Advocacy - Women's Employment in Film

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Celluloid Ceiling: Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women in the Top 250 Films of 2003

Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D., School of Communication
San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182
Phone: 619.594.6301

Copyright © 2004 -- All rights reserved.

           In 2003, women comprised only 17% of individuals working in key behind-the-scenes roles on the top 250 domestic grossing films. This is the same percentage of women who worked on the top films of 1998.

          Approximately one out of five films released in 2003 employed no women directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, or editors. Men directed more than 9 out of 10 films.

           The following summary provides employment figures for behind-the-scenes women working on the top 250 domestic grossing films of 2003. It also provides a historical perspective on the employment of behind-the-scenes women, comparing 2003 figures with those from the last 17 years.

Findings

• This study analyzed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,359 individuals working on 209 of the top 250 domestic grossing films (41 foreign films omitted) of 2003 with combined domestic box office grosses of approximately $8.8 billion.

• Women comprised 17% of all executive producers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 grossing films of 2003. This represents no change from 2002.

• Women accounted for 15% of all executive producers, producers, directors, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 100 grossing films of 2003. This represents a decline of one percentage point from 2002.

• Twenty one percent (21%) of the films released in 2003 employed no women directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, or editors.

• A historical comparison of women's employment on the top 250 films in 2003 and 1998 reveals that the percentages of women executive producers, directors, editors, and cinematographers have declined, the percentage of women writers has remained stable, and the percentage of women producers has increased slightly.

• Women comprised 14% of all executive producers working on the top 250 films and 14% of executive producers working on the top 100 films of 2003. Seventy two percent (72%) of the top 250 films and 3% of the top 100 films had no female executive producers.

• Women accounted for 25% of all producers working on the top 250 films and 23% of those working on the top 100 films of 2003. Thirty seven percent (37%) of the top 250 films and 36% of the top 100 films had no female producers.

• Women comprised 6% of all directors working on the top 250 films and 4% of directors working on the top 100 films of 2003. Ninety three percent (93%) of the top 250 films and 96% of the top 100 films had no female directors.

• Women accounted for 13% of writers working on the top 250 films and 11% of writers working on the top 100 films of 2003. Eighty two percent (82%) of the top 250 films and 83% of the top 100 films had no female writers.

• Women accounted for 15% of all editors working on the top 250 films and 13% of editors working on the top 100 films of 2003. Eighty three percent (83%) of the top 250 films and 85% of the top 100 films had no female editors.

• Women comprised 2% of all cinematographers working on the top 250 and 1% of cinematographers working on the top 100 films of 2003. Ninety eight percent (98%) of the top 250 films and 99% of the top 100 films had no female cinematographers.

• On films with male executive producers only, women comprised 15% of those working in other behind-the-scenes roles considered in this study. On films with at least one female executive producer, women comprised 22% of those working in other behind-the-scenes roles.

• By genre, women were most likely to work on documentaries and romantic comedies and least likely to work on horror and sci-fi features. Women comprised 29% of individuals working on documentaries, followed by 26% on romantic comedies, 24% on fantasy features, 19% on animated features and dramas, 16% on comedies and action adventure features, 10% on sci-fi features, and 8% on horror features.

Figure 1.

Comparison of Percentage of Women Employed in Top 100 and Top 250 Films of 2003

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