‘Moonlight’ star and UT alumnus Trevante Rhodes discusses new film

Originally published at The Daily Texan.

“Moonlight,” starring former track star and UT alumnus Trevante Rhodes, will be released this Friday. The film tells the story of a man’s life as he comes to terms with his own sexuality. The Daily Texan spoke with Rhodes about his preparation for this role and his acting career.

The Daily Texan: How did you prepare for the role?

Trevante Rhodes: I literally walked around and fortified myself and walked around Los Angeles with this disdain toward everyone I came into contact with. I felt like I had this secret to hide from everyone and if I were to connect to anyone, they would be able to see through me to this little flamboyant kid. So it was really just about that and developing this self-hate.

DT: How did you get into acting, and why did you choose to be an actor?

TR: My last semester in school, I went jogging on campus and this lady flagged me down. She said, “You look like this guy that’s in my head that I’m “casting in this film.” At the same time, I was in [an introductory theater class] to complete my degree requirements, so I talked to my professor about it and he was like, “Dude, this is someone who is prominent in the industry and you should probably follow through.”

I got the audition the next day, and I was terrible at it and I didn’t get the job at all. But being an actor, whenever you suck at something, you want to get great at it. And for whatever reason, I thought I could be relatively decent at it, so as soon as I graduated I moved to L.A.

DT: What are you hoping to accomplish with acting?

TR: Working on “Moonlight,” I learned I really like the power of cinema. I learned that you have the opportunity to shine light on certain ways of living or show people that they’re not alone because so many people in this world feel like nobody can relate, when in actuality, we are all the same so we all have the same emotions. Being a part of something so specific makes it universal and allows people to know, “Oh yeah, I’m not alone. I’m not crazy for thinking that.” My goal is to utilize this platform that I’ve been gifted to continue to show people that and hopefully use it for good and hopefully help people.

DT: What advice would you give to UT students or other young actors trying to find a start?

TR: Love yourself. Everybody tends to think you have to be what is hot right now, when in all actuality, you need to just live your truest life and just maximize yourself. I’m me, I’m going to try to be me and thankfully the film is resonating with people. The work is acting so if you’re acting in your real life, there’s no resolve.

DT: In your opinion, what makes “Moonlight” so unique?

TR: It’s something so specific that it becomes universal. After our first screening, this 60-year-old straight, white man walks up to Barry Jenkins, our director, and he’s just shaking and crying and he hugs Barry and he was like, “That was my story. I’m a straight white man so the context is different but that was my story. I was bullied and all of those things.” This 60-year-old white man [found] his inner 7-year-old black kid. And it’s such a beautiful thing that unifies us as people in a time that we really need that. It’s such a timely thing that I got to be a part of.

DT: What’s next?

TR: I just signed on to do this big film with Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon and Michael Peña. And that should be in a month, so I’m in the process of putting on weight and started growing the beard out.

Disney delivers moving musical masterpiece “Moana”

Originally published at The Daily Texan.

In a sea of greatness, standing out from the crowd is hard. The near-untouchable history of Disney musical films creates this problem every year, but “Moana” easily shines just as bright.

Young Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) is the daughter of the village chief on Motunui, a Pacific island. Refreshingly, she is expected to take her father’s place when she comes of age without even a mention of her gender. She longs to explore the sea, but her responsibilities keep her bound to land. When all of the food on the island begins to mysteriously go bad, Moana accepts her call to adventure and begins the search for shape-shifting demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) to return a magical stone to its proper resting place, which will appease the gods and save her island.

The banter between the two leads brings a kinetic energy to the dialogue, never leaving a dull moment. Moana and Maui initially have a very cold relationship, each trying to gain something from the other: Maui wanting Moana’s boat, and Moana needing Maui’s help. Their rocky first bond leads to a story that slowly builds a realistic friendship and thankfully never once hints at the typical princess romance.

Moana and Maui venture across the seas and the story becomes episodic, with the two heroes overcoming one obstacle at a time. One of these is a gang of “Mad Max”-inspired anthropomorphic coconuts in a sea-bound pursuit of the heroes. Another is a trip through the Realm of Monsters, which includes a hilarious David Bowie-like song from Flight of the Conchords band member Jemaine Clement.

