GENDER IN
THE FILM INDUSTRY
Thank you for downloading this free report.
This report is the result of research carried out for my blog www.stephenfollows.com/blog. I
was preparing to publish new data about gender within the film business and I wanted to
understand more about what was already available online on the topic.
The film industry is a hard sector to study, not least due to the fact that there are no barriers
to entry. Unlike professions such as law, there are no required qualifications to enter the
industry, which makes it hard to track new entrants and to assess who is and isn’t a valid
participants. Recent new technologies in both production and distribution have lowered
this even further, meaning that the concept of one ‘film industry’ is a nebulous idea.
What follows are all of the major studies I could find which look at various aspects of gender
within film. I cannot vouch for them all and some may even contain contradictory findings.
My aim is to provide the data as clearly as possible, in order that they may be used by
campaigners, industry professionals and interested parties.
If you require any further data on these studies please contact me and I'd be happy to
share what I have.
I have endeavoured to provide full attribution to every party involved in creating the studies
cited. If I have missed anything, please let me know and I'll add the missing information to
future copies. I have been ably supported in this project by Alysa Throne, to whom I am
very grateful.
All the best,
Stephen Follows
January 2014
www.stephenfollows.com/blog
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
1
CONTENTS
THE BUSINESS OF FILM


Film Markets
o ‘Most Female’ Countries within Business Sectors of the Film Industry
o ‘Most Male’ Countries within Business Sectors of the Film Industry
Marketing, Publicity and PR
o ‘Most Female’ Countries within Film Industry Marketing, Publicity and PR
o ‘Most Male’ Countries within Film Industry Marketing, Publicity and PR
FILM PROFESSIONALS
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Gender Ratios in American Film Industry
Status of Women in the US Media
Employment of Women in Top 250 Films of 2012
Historical Comparison of Percentages of Women Employed in Key Behind-the-Scenes
Roles
Historical Comparison of Percentages of Women Employed Behind the Scenes on
Top 250 Films by Role
Comparison of Percentages of Women and Men Employed on Top 250 Films of 2012
Gender Statistics in Norway
o Female participation in Norwegian feature releases 2012
o Female participation in Norwegian feature releases 2007–2012
Female Screenwriters and Directors of UK Films
Female Screenwriters in the UK
UK Women in Various Departments
Census of the UK Creative Media Industries
FUNDING & TRAINING
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Funding of European Female Directors
o Eurimages data 2008 – co-production support
o Eurimages data 2009 – co-production support
o Eurimages data 2010 – co-production support
o Eurimages data 2011 – co-production support
o Eurimages data 2012 – co-production support
Funding of UK Female Screenwriters & Directors
UK Female Screenwriters in accredited courses
Funding of Norwegian Female Film Professionals
o Women in projects applying/supported 2012
o Women in key positions projects with production support 2007-12
o Women in key positions – projects awarded production support 2012
FILM AUDIENCES

Frequency of UK cinema visits
o % of UK population who visit cinema at least once a year
o % of UK population who visit cinema at least once a month
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
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Film Choices
o Films with highest percentage of men in the cinema audience
o Films with highest percentage of women in the cinema audience
Are films aimed at women made by women?
o Gender of the directors of most male/female films
o Gender of the producers of most male/female films
o Gender of the lead cast (top 7 names) of most male/female films
o Gender of the screenwriters of most male/female films
Most Successful Films by Female Directors (EU)
Most Successful Films by Female Directors (USA)
WOMEN ON-SCREEN

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On-Screen Characters
Character Attributes and Job Aspirations
o Hypersexuality Measures by Character Gender in Family Films
o Hypersexuality Measures by Characters’ Age in Prime Time
o Character Occupation by Gender in Family Films
o Gender Balance within Family Films
o STEM Fields by Gender in Family Films
o Gender Prevalence by Program Genre in Prime Time
o Gender Balance within Prime Time Programs
o Hypersexuality Measures by Character Gender in Prime Time
o Hypersexuality Measures by Female Characters’ Age in Prime Time
o Character Occupation by Gender in Prime Time
o STEM Fields by Gender in Prime Time
Age of Love Interests
FOLLOW-UPS
•
See Jane Impact Study
REPORTS AND ARTICLES
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Sexist Hollywood?: Women Still Struggle to Find Film Jobs, Study Finds, 2013
DGA Report Finds Director Diversity in Episodic Television Remains Static, 2013
Female Film Roles Still Secondary, According to New Study, 2011
Women @ the Box Office: A Study of the Top 100 Worldwide Grossing Films
Women Are on the Rise at Sundance – When Will Studios Take Note? 2013
Women Directors Globally, 2012
At the Movies, The Women Are Gone (2013)
Percentages of Women in Media, 2012
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: What Marvel, DC and Hollywood Can Learn, 2013
A Report of Canadian Unions for Equality on Screen, 2013
Less Than 30% of Speaking Roles in Blockbuster Films Last Year Went to Women
The Naked Truth: Hollywood Still Treats its Women as Second Class Citizens, 2013
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
3
THE BUSINESS OF FILM
Film markets take every few months, the largest of which is the Cannes Marche du Film in May. These events
allow the film industry to gather, seek finance, build co-productions and sell the rights to distribute films to
audiences around the world. To be ‘officially accredited’ at a major film market you need to prove your
participation in the professional film industry and, in most cases, pay a fee. Therefore, I have used data from
major film markets in the past five years to look at the gender split within the professional film business. In total,
this included over 40,000 people and it is hard to imagine that there are a huge number film business
professionals who have not attended a market of any kind in the past five years.


