Female Cinematographers Make Strides Onscreen as Guilds, Educators Work to Boost Numbers

In 1997, UCLA cinematography professor William McDonald was home with his newborn daughter. As he looked into her eyes in his sleep-deprived state he began to wonder what her life would be like if she grew up and wanted to become a cinematographer. Would she have the same opportunities as men who wanted to study cinematography? Would she be able to find work after getting a degree and experience?At the time, female cinematography students were few and far between. Things looked similarly bleak for working female DPs during that period. McDonald thought that could change if more women had the opportunity to study and train in the field, so he set a goal of admitting 50% female students into cinematography studies each year.“The simple premise is that if you make a generational commitment — and about 25 to 30 years is a generational commitment — to flooding the market with exceedingly talented people from...