I really enjoyed your response, it's nice a hearing female response on the topic :) I just watched Jack's video the other day and it's really stuck with me since. Also thought I'd throw in this article I saw the other day, although I don't know how much truth is in it because y'know media lol www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/studio-ghibli-producer-attempts-to-explain-its-lack-of-female-directors-women-tend-to-be-more-a7068636.html It's definitely a flawed industry, but I hope that all this discussion that's starting to pop up can help contribute to making it a more equal environment! - Steph
Yes, totally agree with everything you've said! It's so frustrating when people want to brush off the fact that less women are pursuing careers in filmmaking (or any other career with statistically less women for that matter) by saying that "no one is stopping them". Yeah, no one is stopping them, but who is encouraging them? Who is a role model for them? Representation is so important, and people who already have it don't recognize the difference it can make for someone to be able to see someone like them doing what they want to do.
Although I agree with the majority of the video, I can't help but feel like "women not belonging in the film industry" is a non-existent stereotype and certainly not taught to people "at a young age" as Hazel says in the video. Very little people in modern society are actively encouraging men to peruse film careers whilst telling women not to. Also, as far as role models go, although the number of women in film is definitely lacking, there are still a number of notable actresses for inspiring girls to look up to. With the film industry in general, as well as almost all forms of media based professions, they're looked down upon by society as jobs due to their uncertainty and I think its unfair to argue that it's only women being told its not a good career to go into.
Artful Man Hazel wasn't referring to actresses as far as I could tell (and neither am I), she's talking about behind the scenes roles like directors, writers, etc.
that's why i prefer the term "well-written female character" over "strong female character", because as you mentioned the latter implies 'masculine' traits, whereas the former is more about writing a well-rounded and flawed person, regardless of how feminine or masculine they are.
Great discussion, Hazel! It always blows my mind that many male writers feel it's so difficult to write female characters, but then again it's not surprising at all considering women begin learning how to get inside a male character's head from a very young age simply by watching any/all popular media (since complex male characters are mainly what's available), whereas young men can't have that same experience growing up since there are so few examples of complex female characters that they'd be exposed to. Definitely a vicious cycle situation as well.
There's a couple of other things in play too. Firstly, whisper the heresey, but women don't understand men half as well as they like to think they do. As a man you frequently hear women come out with utter rubbish about 'what all men think' or 'how all men feel' that would get them slammed as ignorant sexists if the genders were reversed. Secondly, men who do empathise with women's attitudes and feelings are often reluctant to express it because of the very rigid 'lad culture' that comes down like a ton of bricks on any man who shows the slightest sign of any 'effeminacy'. If you could get men to be honest about it, many of us would admit to having had the experience of pretending to be more sexist, macho and hard-hearted than we really are in order to stay in the good books of our peer group.
+Harold Weaver Smith You say as you also generalize, haha. But yes, there are many women who are just as sexist as men (both towards men and towards women) and that hold men to ridiculous standards of harmful masculinity. Both men and women who do this are a result of an overall systemic problem though. People are never inherently sexist, it's a learned behavior. Sexism is taught and ingrained through culture and further perpetuated through media (and various other institutions). I guess another way to put what I was trying to say is if more female writers were able to use their voices to write fleshed out well rounded female characters, and men and young boys were exposed to as many complex female characters as they are to complex male characters, they'd have no problem writing them. After all, all storytelling is an exercise in empathy.
+Kesyabasturd Sorry if you can't hear me over the sound of my yawn, but if you'll turn your attention to the title and the study in the description, you'll be able to see how, (by giving her opinion), she's taking part in and adding thoughts to a bigger discussion on women in media (which RUclips has been discussing on and off for ages, and people in general have been talking about for decades and decades).
JacquieVlogsHere Well it's kind of impossible to have a meaningful discussion about these things without generalizing. The important thing is to remember that you're doing it and not fall into the trap of thinking that generalizations about the characteristics of a whole group are a justification for applying limits on what individuals within that group can or should do. Just because fewer women than men want to be fighter pilots doesn't mean you should put obstacles in the path of the minority who do. I think obnoxiously sexist behaviour is certainly learnt and improving the environment in which people are brought up can do a lot to reduce it. It has to be a two-way street though: if you put into place a system that gives women a free pass to say or do anything they like while punishing men for the slightest mis-step then you're just going to breed resentment and an ugly backlash. It's also important to stick to ensuring equality of opportunities rather than demanding equality of outcomes. There's plenty of evidence that men and women are born with inherently different brains and are therefore always going (generalizing across the whole population again) to have differing abilities and interests. Even in the most gender-equal societies on Earth, the vast majority of people applying for nursing jobs are women while the vast majority applying for construction jobs are men. Saying that a problem exists unless or until both professions are 50/50 fails to respect people's freedom of choice whether men or women.
Harold Weaver Smith Definitely agree with your first paragraph! As for your second point, there is no such system. Systemic sexism hurts both men and women, but affects the genders in different ways (and is further complicated by class, race, sexual orientation etc of course, [& erases non-binary people but that's a whole different issue that's only just starting to really enter public consciousness]). In terms of systemically and culturally backed power dynamics and oppression, women are disproportionately affected. I think you were going for hyperbole and hypothetical situation though anyway, so moving on to your third point. Yes to the freedom of choice thing, but no to the different brains thing. We don't actually know that for sure at all, especially considering many of the studies 'proving' women and men have different brains have been disproved, and there is still so much we've yet to learn about genders in general. Regardless, you're right that the goal shouldn't be 'we must be 50/50,' it should be equal OPPORTUNITY for those who do want to break into ANY career, and deconstructing harmful stereotypes that say "if you are x gender you won't be socially accepted or fairly treated in x career." The (long-term) goal is to work towards gender not even being a factor in people's minds when considering if someone would be good at a given job
I'm looking at going to Uni next year wanting to study film and I have men in my life everyday telling me that I might want to change my dream, just because I'm female
I'm at Uni studying film now, and I would be lying if I said that there wasn't any discrimination against me because I'm a woman. However, the support group and community I have found in other female filmmakers is unlike anything else and I would say, screw all the men who tell you that you can't be something because you're a woman. We can do anything. YOU can do anything. So do what you want and prove to them that you can be an amazing filmmaker, especially because your perspective as a woman is something that is largely lacking in our field.
If thats genuinely true, thats the most stupid thing i've ever heard in my life. In my head it sounds similar to guys being encouraged not to go into art or something just because they're male?? Just ridiculous.
Fuck them! I'm a girl studying computer science. There's like a handfull of us doing it and there are sexists everywhere but it's so worth the fight. We are fucking wonderful, all of us. Go for your dreams and don't listen to the people discouraging you
Studio Ghibli films are the b e s t. Whipser of the Heart is my favourite. If you ever forget what it felt like to be a young teenager, watch this film.
I got whisper of the heart for my birthday and i watched it yesterday and i loved it so much! Especially having watching the cat returns first and seeing the links to it. (I know whisper of the heart came out first). However, i do prefer the cat returns simply because it is more familiar to me but i agree that WOTH is great and i am definitely going to watch it again sometime.
Hufflepuffle I'm glad you liked it, it's massively underrated! It's not as adventurous or magical like many other Ghibli films, it's just an innocent and simple tale of a young teenage girl that I could completely relate to.
***** I like Howl's Moving Castle, even though it's a bit too strange and incoherent at times. Howl really reminds me of Dorian Gray. And yes, Totoro is amazing.
I agree with your Disney princess example. People seem to think that children's films should get a pass in being analyzed because they're "just children's films," but those are probably the movies that need scrutinizing the most.
I've been writing and telling stories my entire life. I've created stories for all sorts of humans. In the last year I decided that I wanted to do more than just write them, I wanted to bring them to life. Before watching yours and Jack's videos i didn't know how lucky I was. When I told my brother that I wanted to go into film he immediately told me it was going to be hard and that I would have to work harder than I ever have. I had told him I was aware and that I was prepared for it. He then said he believes that I can do it. My friend group is mostly male and when I told them about it they thought it was awesome considering the stories I'd told them. The only negative response I've received was from my mom. I don't think she meant it to come across as negative so I'm not upset with her. She said she wants me to be successful doing what I love but she wants me to have a backup plan just in case it doesn't work out. Since she gave me her response I've been trying to come up with one but the only plan I can think of is film. It's what I want to do. i want to tell stories and make people feel things and change their views and have a wonderful experience and draw them into the different universes of these characters. This last school year my theatre director allowed me to direct a play with my friend Jack. we were given the worst story we had ever read but we were stuck with it. though the play was awful, after we cast the characters and practiced for weeks we had one of the best performances of the three years i'd been there. Soon after, my theatre director challenged me to write a play for a contest and said that if she liked it we would perform it. i also had a film assignment for my astronomy class. the only requirements was that it had to be 4 minutes long and have 4 facts. i made mine into a story and when i presented i sat in the corner and cried because i'd put so much work into it i could stand the idea of anyone not liking it. two minutes in i realised that no one was talking like normal during these presentations. i looked up and saw everyone intently watching the story unfold. At the end i got up to turn off the video and exited out of the browser (we were allowed to post it to youtube so we didn't have to buy a flash drive or dvd) and everyone applauded for my video and in that moment all the frustration and work id put into it was worth it. Everything i went through to tell this 5 minute story was worth it. i would do it again for another story, and actually i think i will. :) [sorry this is so long and for any typos]
Hazel this was articulated beautifully. I have implored my friends to watch and take note of this video. Also huge fan of spirited away, the depth in that film is astonishingly magical.
It feels like people seem to think that when writing a women you have to write about periods and shit. I totally agree with just writing a character and then deciding weather they should be a man or a women. As far as creators who "struggle" with writing female characters because they are men, perhaps just hiring a female writer would clear that up.
When I say hire a female writer I don't mean to write your book, I'm thinking in a tv/film sort of way where there are multiple writers. In those cases there should be a mix of men and women. As far as writing a book goes, if you are struggling to write a female character then consulting a women is always a good step.
+Sam Sheriff If you cannot write a character, you are a shit writer, full stop! Getting a "female" to write a female character will not magically improve the quality of the character/writing, only a good (male or female) writer can do that!
That's not how writing works lmfao. You don't write a character and then choose man or woman lol, I'd imagine being man or woman would greatly inform the character lol
Barbie films do a really good job at creating well-rounded female characters (hear me out on this one). They include females that have vices as well as virtues and give them a chance to be any character- the dumb and quirky sidekick, the struggling hero, the loyal but cautious best friend, and so many more. The difference is they have so much more depth than a couple of words to describe their traits. A lot of films tend to make those really absent-minded villain's helpers men, which may seem like it's stepping in the right direction because the females are smarter, but that's not how I, as a female, want people portraying females in films. Barbie's movies make those characters female too, right alongside the protagonist and many, many other characters. It's so great to see a whole line of movies dedicated to helping young girls accept themselves. Not only that, but they have a thrilling plot, genius music, and appeal to a larger audience than one might assume. I don't know about you, but those are the only children's movies I've seen use words like "penitentiary" and "indentured servant." It's so important that Barbie keeps expanding with representation of different body types and I can't wait to see it more in the movies. She's already been way ahead of Disney with the "I don't need a man to save me" idea that Frozen has. She's been overcoming struggles with the help of her friends. Besides, Barbie and the Pink Shoes already had a plot about how Barbie didn't want to be married because she was only seventeen. Honestly, I am ready to defend her to the grave. While you may argue that she still needs progress, I don't disagree. It would be really cool to see some LGBTQ+ representation (which this video itself is sorely lacking and needs more trans* inclusive terms because it does have some really small micro-aggression that stand out to me but I'll be happy to point them out). In short, I'd highly recommend Barbie's movies.
