As part of 21st Century Fox’s first-ever Inclusion Week, a company-wide global initiative to connect colleagues and spark conversation around the theme of Inclusion, television station FOX 9 Minnesota took the opportunity to engage in conversation about the state’s large Somali immigrant population and the media’s effect on perceptions about that community.
KMSP-TV station welcomed Jaylani Hussein, Executive Director of the Minnesota branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the country’s largest Islamic civil liberties and advocacy group, to its Minneapolis headquarters for a candid conversation. They discussed the local issues that colleagues and viewers face every day, and how the station can better represent and support the many minority and immigrant communities it serves.
“We have a responsibility as journalists to reflect the state of Minnesota in all its diversity and complexity,” said Sheila Oliver, FOX 9 General Manager. “21CF Inclusion Week’s focused theme about the power of inclusion provided a platform for conversation about the power we in the media have to influence audience’s ideas about our community and one another, and we were eager to take the opportunity to look at our own work and see how we can do better.”
Hussein, who led a nearly two-hour workshop with FOX 9 colleagues and reporters, shared how to better understand Somali American culture, as well as the role that local news media plays in creating and sometimes reinforcing stereotypes about the Somali diaspora.
Approximately one-third of all the Somali immigrants in the U.S. reside in Minnesota, with an estimated 74,000 Somali Americans living in the state (which has a total population of 5.4 million). According to Hussein, the station has enormous power as well as great responsibility to provide fair and balanced programming, given that it is often the primary medium through which people in Minnesota learn about Somali culture.
Hussein’s presentation complemented other FOX 9 events during Inclusion Week that highlighted the history of Minneapolis’ minority communities. For example, the station hosted an internal screening of North: At a Crossroads, a September 2018 documentary from the station’s Investigative Reporter Tom Lyden about the lasting damage that decades of discrimination, economic disenfranchisement and police violence have had on the African American communities in North Minneapolis. Following the screening, a panel from Lyden’s documentary shared what they are doing to help make positive change in North Minneapolis, such as initiatives to support black-owned businesses, provide greater educational opportunities, increase home ownership, offer job skills training and more.
In fact, as part of the screening and panel discussion, the station featured baked goods from Cookie Cart, a North Minneapolis nonprofit that employs young people ages 15 to 18, and showcased how the organization provides lasting and meaningful work, as well as leadership skills and career training.
The station also hosted a special screening of 20th Century Fox’s new drama The Hate U Give for all of its FOX 9 colleagues. The movie, which shows the possible effects on an African American community after the shooting of a black teenager at the hands of a white police officer, helped colleagues further explore different perspectives.
FOX 9 plans to continue engaging in meaningful conversations with colleagues and developing more inclusive stories that help drive positive change in its communities, according to Oliver.
21CF Inclusion Week, which took place October 15-19, brought together 45 speakers at events in nine cities across four continents. The week’s programming was made available by live stream anywhere in the world to all 21CF colleagues, making it arguably the largest-scale Diversity & Inclusion event in the media industry.
Yesterday, 21st Century Fox held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders at the Zanuck Theater on the FOX Lot, expected to be its last such meeting pending the anticipated close of its transaction with Disney in the first half of 2019. The meeting was chaired by Executive Chairman Lachlan Murdoch, who praised Rupert, saying, “It began with my father’s unwavering belief in the power of innovation and consumer choice. He has always had a passion for engaging audiences with stories and experiences that endure, but perhaps the most enduring story is his own.” He also recognized James, noting that “21CF has pushed the envelope of international expansion with Sky and STAR under James’ great stewardship.”
Lachlan also spoke about the many ways in which the company has transformed the industry and the bright future ahead for the new FOX and the 21CF brands going to Disney. Some key comments from Lachlan are below:
On the future of FOX: “The company we are creating, FOX, will be an aggressive challenger with bold ideas and the capability to be agile in an increasingly complex marketplace. FOX will be America’s media company, offering programming the country wants most. Recently, one night, FOX captured more than 70% of live national news and sports viewers during prime time with its unbeatable combination of programming in both categories…. FOX’s assets will allow us to navigate industry challenges and take a new approach to new opportunities. We have always been and will continue to be a strategically bold, transformational media company. Defying expectations and performing well is at the core of who we are.”
On the rationale for the Disney transaction and establishing the new FOX: “So, having built this truly unique company, what brought us to sell now? Well, our belief that Disney can monetize our entertainment assets more efficiently than we can alone, and that our domestic U.S. news, sports, broadcast stations and network business will further thrive under the focused strategy and management of new Fox… we are tremendously excited about our future; about the creation of these two exciting new companies: the expanded Disney and the new FOX.”
