A study by Martha M. Lauzen, a professor and executive director of the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, found that in 2022, women comprised 24 percent of directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 250 grossing films. This represents a decline of 1 percentage point from 2021.
Women comprised 18 percent of directors, 19 percent of writers, 25 percent of executive producers, 31 percent of producers, 21 percent of editors, and 7 percent of cinematographers on the top 250 films. Thus, in 2022, 93 percent of the top 250 films had no women cinematographers, 91 percent had no women composers, 80 percent had no women directors, 75 percent had no women editors, and 70 percent had no women writers.
In 2022, the majority of the top 250 films employed 0 to 4 women in the behind-the-scene roles considered.
Films with at least one woman director employed substantially more women in other key behind-the-scenes roles than films with exclusively male directors. On films with at least one woman director, women comprised 53 percent of writers, 39 percent of editors, 19 percent of cinematographers, and 18 percent of composers. On films with male directors, women accounted for 12 percent of writers, 19 percent of editors, 4 percent of cinematographers, and 6 percent of composers.
Dr. Lauzen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Iowa. She earned a doctoral degree at the University of Maryland.