Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1518296
48 M PS E . O R G OpEd S O U N D O F F with whom she was trying to get freelance work, saying to her: 'Well, I like you. We get on but the problem is what if you join our crew and what if two of you started dating and it ended badly? That would disrupt the entire balance of the crew and I'm not sure about taking on that kind of risk.' Following this exchange, she did not receive any offers of work from this man, arguably due to his sexist (and heteronormative) assumptions about the role women play in a workplace (i.e., potential sexual partners rather than professionals with skills to offer). She recognizes, as with many male- dominated professions, that it is difficult to tell most times if her gender prevents her getting work." In conclusion of her research, Emma Butt notes: "We have to ask why emphasis in recent years has been put on diversity in front of the camera but post-production sound, which accounts for 50% of a TV show or film, and is an integral part of the storytelling process, is forgotten about? Recently, AMPS (Association of Motion Picture Sound) engineers here in the UK and MPSE and CAS (Cinema Audio Society) in the US wrote an open letter to Hollywood seeking screen credit changes to reflect parity with other key creative professionals. Currently, sound teams face being placed low down on the end-credit roller while roles in picture-related departments feature much higher. Productions such as Killing Eve (2018) and the documentary 100 Vaginas (2019) are regularly lauded as having diverse teams in terms of gender and ethnicity, but on closer inspection, that diversity is not achieved with post-production sound teams. Until vital steps are taken, and hiring practices move beyond simply 'who you know,' it is unlikely the statistics about the participation of women, Black, and minority ethnic sound professionals, or indeed the stories about barriers encountered highlighted in this report, will change anytime soon." If you'd like access to the whole article, you may find it here: https://www. emmabuttsound.com/diversity I'd like to hear from you about this issue. If you're a teacher, what have you noticed as far as gender parity? If you're in a post sound house, how can you get more women involved? What opportunities can you give to women interns with the idea that you will give them actual jobs? Can the union help us get more work as editors? There are training sessions at the union and a new office is being made for such training. What about MPSE? Can we provide any training or opportunities for more women and other minorities? I also belong to a group called Women in Media which provides below-the-line hands-on training for women in such jobs traditionally held by men. They have sponsors like Tiffen, Steadicam, Canon and Birns and Sawyer who put on workshops so that women can train to be grips and gaffers, and camera operators, like Illumination Training, through MBS Group. That kind of training has led to women getting jobs. Tema Staig, the President and founder of Women in Media, provides crew lists and searchable databases at http://www.womennmedia.com. Women in Media's "Parity in Action" pledge is something every department in film should adhere to. It is: • I pledge to interview at parity with commitment to hire inclusively above and below the line. • I will actively seek out women to hire from outside my circle and other resources if necessary. • I will recommend women I respect to others in a position to hire. • I will pay equitably and create an atmosphere of respect for all cast and crew. There is also the #audio equity pledge from Liz Dobson. https://drlizdobson. co.uk/2018/08/28/audioequitypledge/ "These recommendations are for people working in education, industry, audio production, and other related fields. They are summarized under three action headlines: • Collaborate – offering support to the feminist collectives who are already helping girls and women in sound. Adopting new interventions. Also, understanding and addressing unconscious bias. • Perspective – doing your own research, checking your assumptions, and recognizing that women of color are subject to a double hit of bias due to racial discrimination. • Changing Environments – creating environments that are truly fit for purpose." Things must change. We need to evolve. We need to learn to embrace diversity in a way we've never done before. As the saying goes, a rising tide lifts all boats. Feel free to email me with comments or questions. Let's keep the channels open and get some changes happening! Onward and upward! vsampson@aol.com