Female
Male
43%
57%
‘Most Female’ Countries within Business Sectors of the Film Industry
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Country
Taiwan
China
Thailand
Russia
Hong Kong
Estonia
Lithuania
Malaysia
Ukraine
Romania
Poland
Greece
Israel
Singapore
Denmark
Finland
Lebanon
Luxembourg
Uruguay
Canada
Czech Republic
Brazil
Turkey
Australia
Italy
Female
56%
56%
55%
54%
54%
53%
52%
51%
50%
50%
48%
48%
48%
48%
47%
47%
47%
47%
46%
46%
46%
46%
46%
45%
45%
Male
44%
44%
45%
46%
46%
47%
48%
49%
50%
50%
52%
52%
52%
52%
53%
53%
53%
53%
54%
54%
54%
55%
55%
55%
55%
Table shows the gender split of accredited film industry attendees of major film markets between April 2009
and May 2013. Countries with fewer than 100 participants have been excluded.
Source: StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2009-13
Location: Global
More: http://goo.gl/jGXE7G
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
4
‘Most Male’ Countries within Business Sectors of the Film Industry
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
Country
Iran
India
Mexico
Chile
Indonesia
Hungary
USA
Norway
United Kingdom
United Arab Emirates
Portugal
Spain
Germany
Argentina
South Korea
Belgium
Sweden
Colombia
Japan
Switzerland
South Africa
Austria
France
Ireland
Netherlands
Female
24%
32%
37%
37%
38%
38%
39%
39%
39%
39%
40%
40%
40%
40%
41%
41%
42%
42%
42%
43%
43%
44%
44%
45%
45%
Male
76%
68%
63%
63%
62%
62%
61%
61%
61%
61%
60%
60%
60%
60%
59%
59%
58%
58%
58%
57%
57%
56%
56%
56%
55%
Table shows the gender split of accredited film industry attendees of major film markets between April 2009
and May 2013. Countries with fewer than 100 participants have been excluded.
Source: StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2009-13
More: http://goo.gl/jGXE7G
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: Global
5
Marketing, Publicity and PR
‘Most Female’ Countries within Film Industry Marketing, Publicity and
PR
#
Country
Female
Male
1
Russia
79%
21%
2
Finland
74%
26%
3
Czech Republic
72%
28%
4
Greece
71%
29%
5
Ukraine
70%
30%
6
South Africa
69%
31%
7
Brazil
68%
32%
8
Netherlands
68%
32%
9
Thailand
68%
32%
10
Taiwan
65%
35%
11
Spain
63%
37%
12
Switzerland
63%
37%
13
Austria
61%
39%
14
Australia
61%
39%
15
China
60%
40%
16
Singapore
59%
41%
17
Canada
59%
41%
18
Poland
59%
41%
19
Turkey
57%
43%
20
Portugal
57%
43%
21
Belgium
57%
43%
22
Hong Kong
55%
45%
23
Malaysia
55%
45%
24
South Korea
55%
45%
25
United Kingdom
54%
46%
Table shows the gender split of accredited film industry attendees of major film markets between April 2009
and May 2013 who work within the Marketing, Publicity or PR sectors. Countries with fewer than 20 participants
have been excluded.
Source: StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2009-13
Location: Global
More: http://goo.gl/jGXE7G
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
6
‘Most Male’ Countries within Film Industry Marketing, Publicity and PR
#
Country
Female
Male
1
Mexico
33%
67%
2
India
41%
59%
3
Iran
43%
57%
4
Hungary
45%
55%
5
United Arab Emirates
47%
53%
6
Norway
50%
50%
7
USA
51%
49%
8
France
52%
48%
9
Argentina
53%
47%
10
Italy
53%
47%
11
Japan
54%
46%
12
Denmark
54%
46%
13
Germany
54%
46%
14
Sweden
54%
46%
15
United Kingdom
54%
46%
16
South Korea
55%
45%
17
Malaysia
55%
45%
18
Hong Kong
55%
45%
19
Belgium
57%
43%
20
Portugal
57%
43%
21
Turkey
57%
43%
22
Poland
59%
41%
23
Canada
59%
41%
24
Singapore
59%
41%
25
China
60%
40%
Table shows the gender split of accredited film industry attendees of major film markets between April 2009
and May 2013 who work within the Marketing, Publicity or PR sectors. Countries with fewer than 20 participants
have been excluded.
Source: StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2009-13
Location: Global
More: http://goo.gl/jGXE7G
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
7
FILM PROFESSIONALS
Gender Ratios in American Film Industry
A Report by the New York Film Academy entitled ‘Gender Inequality in Film’ found…
•
There is a 5:1 ratio of men:women working on films
•
Women direct more documentaries (34.5%) than narrative films (16.9%)
•
Percentages of women and men employed behind the scenes on the top 250 films of 2012 —
Directors: 9% female, 91% male; writers: 15% female, 85% male; exec. producers: 17% female, 83%
male; producers 25% female, 75% male; editors: 20% female, 80% male; cinematographers: 2%
female, 98% male
•
Top 10 highest paid actresses in 2013 earned $181 million, actors received $465 million
•
In 2013 the highest paid actress (Angelina Jolie) made $33 million, roughly equivalent to the two
lowest paid actors (Denzel Washington, Liam Neeson)
•
In the 85th Academy Awards across all 19 categories, 140 men were nominated v. 35 women. There
were no female nominees for directing, cinematography, film editing, writing (original screenplay),
or music (original score).
