“From Pitch to Production”: The Launch of a Bold New Apprenticeship in Arts, Media, and Entertainment.
June 20th marked more than just another Friday in Los Angeles—it was the beginning of a movement. Big shout-out to: Munir, Marcelino, Jay, Lamont, Sabrina, Zayda, David, Shain, Sunny, Shoni, Chris Jai, Ivan, Allana, Syanah, Breyton, Sharon, CJ, the Sanchez family, Keon, Christina, Jenna, Leo, Kevin A., Aaron, Geovani, Red Camera, and way too many more to mention in this vlog.
Inside the creative walls of HartBeat Studios, a new chapter unfolded for 25 bold and visionary storytellers, ages 18 to 37, as they embarked on an intensive apprenticeship journey through a groundbreaking program powered by HART/Dakar. These emerging creatives came armed not with résumés, but with dreams, determination, and a drive to shape the future of cinema.
Their journey kicked off with the Pitchathon—a high-stakes, high-energy showcase where each apprentice was challenged to deliver a 90-second elevator pitch to a room full of industry insiders, business leaders, funders, and cultural gatekeepers. From spoken-word infused monologues to cinematic verbal teasers, each presentation was as unique as the voice behind it. The Pitchathon wasn’t just about performance; it was about presence—each apprentice had to stake their claim as a creator worthy of investment and mentorship.
The room pulsed with urgency, honesty, and raw potential. After each pitch, a panel of mentors offered immediate, unfiltered feedback. This wasn’t reality TV. This was real life: a chance for underrepresented creatives to claim space in an industry too often closed to those on the margins.
While only a handful of participants will be selected for greenlight mentoring and production funding, all 25 apprentices will advance into the next phase of the program. Starting July 1st, they’ll receive ongoing mentorship, instruction, and stipends through the Dakar Foundation’s registered apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship program—a model designed to make cinematic education equitable, accessible, and transformative.
Their curriculum blends hands-on film and television training with experimental media. From short-form narratives and feature-length documentaries to cinematic television, AI-powered storytelling, game development, advertising, and fast-stream content creation, the program is designed to equip apprentices with the tools to thrive in a rapidly evolving entertainment landscape. But beyond skills, this is about systems change.
HART/Dakar is more than a program—it’s a movement. A movement committed to breaking down Hollywood’s gatekeeping mechanisms and rebuilding them with inclusion, equity, and creative justice at the center. It is a pipeline for diverse creatives—many of whom are neurodiverse, system-impacted, immigrants, single parents, or facing housing instability—to move from the margins to the mainstream.
As the lights dimmed on Pitchathon night, one thing became clear: these are the voices the industry didn’t know it was missing. Yet. The people who stood out to me were, Breyton Crooms for his willingness to learn and man one of the Red Cinema Cameras, and two new apprentices that came from the Brotherhood Crusade tree.
We invite you to follow their journeys, support their growth, and witness what happens when authentic storytelling meets structural opportunity. The next Oscar-winner may just be among them—and you saw them here first.
Welcome to the future of film. Welcome to HART/Dakar.
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