Facts and Figures
$7bn per year at the box office.
$7.6 bn on video
$7.4 bn on rentals
1999
|
4% women directors |
) |
Declined from 1998 |
|
15% executive producers |
) |
|
|
8% editors |
) |
Women 25+ are the most lucrative demographic for sales and box office.
Genre Case Study of the representation of women
Women in Westerns
Women generally fulfil a domestic role.
The western is the answer to the domestic novel
Men were driven to the frontier by the tide of feminist evangelists advocating temperance.
In the western the man’s mastery and identity are repeatedly reinvented.
Women are the ‘motive for male activity’
Typically they are ‘good-natured Dance hall girls or virginal guiding lights.’
Of course there have been plenty of exceptions particularly in the early years of film but they were intended for female consumption.
Women in front of the camera
In front of the camera her role is usually as sex object, femme fatale and / or victim.
She exists in a world of binary opposites: good / bad; virgin / whore; tart / girl next door.
Her fulfilment comes not through beauty not brains!
1970s feminism made women feel guilty for liking makeup and high heels, for enjoying romantic fiction and fashion!
Roles such as Ripley in Aliens were almost too much of a role reversal whereas the angels in Charlie’s Angels while kicking ass did it in high heels!
Jobs within the industry
Producer – all definitions of this job are particularly applicable to women’s skills of organisation and personal communication skills. So therefore is less creative and therefore more supportive of male directors! See Bfi worksheet 7 here.
Research Case Study of Thelma Schoonmaker
Although an editor for 40+ years she is usually referred to in connection with the men with whom she has worked.
Why are there so few women in the industry?
Women comprise:
|
93% of all hair and makeup artists |
) |
Why? |
|
83% of wardrobe and costume jobs |
) |
|
|
10% of camera operators |
) |
|
|
8% lighting |
) |
|
|
11% sound |
) |
|
|
9% broadcast engineers and cinema projectionists |
) |
|
Drew Barrymore |
) |
Have all been producer / director or co-producer / director or have set up their own production companies |
|
Sharon Stone |
) |
|
|
Sigourney Weaver |
) |
|
|
Jodie Foster |
) |
|
|
Sarah Jessica Parker |
) |
|
|
Christina Ricci |
) |
|
|
Sandra Bullock |
) |