Regarding your point about the guy leaving his card: I wouldn't say it's right to draw a "work harder than your competition" conclusion from that. What it more accurately shows is that women are less pushy in seeking opportunities than guys. That doesn't make them less hard working, but most women are brought up to feel that asking or following up like that is too pushy, too forward, too presumptuous, etc. whereas guys are brought up to not really give a shit about that. It speaks to a wider issue about how society encourages men to ask and women to wait. You see it all the time with dating, so it's not really a surprise that the same thing presents itself in business.
This is what I was thinking! I just did a project on women in academia and it's similar- the way the system works favours men in terms of people having to put themselves forward, ask for more money or more opportunities etc. Of course there are exceptions in each gender, but following trends and how men and women are taught to behave, it's a process developed by men for men.
This is exactly what I thought the second he mentioned that! Women are generally socialised pretty much from day 1 to be more passive, whereas men are encouraged to be aggressive. I know I put myself forward and take the initiative far less than my brother, and a lot of that is to do with how I'm afraid of coming off as too pushy or bossy - things that I've been told all my life are bad to be and will hold me back/cause people to not like me. Funny how that's exactly the kind of thinking that leads to less women breaking into film and other industries, meaning they keep being dominated by men, who continue to produce media that reinforces the same stereotypes and messages about how women should behave... it's a vicious circle :/
You met Jodie fucking Foster! Hooooooly cheese. She's like one of my heroes and her work got me into film making in the first place! Hopefully, I'll grow up to be a female film maker, to add a 0.01% to the percentage.
I was outwardly told by one of my male university professors I was never going to make it in the film industry. Why? Because I'm female. It didn't matter that I worked harder, got better grades, filmed in my spare time, constantly tried to push myself harder and further than my male counter parts, it's because the men out there, in that big bad world of film making, preferred to hire males. I now work in television but it's not a creative role, as I would have liked but during my interview for my current role, my female & male interviewers (now my managers) asked me why I didn't go for creative roles and I said 'Honestly? It's because I'm a woman. I've been out of uni for nearly 7 years with a first in film production, I've applied to about a 1000 creative roles, internships, unpaid experience & never got a call back, yet guys in my course who scraped a 3rd are now working in editing houses in soho'. If the system is flawed internally, sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you work.
Exactly! Obviously it's important to work hard, but that's not always enough when there is underlying bias within the system. The film industry itself will need to work hard to change that (gradually, and it'll probably take a long time) and actually reach out to girls and women who want to work in film specifically, to give them a fair chance against their male peers who regularly receive preferential treatment. I'm sorry this happened to you though Kirsty! :(
We talked about this in English class actually, and we came to the conclusion that in scenarios like the one you described, where somebody leaves their card at a uni or something, women are actually less likely to call, because they are less confident in their work. Women are generally thought, from the beginning of their lives, that saying you're good at something is rude and arrogant, while men are generally more encouraged to believe in themselves. My teacher used to teach Business English classes for adults and she said that while women were almost always better at English than men, women would mostly underestimate themselves and men would rank their skill higher.
I completely agree with you! Women are taught to be modest, and self-confidence is quickly seen as arrogant and unseemly. When he mentioned the individual leaving cards at institutions, I couldn't help but think that it doesn't qualify as trying to encourage more women or people other than men to participate in the film industry. It just creates an open opportunity for anyone. A great opportunity might have been to do a guest speaker event for students interested in entering the film industry to connect to as many people as possible and address the gender bias in the industry. I don't know the solution to the problem, but hopefully discussions like these create new opportunities for filmmakers.
+Robyn Dick I really hope these discussions make people more aware of the problem! I think that women in any business are less inclined to take higher positions, simply because they don't put themselves forward as much. They generally tend to look more after others than themselves and even though in the example the card is given to all students, and it technically means the same chance for everybody, the same distance to go for everybody, women have many more bumps in their way to that film set than men!
Agreed, alongside the fact that we don't know what kind of culture exists in the acting schools for non-male students. For example, are the teachers also biased to favour male students (unconsciously or not), what is the gender distribution of the teachers/faculty, how does this affect promotional/experiential opportunities, etc. These facets all affect someone's learning experience and the opportunities available to them because as the old adage goes "it's not what you know, it's who you know."
+Robyn Dick The last sentence is SO TRUE! I'm a fashion student and by now I know a few people in the scene in my country, but it all comes down to one teacher, who believed in me and my skills... And now I'm the one who helps people connect for internships and such! So much depends on who you know, and then how confident you act in front of them. Coming from fashion, there are actually a lot of women, but somehow not so many make it to be super-famous... In the end they stay in the background for whatever reason.
+Blue Whovian I don't think the solution to achieve equality is to stop making it an issue. Women are different from men, poc are different from white people, etc. The goal is not to eliminate the differences, it's to treat everybody the same way/with the same respect. For example, I, as a woman, want to be respected and treated with the same sort of seriousness as men, I want my work to be valued as much as anybody else's, but that doesn't mean, that I want people to ignore the fact that I'm a woman. And as long as there is inequality in our society, I do believe that we should make an issue out of it! Talk people's ears off until change happens. By not talking about it, we ignore the problem. Had nobody spoken out about the injustice, it would have taken me a much longer time to realize it and talking about these issues, especially in front of people who are (maybe unknowingly) part of the problem, makes a huge difference!
I think with the leaving the card point maybe it isn't about women having to work harder than their competition, maybe its more about a sense of women feeling that they won't be picked or aren't good enough for the job, because the male members of the class can also pick up the card, and women may feel somewhat inferior? if anything is it's a reflection on the way in which women are treated in film education- maybe there isn't enough promotion of females in film there, so the glass ceiling seems more difficult to break.
I totally understand this. People have also pointed out, and it's something I said in the video but chose to cut out, that from an early age females are taught to respond differently to success than males. RE: the business card thing. What I was trying to say is that when men and women are offered the same opportunities, there shouldn't be a divide.
Completely understand, thanks for clearing that up. I'm studying law and mansplaining (intentional or not) is such an issue in my seminars and lectures, so I can only imagine it is more prominent in creative subjects where discussion and group work is used more, and the lack of women, such as Jodie Foster, being seen or including in the syllabus must be creating a barrier. If you're working towards a job but see nobody like you doing it, it's going to be deterring. Great video, it's really refreshing to see a guy highlighting these issues.
hey my girlfriend brought up the same point. And its completely understandable. there just shouldn't be discrimination. And it is difficult for women in the industry to be part of the crew but i know a boom operator (and the job requires a lot of lifting) and she happens to be very good at it. So i think it'd be great if there were more oppurtunities as well as takers to take those oppurtunities as well.
In all honesty I am the victim of mansplaining or witness it very regularly, I would go so far as to say at least a few times a week. It's being recognised in some Parliaments also, it is effecting women even in extremely high up positions in our governmental system. If you can claim you are regularly "womansplained" on a regular basis then I do feel very sorry for you, but ultimately as far as I am concerned it is women being made to feel patronised and inferior when in conversation with some, but not all, men. I experienced it today, I had a peer in my law school class acknowledge every males opinion yet when i spoke he chose to ignore me, and when questioned as to why he was ignoring me he replied, "calm down love". Last week i was told I shouldn't pursue a career in law because I should stay home and look after my husbands children, and when I attempted to retaliate the response was "here we go, you're going to spout out some feminism". Mansplaining is real whether you use it or not.
I am so glad by the answer Jodie gave. It was balanced, it highlighted the importance of the dialogue, and she clearly has thought about it. I am impressed.
yeah..why wouldn't young unexperienced female film students call an older man who has a lot more experience, a certain influence and power and gave them his card saying "call me!" ?? sounds like a totally safe thing to do..
+JackHoward nooo, I don't even know him! I'm just trying to explain why those film students might be reluctant to call him.. even if he is a nice guy, you can never be too careful and they might be a bit scared.. I think that might be part of the reason why guys just take his offer and call him, but women don't.. I don't know a solution for this problem though..
I think it has more to do with the social learning that occurs. I remember reading a study that said women are less likely to apply for jobs that they're under-qualified for than men. Men have been taught moreso to embrace bravado and confidence. Many women who try to do the same are often typed as aggressive. Honestly, in my school and uni experience I had little appreciation of how gender bias can affect women in the workplace - UNTIL I started working in male-dominated kitchens, and later in biomedical research. When in a room of male colleagues and superiors, my strong opinions were more likely to be doubted or viewed as aggressive, versus in more female-dominated or gender-balanced environments. I see your point, and perhaps female students viewed this producer as less approachable because of the difference in gender, but I think the trend has more to do with other elements of gender inequality and social learning.
Considering the sexualised misogyny that most women I know in the film industry in pretty much all roles have seen/experienced (including myself), I'm definitely not surprised that that's something they would consider when an older male producer says to call them. It's not a "oh but not all men are like that", it's a safety and precaution thing that the white dudes don't have to think about. Other things obviously also come into play in the decision not to call, but I don't think that element should be overlooked because it's genuinely a massive problem that contributes to hostile environments on set for women, and in turn contributes to them leaving or even never entering the industry after film school (where it's roughly a 50/50 gender split).
This is actually really ironic bc I'm a girl who really wants to work in film & i've been thinking about this lately. Regarding your reasoning behind why there aren't many women in film, I think it has to do a large part with representation. I found it hard to dedicate myself to working in film when there weren't many women I knew who were successful or famous in it. Well, to have successful women in film there have to be more women in film, which leads us right back to the problem. Once there is a successful woman director, more young girls would follow. I find many of the boys in my school's film club look at Spielberg or Scorsese and aspire to be like them, I think it would be the same with girls.
I wholeheartedly agree. I know for me personally Marie Curie was a huge inspiration for me to go into science - specifically physics, along with Dame Jocelyn Bell - who I now have an autograph from. Representation can really see a huge push in inspiration - and that's why it's so important. Especially in the film industry it would be refreshing to hear stories from all genders, races and backgrounds - and to achieve that we must inspire those not currently having their stories told.
For me, personally, when I have dreams of working in an industry dominated by men, what stops me believing that I could amount to anything is the idea that me just trying to get a job is going to be considered "breaking boundaries." I don't want to break boundaries, I just want to do a job! Is that so much to ask? There needs to be more women in film, other women need to be able to see that being a successful woman in film isn't some noteworthy thing, it's just a director doing a good job.
the real question is why isn't film more diverse as in with mix race. For example, there are films with yellowface where people have white people play asian roles and use makeup to make them look asian when they could just hire asian people.
