One of the milestones was to find and adjust characters for my animation, it was the main focus of the week 1. In total I need 3 characters. The main character – a young girl, an older lady and a man. For all these characters I wanted to have quite minimal looks and a bit “weird” color scheme.
After a big research I ended up with Prorigs characters advised by my teacher George because they are not only rigged well but also by buying one licence I can cover the need in all three characters.
This unit was important for understanding that is a correct thesis proposal structure. Nigel navigated us through each part of the structure and described what everything means. Thought the unit I was able to define my project title, methods and outline.
Final thesis proposal:
Key words:
Gender-segregation, animation industry, feminism.
Introduction:
From the inception of the animation industry, female representation in animated films has been minimal. The same is true for the representation of females in the industry itself. Although representation both in the production workforce and on screen has significantly increased over time a direct connection between these two is unproven. This research aims to understand if increased number of females working in the industry results in better gender representation on screen.
To address this question, it is important to study the history of the industry from the perspective of gender, alongside considering which positions within the industry influence the creative direction of the animated films. This will help to determine whether the presence of women in the positions they have taken has increased diversity of gender representation on screen.
Literature review:
The following literature review is going to be divided into three parts. The first part will cover the topic of the underrepresentation of females in the industry and its improvement over time, as well as the importance of certain roles in the creative process; the next part covers the increase of female representation in animated films; and the last part will evaluate a connection between gender representation in the industry and on screen.
Jobs in the animation industry have long been gender-segregated. The creative departments in most studios were handled by men, while women were limited to the drawing and painting department, where the work was mostly uncreative (Furniss, 1998). Over time women began to occupy a wider range of positions, however inequality still exists. A report by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that in 52 of the top animated films released between 2014-2018, males outnumbered females by 8.5 to 1 in 9 key roles or unit head positions. They also noted a larger gender disparity in roles such as directors, writers and producers. It is clear therefore that although the number of women in positions of influence in the industry has increased, substantial gender inequality still persists.
In early animated films, women were represented in a very stereotypical way with the exaggerated features and primarily as supporting characters. Although, only 17 % of the top 120 animated
features from 2007-2018 had a female lead or co lead (Smith et al., 2019), the number of female leads, as well as female representation in general, in animated films leads have increased.
The third part of the paper will focus on the analysis of the top animated films from the year 1937 to 2022 according to the IMDb online database. The main point of interest is the percentage of women working on these films and specifically taking leading roles in the industry and the presence of female/male leads and/or better female representation in the films. To understand which films have a better female representation, the research will be guided by the exposition of the female look, subjectivity and desire in the film described in “Feminist Film Theory” (Smelik, 2007).
The conclusion of the paper, with the help of theory in the first three chapters and statistics in the last chapter, will sum up if there is a connection between increase of women taking positions in the industry and female representation on screen.
Research design, methods, and schedule:
The research will combine both qualitative and quantitative types. However, the principal component will be a quantitative analysis of the percentage of women working on films correlated with data showing female representation on screen. To support these statistics, literature will be analysed to extract data collected by other researchers.
The type of the research is correlational as it is investigating a connection between increase of women working in the industry and female representation in the animated films.
Data for the quantitative part of the research will be taken from the online database IMDb, looking at animated feature films from the years 1937 to 2016, and up to three top feature animation films for each year from 2017 to 2022 based on the gross, rating and number of votes on IMDb online database. The value of such a database is that it is possible to identify animated films which likely had the strongest influence on viewers owing to their strong commercial presence and popularity.
General outline of each chapter:
1. Underrepresentation of women in the animation industry
1.1. The early history from a feminist perspective
The first chapter will go through the early history of the animation film industry from a feminist perspective. It will describe the reasons that led to the underrepresentation of women.
1.2. The increase of representation over time
This chapter will discuss the reasons that led to the increase in gender representation over time and the position of women in the industry in modern times.
This chapter will help to see the positive dynamics of gender representation over time. It will also mention the representation in different departments, top positions and creative roles in the early stages of the industry development through to the present.
2. Who can influence the representation on screen
A second chapter will focus on the inside of the industry production and what roles can influence an idea and a final piece. This chapter will go through creative roles as modelers/animators and top positions such as directors, producers, screenwriters. The purpose of this chapter is to see what roles need to be taken by women to enrich an animated film with a better female representation.
3. Female representation in animation film
3.1. Female representation in animation film
This chapter will go through the representation of women on screen over the years to evaluate its development.
3.2. How to define a good female representation on screen
This chapter will define criteria which will help to identify whether female representation in animated films is in a healthy state. The criteria will relate to the definitions of the female look, subjectivity and desire in the narrative of the story. It will help the process of categorising animated films in the statistics presented in the next chapter.
