about
The Writers Room 5050 mentors storytellers, writers, directors and producers for next-level success in television, streaming and film. Develop your pilot, pitch your TV series, run the writers room and direct episodes. We aim to level the playing field in entertainment for underrepresented groups, including women, people of color, LGBTQA+, indigenous, disability, veterans, age, and woke men. Be part of our Inclusion Revolution. Our alumni are in demand and getting hired.
During this time, storytellers participate remotely using Zoom.
founder
Evette Vargas is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and creative force whose work spans film, television, immersive media, and AAA videogames. Featured in Forbes and named by The New York Times as an “Artist to Watch,” she is known for bold, character-driven storytelling and building elevated, culturally resonant worlds across mediums.
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Born in the Bronx, Vargas sharpened her craft at NYU Tisch (BFA) and UCLA (MFA) and co-founded Indigo Reign Films, a next-generation studio producing premium film, TV, and brand entertainment.
Vargas wrote, directed, and produced Confessions, winner of the Audience Award at the Cannes Showcase, now being developed for television with showrunner Tim Kring (Heroes). Her digital series Dark Prophet, starring Henry Rollins, was in contention for two Interactive Emmys, cementing her reputation as a frontier-shaping, tech-driven storyteller.
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She sold her drama Muses to TNT, developed series for MGM, eOne, Shout! Factory, and Exile Content,and served as TV Development Executive at Hidden Empire Film Group. Her producing/directing credits span Amazon, MTV, Bravo, DirecTV, Vivendi, and interactive work for Fast & Furious, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Madonna, Wu-Tang Clan, Activision, and EA.
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In immersive media, Vargas wrote The Current War VR Experience for the Benedict Cumberbatch film and created Evette Vargas ImmersivePlay, Final Draft’s industry-standard template for videogame and VR narrative. She served as showrunner/writer for the AAA-scale narrative videogame WorldOne and continues to lead large-scale interactive storytelling.
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As a filmmaker, she has written, directed, and produced 25+ award-winning films, episodes, and digital projects. Vargas’ upcoming features include The Mara, Diniz vs. Naouri, and Bird on a Rock (produced with Tiffany & Co.). Vargas has been the winner, finalist or fellow of the Nicholl Fellowship (Top 30), Sundance Episodic Lab, ABC/NBC NHMC Program, Producers Guild Program, Alliance of Women Directors Latina Fellowship, among others.
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A champion of equity, she founded The Writers Room 5050 Foundation and hosts the award-winning New Hollywood Podcast. A member of the WGA, PGA, and the Television Academy, Vargas brings cinematic vision, emotional truth, and entrepreneurial fire to every project and when she’s not building universes, she collects action figures, typewriters, and shoes.
DIRECTORS
Patia Prouty is a recognized costume designer, with multiple CDG nominations for her work on CBS’s COLD CASE. Patia has designed JUSTIFIED for FX, AMERICAN CRIME for ABC, and both QUARRY and BANSHEE for HBO/Cinemax. Patia’s work innovating and shooting content for BANSHEE’s social platforms led to the transition into directing.
Patia made her directorial debut on HBO/Cinemax’s BANSHEE: Origins. That work received two Emmy nominations for “multi-platform storytelling. She went on to direct 2nd unit and action sequences for BANSHEE and HBO/Cinemax’s QUARRY. As MANHUNT: UNABOMBER’s 2nd Unit Director, she spearheaded MANHUNT’s unique macro bomb sequences, which became a key element to the series’ signature look. In 2016, Patia completed the Warner Brothers Director’s Workshop. She is a diverse talent who boasts a deft hand with actors, as well as a proven ability to handle complex action sequences.
Miguel Cruz is a Spanish Director and Producer based in Los Angeles with credits in 200 TV episodes, including the Top Rated Sitcom "AIDA." His first feature film, "VULNERABLES," was an independent thriller that opened theatrically in Spain and Latinamerica -- 4th at the Peruvian Box-office, acquired by Sundance Channel, TVE.
In Los Angeles, he has worked as EP in development for FOX's remake of the Argentinian Hit "Permitidos," directed DISNEY's Multicam Comedy "BUNK'D" and he directs dubbing for Netflix.
Miguel has also directed dozens of commercials for international brands and combines his extensive professional career with a strong relation with Academia. A Fulbright Scholar, Miguel serves as in the board of the Fulbright Association in Los Angeles and has directed and produced the TEDxFulbright series in Santa Mónica and Washington DC.
ART DIRECTOR
Carl Arriaga is a multi-talented art director and designer with extensive knowledge in both traditional and interactive design. He has crafted new emerging brands and established household names for many Madison Avenue and Los Angeles agencies, such as O&M, Y&R, Landor, Grey and The Food Group. Carl has developed brands for WestRock, Honda, Mattel, Disney, FOX, Proctor & Gamble, 3M, Sony, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., Nestlé, Precision Dynamics International, and more.
Carl was born in Brooklyn with a pencil in his hand and was raised in Harlem on 125th Street. Carl went to Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art, where he discovered Cappuccinos and Warhol. In college, Carl was in the CETA Program for Graphic Design, which landed him a job at Y&R as a junior graphic designer. Carl has worked on incredible project, from Madonna to IBM, Nestlé to Disney, Mattel to 3M, and now he wants to bring that experience to you.