Any other girls on this forum?

I scream like a girl when I see spiders.

There's Spinner... uh... you... uh, Poke (j/k).... hmmm... there's a few others kicking around.

Actually, I believe ZenSteve has a list of female members as is contractually furnished to him as part of the original Indietalk Rico Suave Act-Alike Club.
 
I have a show reel online at www.gloryboxstudios.com , but I'm not a filmmaker more a composer/sound designer/post/mix/master kind of person.

I would love to know why the indie film scene is full of boys and not many girls. it's the same in the music technology/recording industry. The courses I teach on at college and uni (music tech) are almost exclusively to classes of young men. I have no idea why this is... lack of female role models?
 
Not sure Leah...because men like their toys, and want power and money...and the film industry gives them all of that? Not sure...

On the acting end, there are more women then men trying out for roles...so it's not totally true that filmmaking is mostly men. As far as on the more important crew members, it's safe to say there are more men...who knows. Women directors are out there though...two good friends of mine are director/dp's, and their doing great. Plus I know several female editors. On the indie scene in NE, there are a lot of women around, in all roles of the game.

*shrugs*
 
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I’d love to know that, too.

When I crew up I go out of my way to find women and I always end
up with nothing. I find excellent Firsts and, of course,
costumers and makeup, but rarely juicers, camera or editors. And
my two favorite pro editors are women - I’d love to work with a
woman editor.

Could it be lack of role models? Do women really think if they
don’t see a woman doing it, they can’t?
 
directorik said:
Could it be lack of role models? Do women really think if they
don’t see a woman doing it, they can’t?
Click to expand...

Maybe back in the day it might have been difficult for females to get involved in the industry (old hollywood sexism, etc), which could be partly why we don't have any equivalent female Kubricks or John Williams' getting around these days (?) ... after all the feminist movement is still rather young...

I have no ideas why it seems females are less inclined to want to work with technology, electronics, creative toys. It can't be an unwillingness to work in film, we have loads of actresses, writers, artists, costumers, etc. My mind is boggled.

I suppose I shouldn't be complaining, perhaps I have a higher chance of engagement because people like directorik employ a little positive discrimination...
 
Did someone say... ladies?
smiley_creepy.gif


That's all I got. :mope:
 
It's not a film thing, it's an internet thing. Most internet forums are male dominated.
 
I work with a female producer on a regular basis; she's terrific! Her preproduction meetings are lively and productive, her shoots run with militaristic precision on the logistical side allowing the director & talent to be creative, and her post schedules & budgets are realistic. She also treats the crew and talent like gods. I've worked with two female directors as well; they were both serious and professional, and they were able to articulate their sonic desires for their projects in great detail, much more so than most of their male counterparts.
 
There is no argument that women in this business aren’t excellent
at what they do. I just wonder why when I put out a crew call I
get no resumes from women outside of AD, makeup, costumes, art
department and production. I was in special makeup efx for many
years. I can count on one hand the woman I met in that field.
It’s so rare to work with a woman juicer or grip that I can still
remember the names of the ones I’ve worked with.

Alcove, do you see a lot of women as location mixers or boom ops?
And in post audio I so rarely see women that it’s quite a novelty
when I do.

C’mon Spinner. What is your experience? You’re out there working.
Do you see many women doing what you’re doing?
 
:hi:
Hey! I edit! I edit!
I really consider myself to be an editor more than anything which is one of the reasons I want to extend what I know, I should have FCP Motion ordered in about 3 weeks! I'm so excited!

directorik said:
C’mon Spinner. What is your experience? You’re out there working.
Do you see many women doing what you’re doing?
Click to expand...

I personally only know one other woman filmmaker. She did a pretty good doc that made it to local PBS, but now she is turning her focus to narratives. I will be editing her film short once it gets to post. I know and have met a few women screenwriters, but that is about it. Even in tv, I didn't come across many women who wanted to do production, only 3 in my 16 years, one of whom I trained. Most of the women wanted to be producers, anchors or reporters.