I would personally like seeing a Barbie movie with a barbie of a different race being the primary protagonist. A lot Barbie movies are overwhelmingly and for most of the movies which feature coloured characters, they never get roles that match their white counterparts. With that being said, I will be a fan of barbie movies to my grave
I saw someone comment on Jacks video how a man typically can feel 70% suited for a job, yet he will go 100% for that job, while a women usually have to feel 100% suited for the job too to the same. And I really feel that it is the representation of women in media that really makes us have this belief that we are never good enough. I recently felt that a light sort of switched in my head when I was deciding what school to choose. It really tempted me to look into engineering, but I was so unsure of wether I would be smart enough for it, and then I talked to some of my male friends who were also going to study engineering or was already studying it, and I just realized "man, I am a lot smarter than a lot of these guys, and they have so much belief in themselves, and I have so much belief in their future success, so why don't I have any belief in my own?" So now I have decided that even if I am just 70% suites for this school and future career, in still gonna give it 100%
sorry for all the spelling mistakes it's late okaaaay and and I'm not a native speaker.. But anyways, really enjoyed this video and Jacks' video! It's such an important topic that we have to keep bringing up! And I loved especially what you said about strong female characters! I truly feel so many men misunderstand us when we say we want more of them, like no I don't need yet another YA dystopian lead (even though that's great too!!) I want well rounded female characters, who actually remind me of myself or other women I know.
I think the idea that men will 100% go for a job is a bit of an overstatement. It's completely self confidence based and almost all men feel unconfident the same way women do. Everybody feels inadequate sometimes and like they're not good enough. That's not women, that's humans. The belief that men are magically more strong willed and confident is an issue in society similar to the issue that women are delicate and "ladylike", everybody is just human after all.
Apparently guys are known to over-estimate their abilities. Also we're more likely to die doing dangerous/reckless things because of that - slight downside there! Testosterone is known to be a big factor in confidence. A lot of it is chemicals. (and nurture) These guys are probably over selling their intelligence and your probably underselling yours. Best of luck in engineering!!
Princess Mononoke and Ponyo are probably my favourites, although I haven't seen My Neighbour Totoro yet (we have it, but my sisters are making me wait)
Exactly. Female characters should be confused and messed up and anxious and angsty and jealous, not just have super-thighs and be beautifully dangerous. It's the unequal portrayal of women in film that makes me WANT to get into this industry and change things if no one else is going to. Thanks for making such a relevant, considered video about this!
I dont really watch anime but I'm a fan of Miyazaki's films. I especially enjoyed Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind. The soundtracks alone (Joe Hisaishi) were incredible. I'm not sure it was a conscious decision to "rebel" by using female leads; perhaps they were written as females because it allows for a larger spectrum of emotion/development. You'll find that Miyazaki's male co-leads often have unfaltering strength and courage, whereas the female leads can sometimes falter in their journeys - I think this is why they are such engaging characters, because they show a more true and natural full-range of emotion.
Edit: Princess Mononoke had technically a male lead, but the screen time was shared pretty evenly across the whole film between the two main male and female characters.
This is the first video I've seen of you and I loved it so much and agree 100% with everything that you said. I've always loved Studio Ghibli for creating complex female protagonists, and it's something that really inspired me as a female filmmaker. Subscribed!
I get so annoyed by the representations of female villains. I swear every single one is sexualised in some way or another. Why can't there be a role like the joker for women that is genuinely terrifying?!
I think there should be more variety in female villains but at the same time I have no problem with sexy women playing these roles especially in comic book movies which are essentially male fantasies and don't reflect reality in meaningful way. I think we have to remember that qualities that men and women typically find attractive is not the same and I feel there is a bit of a double standard in matters like these, I can't begin to imagine the uproar if men started complaining about the "unrealistically" hot leading men in certain Vampire franchises (or whatever is big these days) and stating they should be replaced with more "realistic" men with huge beer guts and receeded hairlines lol it would be Armageddon.
It's not about how attractive men/women are but rather how they're being portrayed. They don't sexualise a male villain so why do they feel the need to sexualise a female villain?
+Bonnie C exactly, we rarely see a sexualized male villain, yet the vast majority of female ones are. they dont need to be necessarily, this is the thing I wanna change in the world. I'm an actress who gets type casted as a villain yet there are hardly any suitable roles in the Industry for me to go for
***** Because women are not attracted to the same qualities as men. Men are more visual and women are more emotional when it comes to getting there kicks. A man will not get wet reading romance novels. The market caters for peoples tastes. I'm not saying all women should be "sexualized" on screen i'm just saying that men enjoy it and so do a lot of women for that matter hence their is a market for it. As for rarely seeing a sexualized male villain if people really wanted to see that there would be a market for it but the crux of the matter is most people will not take a sexualised male villain seriously you don't generally see men in skimpy garments except at the beach and if you want to see that on the big screen well maybe there is a market for it and you should invest in making it a reality. I'm personally all for it, best of luck with that though :).
Just out of interest what could a potentialy male "sexualised" villain look and act like, I am trying to make it work in my head but I can't think of anything workable. I mean if he walks around in speedos and is overtly seductive and playful with the female cast I think that would appear as sexual harassment and maybe even indecent exposure or does it not count as that if the offending male is hot? Genuinely intrigued in your ideas.
As a teenage girl who has wanted to work in the film industry since I can remember, I love this video! I've always been unsure if I should really try and succeed in the industry or just give up, I guess I have a lot of things working against me, me being female is clearly one of them. After watching this video I'm just inspired and I think that you are spot on in what you're saying and I hope that I will be like you someday! Thanks so much for making this!!
I completely agree with this video, especially your point on stronger women. See, as a result of the corrupted portrayal of women in the past as being that stereotypical, weak, boring, domesticated character a lot of TV and film are making 'stronger' female characters which is obviously a positive approach. And yes of course I enjoy these witty, sassy confident female characters that are coming out now but the problem is a lot of them are just not believeable. They are too quirky, too confident, all fun to watch but not actually having any depth in character. And when they do have flaws, they're almost attractive, or romanticized flaws (haha I kill people but im still cute) or (haha im crazy but only in a one dimensional cliched way with no actual realization of the gruelling nature of mental illness) or (haha im so weird awkward and clumsy with all these quirks but only in a way that literally everybody else can relate to). Good female characters are well written! They can have sass and wit and confidence but they can have flaws that are real and human and not attractive. They can get angry, they can be genuinely scared and anxious, they can be a bit bratty (and no I dont mean in that overplayed bitchy way.) Take Lilo, she is a womderful character with a refreshingly average but still interesting look, who has a wonderful weirdness too her thats genuine, and some obvious troubles and issues that cause real problems for her. Ghibli female characters are very good also, and Buffy too because the writing of the character comes first!! You dont set out with a bullet point list of what this character is going to represent, you dont make everything about her exist just because she is female, make someone with development and complex relationships and an arc and a unique dialogue just like you would any other male character.
Yes!! Princess Mononoke was my favourite film growing up, I've watched it 20 times, honestly. I love this type of videos, Hazel. You are an amazing woman, you inspire me a lot!
I really loved this. It wasn't rant-y, it was obviously well researched, interesting, and to the point. Wonderful. Thank you for an incredibly interesting perspective on women in film and in the industry.
Brava, Hazel!! I think that talking about the lack of opportunity for and portrayals of women in film is the first step in changing things. Your platform gives you a unique opportunity to do that, so well done!!
This is beautiful, you summed up everything I've been thinking to myself so well and i love how people like you with the big platforms are able to get messages like this out there. Thank you hazel
This is one of the greatest videos I have ever seen, as someone who as always wanted to get into the film industry and is studying towards doing so, I feel like this is really inspiring. There are often times where I fell incredibly disheartened and that there is little point in even trying to go down that route, as there are so few female role models in the industry for young girls to look up too. It is really great to see a fantastic film creator who just so happens to be a woman, using her platform to inspire others to do things they want to do, I think it is really admirable. At the end of the day, films are made to express creativity and art, these skills are not inhibited by gender and that needs to be much more widely recognised, I really loved the video!
This is why you continue to be a huge inspiration for me to keep striving toward my filmmaking goal. My family are trying to push me away from the idea and suggest I go to university to study something more 'sensible' because frankly, they don't think I'll make it in film because I'm young and I'm female. That whole concept has been like blinders on a horse to me, I've always just thought film was the goal and I'd do all I can to get there without even considering the difficulty I'll have being a female trying to get in the industry.
Thank you so much for filming this I've thought about this for a long time! As a woman who wants to pursue a career in film I found this video and you to be so refreshing!
I think as a gay man it's a subject I can understand to a certain extent, growing up not seeing someone you can look up to and relate to, whether it be on the screen or behind it, sort of leaves you hanging. I think it honestly does play a massive part in people, specifically young people, not being able to fulfil what they're capable of, or even feel like it could be possible for them.
So true. I think this too is something that's getting better but there are still so many gay stereotypes in film. Hopefully we see better representation across the board one day!
As a girl who dreams of making a career in film, I've heard the "it's a male industry" thing so many times that it's actually ridiculous. My mom's been saying it to me since the first time I mentioned that I wanted to be a filmmaker (I was 12). And I've heard it from other people as well. The problem with this statement is that at some point, you might start to believe it. At some point, you might just go, "well, maybe it is a male industry, maybe there's nothing for me there". Because the proportion of male and female directors "speaks for itself". And I did start to believe it: for a year or so, I kind of surrendered and agreed with mom that it was better to choose "a safer path". Now, I've always been interested in art and filmmaking.That's who I am. And fortunately, I've realized eventually that I didn't want to break myself because people said that my dream was impossible because I was born a certain gender. I know I'll have to work harder. But I hope one day a girl like me won't.
What I wanted to say is, I really think videos like that are important because of how empowering they are. In a way, RUclips was on of the reasons why I've changed my mind and decided to go for it. Thank you, Hazel. I mean it.