Women need to work harder to get into any male-dominated field. But it's not just the "work harder" bit but they have to and need to be better and need to constantly prove themselves worthy of that position which then leaves them with almost no freedom to try new things. That's EXHAUSTING. Women can't make mistakes, for example, when making a film because they will be criticized more severely than their male peers. And mistakes and doing shitty work in the beginning is how people learn and get better and when getting knocked down because your first film wasn't the best in the world is so harmful. It's so baffling to know that at some point in history women dominated Hollywood both on and off-screen and now its almost a rarity to even have a single complex and interesting female character.
Why would she need to see this video? I'm sure if she has that dread and the ambition your sister will do what she wants to do. Telling her with this video that there is some (unsubstantiated) bias against her already will only do one thing: discourage her.
Exactly. I'm a woman and an aspiring filmmaker. Despite this what was said in this video, I have never felt discouraged because of my gender. I want to make films. I'm going to make films. That's it.
+ThiloAdamitz Not necessarily. Starting out as a woman in the tech industry i was hindered a lot by things like stereotype threat and subtle biases. Being able to recognize these for what they are gave me the tools to fight against them and gain confidence in my own abilities.
i agreed with everything you said aside from the 'penis and vagina' statement - not all women have a vagina and not all men have penises - thats a matter of self identification
I wasn't trying to be harsh! I was just expressing a criticism which I thought might be useful knowledge to him - especially being someone with an influential following (being a youtuber and internet figure). I'm sorry if I came off the wrong way :)
On its own, it's a fair statement because either genital should not be regarded at all, regardless of how you identify, but since he was explicitly talking about women in film I do understand since if someone was mtf they may feel oppressed due to being a women in the film business and that is not due to their biological makeup. By the way I am really not trying to cause any trouble just trying to see both sides. But apart from this (don't worry) this was a lovely video Jack! It is really great to see you supporting women in film!
+Freya Niamh I totally agree with what your saying, I just wanted to make the point clear, because, as he has said in past videos, he is always happy to be criticised and educated:) and I agree, it was a brilliant video!
Yes and it is great when we tell Jack in a civilised and respectful manner. I was just watching one of Dodie's old videos about how she feels so bad and scared when she is caught out on twitter and it just shows how people (definitely in these two occasions) don't go out of their way to be hurtful or offensive during a sensitive topic and want to be the best for their viewers. We are all human beings! :)
i love how you aren't scared to support women's rights as a lot of guys in my school have proper converstions about why feminism is bad and I just want to slap them oml
+mol Mcdermott The sad thing is you could slap them with no consequences and you just laughed about it, and you claim you support equality, rubbish. You have every privilege a man has yet you have many social political and economic rights they don't, men aren't afraid of supporting your little cult they're disgusted by it, how about you start preaching for equality instead if female supremacy
Alex Smithson I don't see how we got from what she said, to this. I hate the concept of female supremacy as much as I hate people thinking feminism is all about that but what Mol said, has nothing to do with female supremacy. As a man, I get fed up with other men complaining about feminism and feel like slapping them sometimes. Everyone feels that way once in a while, no matter their gender or who it is they feel like slapping. So long as you don't actually do it, it's fine.
***** The name feminism implies a gender bias because it was formed at a time when women had even less rights than they do now but the whole point; from the get go was to create gender equality. Sure the name causes a great deal of confusion but it doesn't make feminism inherently bad. I think the main trap egalitarianism falls into is under-estimating how many people actually want peace and equality. A lot of bad things in the world are caused by either people thinking the goal isn't realistic anymore and looking out for themselves or people thinking killing or subduing their enemies will somehow help in creating the ideal world. We're all born seeing other living things as equal, this idea that it's not achievable or that certain people are exceptions comes later. So creating the ideal world should be about convincing people it's still possible for everyone.
Was very unsure about the reaction that this video was going to get in the comments while I was watching it, however the massive response of intelligent comments has been really refreshing and up-lifting.
Whenever a youtuber like jump cuts to them in a different position I always imagine them like...moving to that new position and prepping themselves. Always amuses me
I'm a man in the medical industry. I was at an induction with 14 other people all of whom were women. Does this bother me? No because I'm not sexist. I don't expect them to be sexist and it bugs me that the idea that there are more men in something is a bad thing. If you want to fix gender inequality become a rubbish collector. Bring back gender parity in university or just stop attributing peoples choices to sexism.
When you think about how influential film is on society as a whole - ideologically, politically etc. and seeing as women make up roughly 50% of the world's population, and yet do not have anywhere near an equal voice in film; it's mildly worrying. In our (Western) society, the dominant group (who gets the most say) continues to be white men. Why would you expect women to be sexist going into a situation like that? There can be misandrist women, yes, but your average woman is much more likely to expect to be discriminated against for being a woman, than a man is for being a man, because that is what is typical of our society. There are always exceptions to the rule, however, based on previous experience and the society around them, women are much more likely to be on the defensive when they're outnumbered. But really, I don't want to get into that debate. Especially in a RUclips comment section... I was referring more to me being personally intimidated by the fact I'm outnumbered, which is 100% me speaking from my own feelings of unease and my own experience. I didn't even mention sexism. If you're not personally intimidated by being outnumbered, then that's awesome for you. If you wanna call me feeling a little worried going into an industry dominated by males sexist, then wow. Just wow. I don't really know where to begin
I really don't think that's the case. Men and women are discriminated against. I would assert however that society is more based on protecting women and so when they are discriminated against people take notice. You notice female discrimination because there are systems in place to notice it. Eg when domestic violence against women is reported more because there are more shelters for women than men. You saying that a woman is more likely to be discriminated against in a male dominated field than a man in a female dominated one just shows me that you think women are less discriminatory. I'm sure you're smarter than that.
I feel as though we don't even live in the same world??? Yes there's discrimination against both, of course there is, but just look at statistics? How many female presidents have there been in the US? That's the most obvious example of the lack of women in positions of power; in positions where they truly have a voice. Women get paid less for doing the same job... There is systemic discrimination against women which we are getting closer and closer to eradicating, but it's still there. I'm just... What???
Wage gap is a myth. Earnings gap is due to personal choices. Research it for five minutes. Definitely check out the factual feminist. Women have also been able to vote for nearly 100 years or so, women are also more likely to vote, so who is doing the discrimination? My main issue is that a lot of feminism seems to be asking men to help women in things that really aren't men's fault, and then proceeding to blame it on men. e.g. women are more likely to slut shame and body shame. Before you reply "internalized misogyny" ask yourself, do they call them a slut because they hate them for being a woman, or because they are jealous of them for being attractive? In the same way I don't dislike David Beckham for being a man but because he's become rich for kicking a ball around a field a bit. If there's one piece of research that I would like to see, is following of children to adults and their interests, how they change and why. I would also predict that their interests are not equally represented to begin with either. Equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of out come.
the Thing that Jodie said about the feeling inside of the character and that they just dont seem to do that with women really explains so much. Because THATS why male characters are more popular among everyone. Because you can relate to them, even as a girl. And the females are often so 2d and wow this makes so much sense. I dont have feel guilty for not having as much female favs as male! And I feel this is especially true in movies. In series it seems not that bad? and also explains why in books I have more female favs.
This is so motivational to watch and hear for someone who weren't accepted into film school, not because my material wasn't good enough, but because I don't have the right experience. I will keep making my own stuff, expanding my network, and hopefully eventually make it there on my own! Thank you, Jodie (and also Jack) xx
I found the comment about the business card and who calls thing interesting as it links to something I've heard before, an anecdote about asking questions after talks. The speaker had found that if they set a limit e.g. 3 questions, after 3 had been asked, most women put their hands down and those left would be mainly male, so if a few extra questions were answered these would then be questions from men. I think women are conditioned to be less forward - it's not 'feminine' to be pushy so they worry about being seen as almost 'selfish' if they ask that extra question or call that number. I know this is generalising but men don't need to worry about how their actions are perceived in the same way - they're merely 'taking the opportunity' or trying their luck. In a way women need an extra push of 'I'd love to see more of your work' as almost permission - especially in more 'boys' club' atmospheres where they may not feel they belong. Thanks for talking about this with your platform Jack!
This got ridiculously long! TLDR: in very single group dominated environments it can be hard to see opportunities as equally aimed at you when you don't fit whatever the majority is so it's essential to actively make it clear that these people are welcome Again, massive respect for dealing with this question so eloquently and bringing attention to this!
You raise some very good points. It may be a combination of nature and social conditioning, but whatever the case, women in creative fields need to get more comfortable with coming forward about their goals and ambitions. Women should not wait for a "push" or permission. It's about asserting yourself, just as it is for a man. We need to give that permission to ourselves. That's where the real progress begins.
This topic really inspired me to write a powerful comment about women in the culture and film industry; but then the final question came up and all I was left thinking about was how gross it is that the reality is that...hands are, effectively, made of ham anyway...
I like how you always use your RUclips to do innovative, interesting and intelligent videos (alliteration oooh) as opposed to really easy vlog content, which is fine, takes effort, and of which I love, but it's hardly "original" or "different". I appreciate and value your input to the RUclips community, it's good stuff. Thank you.
Stephen Follows also has some great studies on women in film -- gender inequality in the film industry is a 140 page study he did last year and it goes really in depth -- and on the state of the industry in general for those in comments interested in the other intersections of it all. It's such a massive problem, and definitely not one that can be encapsulated in a single video. Other aspects I've read a lot about are the experiences of women who have found the crew to be a boys' club and deeply misogynistic/violent language used so that someone looking to e.g. be a cinematographer would struggle to get the experience they need on a set to work up the ranks, the dropoff in women from those studying in university to those working in film, and also the studies that have shown women to be socially punished (fiscally or in terms of opportunity) for showing the kind of forthrightness and confidence men are oftentimes rewarded for. Like I don't think in the scenario with the producer and the card that the producer would have individually punished the woman who follows up, but we see patterns of women's ambition being regarded entirely subconsciously as something nefarious or sinister, untrustworthy etc. And I think both the fear of being regarded as such and the little examples (comments people have said, decisions made etc.) is learned and ingrained to such a point that it can sometimes become a weapon against each individual. Then there's also the idea that women's voices are of less value because we hear them less on screen and so we feel they're of less value and we hear them less on screen etc. All of that when coupled with general human insecurity/terror/etc + other aggravating factors of race, ability, sexuality, language, geography is a poisonous cocktail. So then: what do we need to do to make it possible for everyone to use their voice and assert their position/creativity in a broader environment that teaches groups their voices are not of value and reinforces that with social reality, whether that's pay or the right to work without being harassed? I don't know but the fact that we're all talking about it has got to be a good thing, I think. We're all responsible for the conversation.
Thank you for expressing this so eloquently. In a way, Jack's message is an example of Jodie Foster's point that men tend not to see the world from women's perspectives: he could not see why they would act the way they did, nor can many men in the film industry. It takes people like you analyzing and speaking out about it for the conversation to become productive.