4. Does the increase of females in the industry has a direct relationship to a female representation on screen
The last chapter will focus on data which numerically describe the correlation between the percentage of women working on films, particularly in creative and leading positions, and the presence of a better female representation in the films.
5. Conclusion
In the conclusion the result of the quantitative research will be summed up with the theory in the first chapters. The outcome will answer the main question of the research – whether the gender representation in the industry influences representation on screen.
A draft chapter:
1. Underrepresentation of women in the animation industry 1.1. The early history from a feminist perspective
Segregation on the basis of gender has always existed in the world as it was useful for a patriarchal society as a source of low-income or free labour. Persistent unfair inequality led to the birth of feminist movements. First wave of feminism can be characterised as the period between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it achieved formal equality of both sexes, but this equality remained only indicated on paper (Koroleva, 2013). In fact “women remained a small minority at all levels of political life, they were strikingly absent from high professional positions, they were discriminated against in all areas of employment, they were paid less than men, and many women certainly did not share the benefits of their newly affluent society” (Bryson, 1992).
Gender-segregation was also very common in the animation industry. The creative departments in most studios were handled by men, while women were limited to the drawing and painting department, where the work was mostly uncreative and repetitive (Furniss, 1998). Kirsten Thompson in her 2014 article notes how ink and paint departments usually consisted of hundreds of female workers with the lowest pay in the industry, while male supervisors would walk around and urge them to work faster (Thompson, 2014).
Discrimination on a gender basis have always existed in the society and an animation industry is not an exception. Women have been always put in the lower positions with a “glass ceiling”. However, women’s awareness of their own discrimination was gradually embedded in the minds of the majority, which led to the emergence of other types of feminism, new “waves” and thereafter a better position in the workplace.
Bibliography:
Bryson, V. (1992) Feminist Political Theory. London: Macmillan Education UK. doi: 10.1007/978-1-349-22284-1.
Furniss, M. (1998) ‘Issues of representation’, in Art in Motion, Revised Edition. John Libbey Publishing, pp. 229–248. doi: 10.2307/j.ctt2005zgm.15.
Koroleva, T. A. (2013) ‘Women’s Movement: Genesis and Evolution’, Bulletin of Tomsk State University, 368, pp. 44–50.
Smelik, A. (2007) ‘Feminist Film Theory’, in The Cinema Book. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. doi: 10.5040/9781838710484.0065.
Smith, S. L. et al. (2019) Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, & Age of Directors Across the Top Films From 2007-2018. Available at: https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inclusion-in-the-directors-chair-2019.pdf.
Thompson, K. (2014) ‘“Quick-Like a Bunny!” The Ink and Paint Machine, Female Labour and Color Production’, Animation Studies, 9. Available at: https://journal.animationstudies.org/kirsten-thompson-quick-like-a-bunny/.
Suppositions and implications:
This research will show that female representation in the industry has been developing towards greater equality although it still remains. It will also prove that gender equality is a right way to move forward, as it benefits the animation industry by creating a more diverse representation in the films and increases options for narratives and archetypes.
1. Underrepresentation of women in the animation industry
1.1. The early history from a feminist perspective
Segregation on the basis of gender has always existed in the world as it was useful for a patriarchal society as a source of low-income or free labour. Persistent unfair inequality led to the birth of feminist movements. First wave of feminism can be characterised as the period between the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, it achieved formal equality of both sexes, but this equality remained only indicated on paper (Koroleva, 2013). In fact “women remained a small minority at all levels of political life, they were strikingly absent from high professional positions, they were discriminated against in all areas of employment, they were paid less than men, and many women certainly did not share the benefits of their newly affluent society” (Bryson, 1992).
Gender-segregation was also very common in the animation industry. The creative departments in most studios were handled by men, while women were limited to the drawing and painting department, where the work was mostly uncreative and repetitive (Furniss, 1998). Kirsten Thompson in her 2014 article notes how ink and paint departments usually consisted of hundreds of female workers with the lowest pay in the industry, while male supervisors would walk around and urge them to work faster (Thompson, 2014).
Discrimination on a gender basis have always existed in the society and an animation industry is not an exception. Women have been always put in the lower positions with a “glass ceiling”. However, women’s awareness of their own discrimination was gradually embedded in the minds of the majority, which led to the emergence of other types of feminism, new “waves” and thereafter a better position in the workplace.
General outline of each chapter:
1. Underrepresentation of women in the animation industry 1.1. The early history from a feminist perspective
The first chapter will go through the early history of the animation film industry from a feminist perspective. It will describe the reasons that led to the underrepresentation of women.
1.2. The increase of representation over time
This chapter will discuss the reasons that led to the increase in gender representation over time and the position of women in the industry in modern times.
This chapter will help to see the positive dynamics of gender representation over time. It will also mention the representation in different departments, top positions and creative roles in the early stages of the industry development through to the present.