•
77% of Oscar voters are male.
Source: New York Film Academy
Dates: 2007-12
More: http://goo.gl/Qta0IM
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: USA
8
Status of Women in the US Media
Diana Mitsu Klos, Women’s Media Center
Women made up…
o
o
o
o
18% of the behind the scenes roles in film in 2012 and 2011
17% in 2005
19% in 2001
17% in 1998
In 2011–2012 television, women made up…
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
26% of creators
25% of executive producers
38% of producers
30% of writers
11% of directors
13% of editors
4% of DPs
Female characters portrayed as leaders:
o
o
o
o
o
7% Political Government
8% religious
17% business
27% social
30% scientific/intellectual
Source: Women’s Media Center
Dates: 1997-2012
Location: USA
More: http://goo.gl/OcoQ2a
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
9
Employment of Women in Top 250 Films of 2012
“The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women on the Top 250 Films of 2012” by Dr.
Martha M. Lauzen, Executive Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, San Francisco
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
This study analysed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,813 individuals working on the top 250
domestic grossing films of 2012
In 2012, women comprised 18% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers,
cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films (no change from
2011 and an increase of 1% from 1998)
Women accounted for 9% of directors and 89% of the films had no female directors
38% of films employed 0 or 1 woman in the roles considered, 23% employed 2 women, 28%
employed 3-5 women, and 10% employed 6-9 women
Women comprised 20% of all editors working on the top 250 films of 2012; 77% of the films had no
female editors
98% of the films had no female cinematographers
Women were most likely to work in the documentary, drama, and animated film genres; they
were least likely to work in the action, horror, and sci-fi genres
Historical Comparison of Percentages of Women Employed in Key
Behind-the-Scenes Roles*
*Includes directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors and cinematographers.
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
10
Historical Comparison of
Percentages of Women
Employed Behind the
Scenes on Top 250 Films
by Role
Comparison of
Percentages of Women
and Men Employed on
Top 250 Films of 2012
Source: Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D.
Dates: 2012
More: http://goo.gl/eTIRgP
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: Global
11
Gender Statistics in Norway
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Statistics based on "Key functions" have been defined as the posts of director, producer and
scriptwriter. Each function is assigned the basic maximum calculation value of 1,00. If one woman
occupies a function, or if several women share the same function, this function is assigned the total
value 1,00. If a function is shared between a woman and a man, the function in question is assigned
the value 0,50. If a function is shared by two women and a man, the function is assigned the value
0,66 – and so on. Summing up the "female value" of the different key positions of projects within a
scheme thus becomes a straight-forward exercise in percentage calculation. Since the value set is bipolar (female/male), male representation in each function is taken to be the difference between 100
per cent and the percentage of women in key positions.
The goal was to reach a 40% female share of key positions, which had not been reached by 2012.
The percentage of key positions in 2012 was 26%, greater than the 25% total from 2011.
Female participation in Norwegian feature releases 2012
2012 feature releases
Cinema releases
- of which WITH ex ante support
- of which WITHOUT ex ante
support
Director
N
5
4
1
%
22 %
33 %
9%
Scriptwriter
N
%
7
30 %
5,5
46 %
1,5
14 %
Producer
N
6,25
3
3,25
%
27 %
25 %
30 %
Total
N
18,25
12,5
5,75
%
26 %
35 %
17 %
Female participation in Norwegian feature releases 2007–2012
Feature releases, historical series
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
Director
37 %
9%
20 %
24 %
15 %
22 %
Scriptwriter
9%
13 %
17 %
32 %
23 %
30 %
Producer
25 %
24 %
17 %
20 %
35 %
27 %
Total
10 %
23 %
24 %
29 %
25 %
Source: Norwegian Film Institute
Dates: 2007-12
Location: Norway
More: http://goo.gl/500Jp1
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
12
Female Screenwriters and Directors of UK Films
A BFI-lead report concluded that…

After many years of under-representation, female screenwriters appear to have made a
breakthrough over the last three years, with an unusually high representation in the top 20 UK
independent films (37%) and profitable UK independent films (30%).

This contrasts with continued under-representation of women among directors of UK independent
films, although the proportion of female directors in the top 20 UK independent films (18%) was slightly
higher than in the whole population of UK independent films (11%).

Study also suggests that the problem of female representation in film is not related to education, but
to the commissioning process, where male filmmakers are more likely to be commissioned
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
14
Source: BFI
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2010-12
More: http://goo.gl/prIjEk
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
15
Female Screenwriters in the UK
This report is older than the previous BFI study mentioned but still have some useful data within it.
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43% broadcast radio workforce was female, 49% of broadcast TV workforce was female, 57% of cable
and satellite TV workforce was female, 27% corporate production workforce was female, 58%
independent production workforce was female, 38% audio-visual industry (on a whole) workforce was
female compared to 38% of screenwriters being women
Percentage of female screenwriters 1999-2003 was 14.6%, percentage of broader female writing input
was 18%, and 15% were unknown.
