Gender inequality in film is one of those topics that can be difficult for some to talk about, but given the massive disparity between the numbers of males and females in the industry, the subject deserves our attention. In light of the enormous success of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The New York Film Academy decided to take a closer look at the participation, wages, and depictions of women in film and have put together an infographic that illustrates their research's findings.
According to NYFA, they pulled their information from a myriad of sources, but the bulk came from a USC gender inequality study, as well as a study conducted by Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D. The focus of these studies were on several areas regarding female participation in film, including employment, prevalence, and portrayal.
These are interesting areas of investigation, because they allow the picture to become clearer not just of women working on set as directors, writers, editors, and cinematographers, but also of how women are portrayed on the screen compared to males. It widens our view to better contextualize the information given.
Check out NYFA's infographic below:
[Editor's note: the infographic has been removed.]
Yes, there are fewer women working in Hollywood than men. Yes, there is more female participation in independent film. Yes, actresses are more sexualized on-screen than their male counterparts. Yes, there are notable female filmmakers that do highly respectable work. We've known these things for quite some time based off of similar studies, and before we get into the endless debate over whose fault it is, let's just marinate in the numbers for a while. These studies aren't here to place blame or point fingers, but to inform and, dare I say, inspire.
Thanks to New York Film Academy for sharing their research with us!
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.
