@article{2026:prommer:influentia,
title = {Influential film producers and their networks: The formation of creative teams and gender inequality},
year = {2026},
note = {Gender inequality in screen industries across the world is well
researched at both global and national scales. Evidence-based
evaluation of inequality in these industries typically occurs at the
level of annualised, aggregated statistical analysis in the form of
summative data describing the number or proportion of women and gender
minorities present in the screen sectors. Instead, this research study
proceeds from the basis that gender inequality stems from unequal
social relationships. We use Social Network Analysis (SNA) to evaluate
the specific nature of collaboration networks in the German film
industry over an eight-year period. We then extended the SNA research
with career biographies, focussing our attention on the collaborative
behaviours of the industry’s most influential beneficiaries: male
film producers. Whereas previous research concluded there is no
“pipeline” problem in the film industry because women graduate
from film schools at statistically equitable levels, our findings
reveal that the professional relationships formed between men at film
school persist throughout their careers and operate to obstruct
women’s opportunities.},
journal = {SCM Studies in Communication and Media},
pages = {430--458},
author = {Prommer, Elizabeth and Verhoeven, Deb and Loist, Skadi},
volume = {15},
number = {3}
}