During CAA Amplify, Lionsgate announced the development of Story Spark, a free online tool that helps creatives and development executives measure diversity and intersectionality in storytelling.
The studio describes Story Spark as a “filmmaker-first and creative-driven, collaborative and open-ended development tool,” which provides guidance toward telling more inclusive stories. There’s no pass or fail grade for each script and, to note, this tool is not artificial intelligence, but instead guided by the creatives and executives who bring these stories to life.
“Story Spark is a simple, friendly, easy-to-use partner in content development that feels more like a Buzzfeed quiz than a checklist,” said Kamala Avila-Salmon, Lionsgate motion picture group’s head of inclusive content, announcing the project. “It’s a tool to start discussion, a dialogue prompt and a step in the right direction for constructive collaboration.”
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Avila-Salmon demoed for a collective of filmmakers, creatives, tastemakers and executives as part of the CAA Amplify summit, explaining that she and her team have spent the past four years developing Story Spark alongside their partners in production at the studio.
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Noted Erin Westerman, Lionsgate motion picture group president of production: “Story Spark is a prompt for important conversations as we intentionally work to make our projects more inclusive. It is up to our storytellers to make our films as ambitious as our goals, and Story Spark is one way we help them do that.”
The free online tool considers six key dimensions of inclusivity — character diversity, character intersectionality, character dimensionality, narrative portrayal, creative team diversity and groundbreaking inclusion — and provides actionable recommendations to the storytellers.
CAA’s seventh annual Amplify summit, a day dedicated to convening artists, brands and leaders of color, has set its lineup of speakers and attendees, headlined by a conversation with the former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama and Oscar and Emmy winner Regina King. NBA Hall of Famer, activist and entrepreneur Dwyane Wade and Grammy-winning artist actor and activist Ricky Martin are also among the star-studded lineup of speakers and attendees.
More information about Story Spark is available at getstoryspark.com or on the Amplify website.