"I wanted to build a bridge," Julian said, watching a young man stare intently at a digital canvas that shifted colors based on the viewer's proximity. "From the history we weren't allowed to record to the futures we’re currently coding."

"Stop fussing," a voice teased. It was Marcus, a photographer whose work—giant, hyper-saturated portraits of Black trans men in classical regalia—was the center-piece of the room. "The critics are already tweeting. We’re a hit."

"The storytelling here is visceral," the executive said. "It doesn’t feel like 'content.' It feels like a heartbeat. We’re looking for this kind of vision for our next anthology series."