How do you not have 215 million subscribers? Your ideas, thoughts and commentary should be broadcast everywhere. In the (unfortunately) short time I've been a subscriber, you have refreshed and recharged that fire for embracing my femininity whilst showing not only the world but myself that I can be strong and real and I can dream about having a family and babies and that doesn't make me any less of a well-rounded, strong, confident woman. Thank you for being an inspiration. All my love x
This was such a wonderful discussion Hazel. As a sociology student interested in stereotypes in the media this was very interesting and all painfully true. Thank you for helping to share the issues women in media face with people who may have never even thought about it before
I was waiting for you to mention princess and the frog because tiana's character completely resists everything to do with relationships and love to achieve her ambitions I thought that was quite admirable and almost a bit unusual for disney. Not many people really care that much about the film but its honestly one of my favourite disney films x loved the video
As someone who wants to be an amateur writer someday, I find it just bizarre as hell why people have difficulty writing female characters. I am a straight cis male, and I have no problem writing women at all! If anything, I prefer it! Admittedly, I also favour socialising with the female gender, so I have more experience than the average male writer if I had to guess at a reason. But the whole issue seems so stupid, because female characters tend to channel a lot more emotional depth. Male characters tend to be confined to extremes, they are either bold and determined, or shy and emotional. Female characters can lie ANYWHERE on the emotional spectrum. Basically, I totally agree with what you were saying. The film industry (and storytelling in general) is just being lazy. We need more awesome female characters damnit!
I can sort of understand having difficulty writing female characters, as someone who writes frequently as a hobby, and I am a woman myself; I find male characters much easier to deal with. Not to say that I don't write female characters, I do and I love it, I just find them to be more difficult to write than my other characters. Which in the end is fun for me! I love difficult complex characters that make me push myself to write better. But from my experience, I can understand why someone having trouble writing females, but these people should be good writers and get over it. A good writer can write any gender.
yes yes and yes I have only recently read something about a YA author who doesn't write women because, well, some shit about how they are mysterious. And this mysterious excuse has to be broken! We're just people. We're not a mystery to solve. We're not fucking puzzles, we're humans.
That is absolutely ridiculous. The human mind may be infinitely complex but women are humans. We are no more complex than men. The rest is just gender bullshit.
this was really interesting hazel and i agree with a lot of your points! i've missed you doing these style of videos where it's just you, by yourself vlogging :)
This was an amazing video, I as a fifteen year old girl have first at this age started to watch my favorite childhood movies over again and afterwards being just frustrated by the incredibly 2D and stereotypical female characters in these genuinely amazing movies. But what frustrates me the most are how little effort it could take to just developing the female characters to show a more natural and real person, not just something pretty for the audience to look at. Absolutely love your videos Hazel, keep up the amazing work❤
So glad you got into Ghibli! Sooo good!!! I personally can't wait to see how film progresses into trying to understand women better, and not just as sexy props. Yeah!!! Keep working hard, Hazel! You are helping change the industry! Thank you!
Hazel! If you're home in Dublin, The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield shows Studio Ghibli movies every now and again. Gorgeous cinema, and Studio Ghibli movies always feel more fantastic there. Loved the video, lots of love to you and your loved ones x
THANKYOU so much for making this video Hazel as I am a female (duh) and My dream is to be a movie director when I'm older and work in the film industry but whenever I think about it I can't help thinking about the fact that females aren't very popular in the film industry. I love you so much, I look up to you and you have me such an inspiration to when I grow up to try and change this industry even if it's in a tiny way I really want it to change, 💕 thank you
Hazel, I swear you'd be the best person to have insightful chats with. This was brilliant, absolutely awesome. I'm going to make my sister watch it (as she's actually studying film) Thank you for discussing this. P.S. who knew that women existed over the age of 22 and who are of colour. crazy!!!!
I completely agree with everything you said Hazel, but something got me thinking. Yes Disney princesses are unrealistic because they spend their whole movies waiting for a man, but sadly, I think that this is the case for a lot of real women, and what makes them flawed. A lot of women depend on the approval or affection of whoever they're attracted to, and this widely affects them to the point where they can't be these strong women that we'd love them to be. So I wouldn't be opposed to a female character who is waiting for a man, but would love for this to be their fundamental flaw. Thank you for this video, it was truly needed :)
Maybe a lot of women depend on approval from men because movies and society teach them that's how it should be. This is exactly the point I'm making. It's a cycle.
it's funny because until the past few years it never even occurred to me that I might not be cast or be able to succeed as a filmmaker because of my sex, I think because I'd always been really forthright and downright aggressive about what I want and getting there that people were too scared to not let me have it xD I've had a shit few years though that knocked my confidence a lot and now I'm starting to see, from stats like in this video, why I'm now struggling so much to get where I want to be
I'm really glad you made a video on this topic after Jack did, Hazel. Your perspective was interesting. I'm taking film classes in school and even in my class there are noticeably more guys than girls. To know the film industry is predominately more male doesn't really bother me, but the female characters being stereotypes does. The next time we write scripts I'll definitely put more thought into the characters' genders.
I grew up watching Ghibli films (my Aunt was really into them, she got me and my brother watching them when I was as young as 3) and they had a HUGE impact on me. I'm 17 now, and while I was struggling without the presence of my parents or really any good adult influence, I think having those films from a very young age gave me solid footing on how strong I can be as a girl, and now, a woman. I related to Chihiro back then, to Kiki when I was starting to grow into my teenage years, and now Sophie and Princess Mononoke as I figure out who I am as a woman, my strengths and insecurities, what I'm capable of and what living and loving means for me. I love Ghibi films, the honest messages that Miyazaki sends to young girls is beautiful and helped me through the toughest of times as I was growing up and while I'm still trying to find myself. I'd love to hear you talk about Miyazaki's female characters more in depth! Hearing you talk about something was inspiring as always, Hazel! x
So well articulated and loved the additional research. I'm studying film currently and I have a year left before I graduate and it can be very disheartening when you hear such negative things. It's so important that women and men understand the importance of true equal representation of all gender and race. Thank you for the positive look Hazel! Much love xx
I'd just like to say although this is slightly off topic, you've inspired me as a woman to try and make a career as a writer. Thank you so much for this Hazel, keep on going!!! xxx
It's such an important topic that so few still talk about. So glad we got Wonder Woman and Ladybird that have really proved to men (and everyone else) that women can, and women will. Thank you for this (now old) video. Hayao Miyazaki is amazing and has a lot of amazing movies.
I think it is great that people are openly talking about it and that you and fellow RUclipsrs are actively encouraging women to go for it. I have an aul BA in Media and I remember taking a module back in first year, our lecturer was a woman and I know she meant well, but she showed us her study in regards to women in the industry and it was really depressing, all the stats and the fact that women have to choose between motherhood and career. I felt she went about it the wrong way. About 80 per cent of the class were female and we all came out of there feeling defeated before we even began. In saying that more than half our lecturers were woman and very encouraging. Also I often look at the credits of anything I'm watching, from the news to Hollywood films and seeing a number of female names up there gives me hope and comfort. But yeah my point, I think, is keep talking about it, but look at it positively!
The researcher from the centre for women in television and film also put out a really comprehensive report on the gender diversity on behind the scenes roles in the top 250 films of 2015, and found that only a 1/5 of the people working in the film industry were women. It's easy to see that this is where our female characters are failing because there just aren't enough women in the writing teams, the producers etc. Which then sucks even harder! Because how can I be inspired to make films and be a part of the change in the industry, when I can't see myself represented in the industry or I can't see myself in a lasting career in the industry because of my gender. Your work really inspires me to be a part of the change in the industry. I really appreciate that you made this video!
videos like these restore my faith in youtube! so thought-provoking and interesting! wish this was discussed more, incredibly well said. thank you Hazel! :) x
I'm screaming at the insight in this. It should be so straightforward as you make it here whereas if male writers are struggling to conceptualize and execute 3 dimensional women, MAYBE GIVE FEMALE WRITERS A GO. We're everywhere! Hell, I'm right here
This is so important because the way characters are written right now it seems like writers choose the gender of the character first and then write the character. Some of the best writing advice I ever heard for writing characters was to write a character so that they're as realistic as you want and then their gender should just be decided by a flip of a coin.
I think one of the great examples of an American male writer/producer who knows what he's doing with female characters is J.J. Abrams. Buffy (which I have not seen yet) and Alias (one of my favorite shows of all time) have these strong, vulnerable, complex, and interesting female stars. One of my favorite moments in Star Wars VII was when Kylo Ren was interrogating Rae and he said "You're just a..." in in that moment, every woman in her head assumed it would be "girl," but he actually said "scavenger." If J.J. can do it for so long, so well, and be so incredibly successful, there is no excuse for anyone else.
Love the video Hazel, I agree with you completely. I think that's why for me I have started gravitating towards tv over film. The representation of female characters is just overall so much better. Even with a show written by men for instance Orphan Black, there's still an array of wonderfully complex women, I love it!
I feel that even in films with female protagonists, the surrounding cast is male. For example, in frozen, all the governors and soldiers are male. My friend was really happy with the pretty well rounded female in the new mission impossible film, but I pointed out that all the other roles were played by males. I feel that females are often stereotyped as love interests - as you said, there are not enough WELL ROUNDED female characters (sorry can't do italics so caps lock will have to do)
+Raven Trunite so you're saying you want a film with all females........ fuck me this world is fucked. IT IS GOING TO FAR LEFT NOW!!!!!!!! for example with homosexuals. stephen fry said to an actor who's name I have forgotten. "I would take you home and rub you down" and mr Fry didnt gwt I to trouble at all that is fucking disgraceful. just because he is gay doesn't mean he can say shit like this. if a straight man said that to a women he would sacked on the spot. Feminist are now heading that way its like they want to see females everywhere. and moan about how there isn't enough and the pay gap is still there. females dont do nearly as dangerous high paid jobs as men. men on average do jobs with a 40% chance of death ie the military. women on average do jobs with just 3% chance of death!!! and theyw onder why men get paid a little more on average. also women in films yes I agree there should be more leading roles for women BUT NAME ME AMAZING FEMALE ACTORS!!!! compared to Leo dicaprio, jack nicholson, denzel washington etc many many more I can barley name 3 brilliant female actors. also there are far more male directors. this isnt there fault females have as equal opportunities to become directors but chose not to!!!!!!!!!!! dont blame males if part to blame is yourself!!!!!
T Nich Im not saying i want all female casts, im just pointing out that even in films with well rounded female protagonists the surrounding cast is male. it would be nice to see a 50/50 kind of thing.
There's always been something I couldn't quite put my finger on why I loved a lot of Studio Ghibli films. I mean, yeah they're awesome and magical and all that. But now I think I know what it is :) Thank you Hazel! ❤
Dear Hazel, I would recommend, based on the discussion and discovery of ghibli, Whipser of the Heart and From Up on Poppy Hill. Both incredibly strong female protagonists in semi fantastical settings. Miyazaki has been a favourite for a long time and it's largely due to his craftsmanship and portrayal of intriguing female characters in intriguing and relatable narratives. Its therefore sad to acknowledge that he retired last year. However I'm glad you discovered and could appreciate these works xx
What you say is absolutely true and a huge issue with film industry. And the proof for it is that myself, an average viewer of both film and tv, i am stuggling to remember the names of female directors, screenwriters, producers etc. which is not the case for famous men in the film industry. I hope this changes gradually for the better.
I love Studio Ghibli! Spirited away is also my favourite film by them, followed by Kiki's Delivery Service. This video was really insightful and delivered (no pun intended) a great message to today's film directors and writers. I hope to see more empowering female protagonists in films in the future.