As the movie propels toward its conclusion, the predictable easy win for the heroes becomes more and more likely — before suddenly taking a sharp, surprising turn. This leads to two songs and two scenes that are simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, aided by some of the finest Disney songwriting this side of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight.”

The decision to hire “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda pays off in spades, as the songs bring a perfect sense of liveliness and heart that pays tribute to Disney’s past while also carving a new path. The songs take the archetypes viewers expect, such as the “I Want” song and the villain song, then turns them on their head, sometimes to powerful emotional effect.

The voices are also perfectly cast, with Dwayne Johnson bringing the perfect sense of humor, arrogance and surprising rap skills to Maui. Newcomer Auli’i Cravalho adds spunk to the titular hero and has a masterful control of her voice. She belts the show-stopping ballad as easily as the softer moments, expertly manipulating the
audience’s emotions. Alan Tudyk, a Disney veteran, provides the sounds of a wordless idiot chicken named Heihei, a hilarious parody of the prototypical Disney animal sidekick.

“Moana” is a story of contrasting opposites: land and sea, water and fire, empathy and fear. Even the two main characters are a small human girl and a large male demigod. In telling a story of contradictions, the filmmakers effortlessly create conflict without even needing a true villain. In this story, the antagonist is simply the conflict they face and the barriers which prevent them from achieving it, not some nefarious monster manipulating the story behind the scenes. In doing this, the writers spend more time fleshing out the characters. “Moana”’s greatness truly shines when these fully rounded characters sing Miranda’s lyrics, tying the film’s best pieces together and frequently bringing the audience to tears.

Some may call Disney’s current hot streak its second renaissance. The filmmakers at Disney are certainly producing movies of a higher quality than 10 years ago, with the great recent output including “Frozen” and “Zootopia.” If “Frozen” started this second renaissance, “Moana” is the pinnacle — a hilarious, heartwarming tale with songs children will sing forever.

Marvel conjures up narratively-stunted, visually stunning superhero flick with “Doctor Strange”

Originally published at The Daily Texan.

“Doctor Strange” takes the superhero genre on a bizarre and awesome trip into mysticism. With beautiful action, abstract expeditions into the cosmos and a satisfying ending, the film is almost a success.

The Marvel cinematic universe has a history with hugely popular movies that can be great, incoherent or somewhere in between. Director Scott Derrickson’s “Doctor Strange” lands closer to “great” than “incoherent,” but makes enough mistakes to keep it from achieving excellence.

Benedict Cumberbatch plays Dr. Stephen Strange, a brilliant yet arrogant man who is unfortunately the intersection of his own Sherlock Holmes and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. He suffers a terrible, but visually awe-inducing, car accident that cripples his hands, causing him to embark on a journey in search of a cure that leads him to The Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) and Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor). From there, he learns magic and heals his hands as he unintentionally becomes entangled in a centuries-long war between darkness and light.

If the plot sounds familiar, it is. It borrows from Marvel’s own “Iron Man,” from “Batman Begins,” and the origin of Mads Mikkelsen’s villainous
Kaecilius is reminiscent of “Kung Fu Panda.” The direction and action sequences are enough to overcome the film’s lack of originality, but it still takes a toll on the otherwise visually innovative film.

The biggest issues are with the narrative, which is unoriginal and full of unearned plot beats. Doctor Strange‘s character does not have much of an arc, magically transitioning from self-centered doctor to magician to heroic sorcerer. These character shifts are spontaneous and baseless, and even his most substantial change-of-heart takes place off-screen.

Though the plot disappoints, “Doctor Strange” is visually stunning. When Strange is first “awakened,” he is sent on a trippy, fantastic expedition through the “multiverse.” The scene is part “2001: A Space Odyssey,” part the quantum realm sequence from “Ant-Man,” but with an unconventional, creative spin.

Action sequences are further improved by Derrickson’s touch, with rotating gravity, time reversal and folding realities. “Doctor Strange” opens with a battle scene in which ambiguous villains and heroes fight on the side of a building as it and the surrounding city rotate and fold in on themselves like a moving M.C. Escher painting. The scene is a rare case of 3-D actually improving a film, establishing different planes of action and adding much-needed clarity to scenes that could have become mindless mayhem.