+asyouwish141 Men and women might think differently but I'm sure we can make logical and accurate judgements about each others' behaviour: less women in film may be because less women want to be in film what makes you think you can speak on behalf of all women?
It's amazing that you got to interview Jodie Foster! This video was really interesting and, as an aspiring scriptwriter, incredibly motivating. Thank you, Jack!
I think that when making videos like this it's important to not only acknowledge the struggles that women in general face, but how those struggles are compounded by each interaction, be it race, disability, etc. Feminism is great, but only when it's intersectional. Being disproportionately represented straight up sucks, but so does being a "token among tokens," which is often the reality for women of colour. It's an incredibly difficult set of complex issues to tackle in a RUclips, so I'm glad to see you contributing; however, I think you could have delved a bit deeper into this topic and at least mentioned the spectrum/nuances it entails. I hope you continue your efforts in the future.
Off topic-ish but once in my creativing writing class I wrote a short story I was really proud of and shared with the class (anonymously.) They read it and there were extremely positive reactions, then (for some reason) my teacher asked them to guess whether they thought the author was a male or female (based on the writing style I guess?) and to write it on a piece of paper. Not one person said "female" and I thought it was odd, as there were more girls in the class than guys. When the teacher asked why they thought I was a guy, they said it was because the writing was humorous and the genre was more male-centric (it was fantasy.) Weird.
Reason #638 as to why I love Jack Howard: he can go from talking about issues and being smart to asking about ham hands and sun cream dispensing arm pits. I love it
This video was the incentive I needed to email the production companies that I had been avoiding emailing for a couple of weeks now. A while ago I went to a Film and TV job fair in my city, and spoke to a few production companies who told me to email them back and continue emailing them if they didn't answer, and for some reason I never did. Watching this video was the reminder that I'll never get into the industry if I don't put myself out there and get the experience I need to excel. Thanks!!
Can you make a video recommending some female filmmakers or some films made by women? Particularly if there are any short films/sketches and things, I often find most of those videos are made by men so it'd be nice to find a few more made by women
I wrote my media studies A2 essay on women in film and it was really interesting to find out that in 2013 20-30% of protagonists in films were women! So glad a video like this has been made as its a really interesting topic!
Do you know what is really tragic? I would love to be in film production and hadn't noticed the divide until this video...I am now doubting myself. But hey...maybe I can play on discrimination policy and say 'Give me a job and fill your quota?'
Apparently women don't apply for jobs unless they're 100% qualified for it, but men will go for jobs they're 70% qualified for then talk about wanting to learn. APPLY TO EVERYTHING PPL HIRING WILL JUMP AT HAVING YOU DOUBTING YOURSELF IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO
if anything just use this as a reason to be even more proud of what you achieve, you've got more to overcome than some others in the industry so it's even more impressive when you do something great!
I get where you're coming from - as a woman in the tech industry those stats about gender differences can be pretty intimidating (companies like, google, amazon, twitter only employ about 30% women in tech roles). Maybe you can think about it like how i do-knowing about these biases, rather than being discouraging, gives us the knowledge it takes to combat them. For example, maybe ur in that film class and the guy leaves his business card. Before watching this video maybe you wouldn't call him because you don't want to bother him or worry you aren't important/skilled enough. After watching this video, you know that various men from your same class would have called him-they're in the same class as you so they have the same skills as you-you're equally as competent as them, so what's to stop you from calling the guy now?
YASS Jack! Great video. I have studied Film and TV for the past 2 years and have been baffled by the lack of woman who are in the front line jobs in the industry. When I have worked on productions the woman are usually seen taking on roles like production managers or producers. Even when I went to my uni interview, and I said I wanted to be a cinematographer, the lecturer was shocked, and said "but you're a girl", it was with humour, but It has been something I have faced a lot especially working on productions with almost all men in the main production roles. I think woman can be put off by the hard work and commitment that can be involved in filmmaking, I realised this when I was the only female in my class who was willing to get my 'hands dirty' in a production, rather than obsess over Justin Bieber or think about makeup. (although I still love JB and makeup.)
I'm really glad this video wasn't all "WOMEN DO THIS AND WOMEN DO THAT" but also focused on "mEN IN CHARGE GET UR SHIT TOGETHER" because I've seen too many men telling women about all the things they're doing wrong so YE GOOD JAHB
I'm glad you made a video about this, Jack. I'm taking film classes in school, and I'm not entirely sure I want this career but I really like it so far. Hopefully the industry does change.
*Holy moly! that was sooooooooooooooo interesting... and I feel strongly about this particular topic actually. I mean, I have always wanted to be a filmmaker, an artist, a script writer... but as I grew up, I realized how hard it is, because I am a female, an Arab, a Muslim, and I wear headscarf... I might be colourblind to race, religion, gender... but others are certainly aren't. especially in the creative industry.* but as I said, I have never thought of becoming anything but a director. I love films so much. so I'll just keep on fighting and pushing through with the many young female filmmakers, and maybe we'll make a difference one day :) PS: Thank you for always supporting women in the industry. You know that you're a great creative person and you'r not scared to show support to others. I am so proud and thankful
Why aren't there more woman in civil construction, why aren't more woman in fields that require more physical effort. I hate when ask this stupid questions "why aren't more women in film?" Why aren't more man in ballet. This is the thing as much you would like to deny, man and woman are different, man and woman have different interests, doesn't mean there's something to fix let people choose their field. I hate when people say we need more women in STEM fields. Why? I'm a woman in a stem field, and I hate that question because the answer is they don't want to, for the most part woman are not interested in physics and engineering. Ask any woman why aren't they in a stem field I can assure you the awnser is "because I'm not interested and I don't like math" it's not going to be "because I'm a woman and I feel I'm not allowed to"
Yeah, because creative writing and acting are such taditionally masculine things, aren't they? Lots of physical strength involved, grunting, pissing in a bottle, I can totally see where you're coming from.
+Linde Euwema yes but those fields are very competitive, men are naturally more competitive than woman stem fields are also very competitive more even in the beginning I cried a lot because you're compared to others a lot
+Linde Euwema but then I got my shit together and realized I really wanted this, men have more control over their emotions, women need more coping mechanisms and also biological we're more anxious and stressed this makes competitive fields very challenging but it's not because you're a woman it is because of your emotional stability most men are generally more emotional stable than women
maybe because other species also work that way and they dont have cultures. plus culturally women are now encouraged to go to those fields more than ever, we get free scholarships, and there are people who go to schools to encourage girls to go to fields that women tend not to go, but women still for, the most part, don't want to pursue that.
I'm literally procrastinating writing a research paper on women's representation in film by watching youtube when this pops up. Now I'll probably be quoting you as a source!
I audibly and with gusto, gasped when you said you talked to Jodie Foster. Well done Jack Howard for reaching that position. Also, this video was so inspirational and motivational, especially since I am female and I want to be successful in the film industry.
first off, when that person asked the producer what he's doing specifically to help women in the industry, all the producer said was he's giving out his card...to everyone....it is an interesting response only because he straight up didn't answer it. how is that specifically helping women in the industry when it's not acknowledging the imbalance at all, it's still just giving everyone the same opportunity as though men and women have the same treatment in the industry. secondly, you mocked the idea that women should have to work harder in the industry then literally 12 seconds later said word for word "you need to work harder than anyone else will". yes everyone has to work hard to get somewhere in the industry but the whole point of this video is women in film in particular, and once again it's ignoring the imbalance and what women have to do to even be acknowledged. this is literally just confirming that women have to work twice as hard to be acknowledged for something; it isn't offering any solutions other than for us to do more for something that isn't our fault. also I don't really understand how having one white female actress as a consultant is anywhere near 'making the effort' when you clearly acknowledged with an incredulous tone that you had 3 white guys as the writers...how is this making the effort for adding more women in the industry? is she going to be credited as a writer? is she helping writing beyond just this character? you asked her for help for a backstory and that's making an effort? I genuinely don't see how this is much better. in regards to 'gender not mattering' to whatever extent in terms of making films, I feel like you're aiming this discussion towards the question of whether or not there is an imbalance of gender at all. I feel like 99% of people would already be able to acknowledge that there is, no one is debating that, it's more the issue of how to change it. I'm not even going to go into the fact that you didn't acknowledge other oppressive factors such as race, sexuality, ableism, and I don't mean those factors on their own but how these can further affect women in the industry. I feel like there's a lot more you could look into this for helping women in film for the future.
Yes yes yes. The 'you need to work so much harder, and that's on you' idea is so damn tired. How about we stop suggesting women aren't already working so much harder - for those students, receiving advice and the offer of a business card from a man screams 'this is not for you', which is only compounded by other intersections that they don't share with him. Existing in that room takes so much more effort than their male counterparts. Why aren't more people asking what people in positions of privilege can do to specifically and unconditionally encourage women? Why aren't more men in power actually listening to women when we tell them how best to make a change instead of assuming they know best?
Thank you so much for this video! I am currently in college for video production (as a female!) and it has been the most fun experience of my life! It's something I adore and I'm doing everything I can to make it a life long career. Hearing conversations like this always give me so much inspiration to succeed, so thank you
Jack Howard: Makes a serious and opinionated video, ends it with a would you rather question. In awe of your ability to make thought provoking content without losing your voice and sense of humour. Well done Jack!
Thank you for this Jack. Honestly, it's really refreshing to see someone stand up for issues like this, when so many people would rather ignore it as they think "it's not going to change anyway." I myself want to go into the film industry, but I admit one thing that has massively been holding me back is the fact that I am female... But I'm going to try to go for it anyway and make a difference to other women and young girls who want to work in film. It's the only way to make a change.
I appreciate this video so much for the fact that when I was in high school, I studied media for my final 2 years. It was a class of 30, and there were only 4 girls. It was so difficult for us to be taken seriously by our peers and as much as our teacher tried to cover the topic of woman in film, it never got far before they all sooked and moaned about how it's not a "real" issue.
man I love this video so much, as a girl studying film and media I love that you've brought this up, thank you jack! I freaking love your interviews and the fact you actually ask intelligent, and real thought provoking questions, (including keirans 😁) I seriously need more interviews from you bc theyre super great!
