We’re always interested in European network organizations. And so we’re happy having found the OBS. The European Audiovisual Observatory is part of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France. It is a public service organization.
The Observatory was created in 1992 in order to collect and distribute information about the audiovisual industries in Europe. By making this information available, the Observatory aims at promoting greater transparency and a clearer understanding of the ways in which the audiovisual industries in Europe function, both from an economic and legal point of view. The Observatory provides information on the various audiovisual markets in Europe and their financing. It also analyses and reports on the legal issues affecting the different sectors of the audiovisual industry.
An example?
Here is what the European Audiovisual Observatory (EAO) sees for women in TV fiction production.
Its report, released Tuesday, analyzes the casting of key positions in more than 50,000 feature films and series episodes for television and streaming produced between 2015 and 2021: Directing, Screenwriting, Producing, Cinematography, Music, and Leads. Taking the trades together, the percentage of women has increased. In 2015, it was 18 percent; in 2021, it was 22 percent. However, even that still fits the headline: “but still a large imbalance of women directors, cinematographers and composers.”
“The proportion of female professionals in the production of European TV fiction ranges from less than 10 percent (music, cinematography) to over 40 percent (production, leading roles). 37 percent of TV fiction episodes were written by female screenwriters in 2021, but only 22 percent were directed by women.”