Hollywood has a reputation as one of the most liberal places in America. The American dream has become a reality for so many people who rise through the filmmaking business—using their talent to find fortune and stardom. Traditionally, we reserve an evening every year for the Academy Awards to honor those who have made significant contributions to the art form over the past year, to recognize their accomplishments with the presentation of an Oscar. Hollywood has produced an abundance of strong women, but the recent Academy Awards ceremony in 2011 reaffirmed that filmmaking remains a male-dominated industry.
The Academy Awards ceremony is always filled with pomp and circumstance but while men in their elegant tuxedos run up to the stage time and time again for their achievements related to the screen, women dripping in diamonds receive the most media attention while strolling the red carpet in couture. This year, out of the 24 categories given by the Academy, 16 of the awards went to men, four were awarded to women working in conjunction with male coworkers, and four were claimed by women working alone: the two awards reserved for actresses, costume design, and foreign film. It should also be noted that when the team of The King’s Speech went up to accept their award for Best Picture, the stage was overwhelmingly dominated by men, again.
Oscars are given to honor those who have reached the highest level of proficiency in their craft, but there are many obstacles standing in the way of women reaching these positions and being recognized for their work. During the ceremony, last year’s winner Kathryn Bigelow presented the Best Director award, and the hosts specifically emphasized her historical role as the first women ever to win that award. That was the 82nd annual Oscars show. The awards have now been in existence for 83 years, and still only one woman has ever won Best Director. Perhaps this is because as of 2010, women directed only 7% of the top 250 grossing films, wrote 10% of those films, made up 24% of all producers, and 2% of all cinematographers. There is a higher presence of women working on independent films shown at festivals, documentaries and in foreign films, but still not nearly as high as men. The director’s chair has a hallowed aura in Hollywood and, apparently, it’s the common attitude that it should be reserved for only male derrieres. As a direct effect of the under representation of women in decision-making positions like screenwriters and directors, critics and feminists alike have noted the portrayal of female characters on screen is plagued by stereotypes. We know that diversity is needed to stimulate the innovation and progress that has earned Hollywood its leadership role in world cinema. To continue making advancements, it is crucial that the industry alters its attitude towards females in the field and let the women’s voice be heard behind the camera.
To all the lady Parkies who are studying to be cinematographers, scriptwriters, or video/audio producers, do not let these factoids get you down! Hollywood needs the wonderful contributions you will be making as long as you persevere and let nothing stand in the way of your career. View this as a call to arms: it may be the Park School of Communications today, but it’ll be the Academy Awards tomorrow.