HPA Welcomes Board Member Renard T. Jenkins
17/03/2021
HPA recently appointed Renard T. Jenkins, WarnerMedia vice president of content transmission & production technology, to the board of directors. Jenkins is the first African American to hold that role at WarnerMedia, a distinction he embraces as he dives into inclusion work in the industry. Jenkins led the founding of SMPTE's Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and is its first chair, and now, with fellow HPA board member Kari Grubin, he also co-chairs HPA's new DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) committee. Jenkins is very involved in SMPTE, most recently as that organization's Eastern Region governor until he was named to the organization's Executive Committee, and vice president of the membership committee, again the first African-American to serve in these positions.
Jenkins started his career after receiving two degrees from Florida State University: a B.A. in Communications & Media Studies and a B.S. in Communications. In college, he explored his love for cameras and filmmaking and started working freelance for ESPN in sports-related activities around college. He also worked as an intern at the local public TV station. After college, when Turner Broadcasting started recruiting, he jumped in to become part of the VJ (video journalist) program. As part of the technical path, he started in the editing pool. Everyone wants to describe you as a technology person or engineer, he says. But I am a creative technologist. In fact, at home, he has a full colorist suite and sound sweetening set up and still offers editorial or location sound help to young filmmakers.
In the Turner organization, he became CNN manager of post production, then moved to Discovery Communications as the supervising manager of post. After a stint as TV One's project manager for production facilities, he landed at PBS, where he rose to the position of vice president of operations, engineering and distribution.
Part of my journey is seeing the industry didn't look like me, says Jenkins. I've always been surrounded by a good group of friends and some industry peers who encouraged me to continue on. I could go to them to talk but you get tired of swimming upstream. He notes that, a lot of the things I dealt with coming up in the industry are still there, referencing the fact that he's the first African American on the board of MovieLabs, the first member of SMPTE's executive committee, among other firsts. I want to get to the point where there are no firsts - where people are given the opportunity to grow and succeed and get the opportunities everyone else gets. I truly want to see this industry be as inclusive, equitable as it can be.
In his position in the industry, Jenkins stresses that, as a leader in DEI at both SMPTE and HPA, he wants to help new leaders develop. We're all starting in different places but the goal is to be on equitable grounds, he says. Not level, because some people start in a hole, and I want to fill in some of those holes. I want to remove the barriers. I want to make sure that I'm not the only or the last. Jenkins reports that the murder of George Floyd triggered a lot of companies and organizations to look at how to attract more people of color and women. SMPTE was one of those organizations, he says. A few people there reached out to me and said, we know you do work in this area - Can you help us?
One of the SMPTE committee's first actions was to update one of the SMPTE Standards Community's Administrative Guidelines (AG 16), which governs the style of standards and engineering documents, replacing offensive terms Master, Slave, Blacklist and Whitelist with neutral ones. We're also looking at the by-laws and how to make the industry an inclusion environment, beyond SMPTE, he says.
HPA is part of that path to go beyond SMPTE and shine a light on the membership and practices of another important industry organization. Jenkins said he proposed to work with HPA on the same issue, and HPA partnered him with Grubin, who has been a leader in HPA's Women in Post and co-chair (with Loren Nielsen) of the Young Entertainment Professionals program. Since then, the two have been discussing not just ideas that can developed for the HPA membership, but their own experiences. She as a woman in media and entertainment and what it took to get to the executive ranks, and me as a black man, says Jenkins. We found there were common areas to rally around, but still a lot of differences. We're still exploring those differences and learning about one another's journeys.
Jenkins notes that although there are commonalities among marginalized groups, the differences can be both subtle and nuanced and blatant and clear. Kari and I want to bring people together who want to do this work, says Jenkins. And then we can start working on how to influence our industry and be better in this space.
HPA ALL is Grubin and Jenkins first initiative - a week of DEI content programming, in partnership with other organizations, offering speakers and seminars. We believe this is a service the industry needs and that it is the way forward for this industry, he says. We want to move M&E to an inclusive and equitable place for all people. Welcome aboard!
LINK: | https://hpaonline.com/hpa-welcomes-board-member-renard-t-jenkins/... |
See more stories from hpa |
More from Hollywood Post Alliance
05/03/2024
SMPTE and the IMF User Group Have Joined Forces
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has joined forces with the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) User Group (UG), a worldwide...
29/02/2024
Colorfront Unveiled New SDR to Dolby Vision HDR Conversion Capability at the 2024 HPA Retreat; Release Enthusiastically Received by Attendees
Colorfront (colorfront.com), the multi-award-winning pioneer in high-performance...
29/02/2024
Unbreaking an Industry Begins with Honest Conversations and Better Collaboration
The industry is at breaking point in the midst of seismic change but it can survive if stakeholders act collectively starting now, urged Jeff Rosica, Presiden...