On 21CF’s achievements: “Our film studio has…created films like Avatar, Die Hard, X-Men, Life of Pi, Planet of the Apes, Slumdog Millionaire, Ice Age, Titanic, Home Alone, and many more. Our television studio has mirrored that success with hits like The X-Files, The Simpsons, Glee, Modern Family, Family Guy, Homeland and 24…. In 1994 FX was launched and delivered some of TV’s hottest shows, like The Shield, Fargo, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story and The Americans. And just two years later we launched Fox News, creating a ratings juggernaut with millions of households trusting us to deliver the most valuable and most watched journalism on television…. Further afield 21CF has pushed the envelope of international expansion with Sky and STAR under James’ great stewardship. Our programming efforts now extend to more than 150 countries. From the explorations of the National Geographic Channels, to baseball in Japan, football in Argentina, and Kabadi and IPL in India, our commitment to global audiences endures.”
On the people who’ve made the company’s success possible: “I want to thank all of our colleagues across decades and continents, whose hard work has contributed to the creation of our great brands; producing enormous shareholder value and paving an exciting path forward. I want to thank James, and our board for their insights and their leadership, as well as my father, for his unique vision and unwavering commitment to building this company…. People who know him know that he is a journalist at heart with unbounded curiosity, which combined with his unique business instinct, has formed the foundation of this company.”
On what’s ahead for 21CF’s brands and businesses: “…we are tremendously excited about our future; about the creation of these two exciting new companies: the expanded Disney and the new Fox…. We believe strongly that the course we have set for our businesses will continue that value creation far into the future.”
As we honor all who have served on this Veterans Day, let us also remember those who paid the ultimate price during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom. April 4, 2004 – the day America’s reconstruction and peacekeeping mission in Iraq took a savage turn began like any other. The four-vehicle convoy of Comanche Red Platoon (2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment) rode through the streets of Sadr City on a routine security mission protecting a fleet of sewage trucks. Suddenly, its 18 soldiers and Iraqi translator came under intense fire from insurgents and were pinned down in an alley. The gunner in the lead vehicle, Sgt. Eddie Chen, was the first casualty, but he would not be the last. Before the 8-hour siege was over, seven more of his brothers would be gunned down and 65 wounded in the ensuing battle as hundreds rushed in to help. The ambush later came to be known as “Black Sunday” was just the beginning of the insurgency effort …. 80 days of sustained fighting would follow.
ABC’s Chief Global Affairs Correspondent Martha Raddatz chronicled the ambush in her 2007 best-selling book “The Long Road Home” after interviewing many of the soldiers and their families. A year ago, NatGeo brought to life the horrors of that day in a gritty and nerve-rattling 8-part miniseries by the same title.
Sgt. First Class Eric Bourquin (Ret.) was one of the men pinned down during the ambush and served as one of the technical advisors on the series. We talked about how his technical advising team helped showrunner/writer Mikko Alanne’s production bring every painstaking detail to life.
This was your first role as technical advisor on a film or TV series. Why did you want to be a part of making this series?
How many people get to participate in the accurate retelling of their story? Just being a part of that process was fantastic. It was very healing for me because so many things transpired around me that day, but all I had was my own viewpoint before we all, including the families, heard about each other’s experiences when we came together for the series.
How did first you get involved?
Martha had interviewed me several times after the attack. Years later, as they were prepping for the show, she introduced me to Mikko. I took him around and introduced him to some of the guys, and that’s how I became the technical advisor.
The production famously recreated every detail right down to the Ranger tab on Capt. Troy Denomy’s uniform. Does that mean he’s with the 75th Ranger Regiment?
No, Denomy got that because he went to Ranger school, which is different from the Ranger Regiment. Typically officers in infantry units have to be Ranger qualified; sometimes we are lucky to have some NCOs [Non-Commissioned Officers] who also went to Ranger school.
You had to make sure the actors knew how to fasten the chinstrap on their helmets properly, how to salute, how to handle weapons and conduct themselves with military bearing. What was that like?
Just like the Ranger tab you noticed on Denomy’s uniform, we wanted to represent every soldier the best way possible, right down to the uniforms. The men have put a lot of time into earning each tab and shoulder patch, so we made sure an E-4 had the correct Specialist insignia on his uniform. Other details included the bumper numbers on the vehicles, the right type of equipment and weapons system inside/on each vehicle and the procedures in use in convoy and service at that time. That’s where I got to put my knowledge to good use. Besides Aaron [Fowler] and myself, two Army Rangers also did a fantastic job advising production. We were very fortunate that Mikko was so open to our input.