Great vid! I think what you said about portrayal of female characters needs to be further applied, as in representation is one of if not THE most important aspect in children's perception of themselves. Ps. Can't believe it's taken you this long to discover Studio Ghibli! Kiki's Delivery Service is one of my favourite films, definitely check it out if you haven't already.
It's lovely so see how people finally watching When Marnie was there! I watched it I think in 2014 and completely loved it! (Though I think Mononoke and Howl are always my favourites)
I 100% agree with everything said in this video. In my opinion film and any other forms of art should reflect the society and community in which they are made and I feel that we are seeing that on certain platforms, particularly those that are relatively newer and have a much more diverse and vocale audience such as youtube. The Internet is incredible and there is representation of everyone under the sun, of course its not completely equal and that freedom also leads to freedom to critise, but its so much better than mainstream media due to the fact that ANYone can pick up a camera and share it online. Hollywood and mainstream media at its roots however is an industry, a machine, that is designed to make money. Online there is much less risk and content is rarely made with a primary financial goal. Of course I am aware that people do make a living off of platforms like youtube and certain members of the community are beginning to exploit certain aspects but as a generalisation the freedom to produce content means that there is a much more representative community online. Hollywood has certain formulas and tropes that they know sell well and so if it ain't broke don't fix it. The thing is, it is broken as much of the stories and representation no longer reflects the society that consumes the end product, and since there is not an instantaneous wide-spread response, the only way to gauge a films success on a commercial scale is profit. No matter how much we complain about unnecessary sequels, hollywood still makes them because people still watch them! Of course once again I am massively generalising and there are thousands of hard-working extremely talented people working in hollywood both in front of the camera and behind it but the problem is in the way we consume commercial film media. There seems to be more and more discussion and dialogue about representation in film wether that be with gender, race, sexuality e.t.c but we are yet to see a resounding change. I to be honest I don't think there will be one. Hollywood is such a giant that it will take time to change and to do so I think we just need to keep this discussion alive. By having this discussion it forces writers or studios or directors or anyone else involved in the creative process to take pause before creating a character or story and so pushes the film industry towards equal representation one character at a time. We don't want token characters, we don't want stereotypes but we also don't want to short-change the story-telling. Film is incredible and there is nothing else like it and its as simple as that. To change the system we simply need to keep the discussion alive and increase awareness, this leads to big changes through small decisions. Anyways that was my piece that is now much longer than I anticipated, oops :) anyway I would be interested to hear your responses and thoughts. I think change is exponential as more and more people understand, and we are beginning to get the ball rolling...
well said! I feel like this is a topic which is never discussed, but has such a huge influence on our perceptions of gender roles when we are young (watching films that seem innocent but are seen to make massive generalisations of the role of women that young girls may feel like they have to conform to, like Disney Princess's for Example) I respect you for using your RUclips platform to create a conversation about this and open up discussion for this topic! good on you gal xxxx
Ghibli films mean so much to me and that's partly because of the way they present female characters. I first saw Spirited Away when I was about 11 and it remains to this day my favourite film. I had never seen a film in which a girl of around 10, a girl at the end of young childhood and about to enter teenage years, was so wonderfully and accurately portrayed. Chihiro's growth as a character made me feel like I could overcome obstacles and grow as a person too. It touched me so much that Miyazaki cared enough to create such a great character for girls to identify with.
gender equality in the film business is such an important topic to talk about, thank you Hazel! especially coming from a brilliant writer/director like yourself! in my film production course at uni the gender split is pretty much 50/50, the film festivals i submitted my work to before that were dominated by young female filmmakers...but then when it comes to actually working in the film business itself that changes. i read a very interesting article which offered the explanation that often mainstream blockbuster films - unlike theatre, documentary film and indie productions, where female directors are much more common - are so expensive. the writer of the article katy chevigny says that when a production company is choosing a director they are 'essentially putting their faith (and most likely their company's money) into the creative vision of that person, and also into her capacity as a leader (...) this is a tall order for anyone (...) the producer , investor or studio must believe that a woman can achieve greatness on both these counts. and on top of that, she is expected to make a movie that makes a killing at the box office.' (this is just the introduction into the main part of the article, it is so interesting! i really recommend reading it, here's the link: filmmakermagazine.com/97378-can-she-pull-it-off-or-how-to-hire-women-directors/#.V1ssVWR97fY ) so tl;dr: one of the explanations is that the mainstream film world is dominated by money - lots of money to be lost means risk - hollywood doesn't like risks - female and/or POC directors happen to seem like risks because sexism and racism :(
An excellent discussion! A little surprised you had seen Ghibli films before but that's probably because Spirited Away really blew up when I was at school and everyone loved it. Quite encouraging really and I hadn't even consciously realised what it was to see strong female roles as a kid. Esp throwing in the fact that I didn't grow up on Disney princess movies either, I wonder how that shaped me...
For my birthday last year, my boyfriend bought the entire Studio Ghibli Collection because I love them so much! They arrived in the post just as he was about to leave for Spain and honestly, the days spent watching Ghibli are the best sort of days!
The one thing you touched upon that really bothers me in this video is how they said they had difficulty writing female characters. 1. If you have so much trouble writing a woman as a man get a female writer in the mix to collaborate with, oh look youve just made another job for a woman in the film industry and youve opened up your writing to a completely new perspective that could be useful for any and all characters. So not being able to write them yourself isnt an acceptable excuse. 2. I went to school for advertising, as a creative and especially as a copywriter you have to become the person you are selling to. You could be a 40y/o male assigned a product with the demographic of 8-11 y/o females in a specific region with specific interest etc. As the creative you have to become those girls, you have to become your audience. Any good writer should be able to do that, especially in film. Research your character and become them, get outside perspectives etc. There is no excuse for not writing female characters other than laziness and not wanting to actually grow as a writer.
This video came in such a good time! I've recently talked to a few women who are just starting in the film industry and their willingness to succeed and help more women to be part of it is truly inspiring. I have nothing to add as I think you've said it all, but I do have a recommendation for you to watch in case you're interested: Miss Sweden. It was directed, written and produced by women, and I absolutely love the main character's reaction upon seeing that she wasn't satisfied with her life. I hope you enjoy it if you see it! X
Thank you so much for making this video Hazel, it's so important to talk about and I agree with everything you've said. Also the show how to get away with murder has very good portrayal of women, the main character is a black bisexual woman who is very dimensional, I'd really recommend it
Spirited Away for the win!! :D it's also my favorite. However, I totally agree with you. Thank you and Jack for taking time to actually bring this topic up. It's not talked about a lot and it's something that needs to be touched on and needs to be changed. Women can be a "typical" women but that does no mean they cannot be a strong, independent women as well. Girliness does not equal weakness or anything.
"write a character with no gender, just write an interesting complex human, and make it a woman" so important for directors to have this in mind! thank you, hazel :-)
The first studio ghibli film I ever saw was Spirited Away, and it instantly became my favourite film and still is to this day. I since devoured every studio ghibli film I could get my hands on, especially those directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Personally I don't think there is another film maker past or present like him. He creates these stories of strong(from a womans perspective) women coming into there own who are their own heroes. Something that resonates very strongly for me. Many Miyazaki films weave through global themes of the impact that humans have on the environment. Ponyo and our polution of the ocean, and Princess Mononoke and deforestation are two of the most obvious examples. Studio Ghibli films have had great impact on myself as a young girl and now as a young woman, they are a part of a change in my perspective and acceptance of myself. And I think many people can relate to that. Shy girls can be powerful, scared girls can be brave and never do they have to be one or the other. Complex woman make for great films. And studio Ghibli has given us that. You can probably tell I'm a huge fan and this is very close to my heart, so I am happy that you've been introduced and appreciate.
Great video! I really loved that you adressed the fact that women often suffer from a lack of confidence when asking for a chance, and that you talked about the sheer lack of numbers. it seems to me that so many movies or shows think that because they have one good female character among a group of guys they're being super progressive. Even if she is well-written that's not equal representation
It's crazy to consider those numbers you pointed out from that study, and then see how many people still say that we live in an age of complete equality... It's like when you look at things like the bechdel test, there's still such a divide in the film industry that people are ignoring, so it's great that people like you and Jack are opening up the conversation about it
Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies are two of my favorite films. Every time I convince other people to watch them, they fall in love as well. I haven't seen Marnie yet, but I am so excited to see it soon.
Miyazaki is fantastic at writing real, relatable, female characters. Because he makes children's movies he writes them to fit in with the children and struggles they will face, unlike how Disney made princess to find their prince. I quite admire Studio Ghibli for that.
I completely agree. I've loved film (and wanted to work as a writer) for as long as I can remember. I'm someone who's quite headstrong and doesn't give up easily. But seeing the lack of women in front of and behind the camera is genuinely so discouraging. That mountain you have to climb to be successful seems so much bigger. Which is why we need to uplift young girls and not confine them to the small boxes that media often portrays!
This made me jump up and down in my bed!! Great video Hazel!! I actually wrote just about this for my theises , regarding the lack of "real" woman i movies. It is so important to show of female character that are relatable. One great example of a flawed, but real female character in my mind is Hermione (especially) in the books.
Great video; you articulated your thoughts very well. I think the portrayal of women (and minorities) in movies is especially important because the film industry has such a huge impact on culture and our daily lives. Think I might check out some more Ghibli films in the future.
![Lil Uzi Vert - Chill Bae [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/D7F42F_JM3U/mqdefault.jpg)
I really enjoyed your response, it's nice a hearing female response on the topic :)
I just watched Jack's video the other day and it's really stuck with me since.
Also thought I'd throw in this article I saw the other day, although I don't know how much truth is in it because y'know media lol www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/studio-ghibli-producer-attempts-to-explain-its-lack-of-female-directors-women-tend-to-be-more-a7068636.html
It's definitely a flawed industry, but I hope that all this discussion that's starting to pop up can help contribute to making it a more equal environment!
- Steph
I love seeing my favorite people on RUclips commenting on each other's videos. On especially important topics nonetheless.
Well put Steph! 👌🏻
Yes, totally agree with everything you've said! It's so frustrating when people want to brush off the fact that less women are pursuing careers in filmmaking (or any other career with statistically less women for that matter) by saying that "no one is stopping them". Yeah, no one is stopping them, but who is encouraging them? Who is a role model for them? Representation is so important, and people who already have it don't recognize the difference it can make for someone to be able to see someone like them doing what they want to do.
Very well said!
Although I agree with the majority of the video, I can't help but feel like "women not belonging in the film industry" is a non-existent stereotype and certainly not taught to people "at a young age" as Hazel says in the video. Very little people in modern society are actively encouraging men to peruse film careers whilst telling women not to. Also, as far as role models go, although the number of women in film is definitely lacking, there are still a number of notable actresses for inspiring girls to look up to. With the film industry in general, as well as almost all forms of media based professions, they're looked down upon by society as jobs due to their uncertainty and I think its unfair to argue that it's only women being told its not a good career to go into.
Samsungfidget I don't know how to respond to this, I feel like you're not understanding what I'm saying.
How many actresses have the calibre of Helen Mirren or Maggie Smith? There is a shelf life for actresses. Try and think why that might be.