I'm in my final year of film school and we're about to start shooting our graduation short films. There are 14 films overall with 6 female directors and 10 female producers. I was told that by head of school that this was the most female driven year of HODs at my university, which astounded me. Women have such great stories to tell and it's still shocking to me that they have a small place in the industry (I'm from Australia, but it's a worldwide issue). That being said, I'm not the director type - I want to be involved in casting and/or editing once I graduate. Casting talent though is similar because you're judging the actor in comparison to the character. Hearing that the 3 of you wrote a female character was interesting, now I'm keen to see how you've written her once the series comes out! Thank you for speaking about this issue because we still have a long way to go in the film industry. Love your work, Jack
Wonderful conversation. I love all the subjects that you bring up. Relating to your other new video as well, I've always recognized your "Arrogant Jack" as a youtube character, and I love these deeper insightful vlogs because I think you bring to light some important things that should be discussed more. And I myself have no plans on going into the film/entertainment industry, but I do intend on being a librarian and so that will give me the great potential of sharing and spreading different perspectives and stories and information to address these issues and help to overcome them. I really wish I knew you in person, because, if it's not too presumptuous to say, I feel like we would get along really well and have a lot of great conversations.
I don't know what to say, but thank you for getting this message out. I know I'm going to have to work 5 x harder as the men in the film industry and even the people I know who are filmmakers are mostly men and when it comes down to it I have to ask to work with them on projects, I'm never the first call. I am lucky enough to have had an amazing Film Studies teacher at A level, who pushed me for film opportunity when people asked him for students and because of this directed a feature length film at 18. Making a good impression with the right people does count and if some people can't see my amazing potential, do I really want to work for them?! And that advice for writing characters is amazing.
Loved this so much! Also really glad to hear that you've made an effort with your female characters, it just makes me more excited to watch your new stuff!
this really came at the right time for me because a couple of days ago i was wondering whether i'm good enough to be in the film industry and how i actually know nothing about it really (i am only 17 in my first year of college) and now that the end of the school year is approaching i'm wondering whether to start again with my subjects and choose some different ones purely because i don't know if i'm good enough or if i'll make it in the film world but you've kind of just made me realise that if i truly want to do it i just need to work hard and try and not be afraid anyway i'm rambling, this was a great video
I'm glad you used this interview as an opportunity to talk about the lack of women in film, I'm taking film practice at uni in September & I'm having to move from the midlands to London to study it. I remember going for my interview a few months ago and wondering how many girls would also be there & was pleasantly surprised when I got there to see that the ratio of guys to girls seemed practically equal. it was just so nice to see a group of girls with the same interest in film as me. having come from a town where not a great deal of girls have an interest in film & with not a lot of women in film being shown in the media either, it was great to see that there are actually girls out there, they're just not getting as much recognition. I just hope myself & all the other girls wanting to work in film can help to contribute to change that and allow people to get the recognition they deserve, regardless of their gender.
Thank you for making this! As a mixed race woman trying to get into the film and TV industry, I feel like I have to work a million times harder to just prove I even belong alongside my white male peers even in my classes at my university. Not only do we face a lack of willing hirers, we also experience direct sexism and devaluation of our skills. The amount of times since I have come to film school in this past year (and mind you, this is a "liberal" college) I have heard inappropriately sexual jokes about "working the pole" in reference to me- God forbid- doing something as innocent as holding the boom is unacceptable. I ask for very little other than respect from anyone and if I was not so damn stubborn I would have quit trying to be in this industry. I'm so glad you're addressing this issue- it needs to be talked about more!
I was skeptical about how you were going to go about this, but pleasantly surprised. You did a good job, well done. Also I'm pretty happy about the return of Slightly Further Away Jack, shit stirrer that he is
Loved this. I think your point with actually bothering to call is very important. The problem starts when you see there aren't many successful women in the industry so that already puts down a lot of women's confidence. I can't wait to get in the industry and kick some butt! Also would like to point out it seems like it would be very pleasant to work with you.
You met Jodie foster. Like... Holy shit Jack. Also I agree with all the things you were saying but I also think that people need to encourage young girls/women to look into film. Like, when I was young, even though I loved movies I never considered doing anything behind the scenes. I had great parents but even though I've worked in IT, they still 'ask one of the boys' to help with anything "technical." I feel a lot of the time theres this engrained feeling that girls can't do something and that ends up influencing women/girls trying to do things later in life. With the card thing, I think a lot of females second guess themselves and also don't want to be to pushy or speak up to ask for opportunities. It'll be interesting to see if this changes over time. :) I hope it does. Also, thank you for trying to flesh out your female characters, it's always appreciated. ^^
Thank you for this video Jack! I've always had a passion for film, and in a months time I will have had to select what college course I want to do. I'm hesitant to pick film because I don't feel very optimistic about the career prospects, but I still want to go with my heart. Just to hear such intelligent opinions on the topic of women in film inspires me, and it's especially nice to hear it from a man. This was perfect for me right now, I love it.
I love the point that you raised surrounding female characters. At uni the other day we were looking at how in the majority of films, it is usually filmed through a male gaze. I've always wondered why that was but this helped me to understand so much! Thank you Jack, awesome video!!
Love this discussion! Very revealing and I think it would benefit mainstream movies, especially action and superhero movies to incorporate this sort of thinking. If they are here to stay, the popularity of the genre shouldn't be used to narrow the opportunities for women. I think an important part of the discussion for hollywood is the need to appease marketing execs--essentially to make a lot of money. For some reason women are still seen as a deterrent to financial success in the film industry and I think this mindset is just as important to dismantle. At the end of the day it is a business as well as an artform and that is how decisions will be made. Even more excited for the Jack and Dean of all Trades series, I love well-rounded characters!!
Fun Fact: J K Rowling wasn't born with a middle name. The use of initials was added to disguise the fact she's a woman. The publishers asked for an extra initial and Joanne got the name Kathleen from her mother. The publishers believed that boys would not buy the book if they knew it was written by a woman. I wonder how many people in the film industry think this way as well?
I'm a woman (girl?) about to start year one of film school and I've been following this conversation (the general one about women in film, not yours with Jodie Foster) for a long time. Honestly the lack of women in film makes me pretty nervous about my own future career. I know some of my future peers in my year already, most of which are males (to my knowledge), and many of them have already gotten accolades and such at festivals around the country, and make content regularly. I haven't had the time, as I went to a pretty competitive high school, so going in with little portfolio material in the face of all these seemingly experienced people is pretty daunting. I identify a lot with your comment on having to work harder because that's what I did all throughout high school and it's what I'm already starting doing now by finding work on sets and helping out with other people's work. When it comes down to it, in my opinion, it's about how hard a person is willing to work (regardless of gender or race) as well as the opportunities presented to them (which is dependent on a few more things than gender and race). For a lot of women (or anyone!) starting in the industry, I think, the thought of outworking all these other people (white males, you can say, or other, already apparently successful people) is overwhelming and too much to handle. This probably applies to other careers or as well. As long as you have the mindset that you can kick ass if you try hard enough, and actively seek out opportunities, you'll be successful. That's just my opinion, though.
Thank you for posting this! I was waiting for it since you talked about it in Twitter. It's really interesting and inspiring to me,because I really want to write and direct my own films. I'm a high school student who is taking media next year. I take creative writing and journalism (and in journalism I'm the only girl in a class of boys). I'll watch this every time I feel like giving up or that it's to hard. Ps. I can't believe you met her! Damn your in a roll.
I absolutely agree with your point of view Jack and that's crazy that only a fifth of the film business are women, and also I love the way you have the courage and are using your status to show and create a real important discussion. Which I think really should be discussed much more. You also have really opened my eyes to this situation because I have not noticed how clear this is. Anyway rabbling, all I wanted to say is that videos like this really make me proud to watch RUclips and also make me proud to say I subscribed to you! (I just need to shut the hell up) cool right anyway dude keeping making videos! Your great!
Regarding your point about the guy leaving his card: I wouldn't say it's right to draw a "work harder than your competition" conclusion from that. What it more accurately shows is that women are less pushy in seeking opportunities than guys.
That doesn't make them less hard working, but most women are brought up to feel that asking or following up like that is too pushy, too forward, too presumptuous, etc. whereas guys are brought up to not really give a shit about that. It speaks to a wider issue about how society encourages men to ask and women to wait. You see it all the time with dating, so it's not really a surprise that the same thing presents itself in business.
This is what I was thinking! I just did a project on women in academia and it's similar- the way the system works favours men in terms of people having to put themselves forward, ask for more money or more opportunities etc. Of course there are exceptions in each gender, but following trends and how men and women are taught to behave, it's a process developed by men for men.
Thank you for saying this. I applaud Jack for making a video on this subject, but this point really didn't sit with me well.
yes yes yes this was my only qualm
This is exactly what I thought the second he mentioned that! Women are generally socialised pretty much from day 1 to be more passive, whereas men are encouraged to be aggressive. I know I put myself forward and take the initiative far less than my brother, and a lot of that is to do with how I'm afraid of coming off as too pushy or bossy - things that I've been told all my life are bad to be and will hold me back/cause people to not like me. Funny how that's exactly the kind of thinking that leads to less women breaking into film and other industries, meaning they keep being dominated by men, who continue to produce media that reinforces the same stereotypes and messages about how women should behave... it's a vicious circle :/
Perfect addition 👌
You met Jodie fucking Foster! Hooooooly cheese. She's like one of my heroes and her work got me into film making in the first place!
Hopefully, I'll grow up to be a female film maker, to add a 0.01% to the percentage.
Awesome! I wish you all the best.
+Lena L. Thanking you!
+Raz Edits Good luck pal ✌
I was outwardly told by one of my male university professors I was never going to make it in the film industry. Why? Because I'm female. It didn't matter that I worked harder, got better grades, filmed in my spare time, constantly tried to push myself harder and further than my male counter parts, it's because the men out there, in that big bad world of film making, preferred to hire males. I now work in television but it's not a creative role, as I would have liked but during my interview for my current role, my female & male interviewers (now my managers) asked me why I didn't go for creative roles and I said 'Honestly? It's because I'm a woman. I've been out of uni for nearly 7 years with a first in film production, I've applied to about a 1000 creative roles, internships, unpaid experience & never got a call back, yet guys in my course who scraped a 3rd are now working in editing houses in soho'. If the system is flawed internally, sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you work.
PS. This is a poor me comment it's just a glimpse into my own personal experience. Great video Jack.
Exactly! Obviously it's important to work hard, but that's not always enough when there is underlying bias within the system. The film industry itself will need to work hard to change that (gradually, and it'll probably take a long time) and actually reach out to girls and women who want to work in film specifically, to give them a fair chance against their male peers who regularly receive preferential treatment. I'm sorry this happened to you though Kirsty! :(
And you believed him? Grow up and apply yourself!
Your not exactly gender equal if you call men absolute monsters.
:/
I agree that collectivist ideology is damaging. I've been told I won't be able to make it in certain roles because I'm male. Hoozah for individuality!
