why are there so few female directors?

ugafan

ugafan

Looking for a woman
with so many women involved in the entertainment industry, why aren't there more female directors?
 
whew. I'm sure there are a TON of reasons but off the top of my head....

For one, I think the primary reason is that for the past century "the biz" has be predominately male. So, in order to make that jump to directing, the boys club is going to hire within.

But, its interesting to really dissect WHY the business as of late is still so male dominated. I actually read a quote by director Mike Figgis who honestly believes one reason is the physical demands it takes to make a movie. Not that a woman can't handle it...but the equipment is very heavy, the work is not glamorous and often times a man is picked to direct because a large crew of men might respond better to a male "boss" due to gender conflicts etc.

Thats as much as I remembered. Though, his logic seemed to make some sense.
 
There can be a zillion reasons, but primarily I think, is that they're just not socially wired to pursue that as a career path, perhaps because a large majority of films these days are made to appeal to young teenage boys so they never develop the same enthusiasm for film that a lot of young men do. I know a lot of men who are rabid, obsessive film fans, but very few women, even the ones I know that went to film school. They exist, just not in great numbers.
 
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As a female director I'd like to chime in. As to the physical demands, I think that's a bunch of crap. When working on a project that is not a low budget indie, the director is not carrying around heavy gear. But, even on indie projects I don't think it's a physical thing - I think it's a perception that comes primarily from men. However, in my experience I have found women tend to be in more of the business side of the industry. Line Producers and Production Managers are often women. When it comes to managing the budget, it's usually (in my experience) a woman. Legal counsel and accountants, Casting departments and some other departments are also typically predominantly female. I've been fortunate to be able to Direct TV shows and promos (and indie film), but often the "bigger" projects go to male counter parts. I think a woman needs to prove herself a little more than a man when getting a foot in the door. Reality TV has started to employ more female directors than "scripted" projects. So atleast that's a start. But, I think it takes longer for a female to get the opportunity to direct than it does a man - so maybe more women move on to do other jobs rather than being passed over time and time again and holding out for the chance. I'm not bitter - atleast I don't think I am - I'm just sharing my experiences. I know I am one of the lucky few. Now I need to run. I'll be interested to see what others think.
 
Antonia Bird is a wonderful director, she was invited to direct Ravenous at the last minute when another director bailed. The performances are excellent.

I think there's a bit of nepitism and sexism involved, but traditionally men have been more agressive and competitive. I think all that is changing.
 
Brandon Rice said:
I think it comes down to the fact that men, in general, are better leaders...
Click to expand...

I don't buy that. Filmmaking is just not as interesting to as many women as it is to men. Go to a film school and count heads. You'll see a disproportionate number of men there. Fewer women even try directing in the first place, so fewer will succeed. Same reason there are fewer minority directors (and I am one of them), as there are fewer aspirants in the first place.
 
I agree. This is quickly turning into a discussion better suited for offline face to face interaction.
 
In a world where words on computer screens actually mean things...
One man has the opportunity to advance or regress all of society with a single post...

A Post Too Far - Directed by Brandon Rice

This film has not been moderated.




:cheesy: :)
 
I think it's a shame there aren't more female directors. I think they, in general, tend to be more in tune with the subtleties of emotion than men, and can be extremely helpful to actors.
 
Terry_Lasater said:
In a world where words on computer screens actually mean things...
One man has the opportunity to advance or regress all of society with a single post...

A Post Too Far - Directed by Brandon Rice

This film has not been moderated.




:cheesy: :)
Click to expand...

HAHA Terry, you rock!

Sorry guys... I'll leave this stuff alone :)
 
I objected more on analytical grounds. Even if men were more effective leaders, it wouldn't fully explain why there aren't more female directors, as being a leader is only one part of being a filmmaker. Anyway, one only need to look at history to see women can be good leaders, although men have certain advantages, like physical size and testosterone, but there are other ways beside intimidation to get people to do what you want.
 
From my experience with a 60+ member film club, I've noted that women don't often volunteer for specific positions. They just ask to help however they can.

Guys are usually stubborn and insist upon what they perceive their strengths to be. I don't think actual physical weakness plays as much as psychological factors. I've met very aggressive women & I think the number is on the rise.

A lot of women love editing and camera work. I think that many women naturally assumed that someone else wanted to direct so they weren't quite as stubborn about the position. This gives them less experience on the whole, and psychologically might make them think they wouldn't be good at it. I think many women would excell if they were just aggressive.
 
Batutta said:
Go to a film school and count heads. You'll see a disproportionate number of men there.
Click to expand...

At my school, this was not true. But I am thoroughly convinced that this is because of an unofficial affirmative action admissions policy, and not because of any great shift on the whole. It was interesting to observe, because the females in my program fell into two basic categories: ones that were absolutely driven and passionate and idea-filled, because they were aware of how hard the fight would be, and then the ones who really had no passion about the work, and could have been any sort of liberal arts major. A few even transferred out, which is not something a guy in this program ever did, in my experience.

That said, I agree it's a shame. There aren't very many female directors I can name, but the few I can think of I really like: Sofia Coppola, Penelope Spheeris, Amy Heckerling, etc.

On the other hand, it's nice to think that there are SWARMS of female directors, minority directors, disabled directors, all making movies that someone, somewhere loves. Do I ever need to know who's behind the face of these films? No, not really. Maybe I've seen dozens of excellent movies by obscure women directors, and just don't know it. It's probably not true, but it's a sort of comforting thought.
 
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