29/02/2024
HPA President Seth Hallen Entreats Media Professionals to Lead During Era of Transformative Change
This year, I believe we are starting a new chapter, actually an entirely new pla...
29/01/2024
Nurturing Next Gen Talent: Welcoming the 2024 Young Entertainment Professionals
In the ever-evolving landscape of the media and entertainment industry, a spotlight is cast on the Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) program. Selected ann...
29/01/2024
HPA Tech Retreat and MovieLabs share vision for profound change
By Adrian Pennington As HPA's Tech Retreat approaches its 30th anniversary in 2025, the event appears to be even more relevant and stronger than ever. With...
21/12/2023
Art Directors Guild Will Induct Legendary Production Designer Lawrence G. Paull Into ADG Hall Of Fame
The Art Directors Guild (ADG, IATSE Local 800) will bestow its Hall of Fame Hono...
21/12/2023
The HPA's Tribute to Post Short Film Shines Light on the Post-Production Community
2023 marked a year of immense challenge for the entertainment industry. The WGA ...
21/12/2023
A Sneak Peek at HPA Tech Retreat 2024
By Debra Kaufman The HPA Tech Retreat is always a must-attend event and this year's - the 29th annual Retreat - is no exception. With robust signups alread...
21/12/2023
Motion Picture Sound Editors to Honor Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer Dane A. Davis, MPSE with Career Achievement Award
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) today announce that it will honor Superv...
14/12/2023
HPA Tech Retreat 2024 Unveils Groundbreaking Supersession
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has revealed programming details for the highly anticipated HPA Tech Retreat Supersession. This year, the Tech Retr...
05/12/2023
HPA Tech Retreat Announces Program Details for 2024 Event
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) is set to embark on an extraordinary journey as it reveals the dynamic and expansive program for its much-anticipat...
30/11/2023
The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) will honor Award-winning Director/Writer/Producer Michael Dinner with its annual Filmmaker Award
Dinner served as executive producer/showrunner/director for multiple series incl...
30/11/2023
Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the 2023 HPA Awards
The glitz and glamour of the post-production world took center stage earlier this week at the Television Academy's Wolf Theatre at the HPA Awards. This pres...
30/11/2023
In Wake of Strikes, HPA Focuses on Industry Recovery
By Debra Kaufman Both the writers and actors strikes are over, after 148 days and 146 days, respectively, but the damage has been done. According to CNN, as of...
29/11/2023
HPA Awards Unveil Creative Category Winners
Los Angeles, CA - The HPA Awards turned the spotlight on the exemplary contributions of the post production industry tonight, honoring work in color grading, so...
30/10/2023
Sphere: The Future of Immersive Entertainment Wins Prestigious Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation
Sphere, a groundbreaking next-generation entertainment medium in Las Vegas, has ...
30/10/2023
HPA Tech Retreat 2024 TR-X to Focus on Extreme Production
By Debra Kaufman Earlier this year, HPA board member Mark Chiolis, Mobile TV Group director of business development, heard a story of an extreme sports product...
30/10/2023
American Cinema Editors (ACE) Announces Eligibility Dates, Ceremony Venue And Voting Timeline For The 74th Annual ACE Eddie Awards
American Cinema Editors (ACE) has announced the ceremony date, venue and the ful...
30/10/2023
Cinema Audio Society Opens Awards Submissions for the 60th Annual CAS Awards
Submissions are now being accepted for the 60th Annual Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Awards at www.cinemaaudiosociety.com. All entries must be received by 5 p.m. P...
27/10/2023
HPA Honors Sphere with The Judges Award for Creativity and Innovation
The HPA Awards committee is delighted to announce that Sphere, the next-generation entertainment medium that recently opened in Las Vegas, has been awarded the ...
03/10/2023
HPA Awards Announce 2023 Creative Category Nominations
Updated October 25, 2023 Award date and venue information revised. The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Awards Committee today announced nominees for ...
29/09/2023
Transformative AI Insights from Wasabi and GrayMeta to Power Next Generation Fan Experiences
Wasabi hot cloud storage is purpose-built to store the world's data. Wasabi ...
29/09/2023
Sohonet Unveils Advanced Collaboration Tools at IBC 2023
Sohonet, the global experts in media collaboration for the film and TV industry, announce a series of significant product updates set to redefine and streamline...
29/09/2023
SMPTE Hollywood to Focus on Best Practices in HDR/SDR Workflows
SMPTE Hollywood Section will explore best practices for HDR/SDR workflows at its October meeting. Hosted by SMPTE Hollywood Section and Colorist Society Hollywo...
29/09/2023
Insider Chat: ASC President Shelly Johnson Talks Upcoming Plans for the Organization
By Alyssa Heater Shelly Johnson was elected president of the esteemed American ...