We talked about this in English class actually, and we came to the conclusion that in scenarios like the one you described, where somebody leaves their card at a uni or something, women are actually less likely to call, because they are less confident in their work. Women are generally thought, from the beginning of their lives, that saying you're good at something is rude and arrogant, while men are generally more encouraged to believe in themselves.
My teacher used to teach Business English classes for adults and she said that while women were almost always better at English than men, women would mostly underestimate themselves and men would rank their skill higher.
I completely agree with you! Women are taught to be modest, and self-confidence is quickly seen as arrogant and unseemly. When he mentioned the individual leaving cards at institutions, I couldn't help but think that it doesn't qualify as trying to encourage more women or people other than men to participate in the film industry. It just creates an open opportunity for anyone. A great opportunity might have been to do a guest speaker event for students interested in entering the film industry to connect to as many people as possible and address the gender bias in the industry. I don't know the solution to the problem, but hopefully discussions like these create new opportunities for filmmakers.
+Robyn Dick I really hope these discussions make people more aware of the problem!
I think that women in any business are less inclined to take higher positions, simply because they don't put themselves forward as much. They generally tend to look more after others than themselves and even though in the example the card is given to all students, and it technically means the same chance for everybody, the same distance to go for everybody, women have many more bumps in their way to that film set than men!
Agreed, alongside the fact that we don't know what kind of culture exists in the acting schools for non-male students. For example, are the teachers also biased to favour male students (unconsciously or not), what is the gender distribution of the teachers/faculty, how does this affect promotional/experiential opportunities, etc. These facets all affect someone's learning experience and the opportunities available to them because as the old adage goes "it's not what you know, it's who you know."
+Robyn Dick The last sentence is SO TRUE! I'm a fashion student and by now I know a few people in the scene in my country, but it all comes down to one teacher, who believed in me and my skills... And now I'm the one who helps people connect for internships and such! So much depends on who you know, and then how confident you act in front of them.
Coming from fashion, there are actually a lot of women, but somehow not so many make it to be super-famous... In the end they stay in the background for whatever reason.
+Blue Whovian I don't think the solution to achieve equality is to stop making it an issue.
Women are different from men, poc are different from white people, etc. The goal is not to eliminate the differences, it's to treat everybody the same way/with the same respect.
For example, I, as a woman, want to be respected and treated with the same sort of seriousness as men, I want my work to be valued as much as anybody else's, but that doesn't mean, that I want people to ignore the fact that I'm a woman.
And as long as there is inequality in our society, I do believe that we should make an issue out of it! Talk people's ears off until change happens. By not talking about it, we ignore the problem. Had nobody spoken out about the injustice, it would have taken me a much longer time to realize it and talking about these issues, especially in front of people who are (maybe unknowingly) part of the problem, makes a huge difference!
I think with the leaving the card point maybe it isn't about women having to work harder than their competition, maybe its more about a sense of women feeling that they won't be picked or aren't good enough for the job, because the male members of the class can also pick up the card, and women may feel somewhat inferior? if anything is it's a reflection on the way in which women are treated in film education- maybe there isn't enough promotion of females in film there, so the glass ceiling seems more difficult to break.
I totally understand this. People have also pointed out, and it's something I said in the video but chose to cut out, that from an early age females are taught to respond differently to success than males. RE: the business card thing. What I was trying to say is that when men and women are offered the same opportunities, there shouldn't be a divide.
Completely understand, thanks for clearing that up. I'm studying law and mansplaining (intentional or not) is such an issue in my seminars and lectures, so I can only imagine it is more prominent in creative subjects where discussion and group work is used more, and the lack of women, such as Jodie Foster, being seen or including in the syllabus must be creating a barrier. If you're working towards a job but see nobody like you doing it, it's going to be deterring. Great video, it's really refreshing to see a guy highlighting these issues.
hey my girlfriend brought up the same point. And its completely understandable. there just shouldn't be discrimination. And it is difficult for women in the industry to be part of the crew but i know a boom operator (and the job requires a lot of lifting) and she happens to be very good at it. So i think it'd be great if there were more oppurtunities as well as takers to take those oppurtunities as well.
To my understanding, it's when men condescend to women, particularly in explaining subjects that are widely known or stating their opinions as facts.
In all honesty I am the victim of mansplaining or witness it very regularly, I would go so far as to say at least a few times a week. It's being recognised in some Parliaments also, it is effecting women even in extremely high up positions in our governmental system. If you can claim you are regularly "womansplained" on a regular basis then I do feel very sorry for you, but ultimately as far as I am concerned it is women being made to feel patronised and inferior when in conversation with some, but not all, men. I experienced it today, I had a peer in my law school class acknowledge every males opinion yet when i spoke he chose to ignore me, and when questioned as to why he was ignoring me he replied, "calm down love". Last week i was told I shouldn't pursue a career in law because I should stay home and look after my husbands children, and when I attempted to retaliate the response was "here we go, you're going to spout out some feminism". Mansplaining is real whether you use it or not.
I am so glad by the answer Jodie gave. It was balanced, it highlighted the importance of the dialogue, and she clearly has thought about it. I am impressed.
i'm so confused if this is about the ham/ sun cream question lo?
r_bytuesday No the women in film one not the skillful attempt to embarrass Jack
+r_bytuesday oml
yeah..why wouldn't young unexperienced female film students call an older man who has a lot more experience, a certain influence and power and gave them his card saying "call me!" ?? sounds like a totally safe thing to do..
I don't know what you're trying to imply about this producer. But it sounds a bit accusatory and ridiculous.
+JackHoward
nooo, I don't even know him! I'm just trying to explain why those film students might be reluctant to call him.. even if he is a nice guy, you can never be too careful and they might be a bit scared.. I think that might be part of the reason why guys just take his offer and call him, but women don't..
I don't know a solution for this problem though..
I think it has more to do with the social learning that occurs. I remember reading a study that said women are less likely to apply for jobs that they're under-qualified for than men. Men have been taught moreso to embrace bravado and confidence. Many women who try to do the same are often typed as aggressive. Honestly, in my school and uni experience I had little appreciation of how gender bias can affect women in the workplace - UNTIL I started working in male-dominated kitchens, and later in biomedical research. When in a room of male colleagues and superiors, my strong opinions were more likely to be doubted or viewed as aggressive, versus in more female-dominated or gender-balanced environments.
I see your point, and perhaps female students viewed this producer as less approachable because of the difference in gender, but I think the trend has more to do with other elements of gender inequality and social learning.
Considering the sexualised misogyny that most women I know in the film industry in pretty much all roles have seen/experienced (including myself), I'm definitely not surprised that that's something they would consider when an older male producer says to call them. It's not a "oh but not all men are like that", it's a safety and precaution thing that the white dudes don't have to think about. Other things obviously also come into play in the decision not to call, but I don't think that element should be overlooked because it's genuinely a massive problem that contributes to hostile environments on set for women, and in turn contributes to them leaving or even never entering the industry after film school (where it's roughly a 50/50 gender split).
Rowan Ellis
my point exactly!
5:53 "Jodie Foster just touched me"
This is actually really ironic bc I'm a girl who really wants to work in film & i've been thinking about this lately. Regarding your reasoning behind why there aren't many women in film, I think it has to do a large part with representation. I found it hard to dedicate myself to working in film when there weren't many women I knew who were successful or famous in it. Well, to have successful women in film there have to be more women in film, which leads us right back to the problem. Once there is a successful woman director, more young girls would follow. I find many of the boys in my school's film club look at Spielberg or Scorsese and aspire to be like them, I think it would be the same with girls.
I wholeheartedly agree. I know for me personally Marie Curie was a huge inspiration for me to go into science - specifically physics, along with Dame Jocelyn Bell - who I now have an autograph from.
Representation can really see a huge push in inspiration - and that's why it's so important.
Especially in the film industry it would be refreshing to hear stories from all genders, races and backgrounds - and to achieve that we must inspire those not currently having their stories told.
|-/
As they say: "You can't be what you can't see"
+Rowan Ellis
Yessss Rowan. (Btw marry me thx.)
For me, personally, when I have dreams of working in an industry dominated by men, what stops me believing that I could amount to anything is the idea that me just trying to get a job is going to be considered "breaking boundaries." I don't want to break boundaries, I just want to do a job! Is that so much to ask? There needs to be more women in film, other women need to be able to see that being a successful woman in film isn't some noteworthy thing, it's just a director doing a good job.
I love the way you look at Jodie whilst she's talking, you look so genuinely interested and that's something we don't always see in interviews.
I'm going to uni to study film in September, I'm determined to become a director.
CommeTroisPommes
I hope you’re doing good :D
I believe in you!
I know this comment is from three years ago but I'm going through Jack's old videos, just wondering, how's this going?
Have you graduated?
I hope you succeed in your life and in the world of film!
the real question is why isn't film more diverse as in with mix race. For example, there are films with yellowface where people have white people play asian roles and use makeup to make them look asian when they could just hire asian people.
That's not 'the real question' but a different question. You don't have to take away from one issue to give attention to another.
+AbiSaysThings eh true I'm just putting it there to amplify. Good point
Exactly! Is it so hard to find an Asian character?!
Women need to work harder to get into any male-dominated field. But it's not just the "work harder" bit but they have to and need to be better and need to constantly prove themselves worthy of that position which then leaves them with almost no freedom to try new things. That's EXHAUSTING.
Women can't make mistakes, for example, when making a film because they will be criticized more severely than their male peers. And mistakes and doing shitty work in the beginning is how people learn and get better and when getting knocked down because your first film wasn't the best in the world is so harmful.
It's so baffling to know that at some point in history women dominated Hollywood both on and off-screen and now its almost a rarity to even have a single complex and interesting female character.
I should show this to my sister for inspiration, her dream is to be a director. Thank you again!
Why would she need to see this video? I'm sure if she has that dread and the ambition your sister will do what she wants to do.
Telling her with this video that there is some (unsubstantiated) bias against her already will only do one thing: discourage her.
Exactly. I'm a woman and an aspiring filmmaker. Despite this what was said in this video, I have never felt discouraged because of my gender. I want to make films. I'm going to make films. That's it.
+ThiloAdamitz Not necessarily. Starting out as a woman in the tech industry i was hindered a lot by things like stereotype threat and subtle biases. Being able to recognize these for what they are gave me the tools to fight against them and gain confidence in my own abilities.
Melanie Anne Ahern
That's the spirit.
Rachel Feltes
Well, good for you. But your post read like the it's been copied off of a Guardian opinion piece.
I really like how he included the opinions of a woman as this is a topic concerning issues women face. This is how to be a male feminist.
This is how to be a feminist.
i agreed with everything you said aside from the 'penis and vagina' statement - not all women have a vagina and not all men have penises - thats a matter of self identification
Yes, but you knew what he meant.
