Representation in Hollywood for Latino people behind the camera continues to lag behind a proportional number. While this is still an annoying statistic, Barry Jenkins, director of the upcoming Mufasa: The Lion King, made it a point to bring more diverse people to create the movie. The diversity of the production team was more than show. Those involved felt the intentionality of the hiring process for the film.

We spoke with Visual Effects Coordinator Jazmine Sosa, Assistant Editor Israel Vasquez, and Visual Effects Producer Barry St. John. Here is how the diversity and representation behind the camera for Mufasa felt to them in the room.

Jazmine Sosa was thrilled to be working among such diverse people

Sosa fondly remembers growing up and watching the original Lion King. As an adult, she was in the room to bring a new version of the story to life, which is one of those full-circle moments. Yet, she appreciated most the dynamic and representative talent that brought the movie to life.

“The role of VFX is very vast and very large. When I came on to Lion King, I’m not going to lie, I am very well aware of these roles, and so when I saw that I was on a stage with mostly white men, I was like, ‘We’re doing Lion King?’,” Sosa says. “And then I came to know that Barry Jenkins was working it, and Joi McMillon was working it.”

Seeing the representation throughout the production team, Sosa was proud to be one of the people with a seat at the table. She was excited to see people take up space and know that they deserved to be there.

Israel Vasquez is grateful for the access he had at a younger age for getting him in the room for Mufasa: The Lion King

Access to education and peers can be challenging for people of color in any industry. Without access, being able to learn and make connections often keeps Black and brown people out of the room. Vasquez, an assistant editor for Mufasa: The Lion King, benefited from getting access to education that changed the course of his life and career.

“In order for representation to be at the forefront, it’s all about access. I think a lot of people don’t want to talk about how access is not really given to a lot of folks, especially Black and brown folks,” Vasquez says. “The reason why I have a career is because of how generous and incredibly talented Barry Jenkins and Joi McMillon are. They have always cultivated my growth as a creative and a filmmaker. It definitely is a form of, ‘You have to pay it forward.’ I know my position, the project I have worked on, and what I will work on in the future.”

Barry St. John gives credit to Barry Jenkins for fostering a diverse creative environment

Barry St. John is no stranger to working on big projects in Hollywood. After years of working on television, he transitioned to movies after working on Men In Black III. Over the years, he has continued to work on big projects and felt the difference in the representation behind the camera for Mufasa: The Lion King.

“In this film, in particular, we made a point to hire people with a very diverse background on the production side. Men, women, all different ethnicities,” St. John says. “It was very diverse, and that was intentional, and Barry Jenkins does that. It started from the top with the culture that he creates when he does a film where everybody participates together, and that melting pot kind of brings the best out of what you’re creating. Especially with content like this where it is being represented in the film as well. It’s highly important that it is being represented behind the camera, as you would say.”

Representation is so important in making the world a brighter place. Jenkins understands this and is demonstrating it with the production crew of Mufasa: The Lion King: representation behind the camera is just as important as representation in front of the camera.

Creative projects benefit from the increasingly diverse production crews. Jenkins’ ability to make this a priority to benefit his projects is apparent, and we can’t wait to see just how amazing his work to do this for Mufasa: The Lion King made for a better story.

Mufasa: The Lion King premiers on Friday, December 20, 2024.

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