#MeToo movement founder and activist Tarana Burke and her producing partner Mervyn Marcano have struck an overall producing deal with CBS Studios to develop scripted, unscripted and documentary projects for linear television and streaming platforms.
Their entity Field/House Productions will serve to develop and produce stories that “embrace complexity and highlight underrepresented voices,” with the aim of championing “narratives driven by storytellers who represent ‘the rest of us.’”
“In our quest to partner with compelling storytellers, Tarana and Mervyn stand out,” said David Stapf, president of CBS Studios. “Their drive and leadership as stewards of change brings a powerful and distinct voice to advancing stories of inclusion and impact. They are clearly magnets for many whose voices need to be heard and we’re excited to work alongside them in this new venture.”
Burke has worked for three decades on issues at the intersection of racial justice, arts and culture, anti-violence and gender equity, touting “empowerment through empathy” in the ongoing conversation about sexual violence and consent. One of the subjects of Variety’s Power of Women cover in 2018, Burke was named Time Person of the Year in 2017, was one of USA Today’s Women of the Decade last year, and was honored with Harvard Kennedy School’s Citizen Activist Award in 2019.
Her memoir, “Unbound,” will be published in the fall by Flatiron.
“Creating space for new narratives has always been an integral part of cultural change work,” said Burke. “Field/House is a platform for those new narratives. This partnership gives us the reach and scale to ensure that we build new audiences for new voices.”
Marcano is currently an executive producer on both an untitled long-form docuseries set at HBO and a film special for HBO Max. In the TV landscape, he is known for his work on YouTube Original’s “Resist” series and BET’s “Finding Justice.” Marcano also leads communications and storytelling at Blackbird, a strategy hub for racial and social justice movements, offering counsel to issues campaigns.
“We’re thrilled to be building a powerful vehicle for inclusive stories with CBS Studios,” said Marcano. “Our goal has always been to create a pipeline of culturally progressive programming with our diverse network of creatives and storytellers. We look forward to working with the team at CBS Studios as these stories find their homes across the media ecosystem.”
The partnership between Burke, Marcano and CBS Studios includes a commitment to develop content for the CBS Television Network and option to sell programming to third-party platforms.