Artful Man Hazel wasn't referring to actresses as far as I could tell (and neither am I), she's talking about behind the scenes roles like directors, writers, etc.
that's why i prefer the term "well-written female character" over "strong female character", because as you mentioned the latter implies 'masculine' traits, whereas the former is more about writing a well-rounded and flawed person, regardless of how feminine or masculine they are.
Good point! Ima start saying that instead 😊
Love this Hazel. If I hear "Strong Female Lead" one more time and it actually mean Bad Ass Car Driving Man Fighting Bitch. I'll cry.
Great discussion, Hazel! It always blows my mind that many male writers feel it's so difficult to write female characters, but then again it's not surprising at all considering women begin learning how to get inside a male character's head from a very young age simply by watching any/all popular media (since complex male characters are mainly what's available), whereas young men can't have that same experience growing up since there are so few examples of complex female characters that they'd be exposed to. Definitely a vicious cycle situation as well.
There's a couple of other things in play too. Firstly, whisper the heresey, but women don't understand men half as well as they like to think they do. As a man you frequently hear women come out with utter rubbish about 'what all men think' or 'how all men feel' that would get them slammed as ignorant sexists if the genders were reversed. Secondly, men who do empathise with women's attitudes and feelings are often reluctant to express it because of the very rigid 'lad culture' that comes down like a ton of bricks on any man who shows the slightest sign of any 'effeminacy'. If you could get men to be honest about it, many of us would admit to having had the experience of pretending to be more sexist, macho and hard-hearted than we really are in order to stay in the good books of our peer group.
+Harold Weaver Smith You say as you also generalize, haha. But yes, there are many women who are just as sexist as men (both towards men and towards women) and that hold men to ridiculous standards of harmful masculinity. Both men and women who do this are a result of an overall systemic problem though. People are never inherently sexist, it's a learned behavior. Sexism is taught and ingrained through culture and further perpetuated through media (and various other institutions). I guess another way to put what I was trying to say is if more female writers were able to use their voices to write fleshed out well rounded female characters, and men and young boys were exposed to as many complex female characters as they are to complex male characters, they'd have no problem writing them. After all, all storytelling is an exercise in empathy.
+Kesyabasturd Sorry if you can't hear me over the sound of my yawn, but if you'll turn your attention to the title and the study in the description, you'll be able to see how, (by giving her opinion), she's taking part in and adding thoughts to a bigger discussion on women in media (which RUclips has been discussing on and off for ages, and people in general have been talking about for decades and decades).
JacquieVlogsHere Well it's kind of impossible to have a meaningful discussion about these things without generalizing. The important thing is to remember that you're doing it and not fall into the trap of thinking that generalizations about the characteristics of a whole group are a justification for applying limits on what individuals within that group can or should do. Just because fewer women than men want to be fighter pilots doesn't mean you should put obstacles in the path of the minority who do.
I think obnoxiously sexist behaviour is certainly learnt and improving the environment in which people are brought up can do a lot to reduce it. It has to be a two-way street though: if you put into place a system that gives women a free pass to say or do anything they like while punishing men for the slightest mis-step then you're just going to breed resentment and an ugly backlash.
It's also important to stick to ensuring equality of opportunities rather than demanding equality of outcomes. There's plenty of evidence that men and women are born with inherently different brains and are therefore always going (generalizing across the whole population again) to have differing abilities and interests. Even in the most gender-equal societies on Earth, the vast majority of people applying for nursing jobs are women while the vast majority applying for construction jobs are men. Saying that a problem exists unless or until both professions are 50/50 fails to respect people's freedom of choice whether men or women.
Harold Weaver Smith Definitely agree with your first paragraph! As for your second point, there is no such system. Systemic sexism hurts both men and women, but affects the genders in different ways (and is further complicated by class, race, sexual orientation etc of course, [& erases non-binary people but that's a whole different issue that's only just starting to really enter public consciousness]). In terms of systemically and culturally backed power dynamics and oppression, women are disproportionately affected. I think you were going for hyperbole and hypothetical situation though anyway, so moving on to your third point.
Yes to the freedom of choice thing, but no to the different brains thing. We don't actually know that for sure at all, especially considering many of the studies 'proving' women and men have different brains have been disproved, and there is still so much we've yet to learn about genders in general. Regardless, you're right that the goal shouldn't be 'we must be 50/50,' it should be equal OPPORTUNITY for those who do want to break into ANY career, and deconstructing harmful stereotypes that say "if you are x gender you won't be socially accepted or fairly treated in x career." The (long-term) goal is to work towards gender not even being a factor in people's minds when considering if someone would be good at a given job
I'm looking at going to Uni next year wanting to study film and I have men in my life everyday telling me that I might want to change my dream, just because I'm female
Don't listen to em!
I'm at Uni studying film now, and I would be lying if I said that there wasn't any discrimination against me because I'm a woman. However, the support group and community I have found in other female filmmakers is unlike anything else and I would say, screw all the men who tell you that you can't be something because you're a woman. We can do anything. YOU can do anything. So do what you want and prove to them that you can be an amazing filmmaker, especially because your perspective as a woman is something that is largely lacking in our field.
If thats genuinely true, thats the most stupid thing i've ever heard in my life. In my head it sounds similar to guys being encouraged not to go into art or something just because they're male?? Just ridiculous.
Fuck them! I'm a girl studying computer science. There's like a handfull of us doing it and there are sexists everywhere but it's so worth the fight. We are fucking wonderful, all of us. Go for your dreams and don't listen to the people discouraging you
i'm a girl studying filmmaking at uni right now and i gotta say... GO FOR IT. If it's your dream don't let anyone tell you to give it up.
Studio Ghibli films are the b e s t. Whipser of the Heart is my favourite. If you ever forget what it felt like to be a young teenager, watch this film.
I got whisper of the heart for my birthday and i watched it yesterday and i loved it so much! Especially having watching the cat returns first and seeing the links to it. (I know whisper of the heart came out first). However, i do prefer the cat returns simply because it is more familiar to me but i agree that WOTH is great and i am definitely going to watch it again sometime.
Hufflepuffle I'm glad you liked it, it's massively underrated! It's not as adventurous or magical like many other Ghibli films, it's just an innocent and simple tale of a young teenage girl that I could completely relate to.
I've only seen Howl's Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro. Loved both. Howl's Moving Castle is a fascinating portrayal of women!
***** I like Howl's Moving Castle, even though it's a bit too strange and incoherent at times. Howl really reminds me of Dorian Gray.
And yes, Totoro is amazing.
+Lili J I love Spirited Away
I agree with your Disney princess example. People seem to think that children's films should get a pass in being analyzed because they're "just children's films," but those are probably the movies that need scrutinizing the most.
I've been writing and telling stories my entire life. I've created stories for all sorts of humans. In the last year I decided that I wanted to do more than just write them, I wanted to bring them to life. Before watching yours and Jack's videos i didn't know how lucky I was. When I told my brother that I wanted to go into film he immediately told me it was going to be hard and that I would have to work harder than I ever have. I had told him I was aware and that I was prepared for it. He then said he believes that I can do it. My friend group is mostly male and when I told them about it they thought it was awesome considering the stories I'd told them. The only negative response I've received was from my mom. I don't think she meant it to come across as negative so I'm not upset with her. She said she wants me to be successful doing what I love but she wants me to have a backup plan just in case it doesn't work out. Since she gave me her response I've been trying to come up with one but the only plan I can think of is film. It's what I want to do. i want to tell stories and make people feel things and change their views and have a wonderful experience and draw them into the different universes of these characters.
This last school year my theatre director allowed me to direct a play with my friend Jack. we were given the worst story we had ever read but we were stuck with it. though the play was awful, after we cast the characters and practiced for weeks we had one of the best performances of the three years i'd been there. Soon after, my theatre director challenged me to write a play for a contest and said that if she liked it we would perform it. i also had a film assignment for my astronomy class. the only requirements was that it had to be 4 minutes long and have 4 facts. i made mine into a story and when i presented i sat in the corner and cried because i'd put so much work into it i could stand the idea of anyone not liking it. two minutes in i realised that no one was talking like normal during these presentations. i looked up and saw everyone intently watching the story unfold. At the end i got up to turn off the video and exited out of the browser (we were allowed to post it to youtube so we didn't have to buy a flash drive or dvd) and everyone applauded for my video and in that moment all the frustration and work id put into it was worth it. Everything i went through to tell this 5 minute story was worth it. i would do it again for another story, and actually i think i will. :)
[sorry this is so long and for any typos]
Very, very well said Hazel!
Thanks Elliot!
Hazel this was articulated beautifully. I have implored my friends to watch and take note of this video. Also huge fan of spirited away, the depth in that film is astonishingly magical.
It feels like people seem to think that when writing a women you have to write about periods and shit. I totally agree with just writing a character and then deciding weather they should be a man or a women. As far as creators who "struggle" with writing female characters because they are men, perhaps just hiring a female writer would clear that up.
When I say hire a female writer I don't mean to write your book, I'm thinking in a tv/film sort of way where there are multiple writers. In those cases there should be a mix of men and women. As far as writing a book goes, if you are struggling to write a female character then consulting a women is always a good step.
+Sam Sheriff If you cannot write a character, you are a shit writer, full stop! Getting a "female" to write a female character will not magically improve the quality of the character/writing, only a good (male or female) writer can do that!
"...It feels like people seem to think that when writing a women you have to write about periods and shit...."
Only if the woman is a feminist.
That's not how writing works lmfao. You don't write a character and then choose man or woman lol, I'd imagine being man or woman would greatly inform the character lol
I agree and I think that writing characters as characters first, that serve the overall purpose of the work. Then choosing their gender like after.
Barbie films do a really good job at creating well-rounded female characters (hear me out on this one). They include females that have vices as well as virtues and give them a chance to be any character- the dumb and quirky sidekick, the struggling hero, the loyal but cautious best friend, and so many more. The difference is they have so much more depth than a couple of words to describe their traits. A lot of films tend to make those really absent-minded villain's helpers men, which may seem like it's stepping in the right direction because the females are smarter, but that's not how I, as a female, want people portraying females in films. Barbie's movies make those characters female too, right alongside the protagonist and many, many other characters. It's so great to see a whole line of movies dedicated to helping young girls accept themselves. Not only that, but they have a thrilling plot, genius music, and appeal to a larger audience than one might assume. I don't know about you, but those are the only children's movies I've seen use words like "penitentiary" and "indentured servant." It's so important that Barbie keeps expanding with representation of different body types and I can't wait to see it more in the movies. She's already been way ahead of Disney with the "I don't need a man to save me" idea that Frozen has. She's been overcoming struggles with the help of her friends. Besides, Barbie and the Pink Shoes already had a plot about how Barbie didn't want to be married because she was only seventeen. Honestly, I am ready to defend her to the grave. While you may argue that she still needs progress, I don't disagree. It would be really cool to see some LGBTQ+ representation (which this video itself is sorely lacking and needs more trans* inclusive terms because it does have some really small micro-aggression that stand out to me but I'll be happy to point them out). In short, I'd highly recommend Barbie's movies.
I would personally like seeing a Barbie movie with a barbie of a different race being the primary protagonist. A lot Barbie movies are overwhelmingly and for most of the movies which feature coloured characters, they never get roles that match their white counterparts.
