Steve is a big believer in collaboration and partnership, working together to achieve shared goals and creating opportunities. He leads by example, with patronage of various charities and work experience opportunities in his London and Midlands studios, and strongly believes that success is achieved when people work together and support one another.
Recently, this collaborative attitude hit the headlines, when Frances McDormand used her “Best Actress” acceptance speech at the 2018 Oscars to highlight a new term: inclusion rider. Although many had never heard of the term before, it’s actually been around for a few years. In 2016, Dr Stacy Smith coined the phrase during a TED Talk, in which she called for actors and actresses in positions of power in Hollywood to support their less established colleagues.
An inclusion rider – also called an equity clause – is a clause which actors can insist on adding to their contract when they join a film. It requires the film’s supporting cast and crew to, as Smith states, “reflect the world in which we actually live”. It creates a wider range of opportunities for underrepresented performers such as women, ethnic minorities, members of the LGBT community, and people with disabilities. It enriches the diversity of the production both on and off screen.
The issue of diversity and representation in media is slowly seeing positive changes. Recently, it was revealed that Jessica Chastain successfully negotiated higher salaries for her co-stars Octavia Spencer and Jada Pinkett-Smith, who, as women of colour, stood to make less than her. Once she realised the pay disparity, she linked her salary to Spencer’s, ensuring they both made the same amount.
Meanwhile, Taika Waititi used his position as director of Thor: Ragnarok to make a difference. He contracted an Aboriginal company to supply the water for the production, and took on several indigenous interns. He also cast indigenous actors in supporting roles, prioritising diversity both on and off screen and giving opportunities to people who otherwise lacked access to the film industry.
Of course, there is still far more to be done, both in Hollywood and across other sectors, but big names like McDormand, Chastain and Waititi embracing the collaborative approach is very encouraging.
Steve understands how businesses and people alike can reap the benefits of creating opportunity and nurturing new relationships. As he points out in the 30 Things book, “if you can give someone a hand or introduce businesses, it can be the most rewarding, exciting thing on the planet”.