Gendered Production Culture in the German Film Industry

Abstract

German cinema has in recent years experienced a revival of scrutiny for its evident gender inequality. Women directors receive less public funds, work with lower budgets, and their films have smaller releases; however, their films are often more successful artistically and are produced financially more efficiently. The lack of female talent in the industry, thus, can't be a problem of quality as is often argued. Instead, industry structures fail to sustain female directors' careers. This article presents findings from a series of extensive empirical studies on the German film industry. One of the key findings is that the producer is crucial to the gender balance of the team, evidenced by the fact that female producers work significantly more often with female authors and directors.

On the basis of risk: How screen executives’ risk perceptions and practices drive gender inequality in directing

“…However, our study offers not only opportunities for conceptual development. As Loist and Prommer (2019) point out, more inclusive hiring decisions lead to more inclusive on‐screen representation. Our analysis shows that intervening in the risk perceptions of decision‐makers is key to achieving both.…”

“…Decision‐makers’ gendered perceptions of risk lead to decisions with substantive material consequences, both for individual women directors, their careers and livelihoods, and for gender inequality at the industry level. To fully understand how powerful such gendered perceptions of risk are (and how important it therefore is to evidence and change them), we need to consider evidence from elsewhere which shows that market data provides no proof for women‐led film or shows being less profitable (Loist & Prommer, 2019). Importantly, compared to feature films, many of the key creative, technical, and financial decisions are beyond the director's control in episodic television, and even highly experienced and regarded directors describe themselves as “not really [having] any power [… or …] responsibility” (Coles, 2016).…”

Youthification of television through online media: Production strategies and narrative choices in DRUCK/SKAM Germany

“…While naming the variety of sources used in this recruitment process, among them online media, Beck reflected on diversity, an issue that is increasingly discussed in the German film and television industry (see Loist and Prommer, 2019) as an important consideration in casting and representation. Furthermore, diversity is an important aspect of the youthification of television, as it impacts how relevant and relatable the cast is to the target audience (Stock, 2020: 71).…”

Perception of the barriers to women’s professional development in the cultural sector: A gender perspective study

“…With reference to the low proportion of women on the shortlists of the most prestigious international and national awards, Corbat and González (2019: 7) point to the established gender roles in which women are viewed more as 'muses' or as a 'source of inspiration', rather than potential creators. Focusing on the German film industry, Loist and Prommer (2019) identify the fact that less federal funding is awarded to productions directed by women as a sign of the failure of industry structures to support women directors' careers.…”

“…Based on a study of women film directors in Turkey, Uğur Tanrıöver (2017) identifies women's film festivals as an important platform for the visibility of women and argues that the rise in the number of women journalists in both the mainstream media and the specialised press is also contributing to increased visibility for women directors. With a focus on the German film industry, Loist and Prommer (2019) observe that films directed by women are being screened significantly more often at film festivals and enjoying more success on the festival circuit, giving greater visibility to their work. This might be due to the fact that film festivals traditionally represent a wider range of film productions since their selection process is not based on the commercial potential of a film but the perceived quality and innovation of the filmmaking.…”