With that being said, I will be a fan of barbie movies to my grave
I saw someone comment on Jacks video how a man typically can feel 70% suited for a job, yet he will go 100% for that job, while a women usually have to feel 100% suited for the job too to the same. And I really feel that it is the representation of women in media that really makes us have this belief that we are never good enough. I recently felt that a light sort of switched in my head when I was deciding what school to choose. It really tempted me to look into engineering, but I was so unsure of wether I would be smart enough for it, and then I talked to some of my male friends who were also going to study engineering or was already studying it, and I just realized "man, I am a lot smarter than a lot of these guys, and they have so much belief in themselves, and I have so much belief in their future success, so why don't I have any belief in my own?" So now I have decided that even if I am just 70% suites for this school and future career, in still gonna give it 100%
sorry for all the spelling mistakes it's late okaaaay and and I'm not a native speaker..
But anyways, really enjoyed this video and Jacks' video! It's such an important topic that we have to keep bringing up! And I loved especially what you said about strong female characters! I truly feel so many men misunderstand us when we say we want more of them, like no I don't need yet another YA dystopian lead (even though that's great too!!) I want well rounded female characters, who actually remind me of myself or other women I know.
Really good comparison Sandra. Good luck with engineering it's so cool you chose that path. X
I think the idea that men will 100% go for a job is a bit of an overstatement. It's completely self confidence based and almost all men feel unconfident the same way women do. Everybody feels inadequate sometimes and like they're not good enough. That's not women, that's humans. The belief that men are magically more strong willed and confident is an issue in society similar to the issue that women are delicate and "ladylike", everybody is just human after all.
Apparently guys are known to over-estimate their abilities. Also we're more likely to die doing dangerous/reckless things because of that - slight downside there!
Testosterone is known to be a big factor in confidence. A lot of it is chemicals. (and nurture)
These guys are probably over selling their intelligence and your probably underselling yours. Best of luck in engineering!!
+ChewingSand thank you! :)
I love ghibli movies so much 😊 have you watched princess mononoke ? And my neighbour totoro
I love princess mononoke
I love my neighbor totoro :3
their films are brillian
t
Princess Mononoke and Ponyo are probably my favourites, although I haven't seen My Neighbour Totoro yet (we have it, but my sisters are making me wait)
Exactly. Female characters should be confused and messed up and anxious and angsty and jealous, not just have super-thighs and be beautifully dangerous. It's the unequal portrayal of women in film that makes me WANT to get into this industry and change things if no one else is going to. Thanks for making such a relevant, considered video about this!
I dont really watch anime but I'm a fan of Miyazaki's films. I especially enjoyed Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Nausicaa of The Valley Of The Wind. The soundtracks alone (Joe Hisaishi) were incredible. I'm not sure it was a conscious decision to "rebel" by using female leads; perhaps they were written as females because it allows for a larger spectrum of emotion/development. You'll find that Miyazaki's male co-leads often have unfaltering strength and courage, whereas the female leads can sometimes falter in their journeys - I think this is why they are such engaging characters, because they show a more true and natural full-range of emotion.
Edit: Princess Mononoke had technically a male lead, but the screen time was shared pretty evenly across the whole film between the two main male and female characters.
This is the first video I've seen of you and I loved it so much and agree 100% with everything that you said. I've always loved Studio Ghibli for creating complex female protagonists, and it's something that really inspired me as a female filmmaker. Subscribed!
I get so annoyed by the representations of female villains. I swear every single one is sexualised in some way or another. Why can't there be a role like the joker for women that is genuinely terrifying?!
I think there should be more variety in female villains but at the same time I have no problem with sexy women playing these roles especially in comic book movies which are essentially male fantasies and don't reflect reality in meaningful way. I think we have to remember that qualities that men and women typically find attractive is not the same and I feel there is a bit of a double standard in matters like these, I can't begin to imagine the uproar if men started complaining about the "unrealistically" hot leading men in certain Vampire franchises (or whatever is big these days) and stating they should be replaced with more "realistic" men with huge beer guts and receeded hairlines lol it would be Armageddon.
It's not about how attractive men/women are but rather how they're being portrayed. They don't sexualise a male villain so why do they feel the need to sexualise a female villain?
+Bonnie C exactly, we rarely see a sexualized male villain, yet the vast majority of female ones are. they dont need to be necessarily, this is the thing I wanna change in the world. I'm an actress who gets type casted as a villain yet there are hardly any suitable roles in the Industry for me to go for
*****
Because women are not attracted to the same qualities as men. Men are more visual and women are more emotional when it comes to getting there kicks. A man will not get wet reading romance novels. The market caters for peoples tastes. I'm not saying all women should be "sexualized" on screen i'm just saying that men enjoy it and so do a lot of women for that matter hence their is a market for it. As for rarely seeing a sexualized male villain if people really wanted to see that there would be a market for it but the crux of the matter is most people will not take a sexualised male villain seriously you don't generally see men in skimpy garments except at the beach and if you want to see that on the big screen well maybe there is a market for it and you should invest in making it a reality. I'm personally all for it, best of luck with that though :).
Just out of interest what could a potentialy male "sexualised" villain look and act like, I am trying to make it work in my head but I can't think of anything workable. I mean if he walks around in speedos and is overtly seductive and playful with the female cast I think that would appear as sexual harassment and maybe even indecent exposure or does it not count as that if the offending male is hot? Genuinely intrigued in your ideas.
As a teenage girl who has wanted to work in the film industry since I can remember, I love this video! I've always been unsure if I should really try and succeed in the industry or just give up, I guess I have a lot of things working against me, me being female is clearly one of them. After watching this video I'm just inspired and I think that you are spot on in what you're saying and I hope that I will be like you someday! Thanks so much for making this!!
I completely agree with this video, especially your point on stronger women. See, as a result of the corrupted portrayal of women in the past as being that stereotypical, weak, boring, domesticated character a lot of TV and film are making 'stronger' female characters which is obviously a positive approach. And yes of course I enjoy these witty, sassy confident female characters that are coming out now but the problem is a lot of them are just not believeable. They are too quirky, too confident, all fun to watch but not actually having any depth in character. And when they do have flaws, they're almost attractive, or romanticized flaws (haha I kill people but im still cute) or (haha im crazy but only in a one dimensional cliched way with no actual realization of the gruelling nature of mental illness) or (haha im so weird awkward and clumsy with all these quirks but only in a way that literally everybody else can relate to). Good female characters are well written! They can have sass and wit and confidence but they can have flaws that are real and human and not attractive. They can get angry, they can be genuinely scared and anxious, they can be a bit bratty (and no I dont mean in that overplayed bitchy way.) Take Lilo, she is a womderful character with a refreshingly average but still interesting look, who has a wonderful weirdness too her thats genuine, and some obvious troubles and issues that cause real problems for her. Ghibli female characters are very good also, and Buffy too because the writing of the character comes first!! You dont set out with a bullet point list of what this character is going to represent, you dont make everything about her exist just because she is female, make someone with development and complex relationships and an arc and a unique dialogue just like you would any other male character.
Yes!! Princess Mononoke was my favourite film growing up, I've watched it 20 times, honestly. I love this type of videos, Hazel. You are an amazing woman, you inspire me a lot!
I really loved this. It wasn't rant-y, it was obviously well researched, interesting, and to the point. Wonderful. Thank you for an incredibly interesting perspective on women in film and in the industry.
Spirited away was the first SG film I watched and its always been my favorite! I love it so much
hazel, you're phenomenal. this video was very eloquent, very informative and wonderfully structured, keep doing what you're doing!!! xx
Brava, Hazel!! I think that talking about the lack of opportunity for and portrayals of women in film is the first step in changing things. Your platform gives you a unique opportunity to do that, so well done!!
This is beautiful, you summed up everything I've been thinking to myself so well and i love how people like you with the big platforms are able to get messages like this out there. Thank you hazel
This is one of the greatest videos I have ever seen, as someone who as always wanted to get into the film industry and is studying towards doing so, I feel like this is really inspiring. There are often times where I fell incredibly disheartened and that there is little point in even trying to go down that route, as there are so few female role models in the industry for young girls to look up too. It is really great to see a fantastic film creator who just so happens to be a woman, using her platform to inspire others to do things they want to do, I think it is really admirable. At the end of the day, films are made to express creativity and art, these skills are not inhibited by gender and that needs to be much more widely recognised, I really loved the video!
You speak so eloquently, it's a joy to see you discuss a subject so close to my heart.
This is why you continue to be a huge inspiration for me to keep striving toward my filmmaking goal. My family are trying to push me away from the idea and suggest I go to university to study something more 'sensible' because frankly, they don't think I'll make it in film because I'm young and I'm female. That whole concept has been like blinders on a horse to me, I've always just thought film was the goal and I'd do all I can to get there without even considering the difficulty I'll have being a female trying to get in the industry.
Thank you so much for filming this I've thought about this for a long time! As a woman who wants to pursue a career in film I found this video and you to be so refreshing!
I think as a gay man it's a subject I can understand to a certain extent, growing up not seeing someone you can look up to and relate to, whether it be on the screen or behind it, sort of leaves you hanging. I think it honestly does play a massive part in people, specifically young people, not being able to fulfil what they're capable of, or even feel like it could be possible for them.
So true. I think this too is something that's getting better but there are still so many gay stereotypes in film. Hopefully we see better representation across the board one day!
As a girl who dreams of making a career in film, I've heard the "it's a male industry" thing so many times that it's actually ridiculous.
My mom's been saying it to me since the first time I mentioned that I wanted to be a filmmaker (I was 12). And I've heard it from other people as well.
The problem with this statement is that at some point, you might start to believe it. At some point, you might just go, "well, maybe it is a male industry, maybe there's nothing for me there". Because the proportion of male and female directors "speaks for itself". And I did start to believe it: for a year or so, I kind of surrendered and agreed with mom that it was better to choose "a safer path".
Now, I've always been interested in art and filmmaking.That's who I am. And fortunately, I've realized eventually that I didn't want to break myself because people said that my dream was impossible because I was born a certain gender.
I know I'll have to work harder. But I hope one day a girl like me won't.
What I wanted to say is, I really think videos like that are important because of how empowering they are. In a way, RUclips was on of the reasons why I've changed my mind and decided to go for it.
Thank you, Hazel. I mean it.
How do you not have 215 million subscribers? Your ideas, thoughts and commentary should be broadcast everywhere. In the (unfortunately) short time I've been a subscriber, you have refreshed and recharged that fire for embracing my femininity whilst showing not only the world but myself that I can be strong and real and I can dream about having a family and babies and that doesn't make me any less of a well-rounded, strong, confident woman. Thank you for being an inspiration. All my love x
This was such a wonderful discussion Hazel. As a sociology student interested in stereotypes in the media this was very interesting and all painfully true. Thank you for helping to share the issues women in media face with people who may have never even thought about it before
I was waiting for you to mention princess and the frog because tiana's character completely resists everything to do with relationships and love to achieve her ambitions I thought that was quite admirable and almost a bit unusual for disney. Not many people really care that much about the film but its honestly one of my favourite disney films x loved the video
As someone who wants to be an amateur writer someday, I find it just bizarre as hell why people have difficulty writing female characters. I am a straight cis male, and I have no problem writing women at all! If anything, I prefer it! Admittedly, I also favour socialising with the female gender, so I have more experience than the average male writer if I had to guess at a reason. But the whole issue seems so stupid, because female characters tend to channel a lot more emotional depth. Male characters tend to be confined to extremes, they are either bold and determined, or shy and emotional. Female characters can lie ANYWHERE on the emotional spectrum.