1998-2005 BIFA had 13.5% female nominees and 0 female winners.
1990-2005 BAFTA had 9.9% female nominees and 7% of the winners were women.
1990-2006 Golden Globes had 8.2% female nominees and 17.4% of the winners were women.
1990-2005 Oscars had 11.8% female nominees and 18.2% of the winner were women.
Also provides statistics for Box Office gross in the UK and the US for films with female vs. male
screenwriters (pg 18), but the numbers are stupid and useless because it then points out that the
budget for films by women vs. films by men are different, with the max budget for a film written by a
man being roughly £158 million as opposed to £16 million for women.
In 2002 – 2004, the female proportion of the total audience (average female viewership was 52.4%
based on the numbers they gave for the three individual years) was greater for UK films than for films
of wider origin.
Based on the following graphs, genres with higher percentages of female screenwriters draw a higher
percentage of female viewers, generally.
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
16
Source: BFI
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2001-3
More: http://goo.gl/Dj6UfM
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
17
UK Women in Various Departments
•
•
•
•
•
Representation of women has increased to 35% from 27% in 2009.
Representation of women is highest in…
o makeup and hairdressing (81%)
o costume and wardrobe (73%).
Women also make up…
o over half (56%) of the legal workforce
o distribution, sales & marketing (55%)
o business management (52%)
o broadcast management (51%)
o but less than half in every other occupational group.
Women in TV take up 45% of the total work force. Pretty consistent from 2004 on. The areas that
fall under the 45% average are…
o studio operations (26%)
o transport (21%)
o audio/sound/music (20%)
o editing (18%)
o technical development (16%)
o lighting (16%)
o camera/photography (15%)
o engineering and transmission (13%)
o animators (3%)
o servicing (3%).
Areas above the average are…
o legal roles (66%)
o strategic management roles (48%)
o creative development (48%)
o broadcast management (61%)
o production (56%).
Source: EWA
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2012
More: http://goo.gl/EcQz5X
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
18
Census of the UK Creative Media Industries
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
19
Source: Creative Skillset
Dates: 2012
More: http://goo.gl/ttiZn4
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“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
20
FUNDING & TRAINING
Funding of European Female Directors
Analysis of data in the Eurimages database by Francine Hetherington Raveney found:

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


The number of women directors among the top 500 European films has increased from 1997 to 2011,
but not consistently. From 1997-2001, 47/500 were directed by women. From 2002-2006, 56/500 were
directed by women. From 2007-2011, 55/500 were directed by women.
Stats for Europe are better than the stats for the US. Out of the top 500 US films, there were 29 women
directors from 1997-2001, 29 from 2002-2006, and 20 from 2007-2011. So it’s actually decreased.
Based on Eurimages data in 2008, out of 114 projects applying for funding, 15 had female directors
attached, and 7 of these projects were supported (12.3%). Of Eurimages over 20-million euro budget,
a little over 2-million went to projects with female directors.
Eurimages data for 2009 shows a slight increase — projects with female directors comprised 27 out of
109, and 20% of female-director projects were supported, though the success rate of projects with
female directors dropped slightly from half. Over three million euros were given to projects with female
directors out of the just-under 20-million euro budget.
Eurimages data for 2010 shows that out of 125 applicant projects, 23 had female directors, 8 of which
were supported (14.3%) making the success-rate for projects with female directors markedly less than
in previous years. Funding remained about the same.
Eurimages data for 2011 shows that out of 139 applicant projects, 32 had female directors, 18 of which
were supported (25%), which is higher than previous years. The success rate rose to 56.3%.
Eurimages data for 2012 shows that out of 148 applicant projects, 25 had female directors, and 9 of
these projects were supported (13.24%), a significant decrease from 2011, but similar to the data from
2008-2010. The success rate was 36%, and the funding remained relatively similar.
