Hi class,
To understand where we are in history, you have to also understand where we have come from. I want you to have a look at the link below and the excerpt included.
Write a few brief points in a Canva presentation that highlights some of the history and gives context to the current social climate of the Me Too movement and the like.
https://www.womensmediacenter.com/fbomb/the-history-and-future-of-women-in-film
1. Read this short except from a website explaining the history of women in film and make a few key notes;
History of Women in Film
Women were critical to the film industry in its beginnings, as evidenced by many of the remarkable women who were pioneers of the medium. Guy-Blaché, Mary Pickford (co-founder) of United Artists), Clara Kimball Young, and many other women directed, produced, and created films in the early twentieth century.
However, with the advent of “talkies,” the film industry was viewed more as a business and less as an art, and jobs were largely seen as men’s domain. In fact, when sound was introduced to film, with regard to directing, Lois Weber advised women, “Don’t try it. You’ll never get away with it.” From the late 1920s until 1982, Universal Studios did not credit a female director. Amy Heckerling was the first director from Universal to receive credit after that period for Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
Even roles for female actors became less prevalent during this period with the introduction of the Motion Picture Production Code by Will H. Hays. This code set boundaries regarding what was deemed “appropriate” and excluded such depictions as suggestive nudity, childbirth (even in silhouette), seduction, and more. Many roles for women were subsequently excluded or reduced. The Hays Code came to an end in 1968 but had a lasting impact.
Even today, women are underrepresented in the film industry, working in just 17 percent of behind-the-scenes roles between 2015-2016, according to a 2017 Women’s Media Center report. The report further finds that of the top 250 films made during this period, 92 percent had no female directors. Furthermore, in 2019, women received just 25 percent of Academy Award nominations in non-gender-specific categories.
