To All My Girls Out There

Once upon a time there was a college student who loved being behind the scenes. Filming, editing, directing, creating. They felt they had “an eye” for these types of things. This person was excited about the industry and saw great potential for the future of television and film. As one does in this field, to earn their stripes, they lugged around equipment, rolled a cart full of gear and loaded the television station van daily for their assignments. They transcribed interviews, logged daily reels and observed their mentors. Eventually, this person had the opportunity to “run the show”… to really have a say in how video was created. Meeting clients, checking shots, capturing the best light, making sure the story they wanted to share was perfect.

Spoiler alert: this person was me. A girl. A female in the film and television industry. Girl dreams, girl works, girl achieves. Seems normal, right?

But, did you know that last year, 2018, is the first time a woman has ever been nominated for the Academy Award for cinematography: Rachel Morrison for Mudbound. A female Director has taken home an Oscar only once: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010. And according to the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film, in the top 100 grossing films of 2017, only 8% were directed by women, 10% written by women, 24% produced by women, and 14% edited by women.

It pains me to see these low numbers. There should be more! There are more! I know they are out there… I went to school with them, I studied under them, I look up to them! But now, with the social media revolution we live in and the handiness of our smartphones… I have to believe the future holds hope for the idea that women with “an eye” for video are about to take over the world. Encourage little girls to follow their dreams of making movie magic. It may seem like we are late to the game, but we are just getting started! Mark my words and get ready… here come the ladies!

Now hand me a camera, a strong coffee and turn on the studio lights… it’s time to get to work!