Cassandra Alexa's mission is to create film and music projects and a future film and music studio in Texas that focus on the representation of diverse and marginalized groups and their industry and personal prosperity, activism, awareness, and charity on social/ world issues, love and empathy, and combatting prevalent industry issues, which are all fueled by her faith in God and are a part of her mission to make the world a better place. She strives to create authentic and fun roles for BIPOC (with a focus on Latino/ Hispanic, Black, and Indigenous representation) and other marginalized groups (women, trans, non-binary, LGBTQ+, disabled, neurodivergent, lower-income, immigrant, and body-size-or-look-marginalized communities, etc.) on screen and behind the camera and highlight similarly diverse musicians.

The productions of her studio and the studio itself will be reserved for and centered around these diverse stories and artists from pre-production to post-production and in all areas of music-making (singers, rappers, beat/ instrumental producers, sound engineers, DJs, background singers, background dancers, etc.). This would be a place where these diverse groups are meant to excel. This studio would be a place that functionally works differently to combat prevalent and systemic issues in the film and music industries. Cassandra Alexa also shares her own experiences in her film, acting, and music projects as she fits many marginalized identities and has experienced many of the issues she strives to fight against. 

The issues she focuses on through her projects (and will focus on in the future with her studio) are anti-racism, racial equity, racial justice, LGBTQ+ equity, mental health awareness, encouraging and participating in environmentalism, gender equity (including equal pay, legal rights, and personal rights), sexual abuse awareness and prevention, support for sexual abuse/ trafficking survivors, educating about consent and healthy relationships, advocation for relationship abuse survivors, advocation for immigrants, advocation for neurodivergent people, accommodation and advocation for those with intellectual, physical, or learning disabilities, combatting homelessness, poverty, and hunger and aiding the homeless and poor, helping the sick, terminally ill, and others who are in need, combatting gentrification, advocating for prison reform and rehabilitation, fighting against mass incarceration and law enforcement brutality and advocating for law enforcement reform, advocation for gun control, fighting against parental abuse, contributing to suicide prevention efforts, advocation for anti-violence, anti-war, and anti-bullying, aiding single mothers/parents and children and infants in need, aiding animals and habitats in need, fighting for better and corrected foster care and adoption systems, helping those battling addictions, advocation for affordable and humane health care, advocation for those affected by kidnap and murder, providing financial, educational, career, infrastructure, fitness and food, health, housing, and livelihood resources for lower-income people or the homeless, aiding at-risk-youth, advocating for affordable and quality education and student debt relief efforts for all students, contributing to (natural disasters, personal tragedies, etc.) relief efforts for given situations, charity work and donations for those in need, helping current and former veterans with mental health or physical health resources, combatting religious discrimination, supporting small businesses, aiding the elderly, advocating for those with jobs as farmers, fieldworkers, or teachers, and protecting freedom of expression. 

Not only will this studio and Cassandra’s projects have a dedication to creative, fun, and authentic storytelling in its films and music, but it will also have a dedication to giving back, making a change in the real world, and encouraging change from the audience (encouraging better treatment of others, more and better representation in film and music, volunteering and voting for causes, changing industry norms, inspiring activism, and educating about and embracing diverse cultures). This studio will be a place for filmmakers, actors, and musicians who want to make inclusive and creative projects and do volunteer work and activism work through the studio and within the walls of the studio itself.

The change starts from within, so this studio will function in a progressive and empathetic way. 

The hiring process will be a more in-depth look at the creativity, activism, and empathy of applicants, making sure to reserve the studio for diverse and progressive employees (and give opportunities to those who are lower-income or didn't have advanced educational/ career resources). This hiring process will also not discriminate against textured hair, women not wearing makeup, trans presentation, ethnic clothing, or other things commonly discriminated against at other job interviews. The studio will invite its community to be involved at the studio and apply. Applicants will also be given video materials to introduce studio goals and functions and employee efforts. Thorough background checks will be conducted on applicants, to especially weed out any potential harm of sexual/ child predators or any other significant potential of harm or hate to others. Should any working employees cause any significant harm to others or commit and concerning action or crime, the studio will responsibly handle holding that employee accountable and handle their firing.