Were there any aspects that took you and the actors a little more effort to nail down?
I really can’t think of any. Everyone was eager to learn and committed to bringing out the best representation possible … because they knew this was about real people’s lives; there are still many people alive today who were a part of those events.
I love the headline on your personal website under Technical: “A bridge between reality and entertainment.” With this story, the conflict, tension and drama are inherent. Were there instances during production where real-life details had to take a backseat to service the story?
That’s an excellent question. Before getting involved with this project, I had no idea what it took to guide the audience through an emotional journey. Knowing a little more about the storytelling process now, there’s nothing that I would say was embellished or made more dramatic than it actually was. If anything, certain things were downplayed. The whole experience was horrible, so there was no need to exaggerate or embellish.
Army Lt. Shane Aguero (played by E.J. Bonilla) leads his team on the set of “The Long Road Home,” Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas
To recreate the road in Sadr City where Comanche Red Platoon were ambushed, set design had to recreate over 80 buildings at the Elijah urban training site in Fort Hood where the series was filmed. Were you involved at this stage?
I was involved with set decoration and the art department. They turned a big warehouse into a museum exhibit of the attack and rescue mission – it was surreal to see pictures of my friends up on a wall, the vehicles we were in and different types of weapons. They had samples of various types of sand, wall structures and building materials that we had in Iraq. The design team went all over the world looking for different textures and materials to match where we told them we were in Sadr City based on our collective memories.
I showed the costume department how to put the patches on and where they could find them online. One of the coolest things was how the props and costume departments made equipment and uniforms look old because it was rainy and hot [in Sadr City]. I remember my uniform was dirty that day because I had dripped mustard from the MRE [Meals Ready-To-Eat] I was eating, so they replicated that. I also advised on the different types of body armor and weapons. The only thing that was different was the smell – because where we were in Iraq, there was a lot of raw sewage; everything else was extremely authentic.
Since you were filming on base, what vehicles were loaned by the Army?
Production purchased a few LMTVs [Light Medium Tactical Vehicle] and Humvees, so we had to do a few things to make them specific to the ones that we actually used. The Army allowed the production to use the Bradleys (under-armored fighting vehicles), M1A1 Abrams tanks and aircrafts (i.e. Black Hawk helicopters).
Besides the gruesome ambush scene in the pilot, one of the most visceral scenes comes at the end of Episode 5, where Miltenberger’s soldiers were fully exposed in the unarmored and open-bed LMTV truck as they thundered through with gun fire and RPG’s raining down on them from rooftops on both sides. What went into making sure that sequence was as realistic as possible?
I was there for some of the filming that night, it was tough just being there. Some of the veterans who were in the real battle were actually in the vehicles in that sequence; I don’t know how they had the strength and fortitude to handle that. We were able to pull in a lot of the guys from the actual battle who were still in the local [Fort Hood] area.
What was harder for you to coach: the physical and tactical aspects of a scene, or helping each actor tap into the emotional and mental qualities of the characters so that the essence of each soldier came through?
The hardest part was watching the actors pretending to be the real guys. I still remember Jon [Beavers] joking around reenacting some of the things that we had done in real life; it was surreal. Being a part of the production, dealing with it and reliving it through the series, I’ve gotten a lot of healing out of that. The only reason I’m alive today is because eight of the guys died going out to rescue us that night. It’s something that I’ve thought about a lot.
Eric Bourquin (left) with actor Jon Beavers on set
Actor Jon Beavers has talked about how he was nervous portraying you on camera while you’re standing ten feet away, but he found a way “in” – he played a character on a Nickelodeon show that your kids love (Twist from the “Fresh Beat Band”). How did you approach getting to know him so that he could bring out your emotions onto the screen?
I was very honest with him about who I am; what you see is what you get. I just told it like it was and let him use whatever he could.
You’ve all worked really hard to give audiences a taste of what it was really like out there on that catastrophic day. What do you hope civilians will walk away with once they’ve experienced the series?
The real cost of war. For me and the guys, it’s something we’ll always have to live with, it’s something that’ll always be a part of our lives.
After “The Long Road,” what type(s) of projects are you looking for?
