Inclusion in Netflix Original U.S. Scripted Series & Films

Inclusion in Netflix Original U.S. Scripted Series & Films

Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Dr. Katherine Pieper, Marc Choueiti, Kevin Yao, Ariana Case,

Karla Hernandez & Zoe Moore

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

February 2021

INCLUSION IN NETFLIX ORIGINAL U.S. SCRIPTED FILMS & SERIES

USC ANNENBERG INCLUSION INITIATIVE @Inclusionists

NETFLIX REFLECTS GENDER EQUALITY IN LEADING ROLES

Girls and women as leads/co leads across Netflix films & series, 2018-2019

FILM

SERIES

48.4%

OF FILMS HAD GIRLS OR WOMEN AS LEADS/CO LEADS

54.5%

OF SERIES

FEATURED

GIRLS OR WOMEN

LEADS/CO LEADS

% OF FILMS & SERIES HAD

vs. 41% OF TOP-GROSSING

GIRLS WOMEN AS LEADS CO LEADS

FILMS IN 2018-19a

VS. . % OF THE U.S. POPULATION

GIRLS AND WOMEN NEAR PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION IN MAIN CAST ROLES

44.1%

39.9%

47.2%

Netflix Overall

Netflix Films

Netflix Series

NETFLIX

SCRIPTED SERIES

APPROACHED

PROPORTIONAL

REPRESENTATION

WITH U.S. CENSUS

IN

.%

AND

%

Page 1

INCLUSION IS UNDERCUT BY IMBALANCE & INVISIBILITY

Percentage of Netflix films & series that met or exceeded proportional gender representation

FILM

SERIES

TOTAL

26.1%

31.6%

32.5%

33%

32.7%

10 films met & 8 exceeded proportional representation

11 films met & 7 exceeded proportional representation

15 series met & 11 exceeded proportional representation

21 series met & 12 exceeded proportional representation

61 stories met & 39 exceeded proportional representation

STORIES ERASING GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM EACH RACIAL ETHNIC GROUP

White 6

Latina

Black

Asian

AI/AN

NH/PI

NUMBER OF FILMS MISSING GIRLS/WOMEN FROM EACH GROUP

91

40

71

122

123

MENA 112

Multi 70

4.8%

72.2%

31.7%

56.3%

96.8%

97.6%

88.9%

55.6%

NUMBER OF SERIES MISSING GIRLS/WOMEN FROM EACH GROUP

8

118

49

76

174

173

160

69

4.4%

65.6%

27.2%

42.2%

96.7%

96.1%

88.9%

38.3%

AI/AN=American Indian/Alaskan Native; NH/PI=Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander; MENA=Middle Eastern/North African; Multi=Multiracial/Multiethnic

Page 2

NETFLIX OUTPACES TOP BOX OFFICE FILMS BEHIND THE CAMERA

Women in key creative positions working across Netflix and top-grossing films, 2018-19

23.1%

25.2% 16.7%

29% 19%

7.6%

DIRECTORS

WRITERS

Netflix Films

Top-Grossing Filmsa

PRODUCERS

WOMEN IN KEY CREATIVE POSITIONS ACROSS NETFLIX AND ALL SERIES,

CREATORS NETFLIX

29.8%

PRODUCERS NETFLIX

36.7%

WRITERS NETFLIX

36.4%

DIRECTORS NETFLIX

27.7%

INDUSTRY

23.5%

INDUSTRY

40%

INDUSTRY

30%

INDUSTRY

28%

Series with at least one woman creator featured more girls and women as leads/co leads, main cast, and speaking characters than series without any women creators.

WOMEN OF COLOR DIRECTORS OF NETFLIX AND INDUSTRY FILMS & SERIES,

FILM

SERIES

.%

NETFLIX

.%

TOP FILMSa

.%

.%

NETFLIX INDUSTRY WIDE

Page 3

WOMEN OF COLOR LEAD NETFLIX MOVIES MORE THAN TOP FILMS

Leads/co leads across Netflix films, 2018-2019

42.1%

35%

30.2% 28.5%

Netflix Films Top-Grossing Films

19%

17%

19% 12%

White Males

White Females

UR Males

UR Females

35.7% of all Netflix leads/co leads were underrepresented vs. 28% in top-grossing films

Note: columns do not total to 100% due to ensemble casts and films with multiple lead roles

RACIAL ETHNIC REPRESENTATION RISES IN NETFLIX CONTENT

Underrepresented main cast across Netflix films & series, 2018-19

34.1%

OF FILM & SERIES

MAIN CAST WERE

UNDERREPRESENTED

35.4%

OF FILM

MAIN CAST WERE

UNDERREPRESENTED

33.1%

OF SERIES

MAIN CAST WERE

UNDERREPRESENTED

MAIN CAST IN NETFLIX FILM . % & SERIES . % APPROACHED PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION . % IN .

UNDERREPRESENTED SPEAKING CHARACTERS IN NETFLIX FILMS & SERIES,

36.2%

OVERALL

37.9%

IN FILM

35.2%

IN SERIES

. % OF THE U.S. POPULATION IDENTIFIES WITH AN UNDERREPRESENTED

RACIAL ETHNIC GROUP

NETFLIX REACHED PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION . % IN AND OUTPERFORMED

TOP GROSSING FILMS . %

UNDERREPRESENTED CHARACTERS

INCREASED FROM

%

TO

% , NEARLY

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION

Page 4

INCLUSION VARIES BY STORYTELLING MEDIUM AND ROLE

Underrepresented key creatives across Netflix films, 2018-2019

16.9%

OF DIRECTORS WERE UNDER-

REPRESENTED

16.4%

OF WRITERS WERE UNDER-

REPRESENTED

13%

OF PRODUCERS WERE UNDER-

REPRESENTED

VS. . % TOP GROSSING FILMS

VS. . % TOP GROSSING FILMS

VS. . % TOP GROSSING FILMS

UNDERREPRESENTED KEY CREATIVES ACROSS NETFLIX SERIES,

CREATORS

PRODUCERS

WRITERS

DIRECTORS

7.6%

12.9%

13.9%

19%

NETFLIX

15.9%

16.7%

20.3%

21%

INDUSTRY

9% 11.8%

26.4% 39.4%

19.7% 23.8%

24% 27%

DIRECTORS BY RACIAL ETHNIC GROUP ACROSS NETFLIX FILMS & SERIES,

White H/L Black Asian

FILM 83.1% 3.1% 8.5% ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download