Women 'struggling' in Hollywood, according to new study - Polidicks

[quote][B]Only 9% of directors of the top 250 grossing Hollywood films in 2012 were women, a study has found.[/B]Despite the low figure, it is a 4% increase from 2011's numbers, the [URL="http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu/index.html"]Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film[/URL] said. The research found women comprised 18% of all directors, executive producers, writers, cinematographers and editors. It also showed women were more likely to work in the documentary, drama and animated film genres. The Centre has been conducting the industry survey for more than a decade to track trends. The number of female producers has held steady at 25% for the past two years, while female writers rose to 15%, up from a low of 10% in 2006. The number of female editors between 1998-2012 has remained fairly constant in the 20%-21% range. Cinematographers have fluctuated between 2%-4%, although figures for 2012 were on the low end of the range. No women have made it onto [URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20931445"]the shortlist for best director[/URL] at this year's Oscars, while Zero Dark Thirty is the only best picture nominee to have been directed by a woman - Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow. A separate study by the [URL="http://www.sundance.org/press-center/release/sundance-institute-and-women-in-film-los-angeles-study-examines-gender-disp/"]Sundance Institute and Women in Film[/URL]showed women fared better in the independent film sector. Looking at films shown at the Sundance Film Festival over the past decade - and accounting for 820 narrative and documentary films -[B] researchers found women represented 29.8% of some 11,000 filmmakers. [/B] There are more women working in documentary films than narrative films, but study director Stacy Smith said her research found that "as commerce moves in, females move out". Women In Film president Cathy Schulman added: "This data shows us that there is a higher representation of female filmmakers in independent film as compared to Hollywood - but it also highlights the work that is still to be done for women to achieve equal footing in the field." The study also found that films directed by women employ greater numbers of women behind the camera than those made by men. [B]The organisers of last year's Cannes Film Festival [URL="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18094997"]were criticised[/URL] when the list of 22 films nominated for its top prize, the Palme d'Or, was entirely made up of male directors.[/B][/quote]

If people don't want to be directors, then they don't want to be directors. What's so amazing about this?

[QUOTE=Garik;39315717]If people don't want to be directors, then they don't want to be directors. What's so amazing about this?[/QUOTE] Oh god are you really that blind.

Does anyone else find it strange that there is a Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film? A whole building of people, just to research that one thing?

[QUOTE=lifehole;39315759]Does anyone else find it strange that there is a Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film? A whole building of people, just to research that one thing?[/QUOTE] could just be a rented office.

[QUOTE=lifehole;39315759]Does anyone else find it strange that there is a Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film? A whole building of people, just to research that one thing?[/QUOTE] that's a still a pretty broad subject

Its a bit of both Harder for them to get the roles Not as many of them interested in the roles anyway Same with games industry

Why is this news worthy?

[QUOTE=Yumyumbublegum;39315869]that's a still a pretty broad subject[/QUOTE] oh my god this wasn't even meant as a joke, don't know how i didn't see that

hey girls, show them the goods.

[QUOTE=Scrimp;39316442]Why is this news worthy?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE=SexualShark;39316862]hey girls,show them the goods.[/QUOTE]This is why :v:

[QUOTE=lifehole;39315759]Does anyone else find it strange that there is a Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film? A whole building of people, just to research that one thing?[/QUOTE] Nobody tell this guy about NASA they have multiple buildings

[quote]The organisers of last year's Cannes Film Festival were criticised when the list of 22 films nominated for its top prize, the Palme d'Or, was entirely made up of male directors.[/quote] So you cant nominate something on its merits unless you look into who made it and make sure every one is included in order to keep the hurt feelings police off you. Sounds pretty retarded.

I'm presuming the whole office is made up of failed actresses.