Basically, I totally agree with what you were saying. The film industry (and storytelling in general) is just being lazy. We need more awesome female characters damnit!
I can sort of understand having difficulty writing female characters, as someone who writes frequently as a hobby, and I am a woman myself; I find male characters much easier to deal with. Not to say that I don't write female characters, I do and I love it, I just find them to be more difficult to write than my other characters. Which in the end is fun for me! I love difficult complex characters that make me push myself to write better. But from my experience, I can understand why someone having trouble writing females, but these people should be good writers and get over it. A good writer can write any gender.
yes yes and yes
I have only recently read something about a YA author who doesn't write women because, well, some shit about how they are mysterious. And this mysterious excuse has to be broken! We're just people. We're not a mystery to solve. We're not fucking puzzles, we're humans.
That is absolutely ridiculous. The human mind may be infinitely complex but women are humans. We are no more complex than men. The rest is just gender bullshit.
Congratulations - you are officially part of the problem.
I want to be a director when I grow up, and you're one of my inspirations Hazel, and this just motivated me a lot more. Thank you Hazel!
Spirited Away was one of my favorite films when I was little!
this was really interesting hazel and i agree with a lot of your points! i've missed you doing these style of videos where it's just you, by yourself vlogging :)
So have I actually 😊
This needed to be said, Hazel. You made your points very well. Thank you!
This was an amazing video, I as a fifteen year old girl have first at this age started to watch my favorite childhood movies over again and afterwards being just frustrated by the incredibly 2D and stereotypical female characters in these genuinely amazing movies. But what frustrates me the most are how little effort it could take to just developing the female characters to show a more natural and real person, not just something pretty for the audience to look at.
Absolutely love your videos Hazel, keep up the amazing work❤
So glad you got into Ghibli! Sooo good!!!
I personally can't wait to see how film progresses into trying to understand women better, and not just as sexy props. Yeah!!! Keep working hard, Hazel! You are helping change the industry! Thank you!
this is exactly why I'm doing film at uni.
Hazel! If you're home in Dublin, The Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield shows Studio Ghibli movies every now and again. Gorgeous cinema, and Studio Ghibli movies always feel more fantastic there. Loved the video, lots of love to you and your loved ones x
THANKYOU so much for making this video Hazel as I am a female (duh) and My dream is to be a movie director when I'm older and work in the film industry but whenever I think about it I can't help thinking about the fact that females aren't very popular in the film industry. I love you so much, I look up to you and you have me such an inspiration to when I grow up to try and change this industry even if it's in a tiny way I really want it to change, 💕 thank you
Hazel, I swear you'd be the best person to have insightful chats with. This was brilliant, absolutely awesome. I'm going to make my sister watch it (as she's actually studying film) Thank you for discussing this.
P.S. who knew that women existed over the age of 22 and who are of colour. crazy!!!!
I completely agree with everything you said Hazel, but something got me thinking. Yes Disney princesses are unrealistic because they spend their whole movies waiting for a man, but sadly, I think that this is the case for a lot of real women, and what makes them flawed. A lot of women depend on the approval or affection of whoever they're attracted to, and this widely affects them to the point where they can't be these strong women that we'd love them to be. So I wouldn't be opposed to a female character who is waiting for a man, but would love for this to be their fundamental flaw. Thank you for this video, it was truly needed :)
Maybe a lot of women depend on approval from men because movies and society teach them that's how it should be. This is exactly the point I'm making. It's a cycle.
Yeah, that's a good point that I didn't think about :)
I like the idea of writing gender neutral characters and then attaching a gender to them later. It is a cunning plan.
Mark Donald Yea I'm a guy and I like films with female leads they always seem to be well developed and ow my god Jessica Jones is so good!!!
so eloquent hazel and amazing points
it's funny because until the past few years it never even occurred to me that I might not be cast or be able to succeed as a filmmaker because of my sex, I think because I'd always been really forthright and downright aggressive about what I want and getting there that people were too scared to not let me have it xD I've had a shit few years though that knocked my confidence a lot and now I'm starting to see, from stats like in this video, why I'm now struggling so much to get where I want to be
+Harry Lawson This video isn't about actors Harry. Maybe watch it before attacking the commenters.
I'm really glad you made a video on this topic after Jack did, Hazel. Your perspective was interesting. I'm taking film classes in school and even in my class there are noticeably more guys than girls. To know the film industry is predominately more male doesn't really bother me, but the female characters being stereotypes does. The next time we write scripts I'll definitely put more thought into the characters' genders.
I grew up watching Ghibli films (my Aunt was really into them, she got me and my brother watching them when I was as young as 3) and they had a HUGE impact on me. I'm 17 now, and while I was struggling without the presence of my parents or really any good adult influence, I think having those films from a very young age gave me solid footing on how strong I can be as a girl, and now, a woman. I related to Chihiro back then, to Kiki when I was starting to grow into my teenage years, and now Sophie and Princess Mononoke as I figure out who I am as a woman, my strengths and insecurities, what I'm capable of and what living and loving means for me. I love Ghibi films, the honest messages that Miyazaki sends to young girls is beautiful and helped me through the toughest of times as I was growing up and while I'm still trying to find myself. I'd love to hear you talk about Miyazaki's female characters more in depth! Hearing you talk about something was inspiring as always, Hazel! x
So well articulated and loved the additional research. I'm studying film currently and I have a year left before I graduate and it can be very disheartening when you hear such negative things. It's so important that women and men understand the importance of true equal representation of all gender and race. Thank you for the positive look Hazel! Much love xx
I'd just like to say although this is slightly off topic, you've inspired me as a woman to try and make a career as a writer. Thank you so much for this Hazel, keep on going!!! xxx
As always, lovely to hear your thoughts on this matter.
It's such an important topic that so few still talk about. So glad we got Wonder Woman and Ladybird that have really proved to men (and everyone else) that women can, and women will.
Thank you for this (now old) video. Hayao Miyazaki is amazing and has a lot of amazing movies.
I think it is great that people are openly talking about it and that you and fellow RUclipsrs are actively encouraging women to go for it. I have an aul BA in Media and I remember taking a module back in first year, our lecturer was a woman and I know she meant well, but she showed us her study in regards to women in the industry and it was really depressing, all the stats and the fact that women have to choose between motherhood and career. I felt she went about it the wrong way. About 80 per cent of the class were female and we all came out of there feeling defeated before we even began. In saying that more than half our lecturers were woman and very encouraging. Also I often look at the credits of anything I'm watching, from the news to Hollywood films and seeing a number of female names up there gives me hope and comfort. But yeah my point, I think, is keep talking about it, but look at it positively!
The researcher from the centre for women in television and film also put out a really comprehensive report on the gender diversity on behind the scenes roles in the top 250 films of 2015, and found that only a 1/5 of the people working in the film industry were women. It's easy to see that this is where our female characters are failing because there just aren't enough women in the writing teams, the producers etc. Which then sucks even harder! Because how can I be inspired to make films and be a part of the change in the industry, when I can't see myself represented in the industry or I can't see myself in a lasting career in the industry because of my gender.
Your work really inspires me to be a part of the change in the industry. I really appreciate that you made this video!
videos like these restore my faith in youtube! so thought-provoking and interesting! wish this was discussed more, incredibly well said. thank you Hazel! :) x
I'm screaming at the insight in this. It should be so straightforward as you make it here whereas if male writers are struggling to conceptualize and execute 3 dimensional women, MAYBE GIVE FEMALE WRITERS A GO. We're everywhere! Hell, I'm right here
This is so important because the way characters are written right now it seems like writers choose the gender of the character first and then write the character. Some of the best writing advice I ever heard for writing characters was to write a character so that they're as realistic as you want and then their gender should just be decided by a flip of a coin.
Really enjoyed this!! Especially the statistics at the end and introspection at the end! Can't wait to check out the study.
I think one of the great examples of an American male writer/producer who knows what he's doing with female characters is J.J. Abrams. Buffy (which I have not seen yet) and Alias (one of my favorite shows of all time) have these strong, vulnerable, complex, and interesting female stars. One of my favorite moments in Star Wars VII was when Kylo Ren was interrogating Rae and he said "You're just a..." in in that moment, every woman in her head assumed it would be "girl," but he actually said "scavenger." If J.J. can do it for so long, so well, and be so incredibly successful, there is no excuse for anyone else.
JJ didn't make Buffy
Also his portrayal of women in his Star Trek reboot aren't that great, the Alice Eve clothes changing scene comes to mind.
J.J. Abrams didn't write the screenplay for Ep. 7 though.
Oops, totally spaced on Buffy! Like I said, you can tell I didn't watch it :P
+Rob He co-wrote it.
Love the video Hazel, I agree with you completely. I think that's why for me I have started gravitating towards tv over film. The representation of female characters is just overall so much better. Even with a show written by men for instance Orphan Black, there's still an array of wonderfully complex women, I love it!
I feel that even in films with female protagonists, the surrounding cast is male. For example, in frozen, all the governors and soldiers are male. My friend was really happy with the pretty well rounded female in the new mission impossible film, but I pointed out that all the other roles were played by males. I feel that females are often stereotyped as love interests - as you said, there are not enough WELL ROUNDED female characters (sorry can't do italics so caps lock will have to do)
+Harry Lawson yeah cause a woman with the power to freeze a nation and really bad fake Sami outfits are really historically accurate
Harry Lawson sorry for using that example, but you get my drift. even in films with empowered female characters the surrounding cast tends to be male
+Raven Trunite so you're saying you want a film with all females........ fuck me this world is fucked. IT IS GOING TO FAR LEFT NOW!!!!!!!! for example with homosexuals. stephen fry said to an actor who's name I have forgotten. "I would take you home and rub you down" and mr Fry didnt gwt I to trouble at all that is fucking disgraceful. just because he is gay doesn't mean he can say shit like this. if a straight man said that to a women he would sacked on the spot. Feminist are now heading that way its like they want to see females everywhere. and moan about how there isn't enough and the pay gap is still there. females dont do nearly as dangerous high paid jobs as men. men on average do jobs with a 40% chance of death ie the military. women on average do jobs with just 3% chance of death!!! and theyw onder why men get paid a little more on average. also women in films yes I agree there should be more leading roles for women BUT NAME ME AMAZING FEMALE ACTORS!!!! compared to Leo dicaprio, jack nicholson, denzel washington etc many many more I can barley name 3 brilliant female actors. also there are far more male directors. this isnt there fault females have as equal opportunities to become directors but chose not to!!!!!!!!!!! dont blame males if part to blame is yourself!!!!!
