Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aaron Hammersley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Aaron, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In July of 2024, I co-authored the first comprehensive guide to improve and elevate Bi+ representation in film and television characters.

As a child, I was obsessed with movies and tv shows. This artform’s extraordinary ability to provide inspiration and offer a safe place, to be an escape and also open an empathetic eye to other people’s experiences, etc. was so important to surviving and growing into the person I am today. It is why I have made working in the industry my career for the last 16 years. What it has never done is permit me to see myself on screen…

I’ve searched my entire life to see myself in a film or TV character. Now well into adulthood and an out and proud advocate for the bisexual community what I’ve discovered, is that sadly this is true for so many bi+ people like me.

After publicly coming out seven years ago, I’ve looked for ways to support my community with my background and skill set. There were many friendly discussions about what we were watching that had a bisexual character. And over and over, these chats lead to me wonder, where are the bi stories? Why are they not mainstream? How come we don’t have documentaries, films or a sitcom like Will & Grace about what it’s like to be bi?

Over the last year and a half, I began a massive research venture to watch and critique as many examples as I could find of bi+ characters and storylines over the whole history of film and television. My original goal was to offer recommendations to my community and the hope that I’d finally find that character to relate to on a profound personal level. Spoiler alert: looking for mainstream, robust, or even reasonable representation was harrowing. So a new goal emerged to use what I learned not just for my community but also for the industry.

This journey was the inception for a seminar on Bi+ representation in 2023 and again in early 2024. After I hosted the first seminar, I was approached by the owner of ReWrite the BiLine, Christina Fialho, who leads this organization to promote visibility for the bi+ community in media. She wanted to transform my seminar into a full, tangible guide for creators, writers, and producers to tell better bi+ stories. After months of more research, analyzing, watching and proofing – we published. And here it is:
https://www.rewritethebiline.com/bi-test

For me, this guide is only a stop on my advocacy journey. I am very proud of it and the work it will do for future shows and movies, but I will not stop fighting for my silent community because everyone deserves to find themselves in the stories we tell.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

For the last 16 years, I’ve split my time between working on film and television shows, event producing, and working with non-profits. My event producing career has including running five different film festivals, working with 75% of Hollywood A-list talent and producing 80+ red carpet premieres. My credits span film and television shows, music videos, commercials, animation, and I’ve had the honor of working at all the major studios in Los Angeles.

My multifaceted career is based on my tireless hard work, compassion for others and an unending drive to evolve in order to meet the next challenge. I am someone who came from Nowhere, USA and without nepotism or class privilege, continues to climb the ladders of the industry.

I also do non-profit work. I’ve worked for Film2Future and Point Foundation as a mentor for high school and college aged kids to build on their personal and professional skills for their transition into adulthood in a variety of fields, not limited to social work, education, politics and film & television production. Other non-profit work I’ve done includes: feeding and housing of unhoused people, domestic violence safe houses, sexual assault survivors’ groups, bi+ visibility in the media, and LGBTQ+ centers throughout the US. I also recent joined the board of the LA Bi+ Task Force, which promotes education and visibility for the bisexual+ community.

In my spare time, I produce independent projects, including a short animated feature currently in production, and I develop and write new film and television projects. I also do budgets, schedules, script notes and story structure feedback for other aspiring creators.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I have been a coach for a high-level leadership program that use emotional intelligence to support mangers, entrepreneurs, entertainment executives and COEs in better running their companies, stewarding stronger and more inclusive workplace environments with their employees while benefiting their personal lives, as well.

Biggest take away for managing people: Listen more, know less.

The worst thing you can do in any business setting is try to fit a scenario with another person into a template or script. Every human being is different and every situation calls for you to be willing to adjust, flex and reimagine how best to support this person. Empathy and imagination in any situation will only strengthen your ability to build the relationship you want or design the path forward for both you. And because of all that, authenticity is almost always better than simply being kind.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

My current position is about putting a huge number of creatives into one space and forcing them to communicate well with each other in order to turn a script into a movie. Imagine that every person on a movie set has their own needs, skills, wants, desires, communication techniques, and talents. Best advice: Embrace the truth of these differences.

All of these people who do not think similarly are going to come together and tell a story. One they’ve all contributed to in some way.

Creative people see the world differently. For most of my life, this was very isolating for me. Now I know it is a gift. Thinking outside the box leads to new ideas, paths to better understand one another, and in film and television: ART.

And know, us creative types, often struggle to understand why non-creatives think the way they do. Let’s start by being curious about each other.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rewritethebiline.com/bi-test
• Instagram: @secretsyrin
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronhammersley