Submission Portal Open Through March 20
Warner Bros. Discovery (Nasdaq: WBD) today announced plans for its new Access Directors Program, which nurtures and develops television directing talent through workshops and shadowing. The program also ensures graduates receive an opportunity to direct a full Warner Bros. Discovery television episode. The rebranded WBD Access Directors Program, which was previously housed within Warner Bros. Television, will now be spearheaded by the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team. The expanded Program will include several new opportunities for participants, including: the opportunity to work on shows across the WBD portfolio; the ability to shadow directors on up to two television episodes; virtual curriculum highlighting best practices and equity mindset sessions; and a small childcare stipend for directors while shadowing.
“We are excited to continue the legacy of the Directors Program and expand the program, which will continue to include Warner Bros. Television productions and will also feature shows across the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio,” said Karen Horne, Senior Vice President of DEI. “These programs are the key to cultivating underrepresented emerging talent and equipping them with skills and experience needed to succeed in the industry.”
The program will commence with an in-person workshop led by Mary Lou Belli and Bethany Rooney, who previously taught the Warner Bros. Television workshop and are co-authors of the book “Directors Tell the Story.” They will introduce the up-and-coming directors to all facets of television, including the process of developing episodic television, prep expectations, and working collaboratively with actors and key crew.
Interested directors can submit their applications until March 20 through this portal. The inaugural year of the new Program will begin in June. Importantly, the program will now allow directors who have directed one episode of television to apply if the episode they directed occurred more than two years from the application date.