We've Been Around, created by Ernst and up for Emmy consideration, is a six-episode docuseries. Each episode is approximately five minutes.
With a dynamic mixture of archival footage, live action, and animation tailored to each particular story, the series moves through history from Civil War battlefields to prohibition era brothels, from the East Village to San Francisco at the height of the AIDS epidemic, telling stories of pioneers who lived authentically - long before the world knew the word "transgender."
To research, produce, and create these six important films, Ernst teamed up with producer Christine Beebe and a number of creative collaborators from the transgender community. "All films take a village but this one took many villages. It was a very collaborative process where I really tried to engage the community. We brought on trans collaborators for all kinds of different roles and involved numerous people of color to make sure the storytelling and perspectives were as diverse as possible," Ernst says. From the narrators to the composer to the animator, the series was made with a breadth of talent from the trans community. The creative team includes Transparent actress Alexandra Billings; writer and filmmaker Susan Stryker; activist Riki Wilchins, trans historian Monica Roberts, animator Clyde Petersen and composer Jules Gimbrone.
"The series couldn't be more timely," Ernst continues. "The issue of trans inclusion is now more relevant than ever with the fervor of anti-trans laws such as HB2 and several other bills popping up across the country. American culture and politics owe a huge, often overlooked debt to trailblazers who paved the way."