[QUOTE=Cmx;39319350]So you cant nominate something on its merits unless you look into who made it and make sure every one is included in order to keep the hurt feelings police off you. Sounds pretty retarded.[/QUOTE] um when every single movie you nominate has a male director you can hardly claim that is was just coincidence. statistically there should be quite a few women in there.

but male directors made nearly all the hit/popular movies last year [editline]22nd January 2013[/editline] it's probably because they're very experienced directors who have directered for very long and started off ages ago when women couldn't

[QUOTE=Zeke129;39318973]Nobody tell this guy about NASA they have multiple buildings[/QUOTE] Eh I really don't see this as a fair comparison a single specialized subject vs an entire administration focused on an incredibly diverse field is hardly fit to compare.

the industry isn't exactly gender equal in a lot of positions. Many women do want to be directors but don't get to have a shot at that, it's widely considered a male field(which is pretty stupid). But honestly, even for a lot of men, becoming a director is a very, very tough thing. [editline]22nd January 2013[/editline] [QUOTE=Eltro102;39320646]but male directors made nearly all the hit/popular movies last year [editline]22nd January 2013[/editline] it's probably because they're very experienced directors who have directered for very long and started off ages ago when women couldn't[/QUOTE] this is part of it for sure. Up until the 90's we didn't have many women directing hollywood features. This lack of experience over the years really shortens the pool of people to draw from.

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39320623]um when every single movie you nominate has a male director you can hardly claim that is was just coincidence. statistically there should be quite a few women in there.[/QUOTE] This is regarding big budget movies where the film company's only want to hire the most experienced directors which are usually male. It isn't sexism, it's just currently only a very select few very well known directors are chosen. What also makes it harder for anyone regardless of gender is most people direct movies until they die of old age or because of illness. It can take decades for a new generation of directors to reach the top. Once the best women get more experience and when more of the top directors retire/die the ratio will eventually become more balanced.

I'm pretty confused about this sort of thing. I saw recently that there's a game-design scholarship that only women are eligible for, created in an attempt to get more women into the game-design workforce. Surely that's not 'equal opportunities'; I don't see any male-only scholarships, and frankly any attempt at implementing a male-only scholarship would be met with a lot of feminist opposition. And I fully understand what they're trying to do; but why the big rush? Why are they FORCING it? Leave it a few years and the number of women enrolling in game design courses and stepping into the industry will have increased - it's already increasing. The issue will sort itself out soon enough without educational institutions giving preferential treatment to women. If anything it may be some perceived dominant male attitude that's preventing women from trying to enter the workforce, but then the solution becomes working to rectify that situation to create a welcoming environment - not giving women special opportunities above men.

[QUOTE=Dysgalt;39320677]Eh I really don't see this as a fair comparison a single specialized subject vs an entire administration focused on an incredibly diverse field is hardly fit to compare.[/QUOTE] Studying a massive entertainment industry and how it interacts with 50% of the population isn't really a single specialized subject. There's lots to study. Things like employment of women in film and TV, how female characters are portrayed, sexual harassment at work, gender demographics of the audience, all sorts of shit. And they'd all require different people with different areas of expertise to study properly. They probably employ everyone from lawyers, to psychologists, statisticians, sociologists...

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39320623]um when every single movie you nominate has a male director you can hardly claim that is was just coincidence. statistically there should be quite a few women in there.[/QUOTE] Yeah, the nominators are in on a huge scheme to keep women down by nominating a movie based on its director's gender rather than the movie itself. It goes pretty deep, even the people at nowhere ever are working with them.

[QUOTE=Paramud;39322781]Yeah, the nominators are in on a huge scheme to keep women down by nominating a movie based on its director's gender rather than the movie itself. It goes pretty deep, even the people at nowhere ever are working with them.[/QUOTE] oh i forgot sexism doesn't exist at all and that any claim is just evil feminazis trying to cut off the male genitalia. shit i forgot that we were supposed to be burning a dick effigy today at 9 on the lawn of some poor male director's house, i should probably get ready for that.

