Skillset/UK Film Council Feature Film Production Workforce Survey 2008

2.2 Gender

As shown in Table 2.2.1, there was an improved gender balance among respondents than in the 2005 survey report, although women were still under-represented in the film production workforce compared with the UK workforce as a whole (Labour Force Survey data indicate that 46% of all workers in the UK economy are women). The film industry gender distribution is broadly similar to that of the wider UK audio visual industry (62% men and 38% women) as reported in the 2005 Survey of the Audio Visual Industries’ Workforce.

Table 2.2.1 Gender

2.2.1 Gender by occupational group

Figure 2.2.1 shows broadly different patterns in the gender split across occupational groups, although due to small numbers in each sub-group they may not all be statistically significant.

As was found in the 2005 survey report, there were almost no women in the camera, sound/ electrical and construction departments, while the vast majority of those working in make-up and hairdressing were women. However, there were some notable differences in 2007: the proportion of male assistant directors fell from 74% in 2005 to 61% in 2007, as did the proportion of art/set decorating/props (from 68% to 55%). In 2005 there were no female respondents in sound/electrical compared with 5% in 2007.

The proportion of female respondents in the camera department also increased modestly, from 9% in 2005 to 15% in 2007. As in 2005, there were more women than men working in costume and production or script development.

The proportion of men in the costume department fell from 30% in 2005 to 20% in 2007, but increased in editing/ post-production/VFX (from 58% in 2005 to 74% in 2007). It is obviously too early to say if this is part of a trend in improving the gender balance in these occupational groups, or the result of short-term fluctuations.

Figure 2.2.1 Gender by occupational group