Sorry if this graphic renders huge but, hey, it`s worth seeing. In glorious, depressing detail.
The shocker for me was that Lena Dunham was the first woman honored by the DGA. It`s the 21st century and, really, this is just happening now. Really?
Bright side: It`s great to be inspired by women who are really at the top of their game. Especially Ava DuVernay. I had a chance to hear her speak at TIFF this past year. She is awesome. All the women listed here are doing amazing and inspiring work. There`s lots out there to get inspired by. That`s the good news. So let`s focus on that for the moment.
Thanks to the New York Film Academy.
Courtesy of: New York Film Academy
The 12 Percent 
I was aware of the disparity, but seeing it in the graphic is pretty insane. I have to wonder if it’s more a product of Hollywood’s attitude, or our culture’s attitude as a whole. Are young women given enough encouragement, support, and reason to believe that they can be successful in these areas?
It’s hard enough for me to break in as a white, privileged, middle-class man. The losses and rejections are plentiful and can be difficult to take. I imagine it’s that much harder if you grow up without the utmost faith in your ability to reach your dreams. And if young women don’t stick it out until they master their crafts and develop valuable voices and skills, then the female talent pool will continue to remain small and the number of women represented in Hollywood will continue to be disproportionate.
The experience of a couple female friends of mine leads me to believe that this generation of Hollywood is willing to hire women. And if more are hired, they’ll be in a position to help women get stronger roles and more proportionate pay. I think our best bet as a society may be to get the word out to young women that their voices are valid and *desired*, so that they’ll grow up feeling empowered to reach for the stars.
Thanks for sharing your perspective, N.G. I know writing of any kind isn`t easy for anyone to really break into (and make a living at), and you bring up an excellent point- it`s literally impossible to do if you can`t deal with rejection. You will hear no at least 99 times before you even have the chance to hear yes. I don`t think men are generally better at dealing with rejection, but maybe better at not taking it personally… I`m not sure, honestly.
From my own experience, I have had lovely meetings with female execs and producers. The majority of my reads, interest and (free) notes have come from amazing women in the industry who have been gracious with their time and energy. I just hope we as an industry can get more empowering stories for, by and about women- both in front and behind the camera- so that the next generation of women can actually feel like they do represent half the world`s population.