Eurimages data 2008 – co-production support
Total no. of projects supported
Total amount support awarded
Total no. of projects applying
Total no. of projects applying with male directors
Total no. of projects applying with female directors
Total no. of female-directed projects supported
% of projects supported with female directors
Success rate among female directors
Total amount awarded to female directors
Female directors' share of total amount awarded
% of 1st or 2nd-time female directors receiving support
% of projects with female directors receiving support with a
budget of €1 million or under
57
€20 200 000
114
99
15
7
12.30%
47%
€2 480 000
12.30%
29.00%
0%
Eurimages data 2009 – co-production support
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
21
Total no. of projects supported
55
Total amount support awarded
€19 460 000
Total no. of projects applying
Total no. of projects applying with male directors
Total no. of projects applying with female directors
Total no. of female-directed projects supported
% of projects supported with female directors
Success rate among female directors
Total amount awarded to female directors
Female directors' share of total amount awarded
% of 1st or 2nd-time female directors receiving support
% of €1 million or under projects out of those supported and with
female directors
109
82
27
11
20.00%
40.70%
€3 610 000
18.60%
18.20%
0.00%
Eurimages data 2010 – co-production support
Total no. of projects supported
Total amount support awarded
Total no. of projects applying
Total no. of projects applying with male directors
Total no. of projects applying with female directors
Total no. of female-directed projects supported
% of projects supported with female directors
Success rate among female directors
Total amount awarded to female directors
Female directors' share of total amount awarded
% of 1st or 2nd-time female directors receiving support
% of projects with female directors receiving support with a
budget of €1 million or under
56
€19 260 000
125
102
23
8
14.3%
34.8%
€2 120 000
9%
12.5%
0%
Eurimages data 2011 – co-production support
StephenFollows.com
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
22
Total no. of projects supported
Total amount support awarded
Total no. of projects applying
Total no. of projects applying with male directors
Total no. of projects applying with female directors
Total no. of female-directed projects supported
% of projects supported with female directors
Success rate among female directors
Total amount awarded to female directors
Female directors' share of total amount awarded
% of 1st or 2nd-time female directors receiving support
% of projects with female directors receiving support with a
budget of €1 million or under
72
€22 350 000
139
107
32
18
25.00%
56.30%
€4 090 000
18.29%
44.40%
16.70%
Eurimages data 2012 – co-production support
Total no. of projects supported
Total amount support awarded
Total no. of projects applying
Total no. of projects applying with male directors
Total no. of projects applying with female directors
Total no. of female-directed projects supported
% of projects supported with female directors
Success rate among female directors
Total amount awarded to female directors
Female directors' share of total amount awarded
% of 1st or 2nd-time female directors receiving support
% of projects with female directors receiving support with a
budget of €1 million or under
Source: European Women’s Audiovisual Network
Dates: 2008-12
More: http://goo.gl/oyqtYX
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€21 710 000
148
123
25
9
13.24%
36.00%
€1 720 000
7.90%
66.67%
55.56%
Location: Europe
23
Funding of UK Female Screenwriters & Directors
A 2006 study by the BFI found the following statistics for the funding of female directors:
Source: BFI
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2004-5
More: http://goo.gl/Dj6UfM
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Location: UK
24
UK Female Screenwriters in accredited courses
Source: BFI
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2002-4
More: http://goo.gl/Dj6UfM
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
25
Funding of Norwegian Female Film Professionals



33% of key positions on projects awarded production support in 2012 have been held by women. This
represents a small increase from 2011, when female presence in key positions was 31%.
The percentage of women in projects applying for support in 2012 is equal to that of 2011, i.e. 27%.
More than two-thirds of projects with female participation in key positions that applied were awarded
production support. This is an increase since 2011, when 45% of projects with women in key positions.
Women in projects applying/supported 2012
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Applications
N
%
31,5
28 %
7
18 %
16
27 %
8,5
47 %
144,5
37 %
85,75
32 %
259,75
33 %
FEATURE FILMS (CINEMA)
- OF WHICH SUPPORT ON MARKET CRITERIA
- OF WHICH SUPPORT ON ARTISTIC CRITERIA
- OF WHICH FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES
DOCUMENTARIES
SHORT FILMS
TOTAL
Support granted
N
%
21,5
33 %
3
25 %
12
29 %
6,5
54 %
38,5
41 %
24
36 %
79
35 %
Women in key positions projects with production support 2007-12
PRODUCTION SUPPORT – HISTORICAL SERIES
2007
19 %
40 %
34 %
FEATURE FILMS
DOCUMENTARIES
SHORT FILMS
2008
24 %
48 %
39 %
2009
32 %
43 %
48 %
2010
27 %
45 %
42 %
2011
31 %
32 %
42 %
2012
33 %
41 %
36 %
Women in key positions – projects awarded production support 2012
FEATURE FILMS
DOCUMENTARIES
SHORT FILMS
TOTAL
Director
N
8,5
7
19,5
6
%
27 %
Scriptwriter
N
%
7,5
34 %
PRODUCTION SUPPORT
Producer
Total
N
%
N
8
36 %
21,5
%
33 %
27 %
32 %
26 %
11
7
23,5
19
10
36
41 %
36 %
35 %
Source: Norwegian Film Institute
36 %
32 %
31 %
Dates: 2007-12
61 %
16 %
48 %
38,5
24
79
Location: Norway
More: http://goo.gl/500Jp1
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26
FILM AUDIENCES
Frequency of UK cinema visits
% of UK population who visit cinema at least once a year
80%
70%
% of UK population
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
2003
2004
2005
2006
% of UK Men
Source: UKFC / BFI
2007
2008
2009
2010
% of UK Women
Dates: 2003-10
Location: UK
More: http://goo.gl/w0lQ6A
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% of UK population who visit cinema at least once a month
30%
25%
% of UK population
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
2003
2004
2005
2006
% of UK Men
Source: UKFC / BFI
StephenFollows.com
2007
2008
2009
2010
% of UK Women
Dates: 2003-10
More: http://goo.gl/w0lQ6A
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
Location: UK
28
Film Choices
Films with highest percentage of men in the cinema audience
Film
Male
Female
Year
United 93
89%
11%
2006
V for Vendetta
82%
18%
2006
Captain America: The First Avenger
78%
22%
2011
Green Zone
76%
24%
2010
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
75%
25%
2004
Severance
74%
26%
2006
Dredd
74%
26%
2012
Alien Vs Predator
74%
27%
2004
Layer Cake
73%
27%
2004
Senna
73%
27%
2011
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
73%
27%
2011
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol
73%
27%
2011
300
72%
28%
2007
Terminator Salvation
72%
28%
2009
Alexander
72%
28%
2005
Iron Man
71%
29%
2008
Match Point
71%
29%
2006
Dodge Ball: A True Underdog Story
71%
29%
2004
Wrath of the Titans
70%
30%
2012
Shaun of the Dead
70%
31%
2004
Table shows the film with the highest percentage of men in the cinema audience, drawn from the 251 top
performing films (top 20 films and top UK films) released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, between 2003 and
2012.
