A new report reveals that, while there have been significant gains in inclusion of women in the animation industry, much work remains, particularly for women of color.

“Inclusion in Animation,” from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, and conducted in partnership with Women in Animation, was presented on Monday at the Women in Animation World Summit in Annecy, France. The study examined the prevalence of women in key roles, assessed the career pipeline for women in animation, and presented potential solutions to aid animation organizations in reducing gender-based inequality.

According to the report, women comprise approximately half of animation executive roles and other powerful positions in major film animation companies, and that there is a “robust pipeline” from animation classrooms to careers. Despite this, women — particularly women of color — are underrepresented in both above and below the line roles.

Female representation among producers of animated films has increased across the past decade, however, per Dr. Smith, representation of women of color in producer roles falls “completely out of step with the audience.” Based on report polling, only five percent of producers of animated films and one percent of live-action film producers were women of color. Similar disparities across gender and ethnicity also carry over to animated television, where women, and particularly women of color, were underrepresented in producer roles.

Furthermore, data on film directors and unit heads in animated movies and TV series indicates that once women enter the animation field, they either opt out or are pushed away from pursuing directing. Only three percent of animated film directors over the past 12 years were women, and only 13 percent of episodes from popular animated TV programs in 2018 had female directors. Out of these, only one female film director (Jennifer Yuh Nelson of Kung Fu Panda 2 and 3) and three female TV directors were from underrepresented racial/ethnic backgrounds.

Dr. Smith notes that, as a result, the stories featured in animated films and television programs reflect a narrow set of experiences. The indicates that female characters were underrepresented in both animated film and television, with only three percent of animated films and 12 percent of television programs featuring roles for women of color.

Researchers conducted interviews with 75 early-career and decision-making women in order to determine the biggest barriers facing women in the animation industry. Subjects indicated that the industry’s masculine culture, devaluation of women, and underestimation of women’s interest in the field were all potential impediments in a woman’s animation career. Women of color also frequently face feelings of tokenization and isolation.

“As organizations and individuals grapple with how to support and extend the careers of women in the industry, including women from all backgrounds and communities, the goal must be to ensure that everyone feels a sense of belonging and that men and women are committed to target inclusion goals and working collectively toward achieving them,” said Dr. Katherine Pieper, one of the authors of the study.

Currently, studios like Nickelodeon are working to improve inclusion through initiatives like the Intergalactic Shorts Program, which is designed to identify and nurture new comedy-driven talent. The program, announced on Monday, will accept ideas from creative talent across the industry, and creators will be provided support from artistic and production teams in order to complete a fully animated short to be aired on a variety of platforms and potentially developed into a long-form animated series.

“Our shorts program is intergalactic because we want to create a universe of new stars ready to make the next big animated hits of the future,” said Ramsey Naito, Nickelodeon’s Executive Vice President, Animation Production and Development. “Our doors are open to the best ideas out there and around the world, and we can’t wait to get started building this new home for visionary talent.”

More details regarding the submissions to the program will be available this summer. Additionally, you can read the full report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative here.