Even if you do not identify as a female filmmaker, we need your support! Here are some ways everyone can help uplift and champion women creators.
Amanda Miess is a Senior Producer at Little Dot Studios, working across a range of projects. Here, she tells all about how you can support female filmmakers in the industry.
Back in my USC days I studied closely under Dr. Stacy Smith, director of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Stacy has been the disrupter of inequality in the entertainment industry, helping fuel movements with her research. The New York Times recently reported how her team’s latest study has found sustained progress for female directors, because executives are giving them more opportunities. As a female filmmaker, this is exciting news to me. It’s about time a woman’s perspective is not considered a minority perspective (we make up about roughly 50% of the human population for crying out loud!)
That being said, how can the everyday non-Hollywood-mogul help support women filmmakers?
It takes many steps in one’s career to get the chance to be in a creative leadership role of any kind. Production assistant, junior editor, script supervisor or associate producer can all be stepping stones. I remain a firm believer in hiring the best person for the role, but I think it’s important to make sure we are providing practical and purposeful opportunities for women to earn their stripes and build their careers. At Little Dot Studios, our female co-workers formed a new YouTube channel called Created by Women, which showcases amazing original content that has been directed by, written by, or produced by women. This channel has allowed opportunities for women inside and outside of our company to show off creative ideas and gain new skills that they may not have been able to build in their day-to-day roles.
During the pandemic, the number of women leaving the workforce has skyrocketed. Many women are forced to choose between family and career, and the more that entertainment companies can support working parents (and break the stigma that mothers are less productive), the more likely women with families will stay in the workplace. In the industry, that means providing more flexibility with travel, childcare, commuting, paid parental leave, and respecting work-life balance. Giving fathers that flexibility helps mothers too! Seriously, the fact that my husband’s company gives him ample paternity leave and doesn’t question if he has to rush out to pick up the kids gives me so much relief.
Yes, please support the Kathryn Bigelows, Chloe Zhaos and Jane Campions. But also check out the rising rockstars who haven’t been given their big break yet but are making incredible content! Film festivals are a great place to look. YouTube is also chock-full of creative, groundbreaking women. Created by Women showcases a plethora of comedies, dramas, documentaries, pilots, and short films made by up-and-coming female creators.
Women in Film, Women of Color Unite, The Geena Davis Institute, and Women in Media are just a few of the many wonderful organizations that support women in the entertainment industry. But even if you do not identify as a female filmmaker, you can still support these groups! Rather than just being an echo chamber, we desperately need men to also share, promote and champion these initiatives. Anytime a male coworker joins our Created by Women meetings or shares out a video, I get so excited! Just like how women can enjoy content made by men, women want to make many types of content loved by people of all different backgrounds.
This Thought Leadership piece was written by Amanda Miess, Senior Producer at Little Dot Studios.