Source: UKFC / BFI / Stephen Follows
Dates: 2003-12
Location: UK
More: http://goo.gl/KQbuE9
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Films with highest percentage of women in the cinema audience
Film
Male
Female
Year
Penelope
10%
90%
2008
Jane Eyre
14%
86%
2011
Wild Child
15%
85%
2008
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
16%
84%
2008
Sex and the City
19%
81%
2008
One Day
19%
81%
2011
Bridesmaids
21%
79%
2011
Hairspray
22%
78%
2007
Miss Potter
22%
78%
2007
The Other Boleyn Girl
22%
78%
2008
Marley & Me
22%
78%
2009
The Devil Wears Prada
22%
78%
2006
The Queen
23%
77%
2006
High School Musical 3
24%
76%
2008
Mamma Mia!
25%
75%
2008
Evelyn
26%
74%
2003
Calendar Girls
27%
73%
2003
Sex and the City 2
27%
73%
2010
S Club Seeing Double
28%
72%
2003
Enchanted
29%
71%
2007
Table shows the film with the highest percentage of men in the cinema audience, drawn from the 251 top
performing films (top 20 films and top UK films) released in the UK and Republic of Ireland, between 2003 and
2012.
Source: UKFC / BFI / Stephen Follows
Dates: 2003-12
Location: UK
More: http://goo.gl/KQbuE9
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Are films aimed at women made by women?
Based on audience data (see previous research in this report), I took at a look at the key creatives behind
the ‘most male’ and ‘most female’ films released in the UK between 2003 and 2012.
Gender of the directors of most male/female films
Male (by
number)
Female (by
number)
Male (%)
Female
(%)
Directors of the films most popular with men
20
0
100%
0%
Directors of the films most popular with women
17
3
85%
15%
Gender of the producers of most male/female films
Male (by
number)
Female (by
number)
Male (%)
Female
(%)
Producers of the films most popular with men
61
8
88%
12%
Producers of the films most popular with women
41
17
71%
29%
Gender of the lead cast (top 7 names) of most male/female films
Male (by
number)
Female (by
number)
Male (%)
Female
(%)
Top 7 billed cast members of the films most
popular with men
95
37
72%
28%
Top 7 billed cast members of the films most
popular with women
53
75
41%
59%
Gender of the screenwriters of most male/female films
Male (by
number)
Female (by
number)
Male (%)
Female
(%)
Screenwriters of the films most popular with men
38
0
100%
0%
Screenwriters of films most popular with women
15
11
58%
42%
Source: StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2003-12
Location: UK
More: http://goo.gl/w0lQ6A
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Most Successful Films by Female Directors (EU)
Using data from the European Audiovisual Observatory's LUMIERE database, European Women’s Audiovisual
network published the following results of the most successful films directed by women within 1997-2011 based
on EU cinema admissions.
Source: European Women’s Audiovisual Network
Dates: 1997-2011
More: http://goo.gl/oyqtYX
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Location: Europe
32
Most Successful Films by Female Directors (USA)
Using data from the European Audiovisual Observatory's LUMIERE database, European Women’s Audiovisual
network published the following results of the most successful films directed by women within 1997-2011 based
on American cinema admissions.
Source: European Women’s Audiovisual Network
Dates: 1997-2011
More: http://goo.gl/oyqtYX
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Location: USA
33
WOMEN ON-SCREEN
On-Screen Characters
A Report by the New York Film Academy entitled ‘Gender Inequality in Film’ found…
•
30.8% of speaking characters are women, 29.8% of women wore sexually revealing clothes (as
opposed to 7% of men), 26.2% of actresses get partially naked (as opposed to 9.4% of men), 10.7%
of movies features a balanced cast where half of the characters are female
•
Average ratio of male actors to female actors is 2.25:1, percentage of teenage females depicted
with some nudity has increased 32.5% from 2007 to 2012, roughly ⅓ of female speaking characters
are shown in sexually revealing attire/are partially naked.
