The Western Film Industry: A Reflective Report - Professional Industry Practice

Index

• Organisational structure of filmmaking

• Personal creativity becoming part of the film industry

• Self motivation and meritocracy

• Gender and women’s participation in the film industry

• Culture and economy’s impact on employment

• Personal reflections and summary

…

Organisational structure of filmmaking

When it comes to professional industry standard film crews and their job roles in the industry, there is a definitive and clear cut organisational structure. The film industry, like most businesses, has a chain of command. The primary and most distinctive difference between different roles is whether they are ‘above the line’ or ‘below the line’. In a broader sense, ‘above the line’ roles refer to individuals who are responsible for the overall creative developments of a film. Roles such as directors, producers, screenwriters, and cinematographer/director of photography (DOP) are more senior positions. They are usually in charge of managing and overseeing multiple groups or departments, delegating roles and responsibilities in order to best execute the vision and bring the film to life. Conversely, ‘below the line’ roles refer to those who have little to no say in the creative process. They are responsible for the day to day, more practical and technical aspects of production. Their roles could include location scouting, operating equipment, handling props, etc.

Figure 1. Breakdown of film crew positions

(Assemble Magazine, 2021)

Filmmaking is a business. The film industry exemplifies how a variety of small production groups can be systematised into a full-bodied production process (Introna et al., 1999). Internally speaking, the film production crew is almost always hierarchical. There are advantages and disadvantages when it comes to having a rigid hierarchical structure instilled in the workplace. The advantage of this organisational structure is that the business and departments are given explicit powers. Depending on their level of leadership, managers have the power to delegate resources, reward and punish actions, and give orders to crew members. Another advantage is the clear lines of communication. Communication between crew members is controlled by lines that define the relationship between superiors and subordinates. Each department has its own spokesperson who knows who to contact and where to go for instructions and information. This helps consolidate departments and facilitate coordination among crew members. 

An example of this is the production for Iron Man 3, with over 3310 people receiving on screen credit, it is one of the largest crews on a Hollywood film. The film contained over 2000 VFX shots, and the VFX supervisor is responsible for the entire process of creating them. There are hundreds of people under the VFX department, with sub departments such as digital effects, visual effects, rotoscope and paint, 3D arts, etc. With the hierarchical structure, these departments will have a clear understanding of their responsibilities and are required to report back to the VFX supervisor. This standard of work can be connected back to Fordism, where the standardisation and industrialisation of film productions took place from as early as the 1920s (Storper, 1989, pp. 5). This way, everyone is aware of the differences between different roles and departments, and is clear on the chain of command. This is particularly helpful when a film crew can be made up of thousands of people where miscommunications can often happen. As well as in times of crisis where the stakes are high and every decision must be made with utmost clarity. 

Despite this production line style of work having its own benefits, this organisational structure has the potential to diminish creativity and encourage siloed thinking and behaviours. Filmmaking is a labour focused institution (Introna et al., 1999). In independent studio productions where crew sizes are significantly smaller, sometimes film productions will have a skeleton crew, where only the bare essential crew members are hired in order to work within a tight budget. This represents a system of short term contracted employees working in a highly creative environment. In this context, a rigid hierarchical structure could have negative effects on a production. Where crew members could potentially feel restrained by their inability to voice their own opinions or suggestions, due to the strict vertical line of communication, resulting in possibly having to run the message through multiple layers of hierarchy and getting distorted or even ultimately ignored. 

Personal creativity becoming part of the film industry

In the context of working in the film industry, many people enter into this line of work for the sake of their initial passion, fascination, and love for filmmaking. When asked by ScreenSkills about what advice she would give students wanting a career in the film industry, cinematographer Mary Farbrother said “keeping your creativity on the go” – both inside and outside of formal work. “Keep an interest in everything and your own visions of creativity alive” (Farbrother, 2022).

However, as a career and an independent field of work in economics, intrinsic motivation is only one small part of people’s needs. One of the most widely discussed and favoured theories in psychology, Maslow's hierarchy of needs (1943) offers a hierarchical model for the needs of human beings, from the most rudimentary functions such as food, water, and shelter to the more fulfilling aspects such as self actualisation potential, and purpose (50MINUTES, 2015, p. 2). Apart from being highly self motivated, another crucial attribute to success within the industry is creativity. Job creativity is the leading factor to decreasing stress, which leads to success and development together with high levels of satisfaction (Bousinakis and Halkos, 2021). From the employer’s point of view, creativity enables the ability for their employees to produce original, generative, and valuable (Sternberg and Lubart, 1996). An individual with a high level of creativity has a better ability to see problems in new and inventive ways, therefore will be able to generate effective and flexible solutions for different issues or any hurdles they might encounter on the job.

