GENDER INEQUALITY AND SCREENWRITERS A study of the impact of gender on equality of opportunity for screenwriters and key creatives in the UK film and television industries Authored By Alexis Kreager with Stephen Follows Introduction Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 4 Foreword ............................................................................................................................................. 4 About the Commissioners ................................................................................................................... 5 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 6 Part One – Film ..................................................................................................................................... 20 1.1 Top-Level Stats ............................................................................................................................ 20 1.1a The Gender of UK Film Writers ............................................................................................. 20 1.1b Representation over Time .................................................................................................... 22 1.2 The Film Industry ........................................................................................................................ 24 1.2a Budgets.................................................................................................................................. 24 1.2b Genres ................................................................................................................................... 26 1.2c The Link between Budget and Genre .................................................................................... 28 1.2d Reviews and Audience .......................................................................................................... 29 1.2e Box Office Revenue ............................................................................................................... 33 1.2f Public Funding ........................................................................................................................ 37 1.3 Other Creatives, Crew and Cast .................................................................................................. 42 1.3a Key Creatives ......................................................................................................................... 42 1.3b Crew ...................................................................................................................................... 43 1.3c The Relation of Department Heads and their Crew .............................................................. 44 1.3d Representation over Time .................................................................................................... 45 1.3e Cast ........................................................................................................................................ 46 Part Two – Television ............................................................................................................................ 48 2.1 Top Level Stats ............................................................................................................................ 48 2.1a Gender of UK Television Writers ........................................................................................... 48 2.1b Representation over time ..................................................................................................... 50 2.2 The Television Industry ............................................................................................................... 51 2.2a Time Slot................................................................................................................................ 51 2.2b Episode Quantity and Continuing Drama Series ................................................................... 54 2.2c Programme Types ................................................................................................................. 57 2.2d Children’s TV ......................................................................................................................... 58 2.3 Broadcasters ............................................................................................................................... 61 2.3a Top Level Findings ................................................................................................................. 61 2.3b By Channel ............................................................................................................................ 63 2.3c Broadcasters in Detail ........................................................................................................... 66 Part Three – Career Progression ........................................................................................................... 69 1 Introduction 3.1 Career Trajectories in Film .......................................................................................................... 69 3.1a Career Progression for Writers ............................................................................................. 69 3.1b Career Progression for Writers by Film Types ...................................................................... 72 3.2 Career Trajectories in Television ................................................................................................. 75 3.2a Career Progression for Writers ............................................................................................. 75 3.2b Career Progression for Writers by Programme Types .......................................................... 78 3.3 The Writer’s Journey ................................................................................................................... 81 3.3a Entering the Industry ............................................................................................................ 83 3.3b Career Development ............................................................................................................. 88 3.3c Advanced Career Progression ............................................................................................... 91 3.3d Summary of Career Progression ........................................................................................... 94 3.4 The difference between Film and Television .............................................................................. 96 3.5 Polling ........................................................................................................................................ 101 Part Four - Analysis and Explanations ................................................................................................. 106 4.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 106 4.2 How Writers are Hired .............................................................................................................. 107 4.3 Explanation One: Personal Preference ..................................................................................... 109 4.3a The Empirical Issue .............................................................................................................. 109 4.3b The Perception Problem ..................................................................................................... 111 4.3c The Broader Problem with Inequality ................................................................................. 112 4.4 Explanation Two: Unconscious Bias .......................................................................................... 114 4.4a Understanding Unconscious Bias ........................................................................................ 114 4.4b The Relation of Experience and Bias ................................................................................... 117 4.4c Classification ........................................................................................................................ 118 4.4d Self-Sustaining Inequality .................................................................................................... 119 4.5 Explanation Three: Systemic Issues .......................................................................................... 121 4.5a Limited Effectiveness of Regulatory Systems ..................................................................... 122 4.5b Decision-Making and the Limitations of the Profit Motive ................................................ 123 4.5c How Systemic Issues define decision-making ..................................................................... 126 Part Five - Potential Solutions ............................................................................................................. 127 5.1 The Justification for Further Action .......................................................................................... 127 5.1a The Impact of the Disparity ................................................................................................. 127 5.1b Outline of Requirements ....................................................................................................