One of the most important parts of Cassandra’s studio will be frequent paid work days set aside for the studio’s employees to volunteer or support a cause that day. Volunteer work or activism such as visiting, helping, or giving gifts/ trips to sick individuals/ children, helping at shelters for domestic violence or trafficking survivors, planting trees, helping at food banks, homeless shelters, or donation centers, attending or holding peaceful protests, etc.). The studio/ projects at the studio will also donate to and advocate for foundations/ charities/ causes and provide resources and trigger warnings for audiences. The studio will often partner with charities for specific goals or events. A key part of the studio’s function will be the fact that professionals and experts will be hired at the studio to specifically work on educating employees about the topics the studio strives to address and work with employees to brainstorm studio/ studio’s projects contributions to/ addressing of those topics, as well as educate about diverse groups’ history, issues, current events, teach employees about selected inspirational members from different communities, researching/ verifying historical and cultural accuracy in projects, verifying or creating valid foreign language or sign language dialogue/ translations, and working to constantly update the studio’s accessibility and inclusiveness (including people specifically hired to create audio versions of all studio texts needed for those with learning/ mental disabilities or the visually impaired and people hired to teach the basics of ASL to all employees or provide other language training if wanted).

The studio will have a great focus on the safety of adult cast/crew/music workers and child actors/musicians on set and also educate all employees about sexual and relationship abuse prevention and awareness and survivor resources (including therapy and HR resources). This studio will be gun-free and dangerous-weapon-free, except for designated security. Stunt safety, prop weapon safety, and intimacy coordination safety are also prioritized as on-set safety and comfortability are essential to the studio. CPR, defibrillator, and Heimlich maneuver training will be provided to all employees. Cleanliness and sanitation are also essential to the studio. This studio will respect COVID protocols if a spike calls for action (and masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and COVID tests will be provided). Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available throughout the studio. Touch-free appliances and other cleanliness products will be in the bathrooms. The bathrooms will be kept clean at all times. Baby-changing stations will be available in any gender’s bathrooms.

Human trafficking hotline/ resource posters and abuse hotline/ resource posters will be on the inside of bathroom stall doors or other designated areas of the studio or other related property. Missing persons posters will be posted in designated areas at the studio or at other related property as a small step to help in the search for these people.

Women’s, Men’s, and All Gender’s bathrooms will all be available at the studio or related property.

Cassandra plans to make her studio completely accessible for those with disabilities through the architecture of the buildings, key features of the building, and the infrastructure of the building (accessible elevators, wide hallways and doorways, wide bathroom stalls that have wide toilets and doors that open outwards, general doors that open outward, ramps, automatic doors, ASL resources, etc.). Accommodations will also be provided for those with physical, mental, or learning disabilities (audio versions of documents/ text materials, braille materials, on-set therapy, therapy resources, etc.).

The building of the studio and other additional related property will have anti-gentrification efforts at its core and as a function of the running studio, giving back and helping combat gentrification in its community.

 On-set therapists will be available to ensure the mental health and safety of cast or crew members and musicians. Quality on-set teachers will be provided for child actors. Daycare/ quality babysitting resources will be provided to single or working parents, with the studio even possibly providing an on-set daycare to make sure filmmakers can maintain their parental responsibilities and feel comfort in having their children close by while working.

The studio will be environmentally aware and will be powered with clean energy, it will have recycling bins throughout the studio, it will use many electronic substitutes for paper resources, and it will recycle, reuse, or donate sets, props, and costumes or put them into museums, it will reduce its waste, and it will be resourceful.

The studio will have its own food truck that will deliver leftover uneaten food from film sets, music events, or any other studio events/use, to different spots to give free food to the homeless. The studio will also frequently hire homeless people as extras/ actors. The studio will also help out in any way that it can for homeless members of its community, including advocating for and raising money for sheltering or care resources.

Many employees, including founder, Cassandra Alexa, with the help of the studio many times, will be making efforts to help change or make laws to help address systemic issues in the country and industry, will help to make changes in policy, will help with specific legal cases/ people in need of justice, and will aid or create specific programs/ foundations to address causes.

