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STATISTICS ON WOMEN DIRECTORS
Posted 8/26/01

>>THE CELLULOID CEILING STUDY
>>FIGURE 1 Graph Comparison Statistics
>>FIGURE 2 Graph Comparison Statistics
>>FIGURE 3 Graph Comparison Statistics

>>>>THE CELLULOID CEILING STUDY
Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Professor, School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, (619) 594-6301 Copyright © 2000 -- All rights reserved.


Call it “business as usual” or the “era of the status quo” for women in film. Either accurately describes women’s representation in key behind-the-scenes roles. For the third year in a row, the celluloid ceiling remained remarkably low as women comprised only 17% of all executive producers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top domestic grossing films of 2000.
This year’s analysis found that gains made by women in certain behind-the-scenes roles were met by losses in others. For example, while the percentage of women executive producers increased slightly (15% in 1999, 16% in 2000) , the percentage of women producers declined (27% in 1999, 24% in 2000). While the representation of women writers increased by two percentage points (12% in 1999, 14% in 2000), the representation of female cinematographers fell by two percentage points (4% in 1999, 2% in 2000). Only women directors experienced a notable gain from 5% in 1999 to 11% in 2000 (9% in 1998).
The following analysis reports employment figures for women in each of the above stated roles and offers a historical comparison of 2000 figures with similar data dating back to 1987.


Findings

• This study analyzed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,462 individuals working on 222 films (28 foreign films omitted) with combined domestic box office grosses of approximately $7.2 billion.
  
• The overall percentage of women working on the top 250 grossing films has remained stagnant since 1998. Women comprised 17% of all executive producers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top grossing films of 2000.
  
• The percentage of women working on the top 100 grossing films declined slightly in 2000. Women accounted for 15% of individuals in the roles considered, down from 16% in 1999 and 17% in 1998.
  
• A historical analysis of women working on the top 250 grossing films indicates that while the percentages of women executive producers, writers, and editors increased slightly in the last year, the representation of women directors increased substantially. Simultaneously, the percentages of women cinematographers and producers declined. The representation of women executive producers increased one percentage point from 15% in 1999 to 16% in 2000. Similarly, the percentage of women editors increased from 18% to 19% in 2000. The representation of women writers is up from 12% in 1999 to 14% in 2000. The percentage of women cinematographers declined from 4% in 1999 to 2% in 2000. The percentage of women producers decreased from 27% in 1999 to 24% in 2000.
  
• A historical analysis of women working on the top 100 grossing films reveals that the percentage of women executive producers, editors and directors increased while the representation of women writers remained stagnant. The percentage of female producers and cinematographers declined. The representation of women executive producers increased slightly from 15% in 1999 to 17% in 2000. The percentage of female editors increased from 8% in 1999 to 13% in 2000. The representation of women directors increased from 4% in 1999 to 7% in 2000. The percentage of women writers held steady at 13%. The representation of female producers decreased from 27% in 1999 to 22% in 2000. The percentage of female cinematographers declined from 3% in 1999 to 2% in 2000.
  
• Films with female executive producers and directors employed significantly greater percentages of women than films with male executive producers and directors. For example, films with female directors employed 146% more women. Films with at least one female executive producer employed 28% more women.
  
• By genre, behind-the-scenes women were most prevalent in romantic comedies, comedy-dramas, and animated features. Women were least prevalent on action and sci-fi films. It is unclear whether women chose to work in certain genres or were relegated to these genres as a result of stereotypical expectations.
  
• Women comprised 16% of all executive producers working on the top 250 films and 17% of executive producers working on the top 100 films of 2000. Seventy-one percent (71%) of the top 250 films and 65% of the top 100 films had no female executive producers.
  
• Women accounted for 24% of all producers working on the top 250 films and 22% of producers working on the top 100 films of 2000. Thirty-nine percent (39%) of the top 250 films and 45% of the top 100 films had no female producers.
  
• Women comprised 11% of all directors working on the top 250 films and 7% of directors working on the top 100 films of 2000. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of the top 250 films and 93% of the top 100 films had no female directors.
  
• Women accounted for 14% of writers working on the top 250 films and 13% of writers working on the top 100 films of 2000. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of the top 250 films and 80% of the top 100 films had no female writers.
  
• Women comprised 2% of all cinematographers working on the top 250 and top 100 films of 2000. Ninety-seven percent (97%) of the top 250 films and 98% of the top 100 films had no female cinematographers.
  
• Women accounted for 19% of all editors working on the top 250 films and 13% of editors working on the top 100 films of 2000. Seventy-seven percent (77%) of the top 250 films and 85% of the top 100 films had no female editors.
  