•
10.6% increase in female characters on screen when a woman is directing, 8.7% increase when a
female screenwriter is attached
Source: New York Film Academy
Dates: 2007-12
More: http://goo.gl/Qta0IM
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Location: USA
34
Character Attributes and Job Aspirations
Hypersexuality Measures by Character Gender in Family Films
Hypersexuality Measures by Characters’ Age in Prime Time
Character Occupation by Gender in Family Films
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Gender Balance within Family Films
STEM Fields by Gender in Family Films
Gender Prevalence by Program Genre in Prime Time
Gender Balance within Prime Time Programs
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Hypersexuality Measures by Character Gender in Prime Time
Hypersexuality Measures by Female Characters’ Age in Prime Time
Character Occupation by Gender in Prime Time
STEM Fields by Gender in Prime Time
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Source: See Jane
StephenFollows.com
Dates: 2012
More: http://goo.gl/yrfAPg
Location: USA
“Gender in Film Industry” Report
38
Age of Love Interests
Kyle Buchanan at Vulture compared the ages of male actors and their on-screen female counterparts…
Tom Hanks
Liam Neason
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Brad Pitt
Steve Carell
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Richard Gere
George Clooney
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Tom Cruise
Johnny Depp
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Harrison Ford
Denzel Washington
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43
FOLLOW-UPS
See Jane Impact Study
Impact of the Geena Davis Institute’s efforts in bringing awareness to the lack of women in the media
Statistics on actual change:









27% increase in aspirations or occupations of female characters
27% increase in dialogue
18% increase in story development
16% increase in female characters as secondary characters
11% increase in female lead characters
11% switched male characters to female
11% changed the look of the characters
7% more female characters as extras
7% more female characters as supporting characters
Statistics on the need for change:







39% increase in desexualizing female roles
12% increase in the number of females in children’s programming
12% increase in breaking from traditional gender roles
12% increase in broader/more diverse physical representation in kids’ programming
12% increase in female characters in non-traditional gender stereotypes and roles
9% increase in girls/women in professions usually associated with men/boys
3% increase in male characters in non-traditional gender stereotypes and roles
Source: Geena Davis Institute
Dates: 2013
Location: USA
More: http://goo.gl/WGF43U
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44
REPORTS AND ARTICLES
Sexist Hollywood?: Women Still Struggle to Find Film Jobs, Study Finds,
2013
Alexander C. Kaufman & Brent Lang, The Wrap
http://www.thewrap.com/music/article/sexist-hollywood-women-still-struggle-find-film-jobs-study-finds-74076
•
•
•
•
•
•
In 2012, women represented 18% of all directors, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors
working on the top 250 domestic grossing films. It was also 18% in 2011 and has increased only 1%
since 1998.
Women accounted for 15% of writers working on the top 250 films of 2012. 78% of films had no
female writers.
Women make up 17% of all executive producers working on the top 250 films of 2012. 61% of the
films had no female executive producers.
Women accounted for 25% of all producers working on the top 250 films of 2012. 32% of the films
had no female producers.
Women directed 24% of the films at Sundance between 2002 and 2012.
Women directed 4.4% of the top 100 films at the box office from 2002 to 2012.
DGA Report Finds Director Diversity in Episodic Television Remains
Static, 2013
Director’s Guild of America
http://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2013/100213-DGA-Report-Finds-Director-Diversity-in-EpisodicTelevision-Remains-Static.aspx
•
•
In television from 2012–2013, white men directed 72% of all episodes, white women directed 12%
of all episodes, minority males directed 14% of all episodes, and minority females directed 2% of
all episodes.
From the previous year’s study, the percentage of episodes directed by white men decreased by
1%, the percentage of episodes directed by white women increased by 1%, the percentage of
episodes directed by minority males increased by 1%, and the percentage of episodes directed
by minority females decreased by 2%.
Female Film Roles Still Secondary, According to New Study, 2011
Andrea Canning and Michael Murray
http://abcnews.go.com/US/men-dominate-film-industry-study/story?id=13439590
•
•
•
•
•
•
An analysis of the top 100 grossing movies of 2008 found that only 32.8% of speaking parts were
given to women.
8% of directors, 13.6% of writers, and 19.1% of producers were female.
39.8% of females wore revealing attire in movies, compared to 6.7% of males.
Females were shown partially naked 30.1% of the time, compared to 10.3% for males.
When women are involved in penning a script, the percentage of female characters jumps by
14.3%
In 2008, three of the biggest-grossing movies were geared toward girls (Twilight, Mama Mia, Sex
and the City)
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Women @ the Box Office: A Study of the Top 100 Worldwide Grossing
Films
Martha M. Lauzen, PhD
http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/files/Women%20@%20Box%20Office.pdf
•
•
•
•
•
•
Women comprised 13% of all directors, executive producers, producers, and writers for the top 100
worldwide grossing films of 2007.
29% of the top 100 worldwide grossing films had no women in any of these roles considered.
Obviously not a single film lacked a man in one of these roles.
Female characters comprised 10% of clearly identifiable protagonists
31% of films featured ensemble casts with at least one prominent female character
Films with female protagonists or prominent females in an ensemble cast had significantly lower
budgets than films featuring male protagonists ($45 million vs. $77.9 million).
Films with female protagonists/ensembles with a female character earned on average $54.5
millions vs. $101 million for men
Women Are on the Rise at Sundance – When Will Studios Take Note?
2013
Lucas Shaw, The Wrap
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/column-post/women-are-rise-sundance-what-gives-studios-73941
•
•
•
•
Women directed 24% of films at Sundance between 2002 and 2012
Women comprised 29% of all directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, and editors of those
films
Women directed 50% of the films in the competition this year
Women directed just 4.4% of the top 100 films at the box office from 2002 to 2012
Women Directors Globally, 2012
Marian Evans (Wellywood Woman Blog)
http://wellywoodwoman.blogspot.co.nz/2012/11/after-i-completed-my-survey-of-new.html
Percentages of female directors:








Australia (five years to mid 2011) 18% (theatrically released features only, probably most state-funded)
via Screen Australia
Canada (2010) 16% (all state-funded) via Women in View
France (2010) 21% (state-funded, but with lower budgets than men-directed films)
New Zealand (2010) 16% (same percentage in both state-funded and not state-funded lists) my
research
Norway (2010) 19% (from the Norwegian Film Institute database, not known if all state-funded)
Sweden (2010) 11% (19% of all state-funded films) via Swedish Film Institute
United States (2011-12) 18% (films from round the world shown at selected United States festivals) via
Martha Lauzen at the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film
United States (2010) 7% (250 top-grossing films, a steady decrease from 9% in 1998; 5% in 2011) via
Martha Lauzen at the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film.
