Anthony Washington, a senior at Tuskegee University in Alabama, has spent most of his summer in Santa Barbara studying television writing and cinema. 

A new pilot program between UC Santa Barbara and Tuskegee, a historically Black university, is focused on bringing students together, writing for diverse voices and bringing new voices to Hollywood.

This summer, 15 Tuskegee students were accepted into the program and spent six weeks on campus studying screenwriting alongside 10 UCSB students. They were invited to stay in on-campus dorms and use the dining facilities.  

Washington has been writing and creating content since he was 15, starting with a short skit he posted online. Last summer he worked on a short film about the Tuskegee syphilis study.

When he heard about this screenwriting program, he knew it was what he needed to take his skills to the next level. 

“I thought this is going to be the perfect thing to really develop what I got going on, knowing that I’m working on it myself and they’ll show me how to do what I’m trying to do,” Washington said. 

Students in the program spent six weeks taking two classes, introduction to cinema and writing for television taught by Wendy Eley Jackson, a screenwriter whose work includes the Hallmark movie “Napa Ever After.” 

Last year Jackson started talking to Daina Berry, dean of Fine Arts and Humanities, and Tim Sherwood, interim dean of UCSB’s College of Creative Studies, about partnering with a historically Black college or university to create an opportunity for students with different backgrounds to come together to learn about screenwriting. 

“Several students from Tuskegee had never been to California before,” Jackson said. “Here’s an opportunity, beyond screenwriting, to provide exposure to other cultures, geography, typography, that outside of this program they might not have had.”

Berry said Tuskegee has 200 students interested in film, but currently no film program. 

“We thought, what if we offer some courses that we already teach, but offer a space for Tuskegee students that are interested in film and media studies to take some of those courses while the university is developing their film program,” Berry said.

The pilot program is set to last two more years while Tuskegee develops its own film program. Berry said her dream is that once Tuskegee has its program, that UCSB could send some of its students there during the summer. The program could go on longer if it’s successful. 

“It would be great to send UCSB students for an immersive experience at a historically Black university,” Berry said. “The marriage between an HSI, a Hispanic Serving Institution, and a historically Black university on our campus, but also on their campus, that would be my dream future.”

Berry said having this program and uplifting diverse voices helps create a chance for audiences to see new stories from marginalized communities. 

“I think elevating new and diverse voices adds a different perspective,” Berry said. “We’re going to hear stories that may not have been on television before, we’re going to learn about families and communities that have been marginalized.”

Tuskegee students had to go through an interview process and provide writing samples to be considered for the program. Since the program started this summer, Berry said UCSB has been contacted by other historically Black colleges and universities interested in sending students to the program.

Berry said she hoped students left the program feeling the benefit of connecting with different types of people. 

“I hope that they see that this was an opportunity to have a classroom of students that didn’t all look like each other,” Berry said. “Also the conversations that they’re having in the classroom, I can imagine, are very, very rich discussions about all kinds of experiences that we need to include on television.”

Writing for TV and Hearing from Industry Insiders

Jackson said her class focuses on how to create bingeable television by understanding how the industry changes year to year and how to cater to different types of audiences. 

Jackson’s class also focused on worldbuilding and how to bring characters from different cultures and backgrounds to life.

Students enjoyed visits from numerous guest speakers during the program including Tim Kring, who created “Heroes;” a writer and producer from “Scary Movie;” and Budd Carr, who worked in the music department for several shows and movies.

“It’s just been an awesome time for them, not for them to just learn but to interact with industry,” Jackson said. “Because of our proximity to Los Angeles, UCSB has amazing access to some of the best talent in the world.”

Washington said getting to hear from industry experts has been his favorite part of the program. 

“Being able to sit down with industry executives is real, they have real perspectives,” Washington said. “I’m really paying attention because this is valuable and you really can’t get that everywhere.”

Washington said he’s ready to take what he learned in the program to keep working on his short film and other projects.  

By the end of Jackson’s class, students had to turn in a pilot script for the show they worked on throughout the program and what is known as a show bible, which has everything writers need to know about their show from character backstory to worldbuilding. 

One of the main goals of the program is to promote more diverse writing and voices in Hollywood. Jackson said she wants to see more Black characters, more Black families and love stories. She hopes students left the program feeling like they have the skills they need and a better understanding of the world around them. 

“Our stories are not being told in the volumes that they should. I want to see more African American stories told, even if it’s in fantasy or science fiction,” Jackson said. “Although we’re making progress, we have a long way to go. I’m just trying to do my part, to make sure that the collective voices are inclusive of every walk of life, every kind of life, in its most real form. And I think these students are prepared to do that.”