Much has been written about how the film industry skews male. Significantly more blockbuster films star male leads, and only one woman has so far won the Academy Award for Best Director. It should come as little surprise, then, that other sectors of the film world have similar issues with gender representation.
According to a recent report from The Guardian, among major movies in the last two decades, less than 25% of all film crews were comprised of women. This includes everyone from special effects artists to set designers. Women tended to appear more frequently in traditionally “feminine” role, such as costume design and makeup, while men overwhelmingly dominated technical jobs such as camera or electrical work. More disconcertingly, critical production jobs such as writer and editor also skewed heavily towards men, with women occupying only around 10% of these positions.
Among the more unusual statistics: of all 2000 films surveyed, only one woman was credited with composing a score. And the Steven Seagal-produced On Deadly Ground (pictured) employed women for only 10% of its crew, the lowest of any major movie in the last twenty years.
Interviewees in The Guardian‘s article suggest a number of causes, from lack of interest in diversity to institutional sexism. Regardless of the cause, this is a sobering reminder. As much as we like to consider the arts to be a progressive space, barriers still exist for encouraging diversity and participation in film.