After the first sale (to HBO) and Emmy nomination for a project on OTV | Open Television, interest from Hollywood studios and networks increased as the industry sought to diversify their programming for the streaming era. In 2017 MADE Lab Director AJ Christian embarked on a research and development process to create a for-profit partner for the OTV non-profit platform. The sale of intellectual property (primarily indie TV series) to Hollywood appeared to replicate generation-old colonial dynamics whereby historically marginalized people created innovations they could not own. Dr. Christian, later joined by co-founders Stephanie Jeter, Julie Keck and Oscar Dang, took four trips to Los Angeles for meetings with large and small production and distribution companies to craft a model. After seeking input from the OTV community, OTV Studio launched as a management company focused on incubating collective intellectual property.

OTV Studio was designed to represent emerging artists, managing their careers by offering creative feedback and connections to industry allies. In return to helping artists navigate the industry and sell their stories at the best price, OTV Studio was designed to share revenue from the sale of IP with the OTV non-profit to redistribute to emerging artists.

In 2021 Lilly Wachowski (The Matrix, Sense8, Work in Progress) joined the OTV Studio project to support development of new projects and mentorship of emerging artists. In 2022 the Studio entered a partnership with Work in Progress producer JJ Ingraham to expand development operations, and soon after Pop Culture Collaborative offered the company its first funding opportunity.

By 2022, OTV Studio rebranded as Breaking Light Studio and grew past the seed phase, led by Stephanie Jeter (CEO). AJ Christian offered advisory support going forward.

For more on the origin story, see: INTRODUCING OTV STUDIO

For an analysis of artists’ responses to plans for a for-profit, visit: ARTISTS ON OTV STUDIO