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Behind the Scenes of HBO's Creative Process

HBO's VP of Drama Programming, Cela Sutton

I think we really love bold storytellers who are asking things that haven't really been asked on television before

Cela Sutton, VP DRAMA PROGRAMMING

ABOUT THE EPISODE

HBO's drama content often shapes cultures and outlives generations. Producing these narratives, though, is a complex art — join HBO's VP of Drama Programming, Cela Sutton, on this episode of the Empowered Women Podcast for a sneak peek into everything from collaborating with great talent to the art of character development, all in order to authentically capture the nuance and breadth of humanity.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Cela Sutton is currently a Vice President, Drama Programming at HBO, working across hourlong series including THE GILDED AGE and INDUSTRY. She was just recently a Director, Scripted Originals at Paramount+, where she participated in the rebranding of the service from CBS All Access, and covered series such as THE GOOD FIGHT, THE GAME, and WHY WOMEN KILL. Previously, she was the Manager of Development and Production at ARRAY Filmworks, where she cut her teeth on QUEEN SUGAR (OWN), CHERISH THE DAY (OWN), and THE RED LINE (CBS). Prior to ARRAY, she worked as an assistant at Creative Artists Agency in their foundation and scripted television departments. Sutton began her career at Harpo Studios, first working as an intern on the 25th and final season of THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW and ultimately as an associate producer for the OWN reality series, IYANLA, FIX MY LIFE.

Sutton serves as the Executive Sponsor for Warner Bros. Discovery’s business resource group, IndigeNext, which unites Indigenous employees and allies to celebrate, learn and promote authentic representation globally. She previously served as the president of Colour Associates, the junior organization of Colour Entertainment that supports executives, coordinators and assistants of color within entertainment. She also founded WOC Hikes, a wellness series for womxn of color looking to connect with each other outside of traditional networking spaces. In 2019, Sutton received the Impact Award from the Los Angeles Urban League Young Professionals group.

Sutton hails from Los Angeles and holds a Bachelor's degree in History from The University of Chicago, where she graduated with general honors.

SHOW NOTES

00:00 Introduction to Cela Sutton and her career journey

03:17 About the content production process and Cela's role at HBO

10:13 Intentional character development and storytelling

13:09 Cela's career path and journey

29:00 On joining the industry and setting yourself apart

33:09 Trusting your instinct and finding your voice in your career

36:19 Creating an empowerning environment as a leader

41:21 On feedback and key career advice

45:10 Cultural reflections and content recommendations

CONTENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Industry
And Just Like That...
The Devil Wears Prada
Iyanla, Fix My Life
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso
Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

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