In its ongoing commitment to help increase diverse voices, 21CF Global Inclusion (21CF) has partnered with two leading organizations – the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) and Alliance for Women Film Composers (AWFC) – to raise the visibility of and create opportunities for female and other underrepresented composers.
“Opportunity and Inclusion in the Future of Music and Media”
More than 100 SFCM patrons, alumni, Fox studio executives and special guests from the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles filled 20th Century Fox Studios’ famed Newman Scoring Stage on Jan. 26 to hear a panel discussion focused on gender and inclusion in Hollywood.
The “Opportunity and Inclusion in the Future of Music and Media” panel, moderated by Los Angeles Times Classical music critic Mark Swed, featured renowned film composers Laura Karpman, Germain Franco and David Newman; and SFCM Technology and Applied Composition Executive Director MaryClare Brzytwa.
The candid conversation examined representation in the music world today and the actions needed to increase the number of women and people of color hired as composers in the motion-picture industry.
Recent studies (The Center for Study of Women in Television & Film’s annual report) show women make up only 6 percent of composers on Hollywood films, which is an increase from 2017 when only 3 percent of the top 250 grossing films were scored by women.
The panelists also shared career and personal stories to aspiring film composers:
Embrace differences
One of the few women who has scored a major studio film is Mexican American composer Germaine Franco. She recalled her career path assisting film composer John Powell for years, including her time working on 20th Century Fox’s animated comedy “Rio.” Franco credited this high degree of visibility as a big career opportunity and preparation for her later success composing music for the hit animated feature “Coco.”
She encouraged the audience to embrace their differences, noting that when she was an emerging composer, people would often mistake her for an assistant because she is a Latina woman. She used those experiences to fuel her forward and now helps open doors for the next generation of composers. Giving advice to the members of the Inner City Youth Orchestra in attendance, Franco said, “You can’t ask permission to do what you want to do with your creativity.”
Be an advocate
Also a longtime advocate for increasing diversity is Laura Karpman, an Emmy-winning composer who has scored projects for every major network and is the first female governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She also co-founded the L.A.-based nonprofit Alliance for Women Film Composers in 2014 to help showcase the scores of women composers in Hollywood (see AWFC at Sundance below).
In response to a question from the Inner City Youth Orchestra about the future for underrepresented musicians, Karpman responded, “It’s not a closed door because we are keeping it open with a battering ram for you guys… Learn your craft, learn as much as you can about music and we’ve got you on this end.”
Conversations are powerful – be an ally
Among today’s most accomplished music composers and conductors is David Newman. He has composed music for more than 100 films – many of which have been Fox films such as “Anastasia,” for which he received an Academy Award nomination for the score. He is also the son of legendary film composer Alfred Newman, who wrote the famous 20th Century Fox Fanfare.
Newman, who serves on the Board of the American Youth Symphony, expressed his passion for nurturing the next generation of musicians. He, along with the other panelists, discussed the importance of awareness (needed for more inclusive voices and backgrounds), meaningful conversation (for deeper understanding) and serving as an ally to create change.
Alliance for Women Film Composers Brunch at Sundance
To further recognize the score of talented diverse composers and help increase gender parity in the field, 20th Century Fox and AWFC co-hosted the Alliance for Women Film Composers Brunch on Jan. 29 during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
AWFC president Lolita Ritmanis kicked off the event by introducing all the women composers whose music was featured in Sundance films (approximately 15) and celebrated their achievements alongside other female composers in the audience.
The annual event, which is designed as a networking opportunity for female composers and to collaborate with new filmmakers, included a special discussion with:
- Heather McIntosh, “To the Stars” (Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition);
- Karen Tanaka, “Sister” (Sundance U.S./China Short);
- Kathryn Bostic, “Clemency” and “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” (Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition and Sundance Documentary World Premiere); and
- Mandy Hoffman, “Hala” (Sundance U.S. Dramatic Competition).
“The AWFC brunch is always a wonderful way for our community of women film/TV composers and others who support inclusion, to meet each other and recognize the phenomenal talents and resources we have at our disposal just by knowing each other,” said Bostic. “So often as composers our work is insular and quite solitary, so it is great to widen our sensibility and have an awareness of each other to create opportunities to work together.”
Bostic captured the sentiment from both AWFC and SFCM events when she said that the industry is at a tipping point to create effective change and visibility for women in the film/TV; and that together, by acknowledging each other’s success and valuable authenticity, it can result in a stronger and more inclusive community for everyone.
21CF Global Inclusion and 20th Century Fox nurture diverse voices and stories, both in front of and behind the camera, through a variety of partnerships such as SFCM and AWFC; as well as initiatives and programs, including Fox Writers Lab, Fox Directors Lab, Fox Filmmakers Lab and Fox DP Lab.
