DIVERSITY IN ANIMATION

How women are changing the face of digital media

Jennifer Twiner McCarron says that when you have more diversity in digital media, the stories feel real. A main driver for her is to ensure that every child can see themselves re ected positively through content • CHUNG CHOW

CLAIRE WILSON

In a time when digital media, visual effects (VFX), gaming and animation are booming in Vancouver, companies are working to ensure that the voices of women in the industry are being amplified as much as those of their male counterparts.

h ollywood n orth is seeing notable expansions, including the building of a 110,000-square-foot studio in mount pleasant for the animation house Animal l ogic, which has been acquired by n etflix inc. These expansions offer an opportunity for companies to recruit, and to reflect on the retention and make-up of their existing employee base.

A study from Women in Animation (WiA) and usc Annenberg inclusion initiative found that only 21.6 per cent of the individuals credited for the top 400 movies from 2016 to 2019 were women. in addition, only about a quarter – 26.9 per cent – of people identified

Cinesite Studios has worked on popular animated productions, including The Addams Family (above) and the upcoming Disney+ series Iwájú

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as executives across 60 VFX companies are women. o nly 5.5 per cent of all executives were women of color. o f the 80 individuals in the highest leadership roles, 88.8 per cent were men and 11.2 per cent were women. Just one of these nine women was a woman of colour.

Along with quantitative findings, the study uncovered underlying reasons as to why there is a larger representation of men in the VFX industry. The results were drawn from interviews with women working in VFX and industry decision-makers.

With regard to workforce composition, one third of participants stated that there are simply more men than women and that VFX draws from male-dominated fields of study. one quarter said that the history of the industry tends to favour men. h alf of those interviewed also described difficulties navigating work and family needs. in a time when the industry is growing and evolving, Women in Business asked three female leaders about how their companies are promoting diversity and inclusion for women.

Jennifer Twiner mcc arron, ceo at Atomic c artoons and Thunderbird entertainment, says that when it comes to diversity and inclusion at her companies, the mindset is: “you can’t boil the ocean but you can boil one pot at a time.”

“it’s something we really focus on. We have a goal for every person, regardless of race or gender, to be able to find themselves in popular content and reflected back in a positive light,” she says.

According to Twiner mcc arron, metrics and data are used to understand areas for improvement. The companies she leads will then cater their benefits to reflect those metrics. The goal is to provide benefits and resources that are as supportive as possible.

WITHOUT DIVERSITY, WE LOSE INNOVATION. WE LIVE IN A WORLD FULL OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, GENDERS, ABILITIES, RELIGIONS AND IDENTITIES, AND WE ARE READY TO HEAR THOSE STORIES ˆ Sara Martin Equity, diversity and inclusion specialist Cinesite Studios

Atomic c artoons has also partnered with WiA to offer things like master classes for art directors, and has participated in the creation of the Ace program, which is designed to advance the careers of women in animation.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to participate and contribute to the community at large,” says Twiner mcc arron.

“s ometimes starting initiatives seems too daunting, but just start small, like the masterclass that we started. it was like, ‘We don’t have any female art directors. h ow do we get more women interested in this?’”

According to Twiner mcc arron, one of BIV’s 2021 influential Women in Business and one of the individuals named to BIV’s 2022 BC500 list of B.c .’s most influential business leaders, 40 per cent of the employees at Atomic c artoon are women, 50 per cent are men and 10 per cent are gender fluid. s he also added that 60 indigenous interns joined the company full-time.

At c inesite s tudios, a digital entertainment studio with a location in Vancouver, equity, diversity and inclusion (edi ) specialist sara martin says that while there has been an increase in gender parity for the industry, it is important to take note of who might be missing.

“Are we seeing women of colour, Black and indigenous women, and other gender-diverse people in leadership roles? d isabled women? Queer women? n on-binary people? u ntil our industry sees diversity in the type of women and other gender minorities who are being represented, we all have a lot of work to do,” she says.

To promote cultural safety at their studios, c inesite offers ressources such as queer competency training and anti-racism training, in addition to supporting organizations like WiA, Access VFX, collective Bunch and Girls in sTeAm.

“it’s about getting people to understand what equity and inclusion looks like in everyday actions and leadership,” martin says. i n order to recruit and retain more female employees, c inesite is working to offer flexible work options, inclusive job postings, and pay equity analysis and yearly audits to ensure pay equity for marginalized genders, according to martin. s he highlights that the industry has had a historically low percentage of women as well as other gender minorities and stressed the need to have a balanced ratio of all genders who are being compensated equitably.

“i n the work of edi , it’s also ongoing and ever-evolving, we will always be on the path of understanding and meeting the needs for equity and inclusion of our crew,” she says.

At Vancouver-headquartered s ony pictures imageworks, executive vice-president michelle Grady – also one of Bc 500’s most influential business leaders in British c olumbia – says that as a woman leading a VFX and animation company, she brings a particular passion diversification efforts, and to creating an inclusive culture where that diversity is celebrated.

“Where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, to bring their unique selves to our collective effort to create films that represent the global audience we seek to entertain,” she says. s ony pictures imageworks is partnering with Atomic c artoons to create a series called Young Love, a spin-off from the Academy Award-winning short film, Hair Love.

Molly in Denali, produced by Atomic c artoons, won a peabody Award for diversity and inclusion, and a reconciliation award from the Government of canada.

Twiner mcc arron says that when you amplify diverse voices, you get stories that you haven’t heard before. martin echoes this, saying that when digital media does not have diversity, you are only hearing the story of the dominant culture.

“Without diversity, we lose innovation. We live in a world full of different cultures, genders, abilities, religions and identities, and we are ready to hear those stories,” she says. ç

Sarah Martin is an equity, diversity and inclusion specialist at Cinesite

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Michelle Grady is executive vice-president of Sony Pictures

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