So before everyone thinks this is one of those things where I sit behind my computer and rant about inequality and quote 'He for She' speeches by Emma Watson ... it isn't.
I went to see 'Pitch Perfect 2' last night and it was brilliant, I have a whole load of things to say about it, but for now I want to talk about it's writer!
Kay Cannon already has an impressive set of credits under her belt - 'New Girl' '30 Rock' and 'Pitch Perfect' 1 & 2. She is just one of many women really taking charge of their careers and trying to turn things around in such a male dominated industry.
'Pitch Perfect' is without doubt a female driven movie - ten principle lead roles, director, writer and a producer and the only problem with this is that it's something that is unusual and worth a double take. We shouldn't be looking at a movie like this and being surprised at what women can do, we should already have embraced that and be opening the industry up to more of it.
In an industry where only 15% of writers and 9% of directors are female it is clear that something has to change. Women are proving over and over again that they can carry movies, can direct and produce as well as any man and are able to really bring something to the table and yet it seems that the numbers just aren't going up.
People like Kay Cannon, Tina Fey and Elizabeth Banks have been leading the charge for a while, their ranks are growing steadily with the likes of Lena Dunham who was the first woman to win a Directors Guild Award for Outstanding Director in a Comedy, Jenji Kohan - writer and creator of 'Weeds' and 'Orange is the New Black', Anna Kendrick who over and over again spits in the face of inequality and Kathryn Bigelow who is the only female director to win an Academy Award and this is just naming a few.
It's creations like 'Pitch Perfect' and 'Orange is the New Black' that really highlight everything that is going right for women in this industry, these are completely female drive productions and the reactions they receive are nothing short of incredible. These aren't little indie productions that no one is interested in, these are big budget, mainstream and hugely popular so it begs the question as to why more isn't happening.
I think it's really important to highlight women in this industry, even just on a tiny little blog like this. I really believe that we have so much more to offer and it's just a case of the opportunities being created. I know so many incredible women looking for a way in to the entertainment industry and I like to think that by the time we get there it'll be a slightly more equal environment due to the women already there!
Just a bit here .. IndieWire posted an article detailing an infographic conducted by NYFA here.
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