The Celluloid Ceiling:

Behind-the-Scenes Employment of Women

on the Top 250 Films of 2007

by Martha M. Lauzen, Ph.D.

Copyright  ©  2008 – All rights reserved.

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In 2007, women comprised 15% of all directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers, and editors working on the top 250 domestic grossing films.  This represents a decline of 2 percentage points from 1998 and represents no change from 2006 (see Figure 1).

Women accounted for 6% of directors in 2007, a decline of one percentage point since 2006. This figure is almost half the percentage of women directors working in 2000 when women accounted for 11% of all directors.

The following summary provides employment figures for 2007 and compares the most recent statistics with those from the last 10 years.

Findings

• This study analyzed behind-the-scenes employment of 2,883 individuals working on the top 250 domestic grossing films (foreign films omitted) of 2007 with combined domestic box office grosses of approximately $9.3 billion.

• Twenty one percent (21%) of the films released in 2007 employed no women directors, executive producers, producers,

  writers, cinematographers, or editors.  No films failed to employ a man in at least one of these roles.

    

Figure 1.

Historical Comparison of Percentages of Women Employed in Key Behind-the-Scenes Roles*

*includes directors, writers, executive producers, producers, editors, and cinematographers

• A historical comparison of women’s employment on the top 250 films in 2007 and 1998 reveals that the percentage of women in every role considered has declined (see Figure 2).

• Women comprised 6% of all directors working on the top 250 films of 2007. Ninety four percent (94%) of the films had no female directors (see Figure 3).

Figure 2.

Historical Comparison of Percentages of Women Employed Behind the Scenes on Top 250 Films by Role

• Women accounted for 10% of writers working on the top 250 films of 2007. Eighty two percent (82%) of the films had no female writers.

• Women comprised 14% of all executive producers working on the top 250 films of 2007 (see Figure 3).   Sixty seven percent (67%) of the films had no female executive producers. 

• Women accounted for 22% of all producers working on the top 250 films of 2007.  Thirty seven percent (37%) of the films had no female producers.

• Women accounted for 17% of all editors working on the top 250 films of 2007.  Seventy nine percent (79%) of the films had no female editors.

Figure 3.

Comparison of Percentages of Women and Men Employed on Top 250 Films of 2007

• Women comprised 2% of all cinematographers working on the top 250 films of 2007. Ninety eight percent (98%) of the films had no female cinematographers. 

• By genre, women were most likely to work on romantic comedies, romantic dramas, and documentaries and least likely to work on science fiction, action-adventure, and horror features.

Report compiled by Dr. Martha M. Lauzen, Director, Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, 92182, 619.594.6301