When a Black Sitcom is on the air…Black people have Jobs

On TV, reality shows are cheap to produce. But sitcoms are money in the bank. While these shows may cost between $2-$3 million an episode to produce, most of that money is spent employing people behind the camera and behind the scenes.

One season of a sitcom employs close to 300 people on set. These include:

Writers

Storyboard Artists

Script supervisors

Production assistants

Hair stylists

Barbers

Makeup artists

Nurses

Prop managers

Carpenters

Painters

Set Decorators

Camera Operators

Timers

Video editors

Lighting operators

Caterers

Interns

Musicians

And the following people also make money when a project is in production indirectly:

Trailer Rentals

Personal trainers

Record companies

Consultants

Small local businesses

Magazine publishers

Publicists

Retailers (when consumers buy products performers use in the show and music played in the background)

Artists

A scripted production like a Black sitcom means lots of jobs for lots of people. Union jobs, free-lance jobs, consulting jobs and temp jobs. Not to mention business for other small busineses.

And an African-American production means jobs for 300 brothers and sisters and thousands more Black and minority-owned businesses.

So when a Black television show or film goes into production it’s not just an opportunity for African-Americans to find employment, but to gain valuable skills that can lead to a career.

And when brothers and sisters support Black productions by watching the shows, buying the DVDs it keeps money in the Black community and continues to stimulate the Black economy.

I know how important it is to get African-American projects into production and how it impacts I would love to get the financing to All About Marilyn or All About Nikki into production so I can put some brothers and sisters to work. It’s a long term goal, but I’m working on it. Every book you buy takes me one step further to that goal.