As the movie progresses, it grows more daring and willing to jump into unabashed sci-fi fantasy, and the film is better off for it. Scenes of Strange and Mordo bickering while running across upside down buildings, fighting evil ninjas are far more entertaining than dull moments of an arrogant genius who only wants to help himself.

The conclusion to “Doctor Strange” is potentially the film’s greatest asset. Superhero films frequently end with a large object crashing into the ground as a beam of light streams into the sky, evidenced by “The Avengers,” “Man of Steel,” and even supposed parody film “Deadpool.” Derrickson wisely avoids this, and has Strange resolve the film’s conflict by outwitting the villain rather than blowing everything up.

Marvel has crafted another hit with “Doctor Strange.” Although the film’s misses are significant, they do not overwhelm when it hits the bullseye.

“Inferno” packages thrilling nonsense in entertaining format

Originally published at The Daily Texan.

Two-thirds of the way through “Inferno,” a plot twist caused as many exasperated laughs as it did shocked gasps. This reaction defines the movie, as “Inferno” manages to be as contrived as it is thrilling.

Director Ron Howard first adapted Dan Brown’s bestselling conspiracy thriller novel “The Da Vinci Code” 10 years ago. The Tom Hanks vehicle was a self-serious labyrinth of a film but addressed a fascinating conspiracy. From there, the sequels have grown more bold, more entertaining and more convoluted.

In Howard’s latest adaptation, Tom Hanks’ Robert Langdon awakens in a hospital in Florence, Italy, unsure how he arrived there. This helps the story wisely skip the typically exposition-loaded first act and jump straight to the chase. Almost immediately, ambiguous groups begin firing at Langdon as he takes off to follow a trail left by a recently deceased billionaire, with his new female sidekick (Felicity Jones).

The mysterious puzzle is loosely tied to Dante’s “The Divine Comedy: Inferno,” but the film never gives a convincing reason why the epic poem figures so heavily into the story. For some reason, the billionaire who left the puzzle loved Italian art and Dante, using paintings as hints. Though entirely nonsensical, this enables Hanks to have strange visions of hell on Earth, including visually arresting sequences of heads turned backwards, people halfway buried in the ground and “The Shining”-like raging rivers of blood.

The plot unravels through flashbacks and plot twists, never really making much sense. In order to decode what actually happened in this movie, one would need a full day, a notebook and a symbologist as smart as Hanks’ character in the film.

Despite the disappointing plot, the entire cast is superb. Jones delivers a strong portrayal of a confused yet eager-to-help doctor, and she works surprisingly well with Hanks. Irrfan Khan is dynamite as the mysterious leader of a secretive corporation. His performance is convincing as a charmingly arrogant business man who is also an assassin with uncertain motivations — a ridiculous but extremely fun turn from the dramatic actor.

As Hanks’ character regains his memory, “Inferno” becomes less bold. Hanks’ freaky visions appear less frequently, and the movie starts to cave under its own weight, bending over backwards to make sense of the tangled plot. But “Inferno” never grows dull — whenever the plot hits a wall, its characters travel to another country, solve puzzles and dodge bullets there.

The film’s last flaw is its paint-by-numbers, typical Hollywood finale. For a series that finds its identity in being unpredictable, the ending comes up supremely disappointing. Further frustrating is the decision to stray from the conclusion to Brown’s novel, an ending as bold, preposterous and bizarrely awesome as the first 90 minutes of the film.

On the whole, Ron Howard’s “Inferno” is neither a good nor bad movie. It makes plenty of mistakes, but beautiful cinematography of historic buildings combined with an enjoyably absurd plot makes for an amusing time at the movies.

Those who are looking forward to “Inferno” should go to the theater, buy some popcorn and prepare for an awesome mess of a movie — but don’t forget your tin foil hats.

Superhero comics ditch distressed damsels for leading ladies

Originally published at The Daily Texan.

At New York Comic-Con in early October, Marvel announced its publishing lineup included 23 female-led comic books — its most ever.

By creating new heroes and reimagining classics, Marvel and DC are fully joining in the current trend of gender diversity in superhero comic books, and fans are grateful.

Andrew Friedenthal, a UT alumnus who earned a Ph.D. in philosophy and American studies, said he has noticed consistent mistreatment of women in comics.

