LOS ANGELES—A docuseries as reverential and eye-opening as The 1619 Project calls for a premiere event that's just as thoughtfully curated. That was the idea behind the debut celebration for the Hulu original series—based on the long-form journalism project created by Nikole Hannah-Jones—held at the The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles on Jan. 26.
The multimedia project, comprising essays and even a podcast series, was first published in August 2019 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the beginning of American slavery. The project "aims to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative."
The event for the Hulu series's premiere, which welcomed 250 guests, featured a screening of one of The 1619 Project's six episodes, followed by a Q&A helmed by none other than Oprah Winfrey. The series is part of Disney's Onyx Collective, a content brand that focuses on creators of color and streams exclusively on Hulu. Akiva Hillman, senior manager of events and talent relations at Onyx Collective, said that while taking the stage for her moderator duties, Winfrey claimed this event to be part of “one of the greatest marketing campaigns she had ever seen."
After a screening of the first episode, Oprah Winfrey took the stage to moderate a discussion between the project's creator Nikole Hannah-Jones (pictured second from left) and the show's executive producers.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
When guests entered the event, they were ushered into a cocktail hour lined with candle votives and copies of The 1619 Project book, which was published in 2021. Hillman said much of the inspiration for the event's design came from the series's trailer and show loglines.
"Seeing how well received our vision was felt amazing; we spent several rounds of deck iterations trying to make everything come to life in a visually stunning but meaningful way, and I think it really resonated with people," she said.
After the screening of the series's first episode, "Democracy," and the 25-minute Q&A inside the museum's David Geffen Theater, guests were brought up to its Dolby Family Terrace. There, DJ Mos spun new and old-school hits, and guests could enjoy "shareable moments," Hillman said, including a floral installation by Bia Blooms, a live painter recreating imagery from the trailer, and the show's hero key art in statue form in the center of the space.
For this backdrop installation, Los Angeles-based floral studio Bia Blooms used a textural mix of fresh florals along with dried and silk—all in deep red tones and a gradient of blues to create a dramatic on theme color-blocked design. "The goal was to create a wow-factor photo moment that was striking and elegant at once," owner Tabia Yapp said.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
Hillman cited that statue as her personal favorite touchpoint. "It was an ode to the hero key art shot for the campaign, and to see it in real life standing at 16 feet high, it had a huge impact on the event’s overall aesthetic," she said.
She added that her team's goal was to "be intentional of every touchpoint, from the lighting to the reason we worked with certain vendors." So one of the biggest challenges was "ensuring the placement of everything made sense."
Hillman's takeaway for other event profs? "Be thoughtful," she said. "It’s a gift to perform such an artistry as event planning, and it can be really scary opening yourself up through that medium. But if you can use your heart for your inspiration but your head for your execution, you can walk away knowing you gave it everything you had."
Keep scrolling to see key vendors and more details from The 1619 Project premiere event at the Academy Museum...
VENDORS
Catering: Jason Fullilove x Wolfgang Puck Catering
Executive producers: Conversate Collective
Fabrication: AB Procured, Treehouse
Florals: Bia Blooms
Lighting: 15|40
Live painter: Terrick Gutierrez
Production agency: BMF
LA-based interdisciplinary artist Terrick Gutierrez was commissioned to create a 6-by-15-foot painting during the premiere event for a live-painting experience.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
The finished painting is titled "The Silhouette.” Gutierrez poses in front of it with The 1619 Project Hulu series's director and producer Roger Ross Williams.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
Oprah Winfrey poses with The 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones, who won a Pulitzer Prize for it in 2020.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
Guests were treated to a screening of the show's first episode, "Democracy," inside the Academy Museum's 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
After the screening and Q&A, guests were brought up to the Academy Museum's Dolby Family Terrace, which boasts views of the LA skyline.Photo: Courtesy of Onyx Collective