At the Movies, The Women Are Gone (2013)
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46
Linda Holmes (NPR)
http://www.npr.org/blogs/monkeysee/2013/06/14/191568762/at-the-movies-the-women-are-gone
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
On June 14, 2013, in the D.C. metropolitan area, there were 617 movies showing within 10 miles of
the author’s house.
561 of these 617 shows (90%) were stories about men or groups of men wherein women played
supporting roles or filled out ensembles primarily focused on men.
31 of the 617 were about balanced pairings or ensembles of men and women.
25 of the 617 showings were movies about women or girls.
Only one of these films was directed by a woman.
There were nearly 6x as many showings of Man of Steel alone as there were of any of the films
about women put together.
If you did not live in a metropolitan (possibly American, because cinemas in London at least didn’t
tend to have nearly as many films on tap) you literally would not be able to find a movie about a
woman. At all.
Percentages of Women in Media, 2012
Media Report to Women
http://www.mediareporttowomen.com/statistics.htm
•
•
•
•
•
•
67% of guests on MSNBC, Fox News Channel, and CNN were men.
⅗ of NPR’s major shows are hosted by women. However, of 12 commentators who appeared at
least 20x in a 15 month period, only one was female.
Worldwide, on major media outlets, 24% of people interviewed, heard, seen, or read about in
mainstream broadcast and print news were female. (Compare to 1995, when the number was
17%.) Of popular opinion polls on these outlets, 47% were women. Of experts/authorities, 82% were
male. Only 16% of all stories focus on women.
In 2007, men reported 48% of stories (compared to 73% in 1987.)
In 2010-2011 primetime television, women were: creators (18%), executive producers (22%),
producers (37%), directors (11%), writers (15%), editors (20%), and directors of photography (4%)
working on sitcoms, dramas, and reality programs airing on the broadcast networks.
In 2010 feature films, women comprised: 7% of directors, 10% of writers, 15% of executive producers,
24% of producers, 18% of editors, and 2% of cinematographers.
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire: What Marvel, DC and Hollywood
Can Learn, 2013
Russ Burlingame (Comicbook.com)
http://comicbook.com/blog/2013/11/24/the-hunger-games-catching-fire-what-marvel-dc-and-hollywoodcan-learn/
•
•
•
Top three highest grossing films in Lionsgate’s history are all adaptations of Young Adult lit with
female protagonists.
Sandra Bullock is the main character of Gravity, and yet they billed George Clooney alongside
her due to the pervasive belief that female protagonists can’t carry films — yet Bullock’s box office
gross since 2008 is $891 million, significantly more than Clooney’s $634 million (even more
staggering when it’s noted that Clooney made 9 films in that time, compared to Bullock’s 6.)
Budget for Clooney’s films since 2008 was about $307 million, and Bullock’s was $214 million. Which
means that for every dollar a studio spent producing Clooney’s films, they saw $2.07 back. Which
is almost exactly half of the $4.15 they saw back on Bullock’s films.
A Report of Canadian Unions for Equality on Screen, 2013
Dr. Amanda Coles
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47
http://www.actra.ca/actra/focus/
•
•
•
•
•
Statistics for female dominated categories: hair department is 77% women, makeup is 79%
women, 88% of costuming is women, 93% of script supervisors are women, 85% of publicity is
women, 73% of accounting is women, 75% of production office workers are women.
Statistics for male dominated categories: camera is 17% women, grip is 5% women, lighting is 5%
women, sound is 6% women, construction is 6% women, special effects is 20% women, editing is
28% women.
Statistics for more balanced areas: 38% of assistant directors are women, 42% of the art
department is women, 39% of props/set decoration is women, 61% of props/set decoration are
women (the graph looks off for this, though, so I’m not totally sure if the numbers are right), 36% of
production assistants are women.
There are graphs mapping the career path of men and women by occupation, and while there
aren’t any numbers to summarize, men’s career paths trend upward, whereas women’s stay
essentially the same over time.
Percentage of working ACTRA members by performance category 2010–2012: principal
performers were 41% women, actors were 38% women, background performers were 42% women.
Less Than 30% of Speaking Roles in Blockbuster Films Last Year Went
to Women
Susana Polo, The Mary Sue
http://www.themarysue.com/speaking-roles-in-film-women/
•
•
•
Of the top grossing movies of 2012, only 28.4% of characters who spoke a line of dialogue were
women, down from 32.8% in 2009.
31.6% of women are shown wearing sexually revealing clothing, the highest percentage in the five
years USC researchers have been studying the issue.
56.6% of teen girl characters in 2012 movies wore sexy clothes, an increase of 20% since 2009.
The Naked Truth: Hollywood Still Treats its Women as Second Class
Citizens, 2013
Edward Helmore, The Guardian
http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/dec/01/hollywood-women-inequality-film-industry
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