I wasn't trying to be harsh! I was just expressing a criticism which I thought might be useful knowledge to him - especially being someone with an influential following (being a youtuber and internet figure). I'm sorry if I came off the wrong way :)
On its own, it's a fair statement because either genital should not be regarded at all, regardless of how you identify, but since he was explicitly talking about women in film I do understand since if someone was mtf they may feel oppressed due to being a women in the film business and that is not due to their biological makeup. By the way I am really not trying to cause any trouble just trying to see both sides. But apart from this (don't worry) this was a lovely video Jack! It is really great to see you supporting women in film!
+Freya Niamh I totally agree with what your saying, I just wanted to make the point clear, because, as he has said in past videos, he is always happy to be criticised and educated:) and I agree, it was a brilliant video!
Yes and it is great when we tell Jack in a civilised and respectful manner. I was just watching one of Dodie's old videos about how she feels so bad and scared when she is caught out on twitter and it just shows how people (definitely in these two occasions) don't go out of their way to be hurtful or offensive during a sensitive topic and want to be the best for their viewers. We are all human beings! :)
Rude jack on his phone at 3:26 :D
I am pretty sure that would be for the questions. If Jack is anything like me he would be totally star struck and scared of forgetting them
Just checking my questions! It was a lot of pressure being sat in front of an actual legend.
+JackHoward ah yes great minds think alike Mr Howard
( and fools seldom differ)
i love how you aren't scared to support women's rights as a lot of guys in my school have proper converstions about why feminism is bad and I just want to slap them oml
+Joe White I don't think he was being literal but you make a very good point.
+KingOfTheInterWebs *she, I'm using my dad's account
+mol Mcdermott The sad thing is you could slap them with no consequences and you just laughed about it, and you claim you support equality, rubbish. You have every privilege a man has yet you have many social political and economic rights they don't, men aren't afraid of supporting your little cult they're disgusted by it, how about you start preaching for equality instead if female supremacy
Alex Smithson
I don't see how we got from what she said, to this. I hate the concept of female supremacy as much as I hate people thinking feminism is all about that but what Mol said, has nothing to do with female supremacy. As a man, I get fed up with other men complaining about feminism and feel like slapping them sometimes. Everyone feels that way once in a while, no matter their gender or who it is they feel like slapping. So long as you don't actually do it, it's fine.
*****
The name feminism implies a gender bias because it was formed at a time when women had even less rights than they do now but the whole point; from the get go was to create gender equality. Sure the name causes a great deal of confusion but it doesn't make feminism inherently bad.
I think the main trap egalitarianism falls into is under-estimating how many people actually want peace and equality. A lot of bad things in the world are caused by either people thinking the goal isn't realistic anymore and looking out for themselves or people thinking killing or subduing their enemies will somehow help in creating the ideal world. We're all born seeing other living things as equal, this idea that it's not achievable or that certain people are exceptions comes later. So creating the ideal world should be about convincing people it's still possible for everyone.
Was very unsure about the reaction that this video was going to get in the comments while I was watching it, however the massive response of intelligent comments has been really refreshing and up-lifting.
Whenever a youtuber like jump cuts to them in a different position I always imagine them like...moving to that new position and prepping themselves. Always amuses me
As a woman who wants to work in film, it really scares me how few women are in the industry
I'm a man in the medical industry. I was at an induction with 14 other people all of whom were women. Does this bother me? No because I'm not sexist. I don't expect them to be sexist and it bugs me that the idea that there are more men in something is a bad thing. If you want to fix gender inequality become a rubbish collector. Bring back gender parity in university or just stop attributing peoples choices to sexism.
When you think about how influential film is on society as a whole - ideologically, politically etc. and seeing as women make up roughly 50% of the world's population, and yet do not have anywhere near an equal voice in film; it's mildly worrying. In our (Western) society, the dominant group (who gets the most say) continues to be white men. Why would you expect women to be sexist going into a situation like that? There can be misandrist women, yes, but your average woman is much more likely to expect to be discriminated against for being a woman, than a man is for being a man, because that is what is typical of our society. There are always exceptions to the rule, however, based on previous experience and the society around them, women are much more likely to be on the defensive when they're outnumbered.
But really, I don't want to get into that debate. Especially in a RUclips comment section... I was referring more to me being personally intimidated by the fact I'm outnumbered, which is 100% me speaking from my own feelings of unease and my own experience. I didn't even mention sexism. If you're not personally intimidated by being outnumbered, then that's awesome for you.
If you wanna call me feeling a little worried going into an industry dominated by males sexist, then wow. Just wow. I don't really know where to begin
I really don't think that's the case. Men and women are discriminated against. I would assert however that society is more based on protecting women and so when they are discriminated against people take notice. You notice female discrimination because there are systems in place to notice it. Eg when domestic violence against women is reported more because there are more shelters for women than men.
You saying that a woman is more likely to be discriminated against in a male dominated field than a man in a female dominated one just shows me that you think women are less discriminatory. I'm sure you're smarter than that.
I feel as though we don't even live in the same world??? Yes there's discrimination against both, of course there is, but just look at statistics? How many female presidents have there been in the US? That's the most obvious example of the lack of women in positions of power; in positions where they truly have a voice. Women get paid less for doing the same job... There is systemic discrimination against women which we are getting closer and closer to eradicating, but it's still there. I'm just... What???
Wage gap is a myth. Earnings gap is due to personal choices. Research it for five minutes. Definitely check out the factual feminist.
Women have also been able to vote for nearly 100 years or so, women are also more likely to vote, so who is doing the discrimination?
My main issue is that a lot of feminism seems to be asking men to help women in things that really aren't men's fault, and then proceeding to blame it on men.
e.g. women are more likely to slut shame and body shame. Before you reply "internalized misogyny" ask yourself, do they call them a slut because they hate them for being a woman, or because they are jealous of them for being attractive? In the same way I don't dislike David Beckham for being a man but because he's become rich for kicking a ball around a field a bit.
If there's one piece of research that I would like to see, is following of children to adults and their interests, how they change and why. I would also predict that their interests are not equally represented to begin with either. Equality of opportunity is not the same as equality of out come.
this actually applies pretty well to POC in the industry as well, which is baffling
SHE'S JUST SUCH A DELIGHTFUL WOMAN.
Watch Taxi Driver, she was great in it.
She's one of the greats
the Thing that Jodie said about the feeling inside of the character and that they just dont seem to do that with women really explains so much. Because THATS why male characters are more popular among everyone. Because you can relate to them, even as a girl. And the females are often so 2d and wow this makes so much sense. I dont have feel guilty for not having as much female favs as male! And I feel this is especially true in movies. In series it seems not that bad? and also explains why in books I have more female favs.
CIARAN! Hahahaha
This was great :) I love her to bits!
This is so motivational to watch and hear for someone who weren't accepted into film school, not because my material wasn't good enough, but because I don't have the right experience. I will keep making my own stuff, expanding my network, and hopefully eventually make it there on my own! Thank you, Jodie (and also Jack) xx
I might've swooned jus a lil bit when she touched your arm at 5:53
Slightly-Further-Away-Jack is still the best character.
dear jack: thanks for making this. from: A young woman in film
I found the comment about the business card and who calls thing interesting as it links to something I've heard before, an anecdote about asking questions after talks. The speaker had found that if they set a limit e.g. 3 questions, after 3 had been asked, most women put their hands down and those left would be mainly male, so if a few extra questions were answered these would then be questions from men. I think women are conditioned to be less forward - it's not 'feminine' to be pushy so they worry about being seen as almost 'selfish' if they ask that extra question or call that number. I know this is generalising but men don't need to worry about how their actions are perceived in the same way - they're merely 'taking the opportunity' or trying their luck. In a way women need an extra push of 'I'd love to see more of your work' as almost permission - especially in more 'boys' club' atmospheres where they may not feel they belong. Thanks for talking about this with your platform Jack!
This got ridiculously long! TLDR: in very single group dominated environments it can be hard to see opportunities as equally aimed at you when you don't fit whatever the majority is so it's essential to actively make it clear that these people are welcome
Again, massive respect for dealing with this question so eloquently and bringing attention to this!
You raise some very good points. It may be a combination of nature and social conditioning, but whatever the case, women in creative fields need to get more comfortable with coming forward about their goals and ambitions. Women should not wait for a "push" or permission. It's about asserting yourself, just as it is for a man. We need to give that permission to ourselves. That's where the real progress begins.
This topic really inspired me to write a powerful comment about women in the culture and film industry; but then the final question came up and all I was left thinking about was how gross it is that the reality is that...hands are, effectively, made of ham anyway...
Wow, you asked a Richard Herring emergency question from his podcast. Glad to know Kieran listens to that.
Just watched this and loving the Richard Herring Emergency Question at the end!
I like how you always use your RUclips to do innovative, interesting and intelligent videos (alliteration oooh) as opposed to really easy vlog content, which is fine, takes effort, and of which I love, but it's hardly "original" or "different".
I appreciate and value your input to the RUclips community, it's good stuff. Thank you.
Stephen Follows also has some great studies on women in film -- gender inequality in the film industry is a 140 page study he did last year and it goes really in depth -- and on the state of the industry in general for those in comments interested in the other intersections of it all.
It's such a massive problem, and definitely not one that can be encapsulated in a single video. Other aspects I've read a lot about are the experiences of women who have found the crew to be a boys' club and deeply misogynistic/violent language used so that someone looking to e.g. be a cinematographer would struggle to get the experience they need on a set to work up the ranks, the dropoff in women from those studying in university to those working in film, and also the studies that have shown women to be socially punished (fiscally or in terms of opportunity) for showing the kind of forthrightness and confidence men are oftentimes rewarded for.
Like I don't think in the scenario with the producer and the card that the producer would have individually punished the woman who follows up, but we see patterns of women's ambition being regarded entirely subconsciously as something nefarious or sinister, untrustworthy etc. And I think both the fear of being regarded as such and the little examples (comments people have said, decisions made etc.) is learned and ingrained to such a point that it can sometimes become a weapon against each individual. Then there's also the idea that women's voices are of less value because we hear them less on screen and so we feel they're of less value and we hear them less on screen etc. All of that when coupled with general human insecurity/terror/etc + other aggravating factors of race, ability, sexuality, language, geography is a poisonous cocktail.
So then: what do we need to do to make it possible for everyone to use their voice and assert their position/creativity in a broader environment that teaches groups their voices are not of value and reinforces that with social reality, whether that's pay or the right to work without being harassed? I don't know but the fact that we're all talking about it has got to be a good thing, I think. We're all responsible for the conversation.
jesus christ that was long. women!
