How can you leverage the entertainment industry to shape culture? Lessons from our work building a cultural zeitgeist around bridge-building in Hollywood. @Philanthropy

Sundance Collab invited BEL to lead an online masterclass on how the stories we tell have the power to either entrench our biases or illuminate our shared humanity. Panelists shared concrete, evidence-based techniques for character development and structural plotting that break out of online echo chambers. Panelists: - Dave Caplan. Ph.D. (Writer/producer, The Conners, George Lopez, The Drew Carey Show) - Valerie Weiss, Ph.D. (Director, Suits, Scandal, Star Trek) - Moderated by @StevenOlikara (CEO, Bridge Entertainment Labs) Here are some of our favorite moments.

Full panel recording: youtube.com/watch?v=9pFTOkns…

.@aspenideas, one of the country's premier gatherings of leaders, creators, and innovators, invited Bridge Entertainment Labs to lead a conversation on the craft and conscience behind storytelling that connects a divided nation. Our panelists shared deeply moving, personal insights on why film and television remain our most potent tools for cultural healing. In conversation with: @JSeftel (Oscar-winning director, “All the Empty Rooms”) Christina Voros (director, “Yellowstone” and “The Madison”) @BrianGrazer (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, Imagine Entertainment) Moderated by @StevenOlikara (CEO, Bridge Entertainment Labs) Here are some of our favorite moments. Watch the full panel on Youtube. Link in comments.

Last week we were thrilled to bring our Storytelling Principles for Creating New American Stories of Us, and the 4 C’s they're based on (Curiosity, Complexity, Contact, and (Good) Conflict) to Sundance Collab! One of our favorite moments was when veteran TV writer/producer Dave Caplan, Ph.D. (The Conners, The Drew Carey Show) (who helped inspire our Storytelling Principles) spoke about how telling complex stories can help push back against the Division-Industrial Complex. "One of the cultural norms we've been taught by these news organizations and other kinds of digital media and even legacy media is that people are one dimensional. They're one thing or another. And that can't be farther from the truth. If you want to write a crappy story, make people one dimensional." Stay tuned for the full recap and how to access the recording, featuring moderator @StevenOlikara (CEO of Bridge Entertainment Labs), Dave, and accomplished TV director Valerie Weiss (Suits, Scandal, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds).

We are leading a conversation at this year’s @aspenideas Festival about the opportunity and obligation our culture’s storytellers have to imagine a healthier democratic society. This panel is born out of this year’s festival theme: independence. Who has it, who’s fighting for it, and how do we build it together? “Building Bridges at the Box Office” July 1st at 10:35am Paepcke Auditorium For more than a century, film has been telling stories that bring us together. As America turns 250 and the distances between us seem harder to cross, our most powerful storytellers are reckoning with what cinema owes – and offers – the country. Hear filmmakers reflect on the craft and conscience behind storytelling that connects. Panelists: @JSeftel (Oscar-winning director, “All the Empty Rooms”) Christina Voros (director, “Yellowstone” and “The Madison”) @BrianGrazer (Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, @RealImagine) Moderated by @StevenOlikara (CEO, Bridge Entertainment Labs) Let us know if you will be there! #AspenIdeas

Our CEO @StevenOlikara joined @USATODAY’s The Excerpt to discuss how Hollywood can help bridge our divides. One highlight: In storytelling, there's a difference between dead-end conflict and good conflict. Dead-end conflict is where the hero and the villain essentially never move or reconcile at the end of the story. They're stuck on opposite sides of a divide that's seen as stark and zero-sum. By contrast, good conflict offers an opportunity for finding common understanding. The audience is invited to actually understand the backstory and motives of the villain, to understand that they might not be irredeemable. Audiences are hungry for these sorts of nuanced stories. Listen to the whole podcast! (Link in comments)

Link to submit your film: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F…