Warner Bros. Discovery Rebrands Directors Program After U-Turn
Warner Bros. Discovery is continuing its directors program after all.
The company has rebranded the program, which was previously known as the Directors Workshop, as the Access Directors Program.
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It comes after the company had an awkward moment last October, when it first announced that the initiative, which been lauded for their inclusion of diverse voices into the television industry, was being shuttered at Warner Bros. Television, where they have resided, as part of a massive slew of cuts.
Later that day, it announced that it would, in fact, bring it back, but it would be housed within WBD’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion unit, rather than through Warner Bros. Television.
The Access Directors Program will ensure that graduates receive an opportunity to direct a full Warner Bros. Discovery television episode, as well as the ability to shadow directors on up to two television episodes and offer a small childcare stipend for directors while shadowing.
Applications are now open through March 20 and the program will begin in June. A workshop led by Mary Lou Belli and Bethany Rooney will kick it off.
The new program will also 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.
Participants in previous years have included the likes of Regina King.
“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, SVP 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.”
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