Something to screen about

To celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, we wanted to shine a light on the women leaving their mark in the creative industries. Here at Natcho, our co-founder Flo Charlton – Creative Director, entrepreneur and feminist – couldn’t help but notice the lack of female colleagues within the industry. As such, we set out to discover why the gender disparity in production is just, well, so large, and what is being done to fix it.

Let’s look at the facts:

·      Three – The number of women who have been awarded the Oscar for Best Director since its inception almost a hundred years ago.

·      The Celluloid Ceiling reported that out of the top grossing films of 2022: “by role women comprised 18% of directors, 19% of writers, 25% of executive producers, 31% of producers, 21% of editors, and 7% of cinematographers” and yet, women make up half the population.

·      While in music, USC Annenberg (2019)’s study concluded that out of 700 songs, only 2.1% of producers were women.

These facts may be stark but they are vital because what we don’t know, we can’t change.  “It is not underrepresentation, it is erasure,” said Stacy Smith in her TED talk, referring to the gender disparity in film as an “epidemic of invisibility.” Storytelling has been our way of establishing the world around us, and our place within it, since the beginning of time and yet, we are missing out on a wealth of perspectives. Consider this, if you’ve grown up primarily watching American films then 95% of every movie you’ve ever seen has been directed by a man Naomi McDougall Jones reported.

Movies matter. When our ideas of who we are and how we fit into society are generated through one small lens (typically that of wealthy, cisgender white man in Hollywood) it creates an unfair bias of women and how women are perceived. Naomi McDougall Jones reported that women who appear on screen are three times more likely than men to be nude or partially nude. While following the release of the films Frozen and The Hunger Games, female participation in archery shot up by 105%. There is no argument here, what we see shapes not only who we become but also how we are seen by others. The power of television and film should not be underestimated.

Women in production exist. There is no a shortage of bad-ass creative women with stories to tell and a strong desire to be part of the action. Evidence tells us that in terms of gender parity, film students in the UK is 50-50. So why are women not being served at a professional level? Sure, systematic sexism may be hard to pin down but we set out to find answers.

“I think it’s because education is an accessible path,” Creative Director Mariella said. “We are sold this idea that if we study at university, we will be successful. However, what nobody teaches us is how to apply what we learn in the real world: how to put ourselves out there, be brave, learn and work in the industry rather than a classroom. Which usually ends up meaning female creative graduates have the knowledge of their craft but no way into industry.”

Change starts behind the screen. So, despite enthusiastic, hopeful and intelligent young female students, barriers still exist. When women are absent from the creative production process our stories are erased too. Women deserve to have our thoughts, ideas and voices heard and it starts with women in production, only then will the portrayal of women on screen start to shift too. Mariella said, “We need women to be behind the lens and part of productions because we need women to be represented. We need their creative ideas, visions and skills to be seen on screen by people – and particularly young people – because they need people to look up to and to believe they can do the same. We also need women telling stories from their perspective. Men have had the whole of history to tell their version of events. Now women need the spotlight and to change up the expectations and stereotypes.” Now is the time to widen the lens.

Nothing worth doing is ever easy. It goes back to that old saying, ‘we need to be seen to be believed’. Chiara said, “It’s important that women are seen in production roles.” By doing this it creates a new normal and “the more young girls all over the world will see it, and then believe that this is a future that is attainable to all.”

A win for one is a win for all. The study Women and the Big Picture found that when there’s a female director or producer, more women get hired in the crew. And so, the more women there are behind the scenes, the more women on the screen. Chiara said, “we need to make a conscious effort to increase diversity and to use women for both in front and behind the camera all over the world. Companies should offer incentives just as they do for green productions.”

Women in production pays. Like really pays. The good news is that, like how women make up 50% of the population we also make up 50% of movie ticket buyers too. But not only is there a demand for us, a study showed that when films are produced by women, profit return on investments are higher and some of the highest grossing films – Sherk, Frozen, Twilight, Wonder Woman – were directed or co-directed by women.

Enough is enough. Sick of the facts and lack of movement, American actress and producer Reese Witherspoon decided to take matters into her own hands. Fed up of reading scripts with no female input into the creative, Reese said her now famous speech at Glamour's Women of the Year Awards that she couldn’t face reading another line where the female character turns to the male and exclaims, ‘what do we do, now?!’ highlighting that this notion of women not knowing was ridiculous. Instead, she turned inward and created her own production company, Pacific Standard and later Hello Sunshine. Its mission was simple – to tell stories about women, by women. Since, it has been a huge success with the Oscar-nominated Gone Girl and Wild, and most recently Where the Crawdads Sing directed by Olivia Newman which grossed  $116 million in 2022.

There is no stopping us now. Looking at the year ahead, 2023 is going to be huge for women in production. From Greta Gerwig’s Barbie to Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society and Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla among others, it is an exciting time to celebrate women in film.

And for those still trying to make waves? “Surround yourself with like-minded women,” says Chiara. Mareilla agrees adding, “Learning from each other is so valuable. Find a community where you can talk freely and comfortably about your aspiration and struggles.” And of course, try to keep the imposter syndrome at bay. “Just keep going because you’re good at what you do,” concludes Gillian.

Take your seat among the crowd. There is not one space for women in film, but many. By supporting and investing in each other, we will continue to open doors. Last week, as Courtney Cox collected her Hollywood Walk of Fame star, she was joined by fellow Friends colleagues, Lisa Kudrow and Jennifer Aniston. Leading by example, Jennifer said, “that actors need to support and love one another, not compete with one another.”

When women are behind the camera, it is a win for us all. It’s time we reclaimed what is ours – complex female characters who are worthy of leading roles with women in the production seats making this happen. There is work that needs to be done for gender disparity within production but one thing still stands; we cannot allow sexism to continue. What can you do? Consider equity. Adopt these practices in your work, aim to hire or represent the world as it around us. As a consumer, be conscious. If we want more projects for and about women, we have to support them. And if you’re a women working in a production – go for it. By seeing women in these leading roles, it creates a new normal and over time the story will change. Together, we can pave the way for others. We couldn’t be more excited for what the future has to offer.