>>Figure 1.
Comparison of Percentage of Women Employed in Top 100 and Top 250 Films of 2000



>>Figure 2.
Historical Comparison of Percentage of Women Employed Behind the Scenes on Top 250 Films


>>Figure 3.
Historical Comparison of Percentage of Women Employed Behind the Scenes on Top 100 Films

>>--Information given by Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Communication, San Diego State University.

• >>EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - Where the Women Are . . . and Aren’t:
  A Study of On-Screen and Behind-the-Scenes Representation
  in the 1999-2000 Prime-time Season
  
  Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Professor, School of Communication, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, (619) 594-6301
  Copyright © 2000 -- All rights reserved.
  
  ________________________________________________________________________
  
  Prime-time schedules are like real estate -- location matters. As one of the few factors known to increase a program’s chances for survival and success, even television’s most powerful players are not above staging public and occasionally contentious campaigns to hold on to coveted time slots.
  In one such display last October, NYPD Blue ‘s co-creator and producer Steven Bochco complained loudly when ABC threatened to move the popular program from its regular Tuesday night spot. Venting his frustration in a number of high-profile media outlets, Bochco accused the network of favoring programs produced by its parent studio (Lowry, Los Angeles Times, 10/14/99). Ultimately, ABC relented, presumably to avoid further irritating the prolifically successful creator.
  Prior seasons have seen similar charges of scheduling favoritism based not on ownership, but on gender and race. Hollywood folklore has it that Cybill and Frank’s Place met untimely ends as a result of unreliable and undesirable time slots.
  To determine whether the broadcast networks’ (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN, WB) scheduling practices systematically, if unconsciously, favor male on-screen talent and behind-the-scenes creators to females, this study examined the 104 prime-time series (dramas and situation comedies) airing in the 1999-2000 season, however briefly. This annual study also tracked the representation of women on screen and behind the scenes.
  
  
  Findings/On-Screen Representation of Women
  
• This segment of the study examined 1,530 characters appearing on one randomly chosen episode of every prime-time drama and situation comedy.
  
• In the 1999-2000 prime-time season, females accounted for 40% and males 60% of all characters (see Figure 1). Similarly, females comprised 41% and males 59% of major characters.
  
• Female characters were as likely to appear on dramas (40%) as situation comedies (41%).
  
• Female characters were significantly more likely than males to appear in programs set primarily in domestic and non-work environments. Male characters were significantly more likely than females to appear on programs that take place primarily in work settings. Females comprised 45% of all characters on domestic sitcoms and dramas but only 36% of all characters on workplace sitcoms and dramas.
  
• Overall, female characters were younger than their male counterparts. While female characters under 40 outnumbered males, male characters over 40 outnumbered females. Female characters experienced a dramatic decline in number from 38% in their 30s to 16% in their 40s. Male characters in their 50s outnumbered female characters in the same age cohort by more than 2 to 1 (14% male to 6% female).
  
• Female characters were overwhelmingly white (78%), followed by African-Americans (16%), other-worldly characters such as extra-terrestrials (3%), Hispanics (2%), Asians (1%), and Native Americans (0%). Viewers were more likely to see a female ET in prime time than they were a female Hispanic, Asian or Native American character.
  
• Women were significantly more likely to be identified by their marital status, while men were more likely to be identified by their occupational status. While 32% of male’s marital status could not be identified, only 22% of female characters had an unknown marital status. While 34% of female’s occupational status could not be identified, only 25% of male characters had an unknown marital status.
  
• Male characters were more likely than female characters to hold powerful jobs that could be characterized as “macho” positions (those requiring physical strength). Female characters were more likely than male characters to hold powerless positions and those that could be characterized as traditionally female.
  
• Ninety-eight percent (98%) of all prime-time characters were heterosexual and 2% were homosexual or bisexual. Two percent (2%) of homosexual characters were male and 1% were female.
  
  Findings/Behind-the-Scenes Representation of Women
  
• This segment of the study examined 1,718 individuals working behind-the-scenes on one randomly selected episode of every prime-time drama and situation comedy airing in the 1999-2000 season.
  
• Overall, women comprised 23% of all creators, executive producers, producers, directors, writers, editors, and directors of photography working on the programs considered. This figure represents a slight increase from the 1998-99 season when women accounted for 21.5% of those working behind the scenes.
  
• By role, the percentages of female creators, producers, directors, and writers increased, while the percentages of female executive producers and editors decreased. For the third year in a row, there wasn’t a single female director of photography working on any of the programs considered (see Figure 2).
• On the programs analyzed, women fared best as producers (35%), followed by writers (24%), creators (18%), executive producers (17%), editors (13%), directors (7%), and directors of photography (0%).
  