Whatever comes my way, particularly projects that deals with Afghanistan. Knowing how healing it was for me to have been involved on this project, I’m hoping to get the same type of healing by working on other projects that deals with the time period when I was stationed in Afghanistan.
Click here to revisit 21CF’s first premiere event for the miniseries in D.C. when it was launched a year ago.
21CF earnings, a PG-13 Deadpool, Bohemian Rhapsody makes the rocking world go ‘round
This week’s recap of news about 21st Century Fox and its businesses includes first quarter earnings, Disney transaction approval from the European Commission, the Fox DP Lab’s inaugural class of female cinematographers, FOX News calls the U.S. midterm elections, and talk of a $1B FOX Sports World Series deal.
“The Favourite,” a “cheeky” drama loosely based on the true story of two cousins competing for the attention of Britain’s Queen Anne, has garnered 13 nominations for this year’s British Independent Film Awards – including Olivia Colman for Best Actress, Best Film, Director, Screenplay and for its supporting cast Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz.
“We’re thrilled that “The Favourite” has been singled out by the BIFA ,” says Fox Searchlight Chairman Nancy Utley. “We hope there will be an outpouring of appreciation for the film from both moviegoers and voters in the weeks and months to come.”
Casting: Dixie Chassay
Cinematography: Robbie Ryan
Costume: Sandy Powell
Editing: Yorgos Mavropsaridis
Hair & Make-up: Nadia Stacey
Production Design: Fiona Crombie
Sound: Johnnie Burn
Screenplay: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara
Supporting Actress: Emma Stone
Supporting Actress: Rachel Weisz
Lead Actress: Olivia Colman
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Best British Independent Film
A closer look at a few of the GMs responsible for innovation and performance at three FOX Television Stations
Jack Abernethy (Photo: Wendy Moger-Bross)
This has been an exciting time for the FOX Television Stations–having received the 2018 TV Station Group of the Year, and seeing CEO Jack Abernethy awarded Broadcaster of the Year. Led by these successes, along with the vision and support of progressive corporate executives, each of the 28 stations has steadily increased the hours of live, local news and other programming. Here, we highlight three local leaders that are building momentum behind their imaginative, resourceful and scalable ideas.
Lew Leone | WNYW-WWOR NEW YORK | DMA 1
From day one it’s been our goal to have a diverse workforce that reflects the communities which we serve. It is also a shrewd business practice which allows us to imagine, create and develop content that appeals to our large and diverse audience. We always cover the news of the day but leave room for enterprise features which are largely driven from anyone in the station who has a good idea. We’ve created content that has been initiated by everyone from a college intern to the General Manager and we go deep into a myriad of topics which interest us. We constantly experiment with content on digital platforms from daily Facebook Live Shows, The FOX5 Podcast Network, our YouTube Channel to the availability of Rosanna Scotto’s Real Estate Show on Hulu. If you watch Fox5 you’ll notice that we do things differently and for the most part we are not driven by what our competitors are doing. In fact, they often try to copy what we are doing and that feels great.
Sheila Oliver | KMSP-WFTC MINNEAPOLIS | DMA 15
If it’s live local, and relevant, we are going to find a way to put it on the air and online. In the earliest days of broadcast television, the networks were in their infancy and there was no such thing as syndicated programming. Our vision is to go back to those pioneering days with a 21st century spin. Over the last three years, we have added three and a half hours of daily news and entertainment programming to our broadcast line-up, giving us more news than any of our competitors by far.
“The Jason Show” has become a favorite with Jason’s fans, who are regulars in the live studio audience. We have formed strong partnerships with the Minnesota Vikings and the University of Minnesota. These partnerships allow us to co-produce content-rich shows such as “Vikings Live,” which debuted this year on Thursday nights, in combination with Fox Thursday Night Football. This show is the first of its kind, broadcast from the Vikings headquarters before a live audience. We are also in our third year of “Vikings Game Day Live”, a real “Xs and Os” pre-game show and a perfect lead-in to the #1 pre-game show, “NFL on Fox.”
With the University of Minnesota, we complement Fox College sports with weekly coaches shows, “The P.J. Fleck Show” and “The Gopher Basketball Show.” All of our shows are available on livestream and receive a tremendous amount of support through social media. More locally-focused news and local, live sports is where we’re going – it differentiates us from our competitors and ties perfectly to the new FOX vision.
