Ideas worth spreading

What it's like to be a woman in Hollywood

1,202,321 views |

Naomi McDougall Jones |

TEDxBeaconStreet

• November 2016

What we see in movies matters: it affects our hobbies, our career choices, our emotions and even our identities. Right now, we don't see enough women on screen or behind the camera -- but waiting for Hollywood to grow a conscience isn't going to fix the problem, says Naomi McDougall Jones. Join forces with the actor and activist as she outlines her four-point plan for a total representation revolution in Hollywood.

What we see in movies matters: it affects our hobbies, our career choices, our emotions and even our identities. Right now, we don't see enough women on screen or behind the camera -- but waiting for Hollywood to grow a conscience isn't going to fix the problem, says Naomi McDougall Jones. Join forces with the actor and activist as she outlines her four-point plan for a total representation revolution in Hollywood.

This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Audiences: seek out films by and about women and vote with your dollars.

Female filmmakers: do not wait for permission. Make your movies now.

Everyone: invest in and support female filmmakers so that they can make their movies.

Entrepreneurs: create companies and organizations that disrupt the existing Hollywood system.

About the speaker

Naomi McDougall Jones

Naomi McDougall Jones

Actress, writer, producer, activist

See speaker profile

Naomi McDougall Jones is a vocal advocate and activist for bringing gender parity to film, both on and off screen.

Naomi McDougall Jones | Medium, 2017 | Article

"6 Talking Points for the Women in Film Revolution"

In this follow-up to her TED Talk, Naomi McDougall Jones provides supporting data and talking points to use as ammunition against the 6 most pernicious ideas you will come across if you begin speaking to people about the lack of women in film.

Jill Soloway | TIFF Live, 2016 | Watch

"The Female Gaze"

Creator and Visionary Jill Soloway ("Transparent," "I Love Dick") gives a master class on the female gaze and breaks down the ways in which feminine storytelling may be fundamentally different.

Sundance Institute | Explore

"Resource Map for Women Filmmakers"

The Sundance Institute has collated an interactive list of resources for female filmmakers.

| Explore

The Geena Davis Institute

The Geena Davis Institute has extensive data and research to back up the claim that there is a chronic and systemic lack of women on screen and the societal impact that creates.

Jessica P. Ogilvie | LA Weekly, 2015 | Article

"How Hollywood Keeps Out Women"

This investigative article explores and breaks down the mechanisms by which female directors are systematically kept out of the studio system and highest-paying/most prestigious directing jobs in Hollywood. Pay particular note to the breakdown in the lower half of the article of the number of female versus male directors hired by “The Big Six” studios between Jan 1, 2010 and December 31, 2014.

Rebecca Sun | The Hollywood Reporter, 2016 | Article

"Films Directed by Women Receive 63 Percent Less Distribution Than Male Helmed Movies"

The Hollywood Reporter details a study by Slated, which reveals that, “Although female filmmakers systematically face fewer resources and opportunities than their male counterparts, their movies tend to reap a greater return on investment.”

Producers Guild of America | Explore

"The Ms. Factor: The Power of Female Driven Content"

The Producers Guild of America Women’s Impact Network and Women and Hollywood has created a powerful toolkit to successfully pitch female-driven content/

Naomi McDougall Jones | Beacon Press, 2020 | Book

The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood

Learn more

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This talk was presented to a local audience at TEDxBeaconStreet, an independent event. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

Read more about TEDx.

Audiences: seek out films by and about women and vote with your dollars.

Female filmmakers: do not wait for permission. Make your movies now.

Everyone: invest in and support female filmmakers so that they can make their movies.

Entrepreneurs: create companies and organizations that disrupt the existing Hollywood system.