“There’s been this kind of constant relegation of female characters into the background,” Friedenthal said. “The main thing that comes to my mind when I think of treatment of
women in comics is the ‘Women in Refrigerators’ trope.”

This recurring trend in storytelling spawned from a “Green Lantern” comic in 1994. In the issue, the villain brutally murders the male hero’s girlfriend and stuffs her into a refrigerator for the sake of revenge. This act’s only purpose within the narrative is to anger the male hero and give him greater motivation in his battle against his nemesis. It has gone on to become a symbol of the objectification of female characters in all forms of media.

Marvel has countered this objectification with female-led series across the board such as Kamala Khan, a new fan-favorite character, created in 2013. Just one year before, the preexisting hero Carol Danvers took up the mantle of the classic Marvel hero, Captain Marvel.

Angie Blackmon, owner of Dragon’s Lair Comics & Fantasy located in Austin, said although women have consistently been objectified, the industry’s current steps are a move in the right direction.

“I think Marvel really gets how to treat a female character,” Blackmon said. “There’s less of a tolerance for objectification and I think that makes a huge difference.”

Blackmon, however, said the turning point for women in comics came in 2005 when Wonder Woman was reluctantly forced to kill another character for the greater good, a theme found in many
male comics.

“It was the first moment where I felt like I was seeing her as a warrior in the same light that you’d see a male superhero,” Blackmon said.

English senior Jordan Tucker, who is writing her thesis on women in comics, said she takes issue with the type of people hired to write comic books.

“One of the worst things is they are writing more about women, but there aren’t that many women writing,” Tucker said.

In February, Marvel employed 18 female creators, but by December, 37 writers and artists will work there.

“There’s been more of a push to have female voices on the creative side of late,” Friedenthal said. “In terms of creating a strong female voice that is wholly identifiable, Squirrel Girl at Marvel is fantastic. It’s one of the best things out there right now.”

With every shift in culture, some pushback is bound to happen. Korey Finch, a comic book fan who has followed the industry for 15 years, has heard complaints about publishers potentially sacrificing the quality of the stories to cater to the demands of the audience. She doesn’t agree.

“I hear people whine about that a lot, and I don’t have a lot of tolerance for it,” Finch said. “Male superheroes have long oversaturated the comic book market, and the thought that some people  feel slighted by women taking more leading roles really angers me.”

Blackmon said she considers these issues growing pains along the way to achieving something greater.

“The important thing to remember is that there are going to be mistakes made,” Blackmon said. “I don’t think the companies are caving, I think they’re evolving.”

All-Star cast fails to save drab direction in “The Accountant”

Originally published on The Daily Texan.

Although Ben Affleck was recently on a roll with his directorial effort in “Argo” and well-chosen role in “Gone Girl,” his streak ends as he takes on the titular role in Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant.”

Affleck’s character is Will Hunting meets Jason Bourne: A man who is brilliant in math and invincible in a fight. He is joined by a dynamite cast of Anna Kendrick, J.K. Simmons, John Lithgow, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Robert C. Treveiler and the deliciously evil Jon Bernthal. But aside from Affleck and Bernthal, their characters are underdeveloped and have minimal screen time.

“The Accountant” is overly long and convoluted, and a more detailed plot description might fill an entire page. It follows Christian Wolff (Affleck), an autistic mathematician with a hard childhood and a particular affinity for managing major criminals’ books. Wolff is called to help Lithgow’s company and bank accounts as two agents try to put Wolff behind bars. All the while, Bernthal leads some sort of private army hunting Wolff. The film has an unnecessary amount of subplots, including a treasury agent (Simmons) retiring, a new agent (Addai-Robinson) erasing a dark past, a father (Treveiler) struggling to raise an autistic child, the leadership and employees of a crooked company (Lithgow and Kendrick) and the leader of a private army (Bernthal).

Although the script fumbles with the high-concept idea, it remains somewhat engaging mostly due to Affleck’s performance as Wolff. He full-heartedly sells playful moments of awkwardness, as well as stone-faced action sequences or an occasional panic attack.

From a plot standpoint, Bernthal’s character only exists to remind the audience that Wolff faces an enemy with a similar violent skill set. Bernthal takes this role and runs with it, performing as a sort of dark mirror to Affleck’s socially awkward accountant. He fully sells the role of a southern-accented and somewhat charming murderer, making just as large an impact as Affleck in about one-fourth
the screen-time.