Patrick Paolini | WTTG-WDCA WASHINGTON | DMA 6
We are interested in recruiting and keeping authentic personalities and creating engaging content on platforms relevant to our audience, beyond traditional newscasts. We have found that content has to be produced specifically for the platform it’s being delivered on. The days of re-purposing the same content across all platforms are over. Our content MUST connect with the user, depending on where and when they’re consuming it. In April of 2017, we launched “Fox 5 Live,” our all digital news desk, which handles breaking news and major stories of the day, solely through our digital platform. In addition to expanding news on our digital platforms, we are also focused on expanding newscasts in more time periods.
Since 2015, we have increased locally produced news and information over the air from 51 Hours per week to 70+ hours per week. We are adding more and more programs that are unconventional such as “The Final Five,” a weeknight program that’s not “political,” it’s about politics… capturing all the best video, sound bites and tweets of the day. “Like it or Not” is a new 7 p.m. program, where four hosts tackle stories of the day that are trending across social media platforms. With the proliferation of news and information consumption on the users timetable, we must deliver relevant, timely news and information where and when our audience wants it – that’s what drives our strategy.
This summer, Fox launched a new program focused on exploring emerging forms of storytelling enabled by new technologies. Behind the Lights, spoke with the sponsors of this initiative to learn more.
The Fox Content Innovation Program is a collaboration between the Fox Innovation Lab and TCFF Strategy & Business Development, which is a research and development center for new technology and consumer experiences that works across 21CF including the film and television departments. Both groups share a goal of bringing new models of innovation to the studio and joined forces this summer to experiment with storytelling and development in an emerging media and to attract a young pool of talent.
The summer program brought together a diverse team of students specializing in a range of disciplines from colleges and universities across the country. The team was tasked with designing and prototyping a narrative experience based on the Fox lot using augmented reality (AR) technology.
“To develop this experience, we recruited a creative and technical team with strengths in story development as well as gaming, design, and programming,” said Sonya Joo, Vice President Strategy & Business Development. “We see that this next generation of talent is essential for the future development of emerging consumer entertainment.”
The project objective was to demonstrate AR’s potential as a tool for creating immersive entertainment in a public space and demonstrate the application’s ability to capture user behavior data that can be applied for targeted marketing and promotion.
“Where the majority of AR we see today are one-off interactions, we wanted to explore techniques whereby a series of AR activations become plot points for a cohesive story,” said Robert Powers, Executive Director Global Technology and Business Development. “AR’s ability to blend digital creative with the physical world renders any public space an immediate avenue for storytelling.”
In less than 9 weeks, the team prototyped an AR experience using the physical location of the Fox lot as a framework for linking a variety of user interactions – all driven by a compelling storyline that they created. FX and BlueSky contributed creative assets.
Each user enters the experience as an intern on their first day in the Archive Department. When a mysterious force descends upon the lot, what starts off as normal day on the job quickly turns into an adventure across the lot as users engage with characters and moments from the studio’s past in order to celebrate the legacy of 20th Century Fox.
With a condensed timeframe to build a prototype, the team utilized a hybrid approach that combined traditional game/film production with rapid prototyping and iterative design. “From story development through execution, both creative and technical team members worked together, giving feedback and iterating the AR experience while maintaining the overall narrative,” said Sonya. This unique approach enabled them quickly to test and learn and to move forward at an accelerated pace.
In addition, the interns worked with Fox to put together a whitepaper outlining the entire development process and highlighting key takeaways from the pilot project.
Overall, the project team had a great experience. “The program provided a great environment to encourage experimentation of new storytelling mediums and for acting as an incubator for young creative talent,” said Cameron Koyama, Lead Developer. “The process continuously sparked new inspiration amongst the team and constant conversation about what can be done with AR.”
Future applications of the framework built could extend to other public spaces such as theme parks or campuses and can also include opportunities for brand extensions and promotions. The project provided an opportunity for both students and Fox executives to gain valuable learnings about a new form of storytelling.
Project Team Andrew Bennett, University of Georgia Benjamin Lee, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Sicong Tian, University of Southern California (USC) Edward Lok, University of California Irvine (UCI) Janelynn Camingue, University of California Santa Cruz Ysdiro Hartzell, USC Shilen Patel, UCLA Anderson David Nelson, Faculty Advisor, USC
From October 15 to 19, 21st Century Fox colleagues joined in conversation with thought-provoking innovators, educators, authors and artists from around the globe… all focused on the theme of inclusion.
Inclusion Week featured 45 speakers at events in more than a dozen cities across four continents, including Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., London, Bangalore, Bangkok, Mexico City, Santiago and São Paolo, among others; with each presentation available for the company’s colleagues around the world to live stream or watch on demand.