T Nich Im not saying i want all female casts, im just pointing out that even in films with well rounded female protagonists the surrounding cast is male. it would be nice to see a 50/50 kind of thing.
Do you think the fact that all the governors and soldiers being portrayed as male, might have something to do with the era and the occupation???
There's always been something I couldn't quite put my finger on why I loved a lot of Studio Ghibli films. I mean, yeah they're awesome and magical and all that.
But now I think I know what it is :) Thank you Hazel! ❤
Spirited Away is aaaaaamazing!! I also adore Kiki's Delivery Service.
Dear Hazel,
I would recommend, based on the discussion and discovery of ghibli, Whipser of the Heart and From Up on Poppy Hill. Both incredibly strong female protagonists in semi fantastical settings. Miyazaki has been a favourite for a long time and it's largely due to his craftsmanship and portrayal of intriguing female characters in intriguing and relatable narratives. Its therefore sad to acknowledge that he retired last year. However I'm glad you discovered and could appreciate these works xx
I love a neatly wrapped up video with a concrete message at the end, fab video Hazel!
What you say is absolutely true and a huge issue with film industry. And the proof for it is that myself, an average viewer of both film and tv, i am stuggling to remember the names of female directors, screenwriters, producers etc. which is not the case for famous men in the film industry. I hope this changes gradually for the better.
I love Studio Ghibli! Spirited away is also my favourite film by them, followed by Kiki's Delivery Service. This video was really insightful and delivered (no pun intended) a great message to today's film directors and writers. I hope to see more empowering female protagonists in films in the future.
Great vid! I think what you said about portrayal of female characters needs to be further applied, as in representation is one of if not THE most important aspect in children's perception of themselves.
Ps. Can't believe it's taken you this long to discover Studio Ghibli! Kiki's Delivery Service is one of my favourite films, definitely check it out if you haven't already.
the eyeliner slays
It's lovely so see how people finally watching When Marnie was there! I watched it I think in 2014 and completely loved it! (Though I think Mononoke and Howl are always my favourites)
I 100% agree with everything said in this video. In my opinion film and any other forms of art should reflect the society and community in which they are made and I feel that we are seeing that on certain platforms, particularly those that are relatively newer and have a much more diverse and vocale audience such as youtube. The Internet is incredible and there is representation of everyone under the sun, of course its not completely equal and that freedom also leads to freedom to critise, but its so much better than mainstream media due to the fact that ANYone can pick up a camera and share it online. Hollywood and mainstream media at its roots however is an industry, a machine, that is designed to make money. Online there is much less risk and content is rarely made with a primary financial goal. Of course I am aware that people do make a living off of platforms like youtube and certain members of the community are beginning to exploit certain aspects but as a generalisation the freedom to produce content means that there is a much more representative community online. Hollywood has certain formulas and tropes that they know sell well and so if it ain't broke don't fix it. The thing is, it is broken as much of the stories and representation no longer reflects the society that consumes the end product, and since there is not an instantaneous wide-spread response, the only way to gauge a films success on a commercial scale is profit. No matter how much we complain about unnecessary sequels, hollywood still makes them because people still watch them! Of course once again I am massively generalising and there are thousands of hard-working extremely talented people working in hollywood both in front of the camera and behind it but the problem is in the way we consume commercial film media. There seems to be more and more discussion and dialogue about representation in film wether that be with gender, race, sexuality e.t.c but we are yet to see a resounding change. I to be honest I don't think there will be one. Hollywood is such a giant that it will take time to change and to do so I think we just need to keep this discussion alive. By having this discussion it forces writers or studios or directors or anyone else involved in the creative process to take pause before creating a character or story and so pushes the film industry towards equal representation one character at a time. We don't want token characters, we don't want stereotypes but we also don't want to short-change the story-telling. Film is incredible and there is nothing else like it and its as simple as that. To change the system we simply need to keep the discussion alive and increase awareness, this leads to big changes through small decisions.
Anyways that was my piece that is now much longer than I anticipated, oops :) anyway I would be interested to hear your responses and thoughts. I think change is exponential as more and more people understand, and we are beginning to get the ball rolling...
well said! I feel like this is a topic which is never discussed, but has such a huge influence on our perceptions of gender roles when we are young (watching films that seem innocent but are seen to make massive generalisations of the role of women that young girls may feel like they have to conform to, like Disney Princess's for Example) I respect you for using your RUclips platform to create a conversation about this and open up discussion for this topic! good on you gal xxxx
Ghibli films mean so much to me and that's partly because of the way they present female characters. I first saw Spirited Away when I was about 11 and it remains to this day my favourite film. I had never seen a film in which a girl of around 10, a girl at the end of young childhood and about to enter teenage years, was so wonderfully and accurately portrayed. Chihiro's growth as a character made me feel like I could overcome obstacles and grow as a person too. It touched me so much that Miyazaki cared enough to create such a great character for girls to identify with.
gender equality in the film business is such an important topic to talk about, thank you Hazel! especially coming from a brilliant writer/director like yourself!
in my film production course at uni the gender split is pretty much 50/50, the film festivals i submitted my work to before that were dominated by young female filmmakers...but then when it comes to actually working in the film business itself that changes.
i read a very interesting article which offered the explanation that often mainstream blockbuster films - unlike theatre, documentary film and indie productions, where female directors are much more common - are so expensive.
the writer of the article katy chevigny says that when a production company is choosing a director they are 'essentially putting their faith (and most likely their company's money) into the creative vision of that person, and also into her capacity as a leader (...) this is a tall order for anyone (...) the producer , investor or studio must believe that a woman can achieve greatness on both these counts. and on top of that, she is expected to make a movie that makes a killing at the box office.' (this is just the introduction into the main part of the article, it is so interesting! i really recommend reading it, here's the link: filmmakermagazine.com/97378-can-she-pull-it-off-or-how-to-hire-women-directors/#.V1ssVWR97fY )
so tl;dr: one of the explanations is that the mainstream film world is dominated by money - lots of money to be lost means risk - hollywood doesn't like risks - female and/or POC directors happen to seem like risks because sexism and racism :(
I need more film talks, more reviews/explanations. You really are amazing!!!!
An excellent discussion! A little surprised you had seen Ghibli films before but that's probably because Spirited Away really blew up when I was at school and everyone loved it. Quite encouraging really and I hadn't even consciously realised what it was to see strong female roles as a kid. Esp throwing in the fact that I didn't grow up on Disney princess movies either, I wonder how that shaped me...
I love your appreciation for Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki! ❤
For my birthday last year, my boyfriend bought the entire Studio Ghibli Collection because I love them so much! They arrived in the post just as he was about to leave for Spain and honestly, the days spent watching Ghibli are the best sort of days!
The one thing you touched upon that really bothers me in this video is how they said they had difficulty writing female characters.
1. If you have so much trouble writing a woman as a man get a female writer in the mix to collaborate with, oh look youve just made another job for a woman in the film industry and youve opened up your writing to a completely new perspective that could be useful for any and all characters. So not being able to write them yourself isnt an acceptable excuse.
2. I went to school for advertising, as a creative and especially as a copywriter you have to become the person you are selling to. You could be a 40y/o male assigned a product with the demographic of 8-11 y/o females in a specific region with specific interest etc. As the creative you have to become those girls, you have to become your audience. Any good writer should be able to do that, especially in film. Research your character and become them, get outside perspectives etc. There is no excuse for not writing female characters other than laziness and not wanting to actually grow as a writer.
This video came in such a good time! I've recently talked to a few women who are just starting in the film industry and their willingness to succeed and help more women to be part of it is truly inspiring. I have nothing to add as I think you've said it all, but I do have a recommendation for you to watch in case you're interested: Miss Sweden. It was directed, written and produced by women, and I absolutely love the main character's reaction upon seeing that she wasn't satisfied with her life. I hope you enjoy it if you see it! X
Thank you so much for making this video Hazel, it's so important to talk about and I agree with everything you've said. Also the show how to get away with murder has very good portrayal of women, the main character is a black bisexual woman who is very dimensional, I'd really recommend it
Oh my god, like, marry me. You just explained what has always been in my head. I think you are an awesome role model for women in this indiustry!
Spirited Away for the win!! :D it's also my favorite. However, I totally agree with you. Thank you and Jack for taking time to actually bring this topic up. It's not talked about a lot and it's something that needs to be touched on and needs to be changed. Women can be a "typical" women but that does no mean they cannot be a strong, independent women as well. Girliness does not equal weakness or anything.
"write a character with no gender, just write an interesting complex human, and make it a woman" so important for directors to have this in mind! thank you, hazel :-)
The first studio ghibli film I ever saw was Spirited Away, and it instantly became my favourite film and still is to this day. I since devoured every studio ghibli film I could get my hands on, especially those directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Personally I don't think there is another film maker past or present like him. He creates these stories of strong(from a womans perspective) women coming into there own who are their own heroes. Something that resonates very strongly for me. Many Miyazaki films weave through global themes of the impact that humans have on the environment. Ponyo and our polution of the ocean, and Princess Mononoke and deforestation are two of the most obvious examples. Studio Ghibli films have had great impact on myself as a young girl and now as a young woman, they are a part of a change in my perspective and acceptance of myself. And I think many people can relate to that. Shy girls can be powerful, scared girls can be brave and never do they have to be one or the other. Complex woman make for great films. And studio Ghibli has given us that.
You can probably tell I'm a huge fan and this is very close to my heart, so I am happy that you've been introduced and appreciate.
Great video! I really loved that you adressed the fact that women often suffer from a lack of confidence when asking for a chance, and that you talked about the sheer lack of numbers.
it seems to me that so many movies or shows think that because they have one good female character among a group of guys they're being super progressive. Even if she is well-written that's not equal representation
It's crazy to consider those numbers you pointed out from that study, and then see how many people still say that we live in an age of complete equality... It's like when you look at things like the bechdel test, there's still such a divide in the film industry that people are ignoring, so it's great that people like you and Jack are opening up the conversation about it
I could listen to you talk about this all day
Spirited Away and Grave of the Fireflies are two of my favorite films. Every time I convince other people to watch them, they fall in love as well. I haven't seen Marnie yet, but I am so excited to see it soon.
Miyazaki is fantastic at writing real, relatable, female characters. Because he makes children's movies he writes them to fit in with the children and struggles they will face, unlike how Disney made princess to find their prince. I quite admire Studio Ghibli for that.
I completely agree. I've loved film (and wanted to work as a writer) for as long as I can remember. I'm someone who's quite headstrong and doesn't give up easily. But seeing the lack of women in front of and behind the camera is genuinely so discouraging. That mountain you have to climb to be successful seems so much bigger. Which is why we need to uplift young girls and not confine them to the small boxes that media often portrays!
This made me jump up and down in my bed!! Great video Hazel!! I actually wrote just about this for my theises , regarding the lack of "real" woman i movies. It is so important to show of female character that are relatable. One great example of a flawed, but real female character in my mind is Hermione (especially) in the books.
Great video; you articulated your thoughts very well. I think the portrayal of women (and minorities) in movies is especially important because the film industry has such a huge impact on culture and our daily lives. Think I might check out some more Ghibli films in the future.