The other performances are lacking, with big-name stars delivering neither great nor terrible portrayals of two-dimensional characters.

The greatest problem with the film is not its hard-to-follow script or poorly-used cast, but its absolutely boring direction by O’Connor. The script deals with an interesting idea, and much of the cast is having fun, but the entire story plays out with no style at all. About 90 percent of the film is dialogue. This is not inherently detrimental to a film, but O’Connor fails to make these moments interesting. When Affleck is in a scene, the film has three possible shots: him talking, a reverse shot of someone else talking or a low-angle shot of Affleck looking angsty.

Recent action films such as “John Wick” or even “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” have specific stylistic elements during fight scenes. “Wick” uses clear, two-dimensional shots of the action, whereas “Captain America” uses quick editing and close-ups to disorient the viewer yet keep them informed. But “The Accountant” does neither, shooting the few action beats slowly as if they were scenes of Affleck and Kendrick discussing mathematical gibberish.

Although Affleck’s recent output has been strong, Gavin O’Connor’s “The Accountant” is a muddled, convoluted mess of a film, with decent elements that just do not add up.

“The Accountant”

Rating: R

Runtime: 128 minutes

Score: 2/5 stars

 

 

‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ stars share experience returning to famous ‘Evil Dead’ franchise

Originally published for The Daily Texan.

“Ash vs. Evil Dead” premiered its second season in Austin this week at Fantastic Fest. The show revives the classic “Evil Dead” franchise, where Ash (Bruce Campbell) fights through armies of the dead with new sidekicks Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) and Pablo (Ray Santiago). The Daily Texan spoke with the show’s stars about returning to the franchise, adapting to TV and women’s roles in the horror genre.

Bruce Campbell: Ash
DT: It’s been 23 years since “Army of Darkness.” What was it like returning to the role after so long?

BC: It was honestly very startling. It’s a very physical character, and after pulling a couple hamstrings you realize your own mortality. So that part is always difficult. Just doing the same crap 24/7, only 25 years later, is a whole different ballgame. In the movies, he’s not that well-defined. But [with] the dude in the TV show you start to see nuances. Maybe he is the leader, maybe he’s not a total idiot and he will try to cover your back, and maybe [he] is a badass. A TV show allows you to explore it all — the foibles, the weaknesses, the previously unknown strengths he would’ve had.

DT: In our current trend of superheroes everywhere, do you think Ash fits in?

BC: No, not at all. That’s what makes him unique. He’s the only guy that has no skills whatsoever. He’s not CIA, he’s not the FBI, none of that shit. He’s just a schmoe that works in the hardwares department. And now he’s over the hill. He’s middle-aged, he’s tired, he’s worn out, and now he has to save the freaking world. I like that scenario. I want to see that guy try and pull that shit off. But he doesn’t really want to do it, he can’t really do it. He makes mistakes, and he’s a really flawed hero. This guy has a lot going on with him.

DT: So where is Ash going to go in Season 2?

BC: Well, he’s gonna go back home. He’s trying to save his town, but they don’t really want him back. He’s an urban legend, he’s “Ashy-Slashy.” He’s got to save the world but the town doesn’t really want his help.

Dana DeLorenzo: Kelly
DT: The show is a really fantastic way to continue the “Evil Dead” story, as well as start a new one.

DD: Yeah, I think that’s a very challenging thing to do — to maintain what the franchise was built on while also bringing it into a new era, a new generation with new characters and sidekicks. I think it’s a testament to Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell and Rob Tapart for being able to balance that and merge both. It was something that I was a little terrified of. I knew what a loyal fan base this franchise has, and I knew that it was mostly because of one man and one character. To the fans’ credit, they have been so, so kind and attached to these characters. And I think it’s because they are so well written and such a good balance to Ash. I think Ray likes to say that Pablo is the heart, Kelly is the brain and Ash is the brawn. It’s a trifecta of misfits that somehow comes together.

DT: One thing that’s unfortunately consistent throughout the original three Evil Dead movies is that women don’t typically have the biggest roles, and when there is a woman she is treated absolutely poorly. Do you think Kelly’s character is a kind of an intentional reversal to that trend?