“We hope to inspire all of our colleagues around the globe to commit to personal actions that will drive an inclusive culture within their teams, workplaces and society,” said MyKhanh Shelton, Senior Vice President, 21CF Global Inclusion. “There is no better time—with the current transforming media and entertainment landscape, our own company changes and heightened social awareness—to engage in meaningful conversation and connect around the theme of inclusion.”
Select Inclusion Week event highlights include:
“From Football to Feminism”– introduced by FOX Sports President Eric Shanks, former NFL player Wade Davis and FOX NFL’s Curt Menefee discussed Davis’ journey from closeted gay athlete to front-and-center social justice advocate. Davis made the case for men to educate themselves and understand that the feminist movement and equality is beneficial to all. Hosted on the Fox Studios Lot in Los Angeles.
Wade Davis and Curt Menefee
“The Hate U Give” – screenings of the new drama from 20th Century Fox about code switching between two worlds and Starr Carter finding her voice after the uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered by the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend. Author Angie Thomas, who wrote the book on which the film is based, appeared for a special insider’s look and Q&A session with colleagues in New York; while Director George Tillman joined colleagues in London for a special discussion.
Angie Thomas
“In Conversation: Cindy Bishop, Pangina Heals and Woody Milintachinda” – celebrities who built their careers in Asia spoke about authenticity, LGBTQ rights and gender equality. Hosted by Fox Networks Group Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.
“Inclusion of People with Disabilities” – FNG General Manager Brazil Michel Piestun joined in conversation in São Paulo with Diversity Leader Eliane Ranierie about how to create a more inclusive culture, particularly for those with disabilities. Occupational Therapist Andrea Zondek Darmstadter from the University of Chile, also shared insights and advice on the inclusion of people with disabilities with colleagues in Santiago, Chile.
“Leveraging the Hispanic Market: 2018 World Cup” – FOX Deportes and FOX Sports scored this summer with the power of inclusion. Their 2018 World Cup production won over the large and diverse U.S. Hispanic population; and FOX Deportes VP of Production Orlando Silver joined broadcasters Fernando Fiore, Mariano Trujillo, Rodolfo Landeros and Yanira Gianola to provide the case study for inclusion, including how bilingual and bicultural talent played an important role.
Yani Gianola, Orlando Silver, Fernando Fiore, Mariano Trujillo and Rodolfo Landeros
“Uncovering Talent: A New Model for Inclusion” – Professor Kenji Yoshino discussed how people often face the pressure to ‘cover,’ or downplay their outsider attributes to blend into mainstream; and provided colleagues with concrete and actionable solutions for creating and sustaining a more inclusive work place culture that benefits everyone.
Professor Kenji Yoshino
“The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups” – Author and Professor Scott Page shared his research demonstrating how groups with a range of perspectives outperform groups of like-minded experts. Hosted by National Geographic at its headquarters in Washington, D.C.
“Your Difference is Your Destiny” – DeVon Franklin, successful movie producer, bestselling author and motivational speaker, was Inclusion Week’s closing keynote speaking to hundreds of colleagues on the Fox Lot. He shared the secrets to building a purposeful life and career by owning who you are and showing up as your authentic self.
DeVon Franklin
Thousands of colleagues participated in Inclusion Week in various ways: attending the sessions in host cities, watching via live stream/webinars, viewing event/speaker videos, hosting viewing parties, designing supplemental events to localize global programming.
The company continues to design initiatives that foster a culture and work environment where anyone from anywhere feels welcome and can thrive. Learn more about these efforts at inclusion.21CF.com.
On Oct. 28, 1928, the Fox Studio Lot (then known as Movietone City) officially opened its doors with a commemorative dedication ceremony. At the time, the film industry was facing many changes as it shifted its focus toward including sound in motion pictures. William Fox, 20th Century Fox’s founding father, along with studio execs Winfield Sheehan and Sol Wurtzel, understood the potential of marrying sound and motion picture film. So they decided that Movietone City was to be the first facility built specifically to embrace the new sound-based technologies. Continue reading “Fox Archives: 90th anniversary of the Fox Studio Lot”
Twentieth Century Fox films “Niagara,” “How to Marry a Millionaire” and “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” – three films that highlight the star power of Marilyn Monroe – are each enjoying its 65th anniversary in 2018. To celebrate, we’ll take a look back at the films with memories of the Los Angeles and New York premieres, posters, and wardrobe illustrations. Continue reading “Fox Archives: 65th anniversaries for 3 Marilyn Monroe films”
