The Celluloid Ceiling: of percentages from 2016 with figures

dating from 1998. The second section

Behind-the-Scenes provides the numbers for the top 100
Employment of Women on films, comparing this years figures with
the Top 100, 250, and 500 those from 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and
2015. The third section includes
Films of 2016 employment figures for the top 500
films, and offers analyses of important
by Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D. relationships between women directors
and those working in other key behind-
Copyright 2017 All rights reserved. the-scenes roles, such as writers and
_________________________________ editors.
The Celluloid Ceiling has tracked womens
employment on top grossing films for the last 19
years. It is the longest-running and most Figure 1.
comprehensive study of womens behind-the- Historical Comparison of Percentages of
scenes employment in film available. This annual Behind-the-Scenes Women on Top 250
study is sponsored by the Center for the Study of Films
Women in Television and Film, San Diego State
University, San Diego, CA 92182,
http://womenintvfilm.sdsu.edu,
lauzen@mail.sdsu.edu
17
2016
83
In 2016, women comprised 17% of all
directors, writers, producers, executive
producers, editors, and cinematographers
19
working on the top 250 domestic 2015
grossing films. This represents a decline 81
of 2 percentage points from last year and
is even with the percentage achieved in
1998 (see Figure 1). 17
2005 Women
Women accounted for 7% of directors, 83
Men
down 2 percentage points from 9% in
2015 and 1998. Last year, 92% of films
had no female directors. 19
2001
81
Traditionally, this study has tracked
womens employment on the top 250
grossing films (foreign films and
reissues omitted). Last year, the study 17
1998
added analyses of females working on 83
the top 100 and 500 films. The results
are divided into three major sections.
The first section reports the findings for 0 50 100
the top 250 films, offering comparisons

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 1

Findings / Top 250 Films Figure 2.
Historical Comparison of Percentages of
This section analyzes the behind-the- Women Employed Behind the Scenes on
scenes employment of 3,212 individuals Top 250 Films by Role
working on the top 250 domestic
grossing films of 2016.
7
Women fared best as producers (24%), Director 9
7
followed by editors (17%), executive 9
producers (17%), writers (13%),
directors (7%), and cinematographers 13
(5%). Writer 11
10
13
In 2016, slightly over one-third or
35% of films employed 0 or 1 woman in 17
the roles considered. 52% of films Exec. Producer 20
employed 2 to 5 women, 11% employed 16 2016
18
6 to 9 women, and 2% employed 10 or 2015
more women. In contrast, 2% of films
24 2006
employed 0 or 1 man in the roles 26
Producer 1998
considered, 3% employed 2 to 5 men, 20
19% employed 6 to 9 men, and the 24
remaining majority (76%) employed 10
or more men. 17
Editor 22
21
A historical comparison of womens 20
employment on the top 250 films in
2016 and 1998 reveals that the 5
Cinematog. 6
percentage of cinematographers has 2
increased slightly. The percentages of 4
writers and producers have remained the
same, and the percentages of women 0 10 20 30
directors, executive producers, and
editors have declined (see Figure 2).
This represents a decline of 2 percentage
A comparison of womens employment points from 2015 and 1998. Ninety two
on the top 250 films in 2016 and 2015 percent (92%) of the films had no female
reveals that the percentage of women directors (see Figure 3).
writers increased slightly. The
percentages of women directors, Women accounted for 13% of writers
producers, executive producers, editors, working on the top 250 films of 2016.
and cinematographers declined. This represents an increase of 2
percentage points from 2015 and is even
Women comprised 7% of all directors with the figure from 1998. Seventy
working on the top 250 films of 2016. seven percent (77%) of the films had no
female writers.

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 2

 Figure 3.
Percentages of Top 250 Films with No Women were most likely to work in the
Women in Roles Considered documentary and drama genres,
accounting for 24% and 20% of
individuals working on these films
92% had no women directors respectively. Women were least likely
77% had no women writers to work in the action and horror genres,
58% had no women exec. producers accounting for 11% and 12% of those
34% had no women producers
working on these films respectively.
79% had no women editors
96% had no women cinematographers
Composers, Supervising Sound Editors,
Over one-third or 35% of films had no and Sound Designers
or 1 woman in the above roles
_______________________________ This section reports employment
figures for 535 individuals working as
Women comprised 17% of all executive composers, supervising sound editors,
producers working on the top 250 films and sound designers on the top 250
of 2016. This represents a decline of 3 domestic grossing films of 2016.
percentage points from 2015 and a
decline of 1 percentage point from 1998. Women comprised 3% of composers
Fifty eight percent (58%) of the films working on the top 250 grossing films of
had no female executive producers. 2016. This represents an increase of 1
percentage point from 2% in 2015 (see
Women accounted for 24% of all Figure 4). Ninety seven percent (97%)
producers working on the top 250 films of films had no female composers in
of 2016. This represents a decline of 2 2016.
percentage points from 2015 and is even
with the percentage from 1998. Thirty Women accounted for 8% of
four percent (34%) of the films had no supervising sound editors working on
female producers. the top 250 films of 2016. This
represents an increase of 3 percentage
Women comprised 17% of all editors points from 2014. Ninety three percent
working on the top 250 films of 2016. (93%) of films had no female
This represents a decrease of 5 supervising sound editors.
percentage points from 2015 and a
decrease of 3 percentage points from Women comprised 4% of sound
1998. Seventy nine percent (79%) of the designers working on the top 250
films had no female editors. grossing films of 2016. This represents
a decline of 1 percentage point from
Women accounted for 5% of all 2014. Ninety seven percent (97%) of
cinematographers working on the top films had no female sound designers.
250 films of 2016. This represents a
decline of 1 percentage point from 2015
and an increase of 1 percentage point
from 1998. Ninety six percent (96%) of
the films had no female
cinematographers.