• Female executive producers hired significantly greater numbers of other behind-the-scenes women than male executive producers. Programs with female executive producers employed an average of 4 other women behind the scenes. In contrast, programs with male executive producers employed an average of 2 other women behind the scenes.
• Women were only slightly more likely to work on situation comedies (24%) than dramas (22%). By role, women creators, executive producers, directors, and writers were more likely to work on situation comedies, while women producers and editors were more likely to work on dramas.
• Behind-the-scenes women were significantly more likely to work on situation comedies and dramas that take place primarily in domestic settings than those in workplace settings. Women comprised 25% of all behind-the-scenes workers on domestic sitcoms and dramas but only 19% of those workers on workplace sitcoms and dramas.
  
• Women comprised 18% of creators in the 1999-2000 season. Seventy-six percent (76%) of the programs considered had no female creators.
• Women accounted for 17% of executive producers. Fifty-four percent (54%) of the programs considered had no female executive producers.
• Women comprised 35% of producers. Fourteen percent (14%) of the programs considered had no female producers.
  
• Women accounted for 7% of directors. Ninety-three percent (93%) of the programs considered had no female directors.
  
• Women comprised 24% of writers. Seventy-percent (70%) of the programs considered had no female writers.
• Women accounted for 13% of editors. Eighty-seven percent (87%) of the programs considered had no female editors.
• For the third season in a row, there was not a single woman director of photography working on any of the programs considered. One hundred percent (100%) of the programs had no female directors of photography.
  
  Findings/Relationship Between Women On Screen and Women Behind the Scenes
  
• Women working behind the scenes significantly influenced the number of on-screen women. When a program had no female executive producers, women accounted for 37% of all characters. However, when a program employed at least one female executive producer, women comprised 44% of all characters.
  
• On programs with no female writers, women accounted for 38% of all characters. When a program employed at least one female writer, women comprised 47% of all characters.
  
• Programs with no female creators featured casts that were 38% female. On programs with at least one female creator, women comprised 47% of all characters.
  
  Findings/Network Scheduling Practices and Gender
  
• This segment of the study examined the rating and share of every situation comedy and drama on the six networks for the entire season. The rating and share of every prime-time program preceding and following these programs and the number of time slot moves were also recorded.
  
• On average, programs on the weblets featured significantly greater percentages of major female characters (48%) than programs on the big three networks (40%) or Fox (40%).
  
• On average, programs on the weblets employed significantly greater percentages of women creators and executive producers (25%) than programs on the big three networks (14%) or Fox (15%).
  
• Programs featuring major female characters on the weblets enjoyed significantly more favorable scheduling practices than programs featuring female characters on the big three networks and Fox. In other words, as the percentage of major female characters featured on weblet programs increased, the stability of their time slot increased, as did the ratings/shares of the programs preceding and following the programs. In contrast, as the percentage of major female characters featured on the big three and Fox programs increased, the stability of their time slot decreased as did the ratings/shares of the surrounding programs.
  
• Programs employing female creators and executive producers on the weblets enjoyed significantly more favorable scheduling practices than programs employing female creators and executive producers on the big three networks and Fox. In other words, as the percentage of female creators and executive producers on weblet programs increased, the stability of their time slot increased, as did the ratings/shares of the programs preceding and following the programs. In contrast, as the percentage of female creators and executive producers employed on the big three and Fox programs increased, the stability of their time slot decreased as did the ratings/shares of the surrounding programs.
• The findings suggest that the weblets offer a more hospitable environment for women on screen and behind the scenes than the big three networks or Fox. Less-than-favorable scheduling practices at the big three nets and Fox

>>Figure 1.
Historical Comparison of Percentages of Female and Male Characters

NOTE: The sampling strategy for the 1999-2000 season differed from those in previous seasons. The figures for the 1999-2000 season reflect a sample including one episode of every situation comedy and drama aired on the broadcast networks. The figures for the previous seasons reflect samples including one episode of every situation comedy, drama, and animated series ranking among the top 100 programs in their respective seasons.

>>Figure 2.
Historical Comparison of Percentage of Behind-the-Scenes Women
Employed in Prime Time

NOTE: The sampling strategy for the 1999-2000 season differed from those in previous seasons. The figures for the 1999-2000 season reflect a sample including one episode of every situation comedy and drama aired on the broadcast networks. The figures for the previous seasons reflect samples including one episode of every situation comedy, drama, and animated series ranking among the top 100 programs in their respective seasons.