31/08/2023
Navigating Crisis: HPA's Commitment to the Media Supply Chain
By Seth Hallen, HPA President In our recently issued open letter, HPA voiced profound concern for the survival of the media creation supply chain. Our post-pro...
31/08/2023
NAGRA Leads Industry to Navigate the Disruption' at IBC 2023
NAGRA, a KudelskiGroup (SIX:KUD.S) company and the world's leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, will sho...
31/08/2023
A Fresh Experience at HPA Tech Retreat 2024
When HPA Tech Retreat 2024 arrives in February, it comes back with all the remarkable features that always make it an unparalleled event. It's about profoun...
16/08/2023
HPA Award for Engineering Excellence Winners Announced
Updated October 25, 2023 Award date and venue information revised. A trio of recipients have been honored with the 2023 HPA Award for Engineering Excellence, ...
01/08/2023
HPA Tech Retreat 2024 Opens Call for Proposals for Main Program and Breakfast Roundtables
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has issued a call for proposals for...
28/07/2023
Blackmagic Cloud Powers Remote Post Production on Feature Film This Closeness
Blackmagic Design announced that post production for the independent film This Closeness relied on a remote, collaborative Blackmagic Cloud driven workflow. W...
28/07/2023
Backlight Introduces New Features and Workflow Integrations at SIGGRAPH
Global media and entertainment technology company Backlight has introduced several new features and workflow integrations across its creative-centric product li...
28/07/2023
Key Code Media Expands West Coast with New Bay Area and Portland Offices
Key Code Media, a leading provider of audiovisual integration and production equipment solutions, is pleased to announce the opening of two new offices on the W...
28/07/2023
AMIA to Present Copyright Symposium August 7
Archives and copyright remain inextricably linked. As technologies change, copyright continues to evolve through court rulings and legislative changes both nati...
28/07/2023
HPA Member Event Series: Virtual Production
HPA is proud to present two seminars focusing on virtual production, supported by member companies ROE Visual and Mo-Sys. Both events have limited capacity and ...
27/07/2023
Eluvio Provides Multimedia Web3 Movie Experience for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment's The Flash
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, in partnership with content blockchain pioneer ...
27/07/2023
Panavision President and CEO Kim Snyder Set for Women in Post August Lunch
Kim Snyder, president and CEO of Panavision, will be the featured speaker during the HPA Women in Post summer lunch at Marino Ristorante in Hollywood on August ...
27/07/2023
The Industry Best Get Ready to Judge Awards 2023
Updated October 25, 2023 Award date information revised. By Christine Purse The HPA Awards have honored creatives and technologists since 2006, growing to be...
12/07/2023
Hollywood Professional Association Names League Honors Recipients
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced that three respected industry leaders have been named as recipients of HPA League Honors. The League ...
15/06/2023
Original Syndicate Talks Color at the Cinegear 2023 LA Expo
On Friday, June 2nd, Original Syndicate CTO Marcus Bengtsson demonstrated his industry-leading expertise as the moderator of the Cinegear 2023 LA Expo ETC Cineg...
15/06/2023
The King's Academy Outfits Virtual Production Studio with URSA Mini Pro 12K
Blackmagic Design announced that The King's Academy's robust Digital Media Arts program is powering its new virtual production studio with Blackmagic UR...
15/06/2023
Mo-Sys Updates the G-30 Gyro-Stabilized Remote Head
Mo-Sys Engineering has updated its G30 heavy-duty gyro-stabilized remote head. Designed to provide silent operation and capture beautifully smooth cinematic sho...
15/06/2023
The Gift of Time Helps TRAFIK Colorist Mark Gethin Win His First HPA Award
By Christine Bunish Getting time to color grade a commercial, experiment with it, fine tune it and hone images to look their very best is a luxury these days. ...
15/06/2023
Composing with Sound: A Conversation with HPA Award Winners Mark Mangini and Ron Bartlett
Dune: Part One, the most recent big-screen incarnation of Frank Herbert's i...
15/06/2023
Sony Electronics Announces New Firmware Updates for the FX6 and VENICE 2
Sony Electronics announced the upcoming release of new firmware updates for the FX6 full-frame camera and the flagship VENICE 2 digital cinema camera. FX6 Versi...
01/06/2023
HPA AWARDS OPENS CALL FOR CREATIVE ENTRIES
The 2023 Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Awards call for entries for creative categories opened today. Submissions will be accepted until July 28, 2023...
25/05/2023
The Adam Carolla Show Goes Live with End to End Blackmagic Design Workflow
Blackmagic Design announced that the world's top daily downloaded podcast, The Adam Carolla Show, is using a full Blackmagic Design workflow. The show, al...
25/05/2023
Shelly Johnson Elected to Lead American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors has elected a new slate of officers, with Shelly Johnson being chosen to lead as the organizat...