oh shit i forgot we could only communicate using sarcastic strawmen

[QUOTE=Maloof?;39322147]I'm pretty confused about this sort of thing. I saw recently that there's a game-design scholarship that only women are eligible for, created in an attempt to get more women into the game-design workforce. Surely that's not 'equal opportunities'; I don't see any male-only scholarships, and frankly any attempt at implementing a male-only scholarship would be met with a lot of feminist opposition. And I fully understand what they're trying to do; but why the big rush? Why are they FORCING it? Leave it a few years and the number of women enrolling in game design courses and stepping into the industry will have increased - it's already increasing. The issue will sort itself out soon enough without educational institutions giving preferential treatment to women. If anything it may be some perceived dominant male attitude that's preventing women from trying to enter the workforce, but then the solution becomes working to rectify that situation to create a welcoming environment - not giving women special opportunities above men.[/QUOTE] it's easier to give them special opportunities... Women don't exactly like it either

Women make up roughly 50% of the population, which all things being equal means they should be filling about the same percentage of acting/directing/producing jobs. When they are not then it's fair to ask why not? Is someone really going to say "women don't want to direct"? I don't think so. It's closer to the truth to say they people who do the hiring don't want to hire them. You can't put your name into consideration to direct a blockbuster movie if you can't show a previous hit film on your credits. But guess what, you can't have a previous hit film unless someone hires you to direct it. This is where programs like affirmative action come in. People say it's reverse discrimination, or giving people 'special' treatment, and things of that nature. But what do you call it when someone gets a job cause his dad or uncle works there and gets him in? No one bats an eye when that happens. What happens when men only hire men because they are only comfortable working with men(as in seeing them as equals)? Sometimes people have to be forced to change their behaviors, even if you can't change their attitudes.

[QUOTE=trotskygrad;39323497]it's easier to give them special opportunities... Women don't exactly like it either[/QUOTE] 'easier' isn't 'fair' if the road to becoming a director isn't fair towards everyone right now, it should be if the road to becoming a director is fair or becomes fair, and any demographic happens to have a lower representation in it than statistically 'normal,' nobody has done anything wrong

[QUOTE=yawmwen;39322968]oh i forgot sexism doesn't exist at all and that any claim is just evil feminazis trying to cut off the male genitalia. shit i forgot that we were supposed to be burning a dick effigy today at 9 on the lawn of some poor male director's house, i should probably get ready for that.[/QUOTE] Okay, here's an actual counterpoint to your post. A perfectly even distribution would be a statistical anomaly the size of a fucking house considering the fact that female directors are apparently rarer than a platypus-yeti hybrid. So yes, it's entirely coincidence. [editline]oh hamburgers[/editline] Or would you like us to implement affirmative action for award nominations?

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39323608]Women make up roughly 50% of the population, which all things being equal means they should be filling about the same percentage of acting/directing/producing jobs. When they are not then it's fair to ask why not? Is someone really going to say "women don't want to direct"? I don't think so. It's closer to the truth to say they people who do the hiring don't want to hire them. You can't put your name into consideration to direct a blockbuster movie if you can't show a previous hit film on your credits. But guess what, you can't have a previous hit film unless someone hires you to direct it. This is where programs like affirmative action come in. People say it's reverse discrimination, or giving people 'special' treatment, and things of that nature. But what do you call it when someone gets a job cause his dad or uncle works there and gets him in? No one bats an eye when that happens. What happens when men only hire men because they are only comfortable working with men(as in seeing them as equals)? Sometimes people have to be forced to change their behaviors, even if you can't change their attitudes.[/QUOTE] If you actually read it, it states it's about 70/30 for men/women in directing jobs and rising, it's only the most famous directors who the big film company's hire which has almost no women.

[QUOTE=cecilbdemodded;39323608] Is someone really going to say "women don't want to direct"? [/QUOTE] Someone probably will Less women in engineering? Oh less women want to be engineers Less women in math? Oh less women want to do math Less women as CEOs? Oh women don't want to be CEOs Less women becoming directors? Oh less women want to direct The argument fails eventually