Wednesday, June 26, 2013

If You Plan To Read This, Have Your Prozac Ready.

Study shows that that woman have better luck
selling books than film spec scripts 
Did you hear the latest statistic regarding women in Hollywood? I saw it in The Wrap on Friday --  "Spexism - Sales Of Female-Penned Specs Hits New Low."  Of recent sales of spec scripts, women make up a smaller percentage of those sales than any time in the last two decades.  For the record, I want you all to know that I really do try to find positive "Women in Hollywood" news to share with you. But in the months since I started blogging for Broad Humor, I've been struck time after time with disappointing statistics regarding women in this industry. What shocks me is that the poor showing isn't just in one given discipline or genre -- it's across the board. The numbers are even more shocking when I consider the fact that I meet women, both young and old, who are every bit as talented, passionate, skilled, bright, funny, and knowledgeable as the guys, young or old, that I meet. In my opinion, the poor numbers are in no way a representation of the level of talent women in this town possess. So what gives?  Why aren't women shining in Hollywood? For writers, it's not because we women can't tell a story. You only have to look as far as the ratio of men to women writers on the New York Time Best Sellers List to prove it. As The Wrap article states, that ratio is 1:1. Equal for men and women. Since this list is based on sales, this is proof that women writers can bring eyeballs to the page just as well as male writers can. So it stands to reason that women screenwriters could bring butts to the seat as well as their male counterparts -- if given the chance. Note to the industry: women just want to help you succeed and make money.  Help us. Help you. 


Please share any positive news you have about women in Hollywood or your thoughts on why the state of employment (or underemployment) is what it is for women in this industry. Look forward to your comments!
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5 comments:

  1. Destri10:31 PM

    Here's a bit of good news- one very prominent (mystery) exec on Twitter has committed to making the film industry more open to women writers, directors and women's stories. Here's a rundown of some of his/her passionate tweets: http://bit.ly/17eumln

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    Replies
    1. Kathy Fischer8:59 AM

      Thank you!! My cloud is lifting...Go Broads!

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  2. Shaula Evans10:59 PM

    Hi, Kathy. Just to share the provenance, The Wrap picked that story up from Go Into the Story. Susana Orozco did the analysis on data compiled by Scott Myers, and Terry Huang of the Black List created the infographic.

    Access is of EXTRAORDINARY importance to everyone in the Black List family. The gender and spec market study was just the beginning (our look at that subject wasn’t done without reason).

    We had a big discussion a while ago at The Black Board about why women and other groups are under-represented in screenwriting and what we can do about it, which include links to some GREAT resources including the recent study on women in film by Sundance and USC--that's a good start to answering "what gives".

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  3. Kathy Fischer9:22 AM

    Thank you!! This is a gold mine of juicy links and thought-provoking information. Love it!

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  4. Shaula Evans10:52 PM

    Thank YOU for running with the story. Raising awareness of the realities that women screenwriters deal with is important. It's great to have your support in the conversation.

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