Qualified ethnic minority and female directors are invited to submit applications for the 1996-1997 Directors Training Program jointly sponsored by the Directors Guild of America and Walt Disney Network Television. The eight-week program was established in 1995 to identify and employ minority and women directing talent for half-hour multi-camera comedies.
"The DGA remains greatly concerned about the extreme underemployment of our ethnic minority and women members," commented DGA President Gene Reynolds. "We hope that other industry employers will find inspiration through Walt Disney Television's attempt to diversify the directorial talent pool by reaching out to qualified women and minorities."
The program consists of orientation, supervised observation, and hands-on experience for up to two participants, contingent on the availability of half-hour series in production at Disney. A weekly stipend of $575 will be credited against a pay-or-play directing assignment at DGA minimum for a half-hour Disney show within 12 months from the start of the program.
Last year we were overwhelmed with the number of qualified, talented applicants,"states Dean Valentine, President of Walt Disney Television and Walt Disney Television Animation. "Choosing the finalists was very, very tough. There's an incredible resource of talent out there, just waiting to be tapped. We are very proud of this program, which is entering its second year, and we're looking forward to working with our next trainees."
The program began early this year when LiPo Ching and Albert Farrar-Alarr were selected out of a field of 265 applications. Ching subsequently trained with veteran television director David Trainor, producer/director on this season's new series "Maybe This Time." Farrar-Alarr trained with Andy Cadiff, director and co-executive producer on the hit series "Home Improvement."
The Directors Training Program is supervised by John Litvack, Disney's Senior Vice President of Network Television, and Janet S. Blake, Vice President of Writer Development and Special Projects at Walt Disney Television.
Applications for the August 1, 1996 deadline may be obtained prior to July 8 by contacting the Disney Directors Training Program Administrator at (818) 560-4000. Candidates must be either female or members of a minority, and should have at least three years directing experience in television, theater, short films, commercials, or music videos.