DD: The creators have evolved the female character to where we’re at right now. I think the fact that Ash now has these strong women to fight alongside was very smart on their part. In general, women in horror have not been done justice and they’re starting to, thank goodness. I think there is a changing face of horror, and female characters are not naked or being the damsel in distress, they’re the Kelly’s of the world. The incredible men that created the franchise then realized, “Oh, let’s reflect [on] where we are, and let’s evolve these female characters.” I met a fan at a Comic-Con and she said, “Oh, I’m writing my senior thesis on the evolution of female characters in horror and I’m using your character of Kelly as the lead example of how they’re now these kickass women.” And it’s something I’m very proud of that it’s true, that it’s not just another stereotype. Kelly is tough for sure, but she’s human, and I love that.

Ray Santiago: Pablo
DT: Did you watch the “Evil Dead” movies growing up? What was it like working with Bruce Campbell, who starred in all of them?

RS: I’ve always been a fan of horror films, I watched these movies growing up as a kid. I always wanted to be the guy saving the girl from the monster, and now I’m one step closer to being the superhero. I get to be Ash’s loyal sidekick. And I’m the first Latino sidekick to a horror genre on television. Bruce is an amazing leader, and I sometimes still get nervous around him. I still have that feeling in my stomach whenever I show up to set. But we have this thing where we’ll walk on set, everyone will be sort of doing their thing, and I’ll look up and catch his eye and he catches my eye and we just start laughing. You know, Bruce has taught me so much, from learning to hit my mark to learning to speak up. I can only be so lucky to be working with such great company.

DT: What is it like to play a character breaking ground in a popular franchise?

RS: Going into this, I just wanted to be confident. I’ve been dying for an opportunity like this for a really long time. There’s pressure, but the pressure lies more now with what kind of role model I can be both on and off camera. I think with Pablo, the world gets a positive portrayal of a Latin-American. And in the time of today when people are building walls, it’s important to show positive portrayals of Latinos on television, and especially one who wants to be a superhero and save the world from evil.

DT: How similar are you to the character of Pablo?

RS: I think we both want to leave our marks on the world, we both want to be heroes in a certain respect, and they want to change people’s perceptions of what people think of us. I think we both see beyond people’s flaws, but I think Pablo has a hard time believing in himself, and personally I try to make the choice to believe in myself every day. I try to infuse myself into Pablo as much as possible. One of the things I struggle with is how he always just believes Ash is the hero, and he’s always let down by Ash. And I’m just like, “C’mon! Wake up!”

‘Queen Sugar’ and ‘Atlanta’ lead television toward diverse depictions of the South

Originally Published on The Daily Texan.

Television shows such as “The Dukes of Hazzard,” “The Walking Dead,” and Season 1 of “True Detective” are set in the South, where minority population is about 43.9 percent. But in all of these shows, the cast and crew are disproportionately white and male.

“Queen Sugar” and “Atlanta,” two shows which premiered last week, look to break this norm. They find their identity in a Southern setting like so many shows before them, but feature a surprisingly unique trait: a cast and crew predominately made up of women and people of color.

Last year, Hollywood director Ava DuVernay saw the lack of diversity in Southern television, and began working with Oprah Winfrey to develop a television show based off the book “Queen Sugar.” Her idea focused on women and people of color not just in front of the camera, but also behind. While at South By Southwest that year, she made a call to fellow director and then-UT professor Kat Candler.

“She asked if I would like to direct an episode and I said, ‘Hell yes!’” Candler said. “I had been trying to break down the door of TV directing for about a year before that.”

DuVernay hired women to direct every episode of Queen Sugar. The crew is half African-American and the show’s characters range from the black leads to white boyfriends to Latina teachers, all in an encouragingly diverse and close-knit society.

Business senior Juan Fuentes found “Queen Sugar” both refreshing and hopeful. As a Latino, he said he enjoyed the show’s across-the-board representation.

“It was wonderful to see so many communities, including mine, represented on screens across the nation,” Fuentes said.

“Atlanta,” Donald Glover’s passion project since August 2014, features a directing crew and writer’s room consisting only of minorities and two women. It focuses on a black rapper and his two friends as they try to handle their growing fame and life in the South. The show addresses a variety of political topics, including mass incarceration, gun rights and police brutality.

