Register

    DGA Report: TV Directing Opportunities Lacking For Women, Minorities

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments2202 Views
    In this Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 file photo, Paris Barclay attends the LA Premiere Screening of "Sons Of Anarchy" at at TCL Chinese Theatre, in Los Angeles. Directors Guild president Barclay said it can be "shockingly difficult" to persuade those who control industry hiring to make even small improvements. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP, file)

    By Lynn Elber, Television Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    Women and minorities are largely shut out of the ranks of TV series directors in a stubbornly unchanged pattern of hiring, according to a Hollywood guild study released Wednesday.

    The Directors Guild of America report said that employers have made no significant improvement in diversity among TV directors in the last four years.

    White males directed the vast majority of the more than 3,500 cable, broadcast and high-budget online episodes made for the 2013-14 season, according to the study.

    In a statement, Directors Guild President Paris Barclay said it can be "shockingly difficult" to persuade those who control industry hiring to make even small improvements.

    "This should matter to all of us, as a culture, as an industry and as directors," Barclay said. He called on studios, networks, production companies and individual producers to stop making excuses and provide "true equal opportunity."

    A lengthy "worst of" list with shows that hired no or few minority or female directors includes HBO's "Boardwalk Empire," NBC's "Hannibal" and CBS' "The Big Bang Theory." Shows that made the "best" list include BET's "The Game," CBS' "Mike & Molly" and Lifetime's "Drop Dead Diva."

    Major broadcast networks ABC and Fox did not respond to requests for comment, nor did HBO, and NBC declined comment.

    In a statement, CBS said it has demonstrated its commitment to diversity with initiatives across the network and in "all aspects of our business," and it works closely with the guild on the issue.

    "It should be noted this report concerns numbers from the previous season, and we are already seeing an increase for our 2014-2015 season," the network said.

    Last season, 69 percent of all TV episodes were directed by white males, with 17 percent directed by minority males and 12 percent directed by white females, the study found.

    Female directors made no gains in hiring last season compared to the year before.

    A 3 percent increase in the episodes directed by minority males can be attributed to work done by Tyler Perry on three series that he also produces, the guild said.

    Minority females were the least-represented among TV directors, representing only 2 percent of TV series directors.

    Category:News
    Tags:DGA



    Review: Director Ben Taylor’s “Joy”

    Thursday, November 21, 2024

    Toward the end of Netflix's "Joy," the muffled cry of a newborn baby prompts a man and woman in a hospital to embrace out of pure bliss. They aren't the parents, but they had as much to do with the birth as the mom and dad.

    This charming and winning movie charts the decade-long true story of how the world's first IVF baby was born in England in 1978 — a 5-pound, 12-ounce girl who paved the way for millions more. It's an upbeat, very English affair, mixing sober discussion of endometriosis with chocolate biscuits.

    The couple embracing that day were pioneering scientist Robert Edwards and Jean Purdy, a young nurse and embryologist. Together with surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the trio succeeded with in vitro fertilization, a method of treating infertility. Edwards would go on to win the Nobel Prize.

    "Joy" has been birthed at a time when science is under threat in America — even IVF — so it's downright inspiring to see plucky, smart scientists working hard to change the world. "What we're doing, it matters," says Steptoe, played with quiet economy by Bill Nighy.

    "Joy" is the personal stories of the three scientists — mostly through the eyes of Purdy, a polite lab-coated warrior. "If I hear a commotion, I'm not very good at staying out of it," she says. Perfectly played by Thomasin McKenzie, Purdy is both vulnerable and strong, learning through the process to be a better human. James Norton plays Edwards with charm, self-doubt and calm spirit.

    Jack Thorne's script nicely explains the massive pressure the trio faced. IVF may have become common and uncontroversial over the last decades, but back in the late '70s it was experimental and shunned. The Anglican church called it a sin, the newspapers labeled it Frankenstein-ish and other... Read More

    MySHOOT Profiles


    Add A Comment