Instagram story viewer> @half.initiative> Posts

Half Initiative

@half.initiative

8.5K

followers

628

following

Providing mentorship and education to produce a more inclusive entertainment industry.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

“There are no throwaway scenes, only scenes that haven’t been fully investigated” @liu.jean

I had the privilege of shadowing Brad Buecker on the season-opening episodes of @911onabc and something he said to me in week 1 really stuck with me throughout: “I hate to be neutral on a scene.” On a show defined by heart-stopping (literally), high-stakes rescues, it would be easy to treat the quieter moments in between as connective tissue that simply moves the story from one emergency to the next. Watching Brad, I saw what it looks like when a director refuses to do that. In one scene, the firefighters were sharing some downtime at the firehouse, talking. On the page, it could have played as a breather. Through careful staging and camera movement, Brad pulled out the subtext, and the scene came alive as an emotional beat about a character seeking allyship. That exemplified the philosophy for me: there are no throwaway scenes, only scenes that haven’t been fully investigated yet.

Observing Brad taught me so much about how to prepare for a production of this scale. Only with an unshakeable grip on the story can you know what to focus on and what to let go of. That clarity builds trust with cast and crew and creates a production that’s robust yet flexible enough to overcome the challenges that inevitably arise. Preparation isn’t just logistics. It’s how a director earns the freedom to make bold choices on set.

I now understand the many elements that create a show’s tone and I feel confident that as a guest director, being passed the baton of a series, I would know how to serve the beating heart of the show while bringing my own creative judgment to deliver something gripping and special. For many of us starting out, the path to episodic directing feels opaque, even impossible. The HALF Initiative is unique in its willingness to pull back the curtain and let aspiring directors see what’s behind it.

I’m deeply grateful to Ryan Murphy, @tanasepopa and @half.initiative for this opportunity, and to @bradbuecker and the @911onabc team for their generosity in letting me see how they work. - @liu.jean Half mentee

@ryanmurphyproductions #mentorship #women #education taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

208

3

3 days ago

“@crystlethecreative is the definition of a mentor” - @katesarasullivan

I am so deeply grateful for Half Initiative and have never had a better shadowing experience. When I was first accepted I had so many thoughtful conversations with @calisharipage about what I was looking to learn and was thrilled to be placed on a show that was deeply in my wheelhouse as a director. I was then so lucky to be paired with the incomparable Crystle Roberson Dorsey on my dream show @theshardsfx. Crystle included me in every meeting, in every artistic conversation, and made me feel so welcomed and valued on set. It was incredible to watch her work and became quite easy to understand why she directs so much television in the Ryan Murphy universe. She was deeply thoughtful, always kind, and treated the cast and crew with care. She showed up with curiosity, asked excellent questions, and constantly checked in with me to see how my experience was going. She is the definition of a mentor and I am so grateful to have gotten to learn from her and grow as a filmmaker. Breaking into television is incredibly difficult. I’m in awe of Ryan Murphy and his team – there is no other program out there that champions directors with this much care, attention and support. Thank you @crystlethecreative, @half.initiative, @ryanmurphyproductions and the @theshardsfx team for this incredible opportunity. I am forever grateful. - Kate Sullivan, Half mentee

Since shadowing through our Director Shadowing Program Kate has directed her first episode on Nobody Wants This @netflix @nobodywantsthisofficial and will be directing on @willtrentabc this Fall!

We are grateful to have you in the Half family, Kate!

#womensupportingwomen #mentor #femalefilmmaker #education #womenempowerment taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

92

11

5 days ago

Meet the new Half Initiative PA Intensive mentees who worked on Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.

Nina Lopez Riley
Faith Bennett
Phoebe Wong

@ryanmurphyproductions Half Initiative produces a more inclusive entertainment industry by creating equal opportunities for women, BIPOC, LGBTQ people and minorities behind the camera.

Over 90 Half PA mentees have worked across all @ryanmurphyproductions mentored by our amazing crews!

#education #mentor #filmmaking #women taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

311

14

24 days ago

The HALF INITIATIVE gave me a shadowing opportunity that turned into an episode and then a career! Time to share what I learned with more Half fellows!! Let’s talk blocking! by @half.initiative

199

15

2 months ago

Announcing the PA Intensive mentees who were selected to work and learn on @theshardsfx
Lauren Lefitz
Olu Ajayi
Vemara Castro

In our 10 Year Anniversary of Ryan Murphy's @half.initiative we are proud to have ushered over 80 PA mentees through the intensive across all of our productions with a mission to provide mentorship, education and access to job opportunities on @ryanmurphyproductions

Success stories include mentees who have have...
- been hired to work full time on a @ryanmurphyproductions
- join unions in the Local 600, 44 and 705
- work as assistants at @creativeartistsagency @marvelstudios
- become showrunner and director assistants
- collaborated together to make short films

We cannot wait to see what is next for @totheleftz @olutinti and @vvemaraa

Our programs are made possible with the extraordinary producers, directors, studio executives, crew and actors who mentor on all RMP shows. Thank you to the entire production on
@theshardsfx ❤️⚡🎬🌴🔪

#mentorship #education #inclusion #diversity #production taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

353

28

2 months ago

THE SHARDS premieres 8/5 on @fxnetworks @hulu • @ryanmurphyproductions @theshardsfx 📷: @paridukovic taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

443

19

3 months ago

Please consider when voting for the Emmys: Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. & Carolyn Bessette ••• #emmy #emmys #televisionacademy #fyc #foryourconsideration @ryanmurphyproductions @lovestoryfx taken in New York City by @half.initiative

400

2

4 months ago

It’s your time! Applications are open for our Director Shadowing Program.

