DID YOU KNOW?
3:1 – in the top 100 films of 2017, male protagonists outnumbered female protagonists three to one
2:1 – male characters appear on screen and speak twice as much as female characters
4:1 – of those female characters, well over half were dressed in "sexy attire" or appeared at least partially nude compared to 15 per cent of men
75 years – these numbers haven't changed significantly since the end of the Second World War
5:1 – men outnumber women in key production roles by five to one, while women account for only seven per cent of directors, 13 per cent of writers, 24 per cent of producers and five per cent of cinematographers
50% – films with at least one female writer have 50 per cent more female characters on screen
2:1 – only 20 per cent of films with all-male creative teams had female protagonists, as opposed to 45 per cent of films with at least one woman writer or director
– Courtesy of GIFT – Girls in Film and Television
Looking forward to Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Cats or Bombshell? These blockbuster movies set to come out in the next few weeks have a few things in common: female protagonists and male directors.
It’s a bit of an anomaly since the overwhelming majority of major releases are written, directed, produced by and star men.
“Obviously we need to create more opportunities, it's not an even playing field ... we also need to put cameras in little girls' hands and get them to tell stories and increase their confidence so that they can feel powerful,” Nicole Kidman stated, as quoted on the homepage for GIFT.
Girls in Film and Television is hoping to change this up in a big way so more and more women get behind the camera, and in front of the camera, to tell their stories their way. GIFT has a Feature Film program starting up on Jan. 7 that organizers are hoping to sign up 20 young women for.
“We're going to learn writing, production, camera, audio, lighting, directing, editing, and then the kids are going to shoot a little, just a little short scene. They’ll actually get their hands on it. That brings us into our February curriculum where we're going to actually have department heads that work in film and television in Edmonton come in and speak specifically and do demonstrations and hands-on,” said director of operations Elise Graham.
The program continues throughout the year, leading into the summer season when they shoot a feature-length film. It does mean some personal sacrifice, Graham said, but the rewards are phenomenal.
“On the one hand, you have to give up your whole July. On the other hand, to be on a film set is one of the most amazing experiences that I've ever had and that a kid could ever have, especially if you're interested in this as a career. They will be more than a full head and shoulders above everybody else for post-secondary. Everyone is clamoring to get a little bit of set experience,” she continued.
“One of our kids that took the class in Grande Prairie is going to NAIT and I have gotten her on a weekend set as a camera assistant, which ... as a student, you would kill for that kind of experience, but because I'm very well connected to other women in the industry who really believe in what GIFT is doing, they're very willing to give these kids the opportunity to come onto a set and help.”
Graham herself is one of the instructors and she’s well qualified with more than 15 years of experience on such great, award-winning projects as CAUTION: May Contain Nuts, Blackstone and Tiny Plastic Men. Joining her on the teaching staff are producer Camille Beaudoin, actor Chantal Perron, director/cinematographer Tamarra Canu, editor Krystal Moss, screenwriter/producer Marlene Rodgers, among several others. This faculty, she noted, is savvy and motivated to lead their students into the exciting and important world of cinema and media production.
Telling more female stories on screen can change the world, Graham said.
“We all feel it in Edmonton and Alberta. It definitely persists worldwide, this gender disparity, but it's something that we can address at the youth level. If you don't show kids what they can do, then they have no idea what they're capable of. That's why all of our instructors are female. The Geena Davis Institute says, ‘if she can see it, she can be it,’ and I truly believe that. It's not ‘you can be the male version of me.’ It's ‘you can be me.’”
The cost for the Feature Film class is $800 and can be payable in installments. Pre-registration is open with no payment due at girlsinfilmtv.com/feature-film-program.