On the other hand, in the eyes of the employees, feeling creative can be one of the telltale signs of healthy emotional well being and mental health, cultivating positive psychological functioning (Conner et al., 2016). A more positive and creative working environment can also lead to the recognition of the employee's use of skills, which can lead to a higher impact on job satisfaction. Lastly, according to Maslow’s theory, creativity deems it's importance by being one of the highest needs on the pyramid in conjunction with self esteem and self actualisation. 

Self motivation and meritocracy

The work environment in the creative industries in general, and even more so in the film industry specifically, is strongly reliant and even bolstered by the motivation of oneself. With the nature of work jumping from one production to another and the rise of freelance work, jobs, and projects, self motivation is increasingly becoming arguably the most important and sought after trait by employers. 

Throughout the years, many theories about human motivation have been produced by psychological research (Neubauer and Martskvishvili, 2018, p. 2), which include the works of Edward L. Deci on the conceptualizations of intrinsic motivation (1975) as well as Richard M. Ryan on self determination in human behaviour (1985). “Intrinsically motivated activities are ones for which there is no apparent reward except the activity itself.” (Deci, 1975, p. 23). According to Deci, intrinsic motivation is mainly derived from an individual’s enjoyment of the activity. Many people will dedicate a great amount of their time to solve puzzles, paint, draw, and engage in various ‘play’ activities even though there are no external rewards (money, acclaim, prize, etc). As people grow up and develop mentally, those activities may become more challenging and require more resourcefulness and creativity in order to provide the equivalent or higher levels of satisfaction. For many in the film industry, one of the key sources for drive and motivation originates from their own passion and love for film, whether it be for the art of filmmaking or the appreciation of cinema. Self motivation is often praised and idolised. Many film industry experts and veterans will offer advice in relation to maintaining self motivation levels. Darious Britt, an indie filmmaker, suggests to “do creative work everyday”. He claims that making creativity a habit will lead to an increase in proficiency and skill, and that ultimately the momentum created will motivate and sustain over time (Hardy, 2016).

However, this work culture has also been criticised by theorists and commentators. O’Brien et al. (2016) questions the ability of the creative industries to deliver on the promise of being “open to everyone” and the notion of hard work equals high reward. McRobbie (2015) highlights the over romanticisation of passionate work and coins the term ‘gender effect of post-Fordism’. Chang (2021) concludes that racial and gender minorities are marginalised at employment in Hollywood due to the rhetoric of meritocracy. The nature of self motivation being so highly regarded has caused worker solidarity levels to decrease. This modern notion of ‘making a name for yourself’ has led to a decline in film unions and union work (Christopherson, 2008) and the growth of independent, freelance work. 

Gender and women’s participation in the film industry

Women, by percentage, are a minority in a large number of key creative roles in filmmaking (Lauzen, M, 2023). This means that on top of women being a minority in production in general, it is even more rare to see women occupying above the line roles. This has been leading to considerably lower representation in the industry (French, 2014, pp. 188). The film, television, and other screen-related businesses are dealing with a substantial difficulty in this regard. 

Despite film school graduates having a ratio of about 50% men and 50% women (Malone, 2017), the amount of women representing the film industry is surprisingly small in comparison. Dr. Martha Lauzen - founder and executive director of the Centre for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, the pioneer of the Celluloid Ceiling report, mentioned that women’s representation in production has barely improved in the past 25 years (Elsesser, 2023). According to the report, only 24% of women had above the line roles working on the top 250 films of 2022. This was also a 1% decrease from the previous year, and only a 7% increase since 1998 (see Figure 2). 

Figure 2. Historical comparison of percentages of behind the scenes women on top 250 films

(Lauzen, M, 2023)

Gender discrimination is still rampant in the film industry today. Women still feel that assumptions and stereotypes are being made when it comes to their skills and abilities. Women attested to feeling excluded from certain groups and have noticed an unequal allocation of tasks between the sexes. 24% of women felt pressure to act like one of the boys in their professional work life (French, 2014, pp. 193-194). Men have also been reported to feel the same pressure, which further indicates the ubiquitousness of masculine and patriarchal cultures in the industry. 

In its 95 year history, only three women have been awarded best director at the Academy Awards (Davis, 2023). A huge reason behind this representation remaining unchanged has to do with the societal ideology of what a conventional film director looks like. When people search for the term film director, Google presents 51 options of who they might be talking about - 50 of them are men, and one is a woman. Men get more of an opportunity to direct than women (Thorpe, 2021). When it comes to becoming a filmmaker, the career path generally consists of three key stages: independently funding and producing short films, getting an agent, and pitching to producers and production companies. As reported by a UK campaigning group We Are Doc Women (WADW), female directors have to wait significantly longer than their male counterparts to be promoted as a director and earn a higher wage. Historically, most women pursuing filmmaking as a career struggle and get stuck on the first stage of independently producing films while making very little money. Investors and producers are hesitant to green light and provide funding for films pitched by women because those projects are seen as more of a risk to invest in (Malone, 2017). 

