WHERE ARE ALL THE WOMEN??!?
There is a serious LACK of female recognition and acceptance within the film and television industry. As a female student at the Ithaca College Park School of Communications, I've had the unpleasant experience of noticing the absence of other girls on film sets I work on, in my classes, at the Park Equipment Center where I work. On film sets if I'm not the only female on set, I'm one of two. In my cinema production class this semester, I'm one of three girls in a class of fifteen. I also work at my school’s camera equipment center and the majority of my coworkers are male. In an effort to change this pitiful statistic, I reached out to some female underclassmen who I knew were hard workers as well as talented filmmakers and asked them to apply. However, all of them said that the equipment center seemed intimidating and were unsure whether they would get the job because they thought mostly men were hired. I was shocked and dejected that these young women were already assuming they wouldn’t get the job based on their gender.
The unfortunate problem is that it’s not just Ithaca College that experiences this absence of women in media. A friend of mine, who is studying film at SUNY Purchase, has experienced the same trend and has expressed to me how discouraging it is. There are always more men than women in her classes and she is always one of the only girls on set. It also isn’t just at a college level and once we graduate, the the problem only escalates as a woman’s professional career begins.
Why is this the case? Are women simply not engaging in production due to lack of interest? Are women incapable of handling the amount of work film requires?
I’ll answer that with a simple and plain answer: NO. The lack of women within the film industry very clearly isn't due to lack of capability or interest; it has to do with gender bias, whether it be conscious or subconscious. The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film recently did a study showing that the percentages of women working as directors and writers on independent films has continued to climb, reaching recent historic highs in 2019-2020. Women comprised 38% of directors working on narrative features and documentaries, up from 33% in 2018-19 and 29% in 2017-18. However, the unfortunate fact is that although these numbers are record breaking, they are still extremely low compared to the male percentages.
This lack of diversity can be recognized from my small liberal arts student experience as well as at the biggest awards shows in the world: The Academy Awards.
This past year at the Academy Awards there was a stunning lack of female recognition from Academy, specifically in the best director category. Not only was there a lack in this category, but there wasn’t a single female contender. This was shocking in a year filled with strong contenders such as Greta Gerwig (Little Women), Lulu Wang (The Farewell), and Olivia Wilde (Booksmart). In fact, only five women have even been considered for the best director category in the 92 year Oscar history.
Of course, before I began spouting incorrect information to my colleagues, I did some research on the Hollywood Foreign Press. The Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences is an organization that supports the advancement of the arts and sciences within motion pictures. Of course, back in 1927, the organization was made solely of white men, but the Academy has diversified a tremendous amount since its creation. This is of course due to sheer amount of extreme backlash they received in the past twenty years. One particularly bad instance was in 2012, when the Los Angeles Times surveyed some 5,000 Academy members and discovered that 93 percent were white, 76 percent were male and the average age was 63 years old. Another instance was in 2016, when for the second year in a row all twenty of the acting nominations were white. So the Academy has (under an enormous amount of pressure) been making an effort to improve since these unfortunate statistics have come to light. In fact, this past year they released a statement saying that out of the 842 members invited to join the Academy: 45 percent are women and 36 percent are from underrepresented ethnic and racial communities. This makes you wonder then…. why aren’t more women and people of color getting nominated for their contributions to the entertainment world at these award shows? The answer is simple: there are barely any women weighing in on the decision.
The majority of the public is made to understand that the ENTIRE Academy votes on who and what is nominated for the categories at the Oscars. However, after doing more research, I discovered that the Academy has many different branches that are all overseen by a board of governors. I also discovered that the Academy has a long history with the lack of diversity within its members, as well as its selections. This is especially apparent within recent years because with the growth in diversity within the overall industry, people have begun to question why the recognition isn’t reaching the awards shows. I’ve concluded, along with many others, that is a plain and simple matter of leadership bias.
Contrary to most people’s opinions, the entire Academy does NOT vote on who and what is nominated for the categories at the Oscars. In fact, it is ONLY the director's branch that weighs in on the decision. TIME magazine reached out to the Academy in order to find out the gender breakdown of the director's branch; however, the Academy refused to release the information. However, as TIME explains, we don’t need the Academy to figure out its gender breakdown. The Academy has very specific rules that allow one to qualify for admission into the director's branch. Those rules being that members must have a minimum of two directorial credits and one of which had to premiere in theaters in the last 10 years. The Academy also states that the films must also be deemed “of a caliber which, in the opinion of the executive committee, reflect the high standards of the Academy.” A director with only one credit to their name might also qualify if that film is nominated for Best Directing, Best Picture, or Best Foreign Language Film, or if the Directors Branch Executive Committee decides that the said director achieved unique distinction, earned special merit, or made an outstanding contribution as a motion picture director. These rules make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE for a female director to qualify given the already enormous obstacles and barriers thrown against her.
Another driving factor for women not receiving the fair amount of nominations they deserve is due to the fact that they are making films pertaining to the female experience. So of COURSE men are less likely to vote for it, because they most likely haven’t even seen the film. Vanity Fair reported from multiple sources that many male voters didn’t watch Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. However, even though the Academy seems to think less of Little Women, the public sure doesn’t agree. Greta Gerwig’s film has a 95% on Rotton Tomatoes, a 7.8 on IMDB, and many raving reviews from major critics like Joe Morgenstern.
If the statistics of the Academy tell us anything, it’s that men are the dominant gender within the film and television industry which means they are the ones doing the hiring most of the time. This means at some level women are infiltrating a ‘boys club,’ even if they refuse to admit it. I’ve had first hand experience with this exact problem while applying to internships throughout my college experience. One instance was during an interview with a well known camera rental house. Halfway through the interview they '“joked” about how they hoped I would be comfortable being in “a bit of a boys club”. I smiled and laughed it off because I was so eager to work for this company, but looking back on that interview I began to think. Why should I have to sacrifice my comfort level because the company wasn’t able to find qualified women to work in the equipment department?
I know that from what I've seen and through my own professional experiences, women are more than capable of performing in the roles more frequently given to men. I also wouldn't hesitate to remark that they are consistently more organized, more prepared and more creative within their film choices because they HAVE to be in order to prove themselves in a male dominated industry.
Why should we care whether there are more women making films?
Films can have an enormous impact on the way we think and the way we view the world. Visual media in general influences people daily and is CONSTANTLY being thrown at us, whether we want it or not. The industry is growing, as well as its influence. Women possess different perspectives than men do and therefore are going to produce different content than men. However, due to the lack of women in film, that opinion is often stunted by the lack of faith in female productions or misconstrued by male filmmakers trying to tell a story that isn’t theirs to tell. Role models are important when deciding what field of study a person wants to devote their professional life, but how can a little girl imagine herself as a successful director if female directors are shut out of award shows every year? If there are less women represented within the media, there are less female influences for the youth in our society to look up to. This lack of equal representation for women encourages a male dominated media industry.
Women deserve better. Get your act together Hollywood.