Thank you for expressing this so eloquently. In a way, Jack's message is an example of Jodie Foster's point that men tend not to see the world from women's perspectives: he could not see why they would act the way they did, nor can many men in the film industry. It takes people like you analyzing and speaking out about it for the conversation to become productive.
+asyouwish141 Men and women might think differently but I'm sure we can make logical and accurate judgements about each others' behaviour: less women in film may be because less women want to be in film what makes you think you can speak on behalf of all women?
It's amazing that you got to interview Jodie Foster! This video was really interesting and, as an aspiring scriptwriter, incredibly motivating. Thank you, Jack!
Jack I have a feeling that you're going to be asked to do a whole lot more of these interviews because these are bloody fantastic mate
I think that when making videos like this it's important to not only acknowledge the struggles that women in general face, but how those struggles are compounded by each interaction, be it race, disability, etc. Feminism is great, but only when it's intersectional. Being disproportionately represented straight up sucks, but so does being a "token among tokens," which is often the reality for women of colour. It's an incredibly difficult set of complex issues to tackle in a RUclips, so I'm glad to see you contributing; however, I think you could have delved a bit deeper into this topic and at least mentioned the spectrum/nuances it entails. I hope you continue your efforts in the future.
Off topic-ish but once in my creativing writing class I wrote a short story I was really proud of and shared with the class (anonymously.) They read it and there were extremely positive reactions, then (for some reason) my teacher asked them to guess whether they thought the author was a male or female (based on the writing style I guess?) and to write it on a piece of paper. Not one person said "female" and I thought it was odd, as there were more girls in the class than guys. When the teacher asked why they thought I was a guy, they said it was because the writing was humorous and the genre was more male-centric (it was fantasy.) Weird.
Reason #638 as to why I love Jack Howard: he can go from talking about issues and being smart to asking about ham hands and sun cream dispensing arm pits. I love it
I'm glad "slightly further away Jack" is back in your videos :-)
This video was the incentive I needed to email the production companies that I had been avoiding emailing for a couple of weeks now. A while ago I went to a Film and TV job fair in my city, and spoke to a few production companies who told me to email them back and continue emailing them if they didn't answer, and for some reason I never did. Watching this video was the reminder that I'll never get into the industry if I don't put myself out there and get the experience I need to excel. Thanks!!
Can you make a video recommending some female filmmakers or some films made by women? Particularly if there are any short films/sketches and things, I often find most of those videos are made by men so it'd be nice to find a few more made by women
search for Anna Akana on RUclips
You could check out the work of Claire Denis, a female French director. "35 shots of Rhum" or "Beau Travail" might be a good place to start.
Yulin Kuang & MK Wiles :)
Natalie Tran (communitychannel) for sketches! Also my girl emilydianaruth for films.
Sofia Coppola is a writer and producer worth looking into!
I wrote my media studies A2 essay on women in film and it was really interesting to find out that in 2013 20-30% of protagonists in films were women! So glad a video like this has been made as its a really interesting topic!
Do you know what is really tragic? I would love to be in film production and hadn't noticed the divide until this video...I am now doubting myself.
But hey...maybe I can play on discrimination policy and say 'Give me a job and fill your quota?'
Apparently women don't apply for jobs unless they're 100% qualified for it, but men will go for jobs they're 70% qualified for then talk about wanting to learn. APPLY TO EVERYTHING PPL HIRING WILL JUMP AT HAVING YOU DOUBTING YOURSELF IS THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO
if anything just use this as a reason to be even more proud of what you achieve, you've got more to overcome than some others in the industry so it's even more impressive when you do something great!
And the suncream...defo the suncream - though you may get a pale underarm and a tanned rest of body
I get where you're coming from - as a woman in the tech industry those stats about gender differences can be pretty intimidating (companies like, google, amazon, twitter only employ about 30% women in tech roles). Maybe you can think about it like how i do-knowing about these biases, rather than being discouraging, gives us the knowledge it takes to combat them. For example, maybe ur in that film class and the guy leaves his business card. Before watching this video maybe you wouldn't call him because you don't want to bother him or worry you aren't important/skilled enough. After watching this video, you know that various men from your same class would have called him-they're in the same class as you so they have the same skills as you-you're equally as competent as them, so what's to stop you from calling the guy now?
YASS Jack! Great video. I have studied Film and TV for the past 2 years and have been baffled by the lack of woman who are in the front line jobs in the industry. When I have worked on productions the woman are usually seen taking on roles like production managers or producers. Even when I went to my uni interview, and I said I wanted to be a cinematographer, the lecturer was shocked, and said "but you're a girl", it was with humour, but It has been something I have faced a lot especially working on productions with almost all men in the main production roles. I think woman can be put off by the hard work and commitment that can be involved in filmmaking, I realised this when I was the only female in my class who was willing to get my 'hands dirty' in a production, rather than obsess over Justin Bieber or think about makeup.
(although I still love JB and makeup.)
I'm really glad this video wasn't all "WOMEN DO THIS AND WOMEN DO THAT" but also focused on "mEN IN CHARGE GET UR SHIT TOGETHER" because I've seen too many men telling women about all the things they're doing wrong so YE GOOD JAHB
It's my dream to become a film director and I really liked what both you and Jodie had to say, thanks for making this video Jack!
I'm glad you made a video about this, Jack. I'm taking film classes in school, and I'm not entirely sure I want this career but I really like it so far. Hopefully the industry does change.
Jodie confuses me, she's a feminist and yet she was in a Roman Polanski film.
So?
+shab oonfoofoo Roman Polanski pleaded guilty to sodomising a 13 year old back in the 70's
*Holy moly! that was sooooooooooooooo interesting... and I feel strongly about this particular topic actually. I mean, I have always wanted to be a filmmaker, an artist, a script writer... but as I grew up, I realized how hard it is, because I am a female, an Arab, a Muslim, and I wear headscarf... I might be colourblind to race, religion, gender... but others are certainly aren't. especially in the creative industry.*
but as I said, I have never thought of becoming anything but a director. I love films so much. so I'll just keep on fighting and pushing through with the many young female filmmakers, and maybe we'll make a difference one day :)
PS: Thank you for always supporting women in the industry. You know that you're a great creative person and you'r not scared to show support to others. I am so proud and thankful
also, YOU MET JODIE FOSTER... Lucky you ;)
Never give up your dream, if you have stories to tell then don't be afraid to create those into reality :)
HPwhovian Thank you so much ^_^
btw, you're username is so cool :)
No problem :) Ha, why thankyou
That "would you rather" question is from RHLSTP! Bonus points to me :P
Why aren't there more woman in civil construction, why aren't more woman in fields that require more physical effort. I hate when ask this stupid questions "why aren't more women in film?" Why aren't more man in ballet. This is the thing as much you would like to deny, man and woman are different, man and woman have different interests, doesn't mean there's something to fix let people choose their field. I hate when people say we need more women in STEM fields. Why? I'm a woman in a stem field, and I hate that question because the answer is they don't want to, for the most part woman are not interested in physics and engineering. Ask any woman why aren't they in a stem field I can assure you the awnser is "because I'm not interested and I don't like math" it's not going to be "because I'm a woman and I feel I'm not allowed to"
I know the plural of man and woman are wrong I wrote this on my phone, it auto corrected.
Yeah, because creative writing and acting are such taditionally masculine things, aren't they? Lots of physical strength involved, grunting, pissing in a bottle, I can totally see where you're coming from.
+Linde Euwema yes but those fields are very competitive, men are naturally more competitive than woman stem fields are also very competitive more even in the beginning I cried a lot because you're compared to others a lot
+Linde Euwema but then I got my shit together and realized I really wanted this, men have more control over their emotions, women need more coping mechanisms and also biological we're more anxious and stressed this makes competitive fields very challenging but it's not because you're a woman it is because of your emotional stability most men are generally more emotional stable than women
maybe because other species also work that way and they dont have cultures. plus culturally women are now encouraged to go to those fields more than ever, we get free scholarships, and there are people who go to schools to encourage girls to go to fields that women tend not to go, but women still for, the most part, don't want to pursue that.
Role models.
Its absurd but its also very difficult to change...
I'm literally procrastinating writing a research paper on women's representation in film by watching youtube when this pops up. Now I'll probably be quoting you as a source!
Richard Herring reference at the end, boy I was not expecting that
I audibly and with gusto, gasped when you said you talked to Jodie Foster. Well done Jack Howard for reaching that position. Also, this video was so inspirational and motivational, especially since I am female and I want to be successful in the film industry.
first off, when that person asked the producer what he's doing specifically to help women in the industry, all the producer said was he's giving out his card...to everyone....it is an interesting response only because he straight up didn't answer it. how is that specifically helping women in the industry when it's not acknowledging the imbalance at all, it's still just giving everyone the same opportunity as though men and women have the same treatment in the industry.
secondly, you mocked the idea that women should have to work harder in the industry then literally 12 seconds later said word for word "you need to work harder than anyone else will". yes everyone has to work hard to get somewhere in the industry but the whole point of this video is women in film in particular, and once again it's ignoring the imbalance and what women have to do to even be acknowledged. this is literally just confirming that women have to work twice as hard to be acknowledged for something; it isn't offering any solutions other than for us to do more for something that isn't our fault.
also I don't really understand how having one white female actress as a consultant is anywhere near 'making the effort' when you clearly acknowledged with an incredulous tone that you had 3 white guys as the writers...how is this making the effort for adding more women in the industry? is she going to be credited as a writer? is she helping writing beyond just this character? you asked her for help for a backstory and that's making an effort? I genuinely don't see how this is much better.
in regards to 'gender not mattering' to whatever extent in terms of making films, I feel like you're aiming this discussion towards the question of whether or not there is an imbalance of gender at all. I feel like 99% of people would already be able to acknowledge that there is, no one is debating that, it's more the issue of how to change it.
I'm not even going to go into the fact that you didn't acknowledge other oppressive factors such as race, sexuality, ableism, and I don't mean those factors on their own but how these can further affect women in the industry. I feel like there's a lot more you could look into this for helping women in film for the future.
Yes yes yes. The 'you need to work so much harder, and that's on you' idea is so damn tired. How about we stop suggesting women aren't already working so much harder - for those students, receiving advice and the offer of a business card from a man screams 'this is not for you', which is only compounded by other intersections that they don't share with him. Existing in that room takes so much more effort than their male counterparts.
Why aren't more people asking what people in positions of privilege can do to specifically and unconditionally encourage women? Why aren't more men in power actually listening to women when we tell them how best to make a change instead of assuming they know best?
Thank you so much for this video! I am currently in college for video production (as a female!) and it has been the most fun experience of my life! It's something I adore and I'm doing everything I can to make it a life long career. Hearing conversations like this always give me so much inspiration to succeed, so thank you
Jodie is so articulate, I could listen to her talk about film for ages
Jack Howard:
Makes a serious and opinionated video, ends it with a would you rather question.
