The networking initiative welcomed prospective students and hosted a discussion about Beyoncé’s new movie, “Black Is King,” examining the impact of representation in the media industry.
The Women of the Elon Entertainment Empire initiative hosted its first virtual event of the semester via Zoom on Sept. 5, welcoming new members and discussing the film “Black Is King,” written, directed and executive produced by singer Beyoncé.
More widely known by the acronym WEEE, the initiative was originally started in Los Angeles and serves as a support network for women in the entertainment industry, promoting collaboration among alumnae, as well as creating a network for undergraduate students interested in entertainment careers. The initiative was brought to Elon’s campus in 2019 by alumna Joyce Choi ’19, who serves as an officer in the Los Angeles-based affinity group.
Nell Geer ’21 and Cameron Wolfslayer ’21, WEEE lead team members, told prospective new members that WEEE is not only a space to support women creators, but also a place where students can find other women to collaborate with and a place to share their work.
“We want to connect you with women and female identifiers in your field of interest,” Wolfslayer said. “This can be a really good place for us to have resources for each other.”
Geer spoke about the aspirations of the program, envisioning that members graduate and bring WEEE to places like New York and New Orleans. Naeemah Clark, professor of cinema and television arts and WEEE adviser, commended the student-run organization and said she looks forward to seeing its planned programming.
“The ideas they have for this year are really fantastic,” Clark said. “The group is in good hands.”
Following the informational meeting, the group discussed “Black is King,” lack of diversity in creative fields, and how a lack of representation shapes how women and people with marginalized identities see themselves in the film industry.
WEEE programming continues next week with an event called “Breaking the Ice,” a virtual meeting hosted by the Los Angeles WEEE group. Attendees will hear from panelists Rachel Raimist of the Directors Guild of America, Nneka Enurah ’11, head of FBE’s development and partnerships, and Netflix producer Taja Perkins. The event will be held on Zoom on Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. EST.