“The elitism and lack of space for women and femininity in the film industry make many people who don’t meet the mold of a typical director turn their back on the field.” (Johnston, 2020). Surveys show that younger women reported being discouraged by the gender stereotypes in the industry (French, 2014, pp. 194), where they witness discrimination towards their female colleagues and negative assumptions made by their male crew members. These behaviours cause stagnancy when it comes to increasing women representation, and actively encourages the persistence of this phenomena. In order to move forward and create a more diverse environment in the industry, it is important to remember that women are a potential source for innovation. They can bring new perspectives and skill sets to filmmaking, which will hopefully provide enough incentive for the film industry to implement more gender inclusive industry practices and policies in the future. 

Culture and economy’s impact on employment

The three stages of film - production, distribution, and exhibition impact and influence different sectors of a country’s, or even the global economic environment. According to an Oxford Economics report, UK films are key means of expression of the country’s identity and address issues of diversity that are crucial to meeting the challenges of the 21st century, which substantially contribute to British cultural life (Oxford Economics, 2007). For example, the British-French Paddington Bear franchise is well known and loved in the UK. This is amplified by the 2014 live-action animated film Paddington (2014). Since the film’s initial release, there has been evidence of an influx of tourism, merchandising, and promotion in relation to this beloved character. According to Screen UK, two out of three foreign tourists are positively influenced by locations and landmarks from British made films and TV programmes (Screen UK, 2021). In February 2020, a Paddington statue was installed in Leicester Square, London by the Heart of London Business Alliance in partnership with Westminster City Council. A promotional article with the guide to all of the filming locations in Paddington was also published by Conde Nast Traveller, encouraging tourists to visit and explore. 

The core UK film industry received an estimated £120 million in capital investment in 2006, with the majority of the money going towards production. Around £635 million has been invested in infrastructure and new technology as fixed capital since 2000. As more financial and technological investments pour into the industry, job opportunities could increase subsequently. The UK film industry supplied a total of 86,000 jobs in 2020, 75% of which worked in production and distribution (Social Films, 2023). As filmmaking businesses expand and profitability grows, the need for talent and capacity to employ rises alongside. New professional roles which may require a brand new set of skills and expertise could also arise, meaning jobs that have never existed before could become a serious demand in the industry. Although this means more job opportunities would become available, it also means that more training and development in conjunction with those roles need to take place. In accordance with the recent ScreenSkills report, 73% of industry participants feel that skill related issues have gotten worse (see figure 3). 

Figure 3. Perceived change in skill issues

(Barker, 2022)

On the flip side, the workforce and potential job seekers could take advantage of this situation by requesting a higher rate of pay and being more selective in the tasks they undertake because of the shortage of skills, experience, and crew. 

Personal reflections and summary

In summary, the current film industry exists within an industrialised space where many traditional ideologies and stereotypes still prevail. Although different people could have a variety of ways of measuring success in the industry, their professional progressions and paths share similar struggles. In self reflection, having good knowledge of the inner workings of both the technical and sociological sides of the film industry will undoubtedly help me achieve my career objectives and goals. One of my long term career goals is to contribute to the growth of cinema by telling my own stories and experiences through film. In relation to the lack of women representation as mentioned in the report, I plan to utilise my platform and skills as a woman in film to continue representing and normalising every possible role that women are able to play in this industry, from creative roles such as directors and cinematographers, to executive roles such as investors and producers.

Secondly, I want to be able to participate and be a part of impactful creative media productions, works that can provide the audience with a sense of relatability and nostalgia. To accomplish this, I intend to keep up with industry trends. An example of this is the internationalisation and integration of different cultures in western films. By producing more films based on a variety of cultures, the industry can target a wider audience and increase profitability. This trend may also be seen with the context of the 2020s superhero fatigue (Neely, 2023), where audiences have experienced an over saturation of the sci-fi action genre and are shifting their focus towards the realism drama genre, creating more demand for the industry to produce these types of films. In the past decade, it is evident that more Hollywood feature films incorporate cultures from around the world as a part of the plot. This year’s Oscar nominated films such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and Turning Red, all depict stories told by minorities from their own sincere perspectives, and presented in a more authentic way. I believe that some elements from this trend will persist in the western film industry, changing the way producers’ and filmmakers’ approach to the future of film.

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