In awe of your ability to make thought provoking content without losing your voice and sense of humour. Well done Jack!
Thank you for this Jack. Honestly, it's really refreshing to see someone stand up for issues like this, when so many people would rather ignore it as they think "it's not going to change anyway." I myself want to go into the film industry, but I admit one thing that has massively been holding me back is the fact that I am female... But I'm going to try to go for it anyway and make a difference to other women and young girls who want to work in film. It's the only way to make a change.
I appreciate this video so much for the fact that when I was in high school, I studied media for my final 2 years. It was a class of 30, and there were only 4 girls. It was so difficult for us to be taken seriously by our peers and as much as our teacher tried to cover the topic of woman in film, it never got far before they all sooked and moaned about how it's not a "real" issue.
Thank you for making this video, it's a topic that isn't talked about. Make that John, a Jane ;)
man I love this video so much, as a girl studying film and media I love that you've brought this up, thank you jack! I freaking love your interviews and the fact you actually ask intelligent, and real thought provoking questions, (including keirans 😁) I seriously need more interviews from you bc theyre super great!
The Ham hand/Suncream armpit is from Richard Herring
"Have you been on tumblr?" lol so real
I love this so much, I feel genuinely empowered and inspired.
Thank you Jack for bringing this up and talking in detail how to fix it.
I'm in my final year of film school and we're about to start shooting our graduation short films. There are 14 films overall with 6 female directors and 10 female producers. I was told that by head of school that this was the most female driven year of HODs at my university, which astounded me. Women have such great stories to tell and it's still shocking to me that they have a small place in the industry (I'm from Australia, but it's a worldwide issue).
That being said, I'm not the director type - I want to be involved in casting and/or editing once I graduate. Casting talent though is similar because you're judging the actor in comparison to the character. Hearing that the 3 of you wrote a female character was interesting, now I'm keen to see how you've written her once the series comes out!
Thank you for speaking about this issue because we still have a long way to go in the film industry. Love your work, Jack
Wonderful conversation. I love all the subjects that you bring up. Relating to your other new video as well, I've always recognized your "Arrogant Jack" as a youtube character, and I love these deeper insightful vlogs because I think you bring to light some important things that should be discussed more. And I myself have no plans on going into the film/entertainment industry, but I do intend on being a librarian and so that will give me the great potential of sharing and spreading different perspectives and stories and information to address these issues and help to overcome them. I really wish I knew you in person, because, if it's not too presumptuous to say, I feel like we would get along really well and have a lot of great conversations.
Thank god someone is finally bringing this up. This is so important, and I'm glad it's being addressed well done
I don't know what to say, but thank you for getting this message out.
I know I'm going to have to work 5 x harder as the men in the film industry and even the people I know who are filmmakers are mostly men and when it comes down to it I have to ask to work with them on projects, I'm never the first call.
I am lucky enough to have had an amazing Film Studies teacher at A level, who pushed me for film opportunity when people asked him for students and because of this directed a feature length film at 18. Making a good impression with the right people does count and if some people can't see my amazing potential, do I really want to work for them?!
And that advice for writing characters is amazing.
Jack Howard, you are my Spiderman.
I take it as Ciaran is a fan of Richard Herring
Loved this so much! Also really glad to hear that you've made an effort with your female characters, it just makes me more excited to watch your new stuff!
this really came at the right time for me because a couple of days ago i was wondering whether i'm good enough to be in the film industry and how i actually know nothing about it really (i am only 17 in my first year of college) and now that the end of the school year is approaching i'm wondering whether to start again with my subjects and choose some different ones purely because i don't know if i'm good enough or if i'll make it in the film world but you've kind of just made me realise that if i truly want to do it i just need to work hard and try and not be afraid
anyway i'm rambling, this was a great video
oh and what a coincidence because in my last film lesson we were actually talking about jodie foster and women in film :D
This was a really awesome video and I like the format of vlogging and editing the interview in. Make more please! 😀
I'm glad you used this interview as an opportunity to talk about the lack of women in film, I'm taking film practice at uni in September & I'm having to move from the midlands to London to study it. I remember going for my interview a few months ago and wondering how many girls would also be there & was pleasantly surprised when I got there to see that the ratio of guys to girls seemed practically equal. it was just so nice to see a group of girls with the same interest in film as me. having come from a town where not a great deal of girls have an interest in film & with not a lot of women in film being shown in the media either, it was great to see that there are actually girls out there, they're just not getting as much recognition. I just hope myself & all the other girls wanting to work in film can help to contribute to change that and allow people to get the recognition they deserve, regardless of their gender.
Thank you for making this! As a mixed race woman trying to get into the film and TV industry, I feel like I have to work a million times harder to just prove I even belong alongside my white male peers even in my classes at my university. Not only do we face a lack of willing hirers, we also experience direct sexism and devaluation of our skills. The amount of times since I have come to film school in this past year (and mind you, this is a "liberal" college) I have heard inappropriately sexual jokes about "working the pole" in reference to me- God forbid- doing something as innocent as holding the boom is unacceptable. I ask for very little other than respect from anyone and if I was not so damn stubborn I would have quit trying to be in this industry. I'm so glad you're addressing this issue- it needs to be talked about more!
I was skeptical about how you were going to go about this, but pleasantly surprised. You did a good job, well done.
Also I'm pretty happy about the return of Slightly Further Away Jack, shit stirrer that he is
Jodie makes such precisely brilliant points
Loved this. I think your point with actually bothering to call is very important. The problem starts when you see there aren't many successful women in the industry so that already puts down a lot of women's confidence. I can't wait to get in the industry and kick some butt! Also would like to point out it seems like it would be very pleasant to work with you.
You met Jodie foster. Like... Holy shit Jack.
Also I agree with all the things you were saying but I also think that people need to encourage young girls/women to look into film. Like, when I was young, even though I loved movies I never considered doing anything behind the scenes. I had great parents but even though I've worked in IT, they still 'ask one of the boys' to help with anything "technical." I feel a lot of the time theres this engrained feeling that girls can't do something and that ends up influencing women/girls trying to do things later in life.
With the card thing, I think a lot of females second guess themselves and also don't want to be to pushy or speak up to ask for opportunities.
It'll be interesting to see if this changes over time. :) I hope it does.
Also, thank you for trying to flesh out your female characters, it's always appreciated. ^^
Thank you for this video Jack! I've always had a passion for film, and in a months time I will have had to select what college course I want to do. I'm hesitant to pick film because I don't feel very optimistic about the career prospects, but I still want to go with my heart. Just to hear such intelligent opinions on the topic of women in film inspires me, and it's especially nice to hear it from a man. This was perfect for me right now, I love it.
can i just say, PREACH!!!
I am an aspiring film maker myself, and this inspired me sooo much
Thankyou once again Jack!
I love the point that you raised surrounding female characters. At uni the other day we were looking at how in the majority of films, it is usually filmed through a male gaze. I've always wondered why that was but this helped me to understand so much! Thank you Jack, awesome video!!
Love this discussion! Very revealing and I think it would benefit mainstream movies, especially action and superhero movies to incorporate this sort of thinking. If they are here to stay, the popularity of the genre shouldn't be used to narrow the opportunities for women. I think an important part of the discussion for hollywood is the need to appease marketing execs--essentially to make a lot of money. For some reason women are still seen as a deterrent to financial success in the film industry and I think this mindset is just as important to dismantle. At the end of the day it is a business as well as an artform and that is how decisions will be made. Even more excited for the Jack and Dean of all Trades series, I love well-rounded characters!!
Fun Fact: J K Rowling wasn't born with a middle name. The use of initials was added to disguise the fact she's a woman. The publishers asked for an extra initial and Joanne got the name Kathleen from her mother. The publishers believed that boys would not buy the book if they knew it was written by a woman.
I wonder how many people in the film industry think this way as well?
I'd trust a talking blade of grass over the daily mail tbh
I'm a woman (girl?) about to start year one of film school and I've been following this conversation (the general one about women in film, not yours with Jodie Foster) for a long time. Honestly the lack of women in film makes me pretty nervous about my own future career. I know some of my future peers in my year already, most of which are males (to my knowledge), and many of them have already gotten accolades and such at festivals around the country, and make content regularly. I haven't had the time, as I went to a pretty competitive high school, so going in with little portfolio material in the face of all these seemingly experienced people is pretty daunting. I identify a lot with your comment on having to work harder because that's what I did all throughout high school and it's what I'm already starting doing now by finding work on sets and helping out with other people's work. When it comes down to it, in my opinion, it's about how hard a person is willing to work (regardless of gender or race) as well as the opportunities presented to them (which is dependent on a few more things than gender and race). For a lot of women (or anyone!) starting in the industry, I think, the thought of outworking all these other people (white males, you can say, or other, already apparently successful people) is overwhelming and too much to handle. This probably applies to other careers or as well. As long as you have the mindset that you can kick ass if you try hard enough, and actively seek out opportunities, you'll be successful. That's just my opinion, though.
This was amazing, Jack. That's an inventive way to work your interview into a video with your thoughts and opinions. Thanks for another great video!!!
Am I crazy, has the Jack & Dean series come out yet?
Next month!
+JackHoward Oh cool thanks!
Haha my thoughts exactly...
Thank you for posting this! I was waiting for it since you talked about it in Twitter. It's really interesting and inspiring to me,because I really want to write and direct my own films. I'm a high school student who is taking media next year. I take creative writing and journalism (and in journalism I'm the only girl in a class of boys). I'll watch this every time I feel like giving up or that it's to hard.
Ps. I can't believe you met her! Damn your in a roll.
I love your videos so much, they are so original and authentic and you talk about stuff that needs to be talked about; thank you!
So glad you're bringing attention to this Jack. Major props 👍
As a young woman looking to go into the film industry, this video is so helpful. Thank you so much for that interview and posting this
Jodie Foster is amazing. This was a great one, good job!
I absolutely agree with your point of view Jack and that's crazy that only a fifth of the film business are women, and also I love the way you have the courage and are using your status to show and create a real important discussion. Which I think really should be discussed much more. You also have really opened my eyes to this situation because I have not noticed how clear this is. Anyway rabbling, all I wanted to say is that videos like this really make me proud to watch RUclips and also make me proud to say I subscribed to you! (I just need to shut the hell up) cool right anyway dude keeping making videos! Your great!
Holy crap that was brilliant. I've only watched you in a couple of videos and I'm already in love. :) xx I will definitely be binge watching ...
Jack, please make a top ten films recommendation/favs, i would watch the shit out of it cuz we are all in vacations now and bored