Otherwise, I don't know of any women doing what I am doing or attempting to do. In some ways I think its kinda cool. I get to be the non-bimbo girl hanging around the rock bands. :lol: I think that initially I may be seen as a novelty -- african american female doing video for hard rock/heavy metal rock bands, figure that one out -- but I think when they see my work, all that novelty stuff goes out the window. I know that I can do better than what most local bands have on their profile pages or EPKs, so I can kind of back up what I say I can do. (The problem is finding a good price to charge so that both the band and I can comfortably afford to these docs or videos.)

I have found once or twice, not many times, where a couple of production guys didn't want to listen to me. Okay.*shrug* I'm not pushy. I believe that there is always someone out there who knows more than you do, and that being the case I will listen and try to learn something new. But if I think they are wrong, I am pretty good at diplomatically giving my opinion and if I'm wrong fine, if I'm right fine. I have never been a I-told-you-so kind of person, besides if I'm right, you already know, so lets keep going and finish the project.

I do know that I do have to step up and be involved. I can be a shy person, but I learned how to make myself get past that a long time ago. I schlep my own equipment and don't look to the guys to do it for me unless they ask and I usually say no. Its my stuff, I should be able to carry it. NOBODY carries my camera but me (its the heaviest piece of equipment I have) with the exception of going downstairs - I get vertigo, but I don't play that 'girlie' thing because I think if you are in production, you are in production, schlep the equipment with everybody else, business is business. You can't be worried about breaking a nail.

I have had a couple of good role models. I am a big fan of Barbara Kopple. I studied "Harlan County, USA" in college. And there is Penelope Spheris who did "The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years". You don't see them around as much as other filmmakers, but I am taking from both of them in what I do.

I don't know why there are more men than women in this field. On a personal level, I just knew what I wanted to do. I think there is a lack of numbers and a lack of jobs, but not a lack of talent. I don't mind working with the guys, though. I've worked with 'the guys' from the beginning when I was just running the teleprompter in tv news right up to when I became a technical director. After leaving tv news, I am director/editor. I'm still broke:D but I am really hoping that will change and I am trying to put myself into a better position to get my work out there and make some money as well.

I am reminded of an interview with Lemmy of Motorhead when he was asked about women in rock and roll. He said 'the girls can do what they guys can do, they're just graceful'. I kinda like that and I think it can be applied to film as well. Hope this wasn't too long....:)

-- spinner :cool:
 
Hi Leah,

I am a female set constructor, scenic artist, set dresser, and props maker. I actually work closely with a female production designer in the independent film industry of the Bay Area. I have to admit that even though women are making their marks in the film industry, it still does seem to be dominated by males. I say, power to us women though! I hope to soon have an all female shop. (Not to discriminate, but it happened by chance that the team I usually work with, including a spfx artist, are very talented females and we get along so well, in business and friendship.)
 
directorik said:
Alcove, do you see a lot of women as location mixers or boom-ops? And in post audio I so rarely see women that it’s quite a novelty when I do.
Click to expand...
I've worked with one female boom-op and one female 1st AD, lots of PAs. I've only met one woman who does audio post, but communicate with two other gals who are at the top of the audio post food chain. But you are right, they are not as well represented in the highly technical fields.
 
scrappydy said:
Hi Leah,

I am a female set constructor, scenic artist, set dresser, and props maker. I actually work closely with a female production designer in the independent film industry of the Bay Area. I have to admit that even though women are making their marks in the film industry, it still does seem to be dominated by males. I say, power to us women though! I hope to soon have an all female shop. (Not to discriminate, but it happened by chance that the team I usually work with, including a spfx artist, are very talented females and we get along so well, in business and friendship.)
Click to expand...

Yeah! girl power! Cool to hear about your shop :) In my line of work I tend to do things remotely and in solitude, but it's the same in music - not many film composers or sound designers/studio operators out there with vaginas. There are some, but no where near as many as men.

It's perplexing, for sure.
 
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