Australian female camera crew workers experienced “confronting” and “shocking” levels of sexism, according to one of the country’s leading cinematographers, with a new study finding that almost 90% of female operators have experienced discrimination or sexual harassment.
Almost 90% of female professional camera operators who responded reported experiences of discrimination or sexual harassment. Half of all respondents said they had experienced or witnessed“I have heard grips rating all the women on sets bodies, lighting guys make racist comments about having to light black men,” one respondent said. “Camera guys who have said they prefer to work with men, cause women cry.
The president of the Australian Cinematographers Society which commissioned the study, Erika Addis, said while the findings related specifically to the film industry’s camera departments, she believed they probably reflected the broader industry.Job insecurity, reliance on short-term contracts and long, unsociable hours are a given in the film and television production industries.
And as budgets grow, the likelihood of a film or television series hiring a female director decreased. But these figures were not a result of women in the industry being less qualified than their male peers. If Australia expects to further develop a world-class film industry, and attract international projects to its shores, it needs to establish an equitable, diverse and inclusive workplace culture, the report concluded.