Written by Aleisha Mowatt
Filmmaking can be a hard profession for anyone to break into. This is especially true for women, who make up only a small percentage of workers behind-the-screen. Why do women make up such a small majority within the film industry? And what will it take for the trend to change?
Current trend
Right now it may seem as though women are starting to get the opportunities they deserve in the film and television industries. With the popularity of shows like Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and Station 19, which were all created by Shonda Rhimes; When They See Us, Queen Sugar, and Cherish the Day, all created by Ava Duvernay. With examples like these, it’s easy to see why networks are starting to put more faith in women behind the camera. Similarly, some popular films directed by women are One Night in Miami by Regina King, Hustlers by Lorene Scafarcia, and Little Women by Greta Gerwig. These are only a few hit television series and film to mention, but there is a high chance that you have seen or heard of one or two.
Doesn’t this mean that the film industry is employing women? Well, yes and no. On one hand, networks are starting to take notice of what women have to offer but not enough to make it a common practice.
Numbers don’t lie
Not only in roles like directing, writing or producing, there needs to be more women in other behind-the-scenes positions as well. For example, cinematography and editing are important steps in the film process, and they are also the most difficult ones for women to occupy.
According to a study conducted by Martha M. Lauzen, the founder and executive director of The Center for the study of Women in Television and Film, 94% of top 250 films had no women cinematographers and 72% had no women editors. (Lauzen, 2020)
Looking at these figures, it’s clear the film industry is not only slow to show more films made by women but they are also not keen on employing women behind the screen either.
Effecting Change
The slow progression of things can be discouraging for women looking to work in the film industry. The only way for things to begin to change for the better is for more films to hire women across the board. Meaning that networks need to not only hire women to direct or write, but to have closer to 50% of the available jobs given to women. (Lauzen, 2020)
In Hollywood, no one is anything without connections, so most jobs on film sets go to who the director or producer has either worked with before or someone who came highly recommended. If more women get jobs on a set, this means they can forge those important connections and get themselves into those exclusive circles.
The Bright Side
The film industry may be lagging behind on the new wave of women produced and directed work, but that doesn’t mean others are not watching. Streaming platforms have become a force to be reckoned due to quarantining. Giants like Netflix and Hulu have and are introducing more audiences than ever to the brilliance of female run series and movies. This is partly because of the subscription services fund their own projects. Most female directors are not able to get adequate funding for their films because the banks see female directed or produced works as high risk and are less likely to grant them a loan. With streaming platforms, the middle man is mostly cut out, allowing them to freely try new things.
Conclusion
The film industry has a long-standing history of not being diverse and though some progress has been made to rectify this, it is far from perfect. With streaming services bringing new opportunities, one can only hope to see more women employed through all levels of the film and television making process. As writers, directors, editors, cinematographers, composers and so on.
Sources:
Lauzen, M. The Celluloid Ceiling 2020. Womenintvandfilm.sdsu.edu.
Lauzen, M. Despite rise in Female Directors like Chloe Zhao and Emerald Fennell, women still lack opportunities in Hollywood. March 25, 2021. Variety.com
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