Though a promising step forward, Candler said she believes the root of the problem with underrepresentation lies with those in power.

“The people who have the money and the power and the control are white males,” Candler said. “But just now we’re slowly seeing more women and more people of color come into positions with the opportunity to reflect their world.”

The UT Moody College of Communication held 2016’s Flow Conference this past week where television experts, professors and industry insiders from across the U.S. came together to discuss ideas, opinions and questions about television and new forms of media.

Radio-television-film professor Mary Beltran held a panel at the conference discussing diversity. Beltran conducted recent research on the state of the entertainment industry, and found that executives were not hiring people of color because their educations had often not adequately prepared them.

Beltran said she took issue with the way universities are handling the preparation of radio-television-film students, particularly those of color.

“Why aren’t we putting pressure on our universities?” Beltran asked. “[We should] push our universities to create scholarship programs and internships just for students of color. Our University should try to level the playing field.”

Al Martin, a panelist and University of Colorado at Denver professor, said the problems lie not just with the amount of jobs given to people of minority, but with the quality as well.

“We’re asking for the wrong thing,” Martin said. “You’ll ask for something, they’ll give you just enough to satisfy those needs and then just move on. Hollywood is going to do whatever it takes to shut us up.”

In the end, Kat Candler said she believes the solution is simple.

“It’s not as hard as some folks make it out to be,” Candler said. “Just hire.”

Diversity in filmmaking must be intentional

Originally published as guest editorial in The Daily Texan.

A study performed by USC Annenberg’s Institute for Diversity and Empowerment earlier this year found non-white representation in film rests at about 27 percent whereas the nation’s population is almost 38 percent non-white. And with the Oscars almost exclusively recognizing white men, it’s easy to conclude the American film industry has a diversity problem. These issues are deep-rooted and widespread, but the Austin-based collaborative film industry is a blueprint for a solution.

On a larger level, the problems are more than simply missed opportunities because they also extend to the roles given. Andrew Thomas, a Texas-native black student at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts said he expects “more calls from a Tyler Perry than a Christopher Nolan.”

Now there’s nothing wrong with Tyler Perry movies, and Madea fighting zombies is one of the best ideas of this generation. But Perry’s last directorial effort was a just OK, straight-to-DVD release which grossed just over $9 million, and “Interstellar” was a just OK, IMAX release which grossed $675 million globally.

These problems exist in every facet of the film industry at large, even as recently as DC Comics’ superhero film “Suicide Squad.” The character El Diablo, played by Jay Hernandez, is the only Latino lead in the — admittedly not very good — film. His character has a dark past as a former gang member with a hot temper, playing directly into wider stereotypes. And this is not its only problem, as the character Harley Quinn, played by Margot Robbie, is entirely defined by her adoration of her abusive boyfriend, The Joker — played by a miserable Jared Leto. Why is Warner Bros. in such fear of forging a new path to branch out and have a female Joker or a hispanic Batman?

Where Hollywood is failing, Austin is finding solutions. Pioneer Richard Linklater founded the Austin Film Society in 1985 with local film historian and UT professor Charles Ramírez-Berg, creating a more collaborative and inclusive atmosphere in Austin. Mexican-American filmmaker and former UT student Robert Rodriguez arrived in 1992 with his film “El Mariachi.” The welcome of Rodriguez to the scene is indicative of the atmosphere change spurred on by the Austin Film Society.

“It’s very competitive in Hollywood, whereas here the attitude is ‘Let’s help one another, and see how we can help one another,’” Ramírez-Berg said. “Therefore, everybody is welcome.”

Obviously the city of Austin is doing something right. The evident success of filmmakers like Robert Rodriguez and the positive remarks from people within the industry show a growth within the city not reflected in Hollywood. The city’s intentional desire for a communal atmosphere has obviously lessened the competition, which made the business more inclusive.

The solution for job opportunities for minorities and women is for the Hollywood blockbuster industry to adopt an intentional shift toward an Austin-like communal atmosphere. It is obviously productive in a business model, as “El Mariachi,” the first film by Robert Rodriguez, made its own budget back 285 times over in America alone.

Jones is a journalism junior from Irving. Follow him on Twitter @justjustin42.