Info and application *LINK IN BIO*

@ryanmurphyproductions #halfinitiative #director shadowing program

#filmmaker #mentorship #education taken in United States America by @half.initiative

2k

39

4 months ago

As a queer Middle Eastern/Asian writer-director who has spent years trying to carve out space for myself in this industry, this program didn’t just make me feel seen, it made me feel trusted. Trusted to step into rooms I had dreamed about for years, trusted to prepare at the level of a working episodic director as if I were actively directing, while receiving meaningful feedback and being taught new ways to prepare and break down scripts that I had never previously considered. Brad [Buecker] has an incredible ability to elevate what is on the page to an entirely new level, and that became one of the biggest takeaways for me as a director.

@bradbuecker approached the mentorship with generosity, openness, and a real desire to teach. He encouraged me to come in every day fully prepped as if I were directing, which completely shifted the way I see myself moving forward in television. One of the biggest takeaways for me was seeing how leadership on set is not just about technical skill, but about creating an environment where people feel safe, empowered, and collaborative while still executing at an incredibly high level.

I was also deeply impacted by being invited into conversations that many emerging directors rarely get access to, from prep discussions to blocking conversations and even sitting in on the edit.

Personally, this experience gave me confidence during a pivotal moment in my career. I had just come off showrunning and directing my own half-hour comedy series in Canada, and stepping into the world of network television through Half helped me realize that my voice, instincts, and experience belong in these spaces too. It reinforced that I do not need to shrink myself or wait for permission to pursue larger opportunities.

More than anything, the program reminded me how life changing mentorship can be. Representation is powerful, but active support and access are what truly change careers. This program has fundamentally changed how I see my future as a filmmaker, and I know I will carry these lessons with me into every set I step onto moving forward. - Panta Mosleh

@ryanmurphyproductions @half.initiative @911onabc #director #filmmakers #women #queer taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

558

20

5 months ago

It’s only been a week since we wrapped, but I can already tell that the Half Initiative will be a defining chapter in my journey as a director.

Shadowing John Gray on @911onabc felt like a master class in television directing. Like me, he’s also a writer and producer, and I saw firsthand how those disciplines sharpen decision-making on set. You ask better questions, ones that crystallize the narrative and save time and money down the line.

@johnnygray5 brought me into his process from day one, walking me through his choices and pushing my
thinking in real time. He models the attributes I value most in a director: adaptability, composure, clarity of vision, and a sense of humor that keeps the work grounded under pressure. He also operates with cross-departmental fluency, pairing an exceptional visual sensibility with a real understanding of how each department serves the story.

Arriving on the lot that first day, I expected to observe quietly from the sidelines. Instead, I was welcomed into every layer of the process by a cast and crew operating with excellence, warmth, and care day in and day out. That openness speaks to the culture of the show and to how intentionally this
program is designed. I’ve always been drawn to premium, culture-defining, large-canvas storytelling that sparks fervor in a global audience. Being in an environment so deeply committed to that standard affirmed the direction of my work, and the collaborators I want to keep building it with.

These past six weeks reinforced how everything I’ve done for the past twenty years has prepared me for this fellowship, and how to build on it with intention moving forward.

This experience has sharpened my instincts, expanded my toolkit, and clarified what I bring to the table as a director. More importantly, it confirmed I’m ready to step into episodic directing. Thank you @johnnygray5, @half.initiative, @ryanmurphyproductions and the @911onabc team for the access,
the trust, and the unparalleled opportunity. - Michael Schwartz, Half mentee

@ryanmurphyproductions @half.initiative

#mentorship #education #director #filmmaker

This episode on @abc tonight! @hulu tomorrow! taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

842

37

6 months ago

Masterclass on Blocking with Brad Buecker taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

273

13

6 months ago

I am not ashamed to say this was the 3rd time I applied to be a part of this program. @stephanieturner

I’m endlessly grateful to the Half Initiative for welcoming me onto the @911onabc set and to @bradbuecker for allowing me to witness his process. I believe the purpose of the work we do is to connect with one another. Not only did Brad put his focus on the story and telling it in a way in which an audience could connect but he also connected genuinely with everyone on the cast and crew. The faith and trust the crew and cast have in him as their leader is something I aspire to in my own career. I feel my blocking will be better because of Brad and I will always have his voice in my head “interesting doesn’t need to be complicated!”

I approached this shadow experience as if I were directing, prepping each scene, arriving ahead of call to walk the sets and get the blocking down for myself. I loved seeing how my ideas differed from Brad’s and hearing the reasoning behind his choices, then seeing how I would adjust my plan in real time to accommodate.

It was incredible to watch this story go from page to screen. The amazing @andrew.mitchell.hb at DP and the camera team working magic on every take. The heads of every department and the entire crew are masters at what they do. And the cast blew me away, their ability to come into scene after scene and completely embrace it - whether it involved stunts, special effects, fire, emotions, large groups of people…and do it all with grace, kindness and enthusiasm. I feel inspired, encouraged, and motivated after this experience. But mostly I feel extremely thankful to have spent these weeks with such a great group of people making art and telling stories.

I am not ashamed to say this was the 3rd time I applied to be a part of this program. I share this because this career is a marathon, not a sprint. And though it did not happen the first time for me, I believe it happened at the right time for me.

Thank you @ryanmurphyproductions for creating this program and continuing to support emerging female directors all these years. - Half mentee, Stephanie Turner

#director #female #mentor #filmmakers taken in Los Angeles, California by @half.initiative

547

38

6 months ago