Hollywood,

On the other hand, women fared much better in lower roles: They accounted for 34% of second assistant directors and 32% of unit production managers. Few women worked as first assistant directors, at 9%.

The researchers also looked at the executive and board ranks of seven major entertainment companies. Women made up 25% of board members, an improvement from 19% last year. The study found 17% of top management positions were held by women.

Looking more deeply at the film divisions, women held 23% of the president and chairperson roles, with higher percentage in the executive vice-president, senior vice-president and vice-president ranks. Women of color held just 6% of film executive team roles, the report said.

Sony Pictures distributed five films with black directors last year, the highest-performing company in the analysis. Walt Disney Co. released two films with an African-American director, the first ever for the company across the 12-year stretch the researchers have looked at. —