Shining a light on women who film

Studies show women are still hugely underrepresented in the film industry. Just 20% of all directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors, and cinematographers working on the top 100 grossing films in the US in 2019 were female. Clearly, the industry still has a long way to go in terms of welcoming women into its ranks, but progress is being made.

The Women Who Photo & Film campaign was launched by The Photography Show & The Video Show in 2018 to shine a light on the work of female photographers and filmmakers. This year the show was held virtually and included 21 female ambassadors.

Carys Kaiser has worked in nearly every job within the industry, from sound recording all the way up to self-shooting PD. She's worked on TV productions in the UK for over 17 years and in 2015 she branched out into drone photography.

Heather Hughes went deaf at the age of three, but never let it get in the way of her a career as a videographer, producing travel, corporate and social videos, as well as filming weddings.

Director Ashleigh Jadee started out in stills photography before moving into videography, production and direction. She specialises in directing shoots for the music and fashion industry and has filmed for artists including Skepta, Wiley and Wretch 32.

Here, the three pros, all based in the UK, share their experiences of working in the film industry and offer tips for those hoping to follow in their footsteps.

"I look at all sorts of things," says Carys. "If I'm doing a creative film, it might be something I saw on YouTube three or four years ago, or it might be books, magazines or a TV programme."

She has also been inspired by working with the other members of the Women Who Photo & Film panel. "Any woman that is driving her own photography or filmmaking journey is inspiring," she says.

Heather gets ideas from TV and film. "I absolutely adore shows like Firefly," she says, referring to the popular sci-fi drama. "I actually take quite a lot of inspiration from TV theory, looking at how they shoot and what mood they're creating."

Like Heather, Ashleigh also loves watching old films and music videos. "I take a scene or a certain memorable part of it and recreate that in my work," she says. "Sometimes, if it's more about storytelling, I use personal experiences."

When Carys first branched out into drone work she wasn't always taken seriously. "Someone said to me, 'It's too complicated. You couldn't do it.' Then it dawned on me that actually all of the professions that I work in are male dominated – photographer, videographer, filmmaker, editor, drone operator.

"But I think the tide is turning. I didn't focus on being a role model for women, it just happened. But if I could inspire anyone to fly a drone, male or female, that's fine."

"The industry is quite male, definitely in broadcast work," says Heather. "I have a broadcast camera which I use, and I got it partly to make sure that I could talk on the same level [as men]. There are men who just start spouting technical stuff and some women feel intimidated by that."

Heather uses a Canon XF705 for her filming work. "It's a proper video camera," she says. "When I'm doing interviews with people, that's when I use the Canon XF705. The autofocus is incredible. It's like a studio setup – it's flawless."

Carys has used the Canon EOS C300 Mark III and the Canon EOS C500 Mark II in her TV work. "What they have, as opposed to other TV camera manufacturers, is the colour space," she says. "All skin tones look really good on Canon."

Carys, who has worked across both stills and video, urges people to be confident. "If you can frame shots in stills, then it's very much the same kind of skill in video. Learn what the rules are and then start breaking them to make your own style."

When starting out, many young filmmakers are tempted to work for free to get exposure and make connections in the industry, but Carys urges caution. "Don't undersell yourself. I spent a long time undervaluing myself but then I started to stick up for myself financially. Not only do I feel better about what I do, but people value me more."

Heather urges new starters not to give up. "I didn't realise how many ups and downs there would be – how difficult it was going to be to make those connections. You have to develop a fairly thick skin. But remember to hear your voice and know what you want to do."

Ashleigh's advice for those breaking into the industry is to network, meet people and work on your confidence. "It's about relationships," she says. "I was always really shy, and lacking in confidence, which would stop me from going to things."

She suggests aspiring directors work on their personal development. "You have to understand people and how to manoeuvre on set, because everyone is looking at you. As well as commissioned work, focus on passion projects, because that will help you show what type of director you are."

"I'm always excited about every single job I do," says Carys. "I was recently filming with Heather Small, Alexandra Burke and David Grant on Songs of Praise – Gospel Singer of the Year, but today was really exciting because I filmed a man on a hill with an ironing board. I feel like it's just the best job in the world – that for me is the highlight."

"The highlight has been the camaraderie I feel with other filmmakers," says Heather. "I've found a community and it's fun and the people are lovely."

"A definite highlight was directing the digital Out-of-Home pieces for H&M's 2018 Christmas campaign," says Ashleigh. 'It was crazy because it was going in my local Westfield shopping centre and I got to see my work on massive billboards and on Oxford Street. Another highlight would probably be my first video shoot, because that's when I thought 'I want to feel like this every single time I go to work'."