Menu
is a non-profit platform on a mission to normalize the presence of Black filmmakers in creative roles in the advertising industry. We aim to be a complementary resource for all creative industries to source Black talent– placing an emphasis on creating more opportunities for Black creators to bid on commercial jobs by increasing awareness and access to Black directors, cinematographers, editors, colorists, and more.
Our organization’s name is a direct call to action for marketers to transform their approach to bidding and awarding commercial jobs. Gate keepers are hesitant to work with talent who don’t have “the right experience” or who they’re not familiar with; thus, many creatives face a catch-22 of having less opportunity to work and not enough work on their reel to be considered for a job. This cycle creates a network of “go-to,” predominantly white-male creators who routinely get hired, while untapped talent remains pigeonholed.
Started in 2018 by Sydni Chustz as a response to the “otherness” she felt after starting her first job in production, Bid Black began as a passion project to increase the awareness and cultural relevancy of Black expression inside her company. It has evolved into an industry wide tool to normalize Black voices in storytelling.
"Bid Black will be a key tool to help us achieve our ambition to ensure our Unilever Global Advertising Production Roster offers our creative agencies and brands access to the most creative talent, providing greater opportunity to those that are under-represented. We are passionate and genuine in our goals and know that whilst increasing numerical representation ‘behind the camera’ is critical, truly empowering and providing opportunity is the key to achieving true inclusivity and diversity across the entire production workforce, and Bid Black helps us realise this ambition."
