Supporting Inclusion in Hollywood
Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative collaborated with the Adobe Foundation to create a data-driven tool that would allow the public to understand who has taken inclusion seriously and been a driving force for industry change. We seek to inform, challenge, and congratulate the entertainment industry and point out where there is room to grow.
Systematically Measuring Inclusion
The Inclusion List was determined through a process of assigning points for films that met inclusion metrics. A total of 20 points could be earned:
Cast Point Criteria
A film could earn up to 10 points for cast inclusion based on 5 indicators (gender, race/ethnicity, LGBTQ+, disability, age) across leads/co leads (up to 5 points) and all speaking characters if they reach proportional representation within group (up to 5 points). In the table below, each cell represents the potential to earn at least one point if the metric was achieved.
| Metric | Gender | Race/ Ethnicity | LGBQT+ | Disability | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead/ Co Lead | At least 1 girl/woman lead/co lead | At least 1 under-represented lead/co lead | At least 1 LGBTQ+ lead/co lead | At least 1 lead/co lead with a disability | At least 1 lead/co lead age 65 or older |
| Speaking Characters | At least 45.5% of characters were girls/women | At least 36.6% of characters were under-represented | At least 6.4% of speaking characters were LGBTQ+ | At least 24.5% of characters had a disability | At least 15.1% of characters were 65 or older |
*When a film was led by an ensemble cast, points were awarded in the lead/co lead categories using the rules outlined for speaking characters.
Crew Point Criteria
It was possible for a film to earn up to 1 point for each behind the camera position evaluated – 10 in total. The positions were: Director, Writer, Producer, Cinematographer, Editor, Composer, Production Designer, Costume Designer, Casting Director, Assistant Director.
| Metric | Director | Writer | Producer | Cinematographer | Editor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Credited | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position |
| Metric | Composer | Production Designer | *Costume Designer | *Casting Director | Assistant Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Credited | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position | A person of color credited in the position | A person of color credited in the position | A woman or person of color credited in the position |
*For casting directors and costume designers, the historically gendered nature of the role required a different approach. For these positions, if the credited individual was a person of color, the film received a point. An additional point was awarded when a film had a woman of color director. This means that some films earned more than 10 points for the crew score.
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Select an Inclusion List Below
A New Model for Performance
The Inclusion List is more than simply a chance to celebrate the films, companies, and people driving change in film. The Inclusion List shows us what top-grossing films could look like in a world where inclusion is a reality. We examined the percentage of White Men, White Women, Underrepresented Men, and Underrepresented Women across each behind-the-scenes position included in the rankings. Then, we compared how the 100 films on the Inclusion List performed against the 100 top-grossing films across the same time frame (2019-2022). The results are presented in the chart below. This chart shows us that films can reflect inclusion behind the scenes and challenge the status quo. The Inclusion List is more than just a ranking-- it's a demonstration of possibilities for an industry in need of change.
| White Men | White Women | UR Men | UR Women | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Department | Inclusion List | Top 100 | Inclusion List | Top 100 | Inclusion List | Top 100 | Inclusion List | Top 100 |
| Director | 23% | 71% | 24% | 5% | 33% | 20% | 19% | 4% |
| Writer | 38% | 74% | 22% | 13% | 26% | 11% | 13% | 2% |
| Producer | 44% | 66% | 26% | 16% | 21% | 15% | 9% | 2% |
| Cinematographer | 69% | 82% | 9% | 4% | 17% | 13% | 5% | 1% |
| Editor | 52% | 75% | 27% | 19% | 9% | 5% | 12% | 2% |
| Composer | 54% | 85% | 8% | 4% | 33% | 9% | 6% | 2% |
| Production Design | 37% | 70% | 38% | 17% | 16% | 8% | 10% | 6% |
| Costume Designer | 7% | 19% | 43% | 61% | 6% | 5% | 45% | 16% |
| Casting Director | 18% | 18% | 52% | 68% | 3% | 3% | 26% | 11% |
| Assistant Director | 50% | 83% | 15% | 8% | 29% | 8% | 6% | 1% |
| Grand Total | 40% | 65% | 27% | 21% | 19% | 10% | 14% | 4% |
*UR stands for Underrepresented
Explore Inclusion in Media
The Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, founded by Dr. Stacy L. Smith, is the leading global think tank studying diversity and inclusion in entertainment through original research and sponsored projects. Follow our socials to stay updated on important reports exploring diversity in Hollywood.
