Among those who grow up fascinated by film and television, the desire to one day work in the entertainment industry on acclaimed projects can arise.
Yet, with many stories and experiences relating accounts of struggle, a narrative forms that making a successful transition into the entertainment industry is almost impossible.
However, Halima Lucas, award-winning story editor and producer at Disney Television Animation, attests that anybody can rise to the occasion and make their dreams come true.
With an initial goal towards sociology, Lucas didn’t expect to pursue creative media as a career.
“I was always into creative works, but I never saw it as something to aspire career wise. When I went to college I was into sociology. But after binge-watching a new show and becoming attached, I realized that if this medium can change my mind about a topic, then it must have the ability to change people’s minds about the identities and communities others hold in what they advocate for,” Lucas said.
From that point on, Lucas found a new passion for the arts with the intent to build empathy among others through laughter and joy.
Lucas’ background from a supportive family led her to pursue higher education in film studies, resulting in a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Southern California.
At the later end of her student journey at USC, she took inspiration from growing up in Stockton to write and direct her short film “Amelia’s Closet.”
The film then became a finalist for the 43rd Student Academy Awards and won the 2017 American Black Film Festival HBO Short Film Award.
After graduating from USC, her success led her into Ryan Murphy’s Half Initiative TV Director Shadowing program, as well as the Break The Room fellowship, where she helped develop and write the web series East of La Brea.
When she was selected to join the Nickelodeon Writing Program in 2018, this opened the door to work on network television as a staff writer to develop work on new live-action shows and The Rugrats.
Ultimately, Lucas’s strongest desire in her work is to create projects that tell stories representing people who otherwise go unnoticed.
She advises those from her home city of Stockton who want to pursue a similar route as her to make such personal stories in their work.
“You are what you do. You start by making projects based on stories you want to see made. You have to ask yourself what kinds of stories you want to tell and why you want to be a filmmaker. Suppose you are unsure what you are trying to accomplish as a storyteller. Don’t make the goal about fame instead of focusing on the passion for storytelling. Take the time to reflect on which story ideas move you so you can develop a sense of drive and purpose in your career,” Lucas said.
Lucas continues to accomplish her goals of representation on TV through her animated show Marvel’s “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur,” in which she won the 2024 Humanitas Prize for Children’s Teleplay.
The cartoon follows a young African-American superheroine, often embedded with messages of confidence, gentrification, family connections, and ethnic pride, among others.
The show currently airs on Disney Channel, with Lucas serving as a main staff writer on most episodes.
Lucas also said that although her career doesn’t allow much time back home anymore, she is still a proud Stocktonian and aspires to direct a film in the city one day.