It will pay its employees fairly and address payment equally-mindedly regarding gender and ethnicity/ race. Positions that have typically not been paid well in the industry, such as writers or extras, will be paid fairly. A good health care plan for employees is an important value to the studio. The studio will not work on weekends (except for shooting days or any other planned event) or holidays and it will work in a more understanding and reasonable way with employees about days off and vacation time to ensure employees can maintain their health, well-being, and personal life aspects. Extended and paid maternal leave will be available. Bathroom breaks, breaks for mothers who need to pump, and breaks for medical concerns will be available to employees at any time, in addition to scheduled lunch breaks (with healthy food being provided on shooting sets). Free menstrual products will be available in bathrooms. Small cakes or gifts will be given to employees on their birthdays and small goodie bags (or small presents) will be given to employees for holidays such as Christmas and Halloween and holiday emails will be sent out, as a reward for the employees’ hard work. On set or during other artistic projects, group prayer and/or simple meditation will be held for those who would like to participate in this optional mood-setter. A suggestion box will also be available to employees.

The studio’s products or services will also be a reasonable and understanding cost for the consumer, while still ensuring employees are paid a good living pay.

The studio will provide resources to its community such as film/ music classes and conferences/workshops, resources, and job/ creative opportunities for lower-income, diverse, independent, or young individuals looking to get a start in the industry. A community space will be available where the studio holds events, screenings/ listening parties, and festivals to interact with its community and give back to it or to help with a specific cause (providing other smaller resources such as a community board). Even things as simple as progressive magazines, books, or scripts, and free water in the studio’s lobby will help make the studio a welcoming place. The studio can also post letters or information that can help educate others on important information, techniques, tools, or resources for activism.

The dress code at the studio will not be set upon common sexist or racist “professional” protocols that shame women or their bodies or hold them to a higher standard than men, that discriminate against textured hair, discriminate against ethnic reflection in clothes, hairstyles, or accessories, discriminate against trans or non-binary presentation, or that eliminates creative expression in makeup, clothing, accessories, hairstyles, or tattoos; it will be an expressive dress code that respects all genders, races, and sexualities. Hair, makeup, and wardrobe departments on film and music video sets will be diverse and able to cater to any race, gender, sexuality, or look/size.

Film and music in any genre and with any content will be made here; an artist can tell whatever story they want here, all that matters is that the thing all of these films or songs have in common is that they achieve one of these: are created by (a) diverse artist(s), center on/ feature diverse people, include a progressive matter, give opportunities, or give back. Whether filmmakers want to specifically talk about issues/ struggles affecting a marginalized group, that marginalized identity or a specific cause is up to the artist. They could make a film that specifically talks about the hardships of a marginalized group, like a horror movie that deals with a systemic piece of racism, a drama that shows a trans character overcoming discrimination to achieve their goals, or a documentary that specifically talks about the history of a certain culture. Or they could make a wild, fun, silly comedy that simply centers on characters from marginalized groups, a children's cartoon that simply features diverse characters and teaches about being kind to others, a wonder-filled fantasy movie that values mental health, an experimental film that has an underlying idea about environmentalism, a cute rom-com that focuses on a WLW couple, a drama film that hired many homeless people as extras for the film, an animated or stop-motion film made by diverse animators, an action movie that emphasizes a woman’s independence, a terrifying horror that takes place in a diverse neighborhood, a superhero movie where culture is incorporated in the hero’s story/ costume/ powers, a quirky street magic trick show that emphasizes empathy, or an educational family/ kids show that promotes women in STEM and will give part of its proceeds to that cause. All types of film formats (feature films, TV shows, shorts, animation/ stop-motion, commercials, web series, music videos, etc.) in any genre (comedy, drama, romance, horror, thriller, family, sci-fi, fantasy, psychedelic, gangster, coming-of-age, action, mystery, etc.) for any audience/ age (made only for adults, or only for children, or for families, etc.) in any style (Hollywood or experimental) will be welcome and made here. Songs that specifically address causes, issues, or identities (maybe about racism, helping the environment, or talking about their sexuality) can be made here just as songs about any everyday thing like love, having a good time, a breakup, a party experience, or whatever it may be, can be made here, they’re just made by a diverse artist or do something small to make a change. The only thing that matters is the inclusivity and heart of the project.

Cassandra plans to recreate Hollywood, but this time it’s meant for us too.

These are just some of the ways this studio will have a plan of action to change the world and make it a more loving, empathetic, and inclusive one.