Producer.
From being an only child in a single parent household who grew up on food stamps in Harlem, New York where I attended public schools, I conveyed that I took my education seriously enough to earn a free ride to Stanford University where I graduated with a degree in Psychology at twenty years old. I came to Los Angeles not knowing anyone and not knowing how to find a job in the industry. I explained to them how I got my first break – as a temp on a desk in the accounting department at Paramount Home Video, and how even after eight years of working in the industry, I lost the apartment I shared with my mother when she was laid off from her teaching position and my assistant salary couldn’t carry us. We became homeless, living at the Good Shepherd Center run by Catholic Charities. I lived with nuns and my chore every night was to clean the bathroom that all of the residents shared. I was honest.
I shared with them the work that goes on behind the scenes – before the red carpet and glam squads – the stacks of scripts, the contracts, scouts, all the money you might make and the reality that you probably won’t. I encouraged them to continue their education and see the world if they can – critical thinking and being open to new ideas is important for every career.
Lastly, I managed to reveal the key trait of survival in this business: tenacity — also known as the mountain-moving faith it takes to get a project made.
When the bell rang, the teacher thanked me, and I headed back downstairs to turn in my badge and make the half mile trek back to my car. I hoped I had made a good impression and inspired them to know that despite whatever challenges they come up against they can still find success and do something they love.
The thing I failed to share was exactly how they could follow in my footsteps. You see, unfortunately there was no clear-cut path to a career in producing. Every producer has their own origin story. We can start as an assistant or an executive, an agent or manager, a financier or as a writer who wants to finally see their own projects made and is willing to mortgage their life to do so. With so many entry points, it seems like producing would be an open door to the masses. Everybody can “Just Do It!” But Producing is a team sport. People must vouch for you and want to work with you. Can she deliver? Can I trust him? Do I believe in their vision? In fact, according to the Gillen Group, although there are five hundred thousand plus filmmakers worldwide, only 1.6% of first-time filmmakers make a second film. The multitude of barriers and the lack of infrastructure around this career makes it incredibly difficult to keep it sustainable.
(Top Row: Candace D. Patrick, Catrese Medley, Gippetto Hodge, Vineeta Bovinett; Bottom Row: Mya Carter, Max Blum, Dani Milton, Dolapo Olorode)
In 2022, I founded Plenty of Pie Talent Incubator and Production Accelerator so that creative adults from historically marginalized communities will have a clear pathway to producing. We provide training, mentorship and access to a cadre of producers to help creatives build their networks and advance their projects into the global marketplace. A marketplace in which the revenue is projected to surpass $3.4 trillion by 2028 according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Now more than ever, it is imperative for creatives to understand the business of the industry and how to control their narratives and produce stories for a global audience.
Talent Incubator Meet & Greet (l to r): Max Blum, Candace D. Patrick, Sasheen Artis (Founder), Dani Milton, Vineeta Bovinett, Catrese Medley. (not pictured, Gippetto Hodge, Dolapo Olorode, Mya Carter)
Since launching the Talent Incubator, alumni of the inaugural class are already finding success – one was hired to UCLA’s in-house production team which is prepping to host the 2028 Olympics, and another is currently on the film festival circuit winning awards with her short social impact film about helping children understand death and grief. At present, there are three projects in the Production Accelerator that are highly commercial and are seeking development funding – an FBI series based upon the real life experiences of one of the highest ranking Black female agents; a “Hidden Figures” style biopic on the laser engineer who shot the moon during the Apollo 11 mission; and a social impact docu-series on how communities across America are working to solve the nation’s most intractable problems in their own backyards. Recently, Plenty of Pie was named a Table Partner Lead for Governor Newsom’s California Jobs First Initiative and is working to raise $500 million in government funding, tax credits, philanthropic donations and impact investments to generate more Video Production & Distribution jobs in Los Angeles County.
Plenty of Pie continues to be at the forefront of change, working to bring myriad voices and new perspectives into the industry; and we must be doing something right. This year, I was invited back to Career Day.
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Sasheen Artis is a Three-time Emmy award-winning producer most recently winning the LA Area Emmy award for the social impact documentary special on PBS KCET, “Bonnie Boswell Presents: Saving Moms” addressing the Black maternal health crisis in the US. Sasheen is the Founder/CEO of Plenty of Pie, a talent incubator and production accelerator that offers leadership development, practical producers skills training, and mentorship to emerging and mid-career creatives. Plenty of Pie Talent Incubator is a fiscally sponsored program of Voices for African American Students, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization. We invite you to get involved as a sponsor, mentor or guest speaker and spread the word. Applications for the 2025 Talent Incubator opens March 1 and classes start in June. Visit www.plentyofpie.net for details.
