How to test your script for gender inclusion

Gender inclusion is one of the hot topics for filmmakers around the world. Today it’s unforgivable to make a mistake of some gender-biased dialogues, characters, or general idea. Such films are not acceptable in the current world of equality and inclusion. And a producer or director who had the guts to offer such a film for production can get buried under the wave of critics and disapprobation.

Not to get stuck in such an unpleasant situation, filmmakers today scrutinise everything in their film regarding gender inclusion. The term “everything” here is used for the plot in general, script, music, costume designs, and anything else that can insult the feelings of any gender. While some film industry experts have an eye for gender-exclusion characteristics in a film, most young filmmakers don’t have enough budgets to pay for such services. Instead, there are old-school and new-school methods that can help clear a film from gender inequality matters. Read below about the good old tests and the way new technologies can help with this complex issue.

1. The Bechdel-Wallace test

The Bechdel-Wallace test is one of the oldest and yet most useful ones for gender inclusion. To pass it a film should meet obligatory guidelines: The film needs to have at least two women characters, who talk to each other, about something but a man.

These basic guidelines, as it appeared, are hard to meet in a film. However, films that pass the Bechdel-Wallace test gain the “fame” and respect in the industry. Once the passing grade is received, the film instantly gains different popularity and recognition among the audience members. And as the creation of a compelling film is the main goal of any screenwriter, this test should always be kept in mind. The Bechdel-Wallace test is a magic wand that helps create a realistic and believable story to reflect the world around and so be as close to the audience as possible.

2. The Sphinx test

This is one more old-school methods to test a script for gender inclusion. It was developed back in 2014 by The Sphinx Theater as a response to the limited roles for women in the theatre that year. The Sphinx test was designed to encourage theatre-makers to develop a new standard of theatre: with more prominent female characters who take part in the action. While this test was primarily designed for the theatre plays, filmmakers successively adopted it for the film industry as well.

The test lies in the idea of considering the questions raised for a protagonist, driver of an action, main star, and the power.

·        Protagonist: Is there a woman in the centre? Does she interact with other female characters?

·        Driver: Is a woman present in action? Is she driving the action or she is reactive?

·        Star: Does the character avoid stereotype? Is the character compelling and complex?

·        Power: Is the story essential? Will the story have any impact on a broad audience?

To apply the Sphinx test when writing a script (and preferably before doing so), a writer needs to answer the questions above and test the idea or the script with the answers. Of course, the answers should be open and critical to evaluate how ‘malestream’ the script is; and if there is anything that can be done to improve its current state. For example, by addressing the first question (whether there is a woman centre) can help a writer create a gender-aware overview or snapshot of the script. And, where there is a central female figure, we can then go on to ask whether or not she is driving the action, if she is complex, and so on, rather than assume this might be the case.

3. The Vito Russo test

This test got its name from the GLAAD co-founder who encouraged to analyse the way LGBT characters are represented in films. The essential idea of the test is to ensure that all genders are depicted based not on the stereotypes ascribed to them but rather on the universal characteristics of a character’s identity.

Here are the guidelines that must be true if a film script wants to pass the test:

·        The film needs at least one LGBT character and they must be clearly identified.

·        The identification and definition of these characters cannot solely rely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

·        Removal of this/these LGBT character(s) will lead to the significant changes in the plot; in other words, the characters must be part and parcel of the plot.

While many films can pass this test, as opposed to the Bechdel-Wallace test, there are still no guarantees that the final version won’t be problematic. Due to this issue, a team of film experts from Red Rock Entertainment prepared some additional tips:

• If you’re shooting a comic-book adaptation or an action film, include an LGBT character in it to improve its quality and produce more furore.

• Make a film with a leading LGBT character. In the past years, the tendency to put lesbian, gay, or at least bisexual characters as leads has gained popularity (for example, The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2018 or God’s Own Country 2017), yet they are not that much oriented towards the large audience.

• If you’re using an LGBT character, make them more gender-balanced, racially diverse, and with various backgrounds.

• Deploy transgender characters in the script. Films about transgender and transvestite people (both male and female) gained great popularity, for instance, Dallas Buyers Club in 2013 received two Oscars and Transamerica in 2005 earned the Golden Globe. So if today you stake on such characters, the chances that you sell your film are enormously high.

New era help: software

Besides the old-school tests still working for the filmmakers, there are many new era technological advancements that can help a screenwriter. Today, the internet is full of different software that analyses scripts to spot any gender-sensitive topics. All new software is designed to tell if the script is equitable for both men and women. Among the most common software solutions are Highland, the Final Draft, the Geena Davis Inclusion Quotient (or GD-IQ), and The WriterDuet.  

A little serious fun: the Sexy Lamp test

This test is very simple and most filmmakers advise taking it into consideration. The idea is that you need to try replacing your female character with a sexy lamp. If the story basically works and doesn’t change much, then the script must be corrected because female characters should be protagonists, not devices.

As gender equality and inclusion intertwines with the daily life more and more every day, it is essential to ensure that a script for a new film highlights these ideas. Whether you decide to use the tips from above or not, it’s your choice, but ensure that you don’t yourself dig your professional tomb with gender-biased scripts.