Film follows Knight’s industry-changing journey
to help choreographers and content creators secure ownership of
their creative work and ability to monetize it
Last night, Logitech and award-winning choreographer JaQuel
Knight came together to recognize Black, Indigenous, and People of
Color (BIPOC) creators at a dinner celebration that closed out
#Creators4BIPOC month, a movement that aims to help address
barriers disproportionately faced by BIPOC creators.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210729005677/en/
Knight and Logitech surprise Keara
Wilson, creator of the “Savage” dance, with news that they will
help her secure copyright of her choreography (Credit: Tommaso
Boddi/Getty Images for Logitech For Creators)
In light of the recent Black TikTok strike and the importance of
giving credit where it is due to choreographers and originators of
dances, Logitech and Knight are helping ten BIPOC creators secure
copyright of their choreography, paving the way for all creators to
own and monetize their creations. The first six of these creators,
who were surprised with the news and presented with labanotations
at the celebration dinner are:
- Keara Wilson, creator of the “Savage” dance to Megan Thee
Stallion’s song of the same name
- Young Deji, creator of "The Woah" dance
- Fullout Cortland, choreography to Doja Cat’s “Say So”
performance at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards
- Nae Nae Twins, creator of the “Savage Remix” dance to Megan
Thee Stallion’s (feat. Beyoncé) song of the same name
- Chloe Arnold, “Salute A Legend” choreography for Syncopated
Ladies
- Mya Johnson and Chris Cotter, creator of the “Up” dance to
Cardi B’s song of the same name
“I am so thrilled to announce this collaboration with The JaQuel
Knight Foundation and Logitech, a remarkable step in our goal
toward creating a system of protection for young creators,” said
JaQuel Knight. “The JK Foundation was ultimately started to provide
a place of support for dancers (during an extremely fragile time in
the pandemic, nonetheless), and to put the power back in the
artists’ hands - not just for myself, but for the next JaQuel
Knight. For all of the little boys and girls who look like me. The
foundation’s hope is to impact, encourage, and inspire the next
generation of artists, and build a community that supports each
other. I am so inspired by this incredible group of choreographers
and am so excited to be able to share this historic moment with
them as we move toward real change in the commercial music and
entertainment industries.”
Copyrighting choreography is complex and challenging, and
Logitech and Knight hope to support more creators through this
process. According to the U.S. Copyright Office1, they receive less
than 20 choreographic work applications, out of more than 500,000
applications the office receives each year for “dramatic works.”
Copyrighting movement puts the power back in the creator’s hands,
positioning their work as intellectual property, ensuring that they
receive due credit. So if the choreography is used in feature
films, commercials or video games, the creator is able to receive
payment for the usage.
“Thank you for creating iconic work … a piece of me is from a
piece of you, and I wouldn’t be here had it not been for people
like you,” said Fullout Courtland of Knight, upon receiving a
labanotation for his choreography. “You don’t have to do this, so
thank you for doing this and for having the heart to do this.”
“Thank you so much for acknowledging our hard work, this means a
lot,” said Mya Johnson and Chris Cotter.
“Thank you for stepping up on our behalf and helping make a
change,” said the Nae Nae Twins.
At the event, Logitech and Knight also announced a new short
film inspired by Knight’s mission of speaking up on the issue of
choreographers receiving appropriate credit for their work, and
standing up for copyright protection of choreography. The film will
document a group of creatives - inspired by industry-pioneer Knight
- on their quest to copyright their works, as they stand on the
forefront of a movement for artists’ rights. This is a story
spanning generations, taking us through the past, present, and
future - shining a light on the old history and laws that have
allowed these archaic systems to thrive, one man’s current fight to
register and protect his own work, and a group of young artists who
are the future of culture. Knight’s groundbreaking journey as the
first pop/hip-hop choreographer to copyright his dance moves,
including the iconic moves in Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring
on It),” - is just the beginning; this is a story about a movement
that will shape the future for BIPOC creators for years to come.
The project, funded by Logitech, is led by J.K. Creatives Inc, Mary
Pelloni and Meridith Rojas from Logitech For Creators, a brand
extension of Logitech that exists to empower all creators to pursue
their passions.
“We are here to empower creators to share their stories and
JaQuel’s story needs to be heard,” said Meridith Rojas, Global Head
of Entertainment and Creator Marketing, Logitech For Creators. “We
share JaQuel’s mission of driving change and conversation about
creative copyright, and we’re taking steps to support this
monumental work. This is not a film about dance, it’s a film about
change, justice, and fighting for creator rights.”
The #Creators4BIPOC dinner and dance celebration was also
attended by celebrities including will.i.am, Debbie Allen, and
more.
