Hollywoods Explosive Past
Why the future of inclusion is up to you.
A tumbleweed blows down a dusty road. A horse snorts. Enter the cowboy: skin weathered, cigar dangling from his lips, ominous squint towards the horizon.
The camera cuts, makeup rushes in and the cowboy shields his eyes from the 20k light. We associate the squinting cowboy with his rugged Americana grit, when in fact it was because the lights required to emulate the sun were so bright. Even though it’s often hidden behind the smoke and mirrors of Hollywood, the process affects the content.
When sound came on the scene in 1927 it was a huge hit. Problem was, it wasn’t mobile. The microphone had to be connected via cables to a heavy piece of equipment which made it difficult to film on location. At the time, productions were just starting to shoot exteriors, but this technological advancement sent them right back into the walls of the studio. No matter how magnificent the idea, the process dictates what is possible.
So where did this process come from? In the early days of Hollywood, producers designed efficiency systems so that they could make films faster. To be direct, these systems were designed for white men making movies about other white men, particularly white men with guns.
It was a success, the studios churned out hundreds of war movies and westerns. In 1929, the first Oscar for Best Picture went to “Wings”, a drama about fighter pilots in WWI. The first feature-length film, “Birth of a Nation”, was set in the Civil War and featured the rise of the KKK.
From its inception, the production process was intended for white men to tell violent stories, and it has remained unchanged and unchallenged since the studio system fell in the late 1940s. When we reflect on the past century of stories, is it surprising that they have featured white men blowing things up? From John Houston to Michael Bey – that’s what the process was designed for.
Audiences want something new. In an era of the Internet, specificity and niche has replaced “one size fits all”. There is a demand for diverse stories and diverse bodies to tell those stories. But what about a process to support those diverse bodies to tell those stories?
Can emerging voices be expected to use the same process that was designed to reinforce the gender and racial landscape of 1915 America, a time when those voices were stifled? If we want new stories, we need a new process.
It can be tough to imagine another way, especially for us industry insiders for whom success has meant conforming to the culture, accepting that “this is the way it is done”. It’s been hard for me too. For fifteen years I’ve heard sentences like “I need to find the right weapons for the battle”, meaning “I will reflect on what lenses to add to the camera order” and “PA brotherhood after this shot, we move to basecamp and dying over there”, meaning “After this setup, we’ll go to where the trucks are and complete the day”.
I’ve barked orders and said “copy that” so many times that an aggressive production edge had become the fabric of my personality. My feminine qualities were stuffed down, not invited to work, ignored until further notice.
This system has never made room for the fullness of us, and it never will. That’s why it’s time to create something new. It is possible. We can have efficiency without aggression. We can have an uplifting production experience where people are acknowledged, cared for and loved. We are living through a historical moment, positioned at a crossroads, where we have the opportunity to create the future. Here are four steps to get us headed in the right direction:
STEP ONE: NOTICE what parts of the current process don't make sense or don’t feel good. Those are signposts that there is something there ready to be changed.
STEP TWO: QUESTION the language. Catch yourself using words which are violent or gendered – like “shoot”, “run & gun”, “sound guy” or “best boy”. These are all products of the old paradigm. Experiment with a new vocabulary.
STEP THREE: LISTEN. Approach someone who is not typically involved in the decision-making process. Ask how they think things could be improved. What ideas do they have?
STEP FOUR: CONNECT with like-minded people and have mind-expanding conversations. Imagine what your ideal production looks like. When people leave at the end of the day, how will they feel? How can you foster connection throughout the day?
The world is waking up, realizing that business as usual isn’t going to cut it. Those who have been historically excluded - both in front of and behind the camera – have more opportunities than ever before. If we want lasting inclusion, we must create a process that supports them. It’s time to blow the dust off an antique process and re-design it to be faster, fluid, flexible, and fit for today. It’s good business. The way we make movies dictates what movies get made. With a new process, we will be opening the gates to countless stories waiting to be told.
