Go Into The Story Interviews: Women Writers
Yesterday UCLA put out a 36 page document called “2014 Hollywood Diversity Report: Making Sense of the Disconnect” (you can download the PDF here). Not hard to project that the numbers are abysmal. For example:
* Minorities underrepresented by a factor of more than 3 to 1 among lead roles in films.
* Women underrepresented by a factor of more than 2 to 1 among lead roles in films.
* More than half the films had casts that were 10% minorities or less.
* Women less likely than minorities to be film directors.
Not a pretty picture. To contribute to the conversation occurring real time on Twitter about the report, I tweeted this:
You may remember the analysis we did last year which found that 1 out of every 8 spec script sales from 1991 to 2012 were women writers. I received a few Tweets afterward like this:
Here is one thing we in the Black List community are already doing about it: I am featuring as many interviews with women writers as I can. Indeed, here are links to some of those interviews:
Nikole Beckwith: 2012 Black List, 2012 Nicholl winner for her script Stockholm, Pennsylvania.
Laura Colella: Writer-director [Breakfast with Curtis].
Ava DuVernay: Screenwriter-Director, I Will Follow, Middle of Nowhere.
Liz W. Garcia: TV writer-producer (Dawson’s Creek, Wonderfalls, Cold Case) and writer-director (The Lifeguard).
Julia Hart: 2012 Black List for her screenplay The Keeping Room.
Kelly Marcel: Wrote the movie Saving Mr. Banks (2010 Black List script).
Debbie Moon: Created the U.K. TV series “Wolfblood”.
Ashleigh Powell: Wrote and sold 2012 Black List script Somacell.
Barbara Stepansky: 2013 Black List, 2013 Nicholl Fellowship winner for her screenplay Sugar in My Veins.
Jim Stansberry and Annika Tuneld: Writing duo from the U.S. and Sweden who wrote and sold spec script Wildflowers.
Plus industry insiders:
Mary Coleman: Head of Pixar’s story department.
Mynette Louie: Independent film producer (Children of Invention, California Solo, Cold Comes the Night).
D.C. Mar: Long-time script reader and story analyst.
Future interviews:
Stephany Folsom: Wrote 1969: A Space Odyssey or How Kubrick Learned to Stop Worrying and Land on the Moon (2013 Black List).
Lisa Joy: Sold spec script Reminiscence (2013 Black List), co-writing pilot for HBO series “Westworld”.
Stephanie Shannon: Wrote Queen of Hearts (2013 Black List, 2013 Nicholl Fellowship).
Kiwi Smith and Karen McCullah Lutz: Wrote 10 Things I Hate About You, Legally Blonde, Ella Enchanted, She’s the Man, The House Bunny, and The Ugly Truth.
I have also featured these women writers in the How They Write A Script series:
Allen, Jay Presson (Marnie, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, A Star is Born)
Brackett, Leigh (The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back)
Cody, Diablo (Juno, Jennifer’s Body, United States of Tara)
Meyers, Nancy (Baby Boom, Something’s Gotta Give, It’s Complicated)
Phelan, Anna Hamilton (Mask, Gorillas in the Mist, Girl Interrupted)
In other words, I am trying as best I can given my contacts in the screenwriting world and the constant crush of time constraints to give voice to as many women and minority writers as possible through these interviews.
In addition, the Black List has announced diversity initiatives with TNT & TBS and Warner Bros. with other potential offerings in the works.
Another promising development just gone public yesterday: Gary Sanchez producer Jessica Elbaum launches new label for women comedies.
Each of us needs to do what we can to promote diversity in film and TV. Indeed, that is one of the major reasons I was excited to partner with the Black List because Franklin Leonard and I share a similar vision: We want more, different and better voices represented in the ranks of writers in Hollywood.
To that end, if anyone reading this is or knows a woman writer or writer of color actively working in Hollywood who has had movies or TV series produced, sold notable spec scripts, made the Black List or won a Nicholl Fellowship, please contact me to discuss the possibility of doing an interview.
Additionally if there are women writers or minority writers you find particularly inspiring, note their names in comments and I will do what I can to reach out to them.
In Hollywood, image may not be everything, but it is close. The more we push visuals and words that feature writers and filmmakers of all genders and races, hopefully that will translate into changing perceptions on the part of people who are doing the hiring.
If anyone has other suggestions for what I can do in this forum to promote more diversity in Hollywood, feel free to post something in comments or email me.
As @MysteryExec says: Be the change.
UPDATE: An LAT article today on the UCLA report.
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