2. Who can influence the representation on screen
A second chapter will focus on the inside of the industry production and what roles can influence an idea and a final piece. This chapter will go through creative roles as modelers/animators and top positions such as directors, producers, screenwriters. The purpose of this chapter is to see what roles need to be taken by women to enrich an animated film with a better female representation.
The last chapter will focus on data which numerically describe the correlation between the percentage of women working on films, particularly in creative and leading positions, and the presence of a better female representation in the films.
5. Conclusion
In the conclusion the result of the quantitative research will be summed up with the theory in the first chapters. The outcome will answer the main question of the research – whether the gender representation in the industry influences representation on screen.
Does changing gender representation in the animation industry influence representation on screen?
Introduction:
From the inception of the animation industry, female representation in animated films has been minimal. The same is true for the representation of females in the industry itself. Although representation both in the production workforce and on screen has significantly increased over time a direct connection between these two is unproven. This research aims to understand if increased number of females working in the industry results in better gender representation on screen.
To address this question, it is important to study the history of the industry from the perspective of gender, alongside considering which positions within the industry influence the creative direction of the animated films. This will help to determine whether the presence of women in the positions they have taken has increased diversity of gender representation on screen.
Conclusion:
In the conclusion the result of the quantitative research will be summed up with the theory in the first chapters. The outcome will answer the main question of the research – whether the gender representation in the industry influences representation on screen.
Introduction
Methodology
Literature Review
1. Underrepresentation of women in the animation industry
1.1. The early history from a feminist perspective
1.2. The increase of representation over time
2. Who can influence the representation on screen
3. Female representation in animation film
3.1. Female representation in animation film
3.2. How to define a good female representation on screen
4. Does the increase of females in the industry has a direct relationship to a female representation on screen
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
What is research design?
Research design is the method that a researcher selects to organize their research project or study. Research designs can provide instructions for collecting, analyzing and measuring data effectively. Using a research design is important because:
It can help you ensure that your research addresses your research problem.
It acts as an outline and guide for the entire research project.
It can help you organize all the different components of your research project.
You can choose an effective research design by considering your research problem, which is the specific topic or knowledge gap that your research aims to address. Usually, researchers include their research question and research design selection in the introduction of their research paper.
1. Exploratory research design
One common type of research design is exploratory design. The exploratory research design format is useful when you don’t have a clearly defined problem to study. Often, this type of research design is less structured than other research design options, and you can use it as a guide for your initial research to uncover your research problem.
2. Observational research design
Observational design is also a common type of research design. The observational research design format emphasizes observing your research topic without altering any variables. When using an observational research design, you can simply observe behaviors or phenomena and record them rather than conducting an experiment.
3. Descriptive research design
Descriptive design is another type of research design. The goal of using a descriptive research design is to describe a research topic, so this type of research is useful when you need more information about your topic. Descriptive research design can also help you understand the “what,” “where,” “when” and “how” of your research topic. The one question that a descriptive research design does not answer is “why.”
The type of the research I am making is correlational as it is investigating a connection between increase of women working in the industry and female representation in the animated films.
It is necessary to read article in a efficient way to keep only the most important information.
Papers can be decided into two groups: supporting and key:
Bryson, V. (1992) Feminist Political Theory. London: Macmillan Education UK. doi: 10.1007/978-1-349-22284-1.
Furniss, M. (1998) ‘Issues of representation’, in Art in Motion, Revised Edition. John Libbey Publishing, pp. 229–248. doi: 10.2307/j.ctt2005zgm.15.
Koroleva, T. A. (2013) ‘Women’s Movement: Genesis and Evolution’, Bulletin of Tomsk State University, 368, pp. 44–50.
Smelik, A. (2007) ‘Feminist Film Theory’, in The Cinema Book. Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. doi: 10.5040/9781838710484.0065.
Smith, S. L. et al. (2019) Inclusion in the Director’s Chair: Gender, Race/Ethnicity, & Age of Directors Across the Top Films From 2007-2018. Available at: https://assets.uscannenberg.org/docs/inclusion-in-the-directors-chair-2019.pdf.
Thompson, K. (2014) ‘“Quick-Like a Bunny!” The Ink and Paint Machine, Female Labour and Color Production’, Animation Studies, 9. Available at: https://journal.animationstudies.org/kirsten-thompson-quick-like-a-bunny/.
Research Methods
Research methods are the strategies, processes or techniques utilized in the collection of data or evidence for analysis in order to uncover new information or create better understanding of a topic
Types of Research
My research will combine both qualitative and quantitative types. However, the principal component will be a quantitative analysis of the percentage of women working on films correlated with data showing female representation on screen. To support these statistics, literature will be analysed to extract data collected by other researchers.