Don't Just Blame the Men

While women are 52% of the population, they average 25% of the creatives on prime time television.  Yes, that number means a woman has only half the chance of a man of equal ability.  But the numbers as a lump are also deceiving.  Women in power average 20, 24, and 36% as creators, but only 22, 16, 13, and 2% (!!) as hired creatives.  Check the numbers below.  Why aren't the women execs giving women directors, writers, editors and dp's the same odds they have?  Not a pretty picture. Pass these numbers along.

-from "BOXED IN:  Women On Screen and Behind the Scenes in the 2004-05 Prime-time Season" by

Dr. Martha M. Lauzen of San Diego State University

Women comprised 24% of creators.  Seventy five percent (75%) of the programs considered had no women creators.

Women accounted for 20% of executive producers.  Thirty six percent (36%) of the programs considered had no women executive producers.

Women comprised 36% of producers.  Only 8% of the programs considered had no women producers.

YET

Women accounted for 13% of directors.  Eighty nine percent (89%) of the programs considered had no women directors.

Women comprised 22% of writers.  Seventy eight percent (78%) of the programs considered had no women writers.

Women accounted for 16% of editors.  Seventy five percent (75%) of the programs considered had no women editors.

Women comprised 2% of directors of photography.  Ninety eight percent (98%) of the programs considered had no women directors of photography.

In the Office

The Writers Guild of America posted its nominees the the awards this year.

Original screenplay

Cliff Hollingsworth and Akiva Goldsman: "Cinderella Man," story by Hollingsworth

Paul Haggis & Bobby Moresco: "Crash," story by Haggis

Judd Apatow & Steve Carell: "The 40 Year-Old Virgin"

George Clooney & Grant Heslov:  "Good Night, and Good Luck"

Noah Baumbach: "The Squid and the Whale"

Adapted screenplay

Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana: "Brokeback Mountain," based on the short story by Annie Proulx

Dan Futterman: "Capote," based on the book by Gerald Clarke

Jeffrey Caine: "The Constant Gardener," based on the novel by John le Carré

Josh Olson: "A History of Violence," based on the graphic novel by John Wagner and Vince Locke

Stephen Gaghan: "Syriana," based on the book "See No Evil" by Robert Baer

One woman with half a credit.  Where are the women????

Comedies by Women

The Broad Humor Film Festival has been created to find and promote women's humor on the screen.  That means written AND directed by women.  We believe that films have two 

creators.  The writer faces the empty page and puts a story with characters there.  But a screenplay is not a book or even a stage play. The work is not really complete yet.  Even though a stage play needs to be on stage to come alive, the writer has control of time in the way dialogue and action is written.  And comedy is all about timing.  In movies, the director orchestrates events and 'writes' the screen version of a script.  And so, if we want to see what women's humor looks like on the screen, both the writer and the director must be female. 

This may change as the years progress.  But for now, this will be our starting and ending point. Women write.  Women direct.  Everybody laughs.