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 3

 Figure 4. Figure 5 provides a historical
Recent Historical Representation of comparison of the 2016 figures with
Women and Men as Composers those from 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and
2015. When comparing the most recent
figures for 2016 with 2015, the
percentages of women directors,
3 producers, executive producers, and
2016
97 editors have declined, while the
percentages of women writers and
cinematographers have remained the
2
2015 same.
98
Women Figure 5.
Men Historical Comparison of Percentages of
1
2014 Women Employed Behind the Scenes on
99
Top 100 Films by Role*

2
2013 4
98 7
Director 2
7
2
0 50 100 150 1
11
11
Writer 10
14
7
Findings / Top 100 Films 10
13
18 2016
This section considers the behind-the- Exec. Producer 14
scenes employment of 1,579 individuals 14 2015
11
working on the top 100 domestic 4
2010
grossing films (foreign films and 19
22 2000
reissues omitted) of 2016. Producer 20
24 1990
19
9
Overall, women accounted for 14% of 1980
all directors, writers, executive 14
20
producers, producers, editors, and Editor 20
14
cinematographers working on the top 15
8
100 films. This represents a decline of 2
percentage points from 16% in 2015. 3
3
Cinematographer 0
1
Women fared best as producers (19%), 0
1
followed by editors (14%), executive
producers (13%), writers (11%), 0 10 20 30
directors (4%), and cinematographers *Note that relatively minor fluctuations in the
(3%). numbers affect this sample to a greater extent
than the other samples included in this report
due to its smaller size.

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 4

Women comprised 4% of directors Figure 6.
working on the top 100 films of 2016. Comparison of Percentages of Women
This represents a decline of 3 percentage Working in Key Behind-the-Scenes Roles
points from 2015. on the Top 100, 250, and 500 Domestic
Grossing Films of 2016
Women accounted for 11% of writers
working on the top 100 films of 2016.
This represents no change from 2015.
4
Director 7
Women comprised 13% of executive
11
producers working on the top 100 films
of 2016. This represents a decline of 5
percentage points from 2015. 11
Writer 13
Women accounted for 19% of 14
producers working on the top 100 films
of 2016. This represents a decline of 3
percentage points from 2015. 13
Exec. Producer 17
Women comprised 14% of editors 19
Top 100
working on the top 100 films of 2016.
Top 250
This represents a decline of 6 percentage 19
points from 2015. Top 500
Producer 24
25
Women accounted for 3% of
cinematographers working on the top
100 films of 2016. This represents no 14
change from 2015. Editor 17
20

Findings / Top 500 Films 3

This section analyzes behind-the- Cinematog. 5
scenes employment of 4,638 7
individuals working on the top 500
domestic grossing films (foreign films 0 10 20 30
and reissues omitted) of 2016.

Overall, women accounted for 19% of executive producers (19%), writers

all directors, writers, executive
producers, producers, editors, and
cinematographers working on the top
500 films. This represents a decline of
2 percentage points from 2015.
Women fared best as producers
(25%), followed by editors (20%),
(14%), directors (11%), and
cinematographers (7%).
Women comprised 11% of directors
working on the top 500 films of 2016,
compared with 7% on the top 250 and
4% on the top 100 films (see Figure
6).

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 5

Women accounted for 14% of writers Figure 7.
working on the top 500 films of 2016, Comparison of Percentages of Women
compared with 13% on the top 250 Working on Films with at Least One
and 11% on the top 100 films. Female Director vs. with Exclusively
Male Directors
Women comprised 19% of executive
producers working on the top 500
films of 2016, compared with 17% on
the top 250 and 13% on the top 100 9
Writer
films. 64

Women accounted for 25% of

producers working on the top 500 17
Editor Exclusively
films of 2016, compared with 24% on 43 male
the top 250 and 19% on the top 100 directors
films. 6 At least one
Cinematog. female
16
Women comprised 20% of editors director
working on the top 500 films of 2016,
compared with 17% on the top 250 3
Composer
and 14% on the top 100 films. 6

Women accounted for 7% of

cinematographers working on the top
500 films of 2016, compared with 5%
on the top 250 and 3% on the top 100
films.
Top 500 Films/Comparison of Films
with at Least One Female Director vs.
Films with Exclusively Male Directors
Films with at least one female
director employed greater
percentages of women working as
writers, editors, cinematographers,
and composers than films with
exclusively male directors.
On films with at least one female
director, women comprised 64% of
writers. On films with exclusively
male directors, women accounted for
9% of writers (see Figure 7).
0 50 100
On films with at least one female
director, women comprised 43% of
editors. On films with exclusively
male directors, women accounted for
17% of editors.
On films with at least one female
director, women comprised 16% of
cinematographers. On films with
exclusively male directors, women
accounted for 6% of
cinematographers.
On films with at least one female
director, women comprised 6% of
composers. On films with exclusively
male directors, women accounted for
3% of composers.
Figures contained in this report are based on
numbers obtained from Box Office Mojo,
January 2, 2017.

2016 Celluloid Ceiling 6