#Creators4BIPOC initiative is led by Logitech For Creators, a
brand extension of Logitech that exists to empower all creators to
pursue their passions. Now in its second year, #Creators4BIPOC is a
movement initiated in 2020 by Streamlabs to help address racial
inequality through a $1 million minimum in donations to BIPOC
charities over the next ten years. To learn more about the
creators, nonprofit organizations and how to get involved with the
#Creators4BIPOC movement, visit creators4bipoc.com.
PHOTOS FROM #CREATORS4BIPOC CELEBRATION *MUST INCLUDE* Images
HERE Caption: Logitech and visionary choreographer JaQuel
Knight drive change For BIPOC creators through copyright protection
and new film Credit: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Logitech
For Creators
About the film
The film will explore the history of the choreograph copyright
and how it has been extremely undervalued. Historically, this has
disproportionately affected BIPOC art and creativity, as their work
has been misappropriated and exploited. The film will follow the
people involved in the struggle to attribute fair value to
choreography as an art and copyright-protected medium. This
includes Knight’s accomplishments and future efforts to change the
industry and how his work has and will continue to impact and
change the lives of so many young creators who can now own and
monetize their creative content. This is not a film about dance,
it’s a film about change, justice, and fighting for creator’s
rights.
About JaQuel Knight
JaQuel Knight is a director, creative director, entrepreneur and
critically acclaimed, award-winning celebrity choreographer known
for creating some of the most memorable moments in dance and
entertainment history. His rise to global recognition came at the
age of 18, when he created the choreography for Beyoncé’s “Single
Ladies (Put A Ring On It),” which has since accumulated over 829
million views on YouTube and become one of the most iconic videos
of the 21st century. As a choreographer and creative visionary,
JaQuel has lent his creative expertise to culture-shifting projects
such as Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” film for Disney+ and “Homecoming”
documentary for Netflix, the Shakira Super Bowl Halftime
performance with Jennifer Lopez, and Cardi B & Megan Thee
Stallion’s “WAP” video. Additionally, artists ranging from
Marshmello, to pop legends like Cher and Britney Spears, to
singer-songwriter stars like The Chicks, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Zara
Larsson, Victoria Monét and Ben Platt, to hip-hop powerhouses like
Pharrell, N*E*R*D, and Big Sean have all enlisted the help of
JaQuel to utilize his impeccable vision and ability to innovate
groundbreaking concepts that the world has never seen before. As a
director, JaQuel has brought numerous other projects to the
forefront, and served as creative director and choreographer for
all things Megan Thee Stallion in 2020. To cap off an incredibly
busy year, JaQuel garnered the cover of the prominent Billboard
Magazine, being named the first choreographer ever to make the
cover.
In 2018, JaQuel launched his own production company, J.K.
Creatives, Inc. Based in Los Angeles, the company oversees artists,
songwriters, and producers, and produces music videos & short
films. J.K. Creatives houses its own media department, where JaQuel
creates and develops content for TV, film, and digital, from
scripted features to non-scripted competitions and series. Aside
from his work, JaQuel operates his eponymous non-profit
organization, The JaQuel Knight Foundation, targeting community
focused initiatives aimed to build, uplift and inspire the next
generation of artists. Through the foundation, JaQuel brings
grants, scholarships and events to underrepresented groups
throughout the globe. Most recently, JaQuel and his foundation
partnered with various dancer relief organizations across the
nation to launch The JaQuel Knight Dancers’ Relief Fund, providing
grants and meals to dancers and creatives whose lives and work were
impacted by the pandemic. Last year, JaQuel also launched Knight
Choreography and Music Publishing where he and his manager work to
ensure that choreographers and songwriters receive royalties for
their compositions, and generate opportunities for those
choreographies to be performed and reproduced. Born in North
Carolina and raised in Atlanta, JaQuel currently resides in Los
Angeles, where he continues to develop and innovate creative ideas
for music’s brightest stars, the next generation of artists, and
beyond.
About Logitech For Creators
Logitech For Creators is a brand extension of Logitech that
helps all creators pursue their passions by unlocking their
extraordinary potential and ability to shape culture. We celebrate
creators and put them at the heart of everything we do, and support
them with our products and services. Logitech For Creators brings
together Blue Microphones, Mevo and Streamlabs, brands that have
always served creators with their tools.
Founded in 1981, and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland,
Logitech International is a Swiss public company listed on the SIX
Swiss Exchange (LOGN) and on the Nasdaq Global Select Market
(LOGI). Find Logitech For Creators at www.logitech.com/creators,
the company blog or @LogitechC.
Logitech and other Logitech marks are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Logitech Europe S.A and/or its affiliates in the U.S.
and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners. For more information about Logitech and its
products, visit the company’s website at www.logitech.com.
______________________________
1Source: Billboard, “Inside 'Single Ladies' Choreographer JaQuel
Knight's Quest to Copyright His Dances.”
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210729005677/en/
Audrey Tang audrey_tang@logitech.com | 510-713-5271
Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2024 to Apr 2024
Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2023 to Apr 2024