Statistics on the State of Women and Hollywood

FILM  2013

Women OnScreen

In the top 100 grossing films

  • Women represent a total of 30% of characters, 29% of speaking parts and just 15% of protagonists/leads
  • Women are younger than men onscreen. The majority of women on screen are in their 20s and 30s, while men are in their 30s and 40s. Males over 40 make up 55% of all male characters, while females over 40 make up 30% of all characters.
  • 78% of male characters have definable occupations compared with 60% of female characters, and more men are seen in the workplace.
  • 73% of female characters are white. African-American characters make up 14%, Latinas 5%, Asian 3%; otherworldly 3%; and other 2%.
  • 17% of all characters are leaders, but of those characters 21% were men and 8% were women.

 

Women Behind the Scenes

  • Women were 16% of the directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.
  • Women directed 6% of the films.
  • Women wrote 10% of the movies.
  • Women comprised 15% of all executive producers.
  • Women accounted for 25% of all producers.
  • Women comprised 17% of all editors.
  • Women accounted for 3% of all cinematographers.
  • Women comprised 2% of all composers.
  • Women accounted for 23% of production designers.
  • Women comprised 4% of sound designers.
  • Women accounted for 9% of all supervising sound editors.
  • Women comprised 2% of all special effects supervisors.
  • Women accounted for 5% of all visual effects supervisors.

2012

Women Behind the Scenes

  • Women were 18% of the directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.
  • Women directed 9% of the films.
  • Women wrote 15% of the movies.
  • Women comprised 17% of all executive producers.
  • Women accounted for 25% of all producers.
  • Women comprised 20% of all editors.
  • Women accounted for 2% of all cinematographers.

2011
Women Behind the Scenes

  • Women directed 5% of the top grossing films.
  • Women wrote 14% of the top grossing films.
  • Women comprised 18% of all executive producers.
  • Women comprised 25% of all producers.
  • 20% of all editors were women.
  • 4% of all cinematographers were women.

2010

Women Behind the Scenes

• Women directed 7% of the top 250 grossing films.
• Women wrote 10% of the top 250 grossing films of 2010
• Women comprised 15% of all executive producers.
• Women comprised 24% of all producers.
• 18% of all editors were women.
• 2% of all cinematographers were women.

2009

Women Behind the Scenes

  • Women directed 7% of the top 250 grossing films.
  • Women wrote 8% of the top 250 grossing films.
  • Women made up 23% of all producers
  • 18% of all editors were women
  • 2% of all cinematographers were women.

2008

Women Behind the Scenes

  • Only 6 of the top 50 grossing films (12 of the top 100 films) starred or were focused on women.
  • Women comprised 9% of all directors.
  • Women accounted for 12% of writers.
  • Women comprised 16% of all executive producers.
  • Women accounted for 23% of all producers.
  • Women accounted for 17% of all editors.
  • Women accounted for 25% of production managers.
  • Women comprised 44% of production supervisors.
  • Women accounted for 20% of all production designers.
  • Women comprised 5% of sound designers.
  • Women accounted for 5% of supervising sound editors.
  • Women comprised 1% of key grips.
  • Women accounted for 1% of gaffers.
  • Women comprise only 23% of film critics at daily newspapers.
  • Women comprised 22% of directors working on films appearing at the major film festivals compared to 9% on top grossing films.
  • Women accounted for 19% of writers working on films appearing at festivals but only 12% on top grossing films.
  • Women accounted for 33% of producers working on films appearing at festivals but only 20% of those working on top grossing films.
  • Women comprised 23% of editors working on festival films compared to 17% of those working on top grossing films.
  • Women comprised 9% of directors of photography working on festival films but only 4% of those working on top grossing films.
  • Overall, women comprised a larger percentage of behind-the-scenes workers on documentaries than narrative features.  Of all behind-the-scenes individuals working on documentaries, 29% were female and 71% were male.  Of all behind-the-scenes individuals working on narrative features, 18% were female and 78% were male.

2007

  • In 2007, women only comprised 15% of all directors, executive producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 grossing films.
  • In 2007, only 6% of the top 250 grossing films were directed by women.
  • In 2007, only 5 of the top 50 films starred or were focused on women.

 

TV

2012-13 Season

Women represent 14% of episodic TV directors –  DGA

UK

Women represent on 14% of TV director in the UK for the 2011-12 season – Directors UK

2011-12  Season

  • 11% of caucasian women and only 4% of minority women directed scripted TV episodes. (DGA)

 

  • Women comprised 26% of all creators on broadcast programming.
  • Women made up 25% of executive producers.
  • Women accounted for 38% of producers.
  • Women comprise 30% of the writers.
  • Women made up 11% of directors.
  • Women accounted for 13% of the editors.
  • Women made up 4% of directors of photography.

Stats are from the Center for Study of Women in TV and Film at San Diego State University.

Women writers make up 28 percent of television writers. (WGAW)

BY MELISSA SILVERSTEIN