When Dr. Lauzen began her research on women’s employment and representation in film and television approximately 30 years ago, the public dialogue on the issue was limited to just a few articles a year in popular media outlets and the trade press, often timed to coordinate with “women’s events” sponsored by industry organizations. Over time, that discussion gained momentum and to date, a wide variety of individuals and organizations — ranging from the ACLU and California State Assembly to undergraduate and graduate students worldwide — have used the Center’s findings to make the case for greater employment of women in film and television. The following projects contribute to our understanding of women’s status in these industries.
For a discussion of women’s behind-the-scenes employment as directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 100 and 250 (domestic) grossing films, consult the annual Celluloid Ceiling report. Now in its 28th year, this study has tracked more than 88,000 credits on films dating back to 1998. The project provides the longest-running and most complete record of women’s behind-the-scenes employment available. For a comprehensive summary of the findings from every year of this project since its inception, please consult The Living Archive report, also found on this website.
It’s a Man’s (Celluloid) World examines the representation of females as protagonists, major characters, and speaking characters in the top 100 films every year, and discusses how the employment of women in key behind-the-scenes roles is related to on-screen portrayals.
Indie Women monitors women’s behind-the-scenes employment on independently and domestically produced films screening at 20 high-profile festivals in the U.S. From 2008 through 2026, the project has considered more than 12,300 films and over 136,900 credits. It is the largest continuing study of women working in independent cinema available.
Another annual study, Boxed In considers the portrayals of female characters and the employment of behind-the-scenes women on television. Now in its 27th year, the study has tracked more than 62,700 characters and over 77.800 credits.
First conducted in 2007, Thumbs Down: Film Critics and Gender, and Why It Matters is the most comprehensive study of women’s representation and impact as film reviewers available. Over the years, the project has considered individuals working for print, radio, television, and online outlets whose reviews appear on the Rotten Tomatoes website.