Sound for Cinema in the Feminine: The Lack of Professional Recognition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34640/ct9uma2024rebandacoelhoKeywords:
sound design, awards, women, recognition, cinemaAbstract
The sound department continues to be one of the most underrated and undervalued in the film industry. Due to its importance and the dimension it brings to each cinematographic work, it was decided to carry out a study on the recognition of professionals in the field. In this research, the winning films of a 20 years’ timeline (2002-2022) in categories linked to best sound design were analyzed, both from significant film festivals (e.g. Cannes Festival) and at equally renowned award ceremonies (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, European Film Awards). Upon completing the data collection, we noticed something particularly significant: for 20 years, in twelve festivals and two renowned award ceremonies, there were 116 winners for their sound work and only 7 are women. For this reason, we decided to carry out an additional study of the presence of women in sound design for cinema, in order to better understand the reason for this huge disparity in their appreciation and recognition. Therefore, we aim to make the data collected in this investigation available and draw attention to the inequality of recognition that exists among cinema sound professionals. This research also aims to improve understanding of the importance [...].
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