UCLA diversity report shows general trend toward increased representation in TV

Women and people of color continue to be left out of Hollywood, but the 2019 Hollywood Diversity Report details the proportional representation that is slowly and steadily underway.

Released Feb. 21 by UCLA’s Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, the report is the sixth in an annual series and examines gender and racial diversity in the film and television industries. Zeroing in on 1,316 television shows from the 2016 to 2017 season and 2017’s top 200 theatrical films, the report shows an increase in gender and racial diversity in categories such as directors and digital scripted show leads.

“We think that information has begun to slowly sink in in Hollywood, and that’s one of the reasons we think we’re starting to see more diversity in Hollywood,” said Darnell Hunt, dean of social sciences and an author of the report. “Even though we have a long way to go, at least things seem to be moving in the right direction, particularly in television.”

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Hunt said research shows growth in a number of fields, but analysis examining gender diversity in directing and minority leads in film saw significant increases. In 2016, women directed 6.9 percent of the sampled 200 films. The year after, female directors made up 12.6 percent of the 200 sampled films. Hunt said the increase can be attributed to films like “Wonder Woman,” directed by Patty Jenkins, which shows that titles by female directors are, contrary to conventional belief in the entertainment industry, bringing in audiences and box office revenue.

However, women directors still tend to trail behind men by more than 70 percent and need to multiply their gains by about four times to be on an equal standing as male directors, the report shows. Though the percentage jump in female directors may be one of the largest jumps seen in the six years of the report, it doesn’t necessarily indicate too much movement in the industry, said sociology doctoral candidate and report co-author Michael Tran.

“The numbers were so low before, so one or two directors can really change the numbers,” he said.

Minority leads in digital scripted shows also saw a significant increase since the previous report. In the 2015-2016 television season, minorities made up only 12.9 percent of the sampled digital scripted show leads. A year later, they made up 21.3 percent, demonstrating more than an 8 percent increase. Report research contributor Debanjan Roychoudhury said this increase can be attributed to the rising popularity of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Hulu. Because such platforms produce much more content than cable or broadcast networks, there are more opportunities for women and people of color to share their ideas and more chances for their works to be greenlighted, he said.

“We’ve seen strides made within the past years and a lot of this has to do with the dynamic nature of TV, now especially with the introduction of things like streaming and different platforms,” Roychoudhury said. “(Streaming’s) really giving a wider array of projects and show runners, directors and writers a chance to have their work be produced and shared.”

While there have been areas of growth, the study has also seen some decreases in different fields of study. Both gender and racial diversity in theatrical film writers have gone down slightly from the 2016 report. When it comes to Oscar-winning minority leads, the report saw a large decrease from the all-time high of 40 percent in 2016 to 20 percent in the following year. Spikes like the one from 2016, Roychoudhury said, can often be hard to sustain and can make it hard to truly predict industry trends.

[RELATED: 91st Academy Awards welcomes diversity in selection of winners]

With current titles such as “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Black Panther” and “Ocean’s 8,” the second of which broke box office records, it’s clear that diversity sells and excites audiences, Hunt said. Television is moving much faster than film when it comes to representation, but if trends continue to increase at the rate they are, if not faster, Hollywood can achieve proportionate representation.

“I think we’ll certainly get to something closer to a fuller representation of America in the next decade or so, as long as things continue at the pace they’re continuing,” Hunt said.

Men’s basketball pushes past Trojans in overtime after back-and-forth battle

The Bruins needed a win in their final home game of the season and they got one.

UCLA men’s basketball (16-13, 9-7 Pac-12) boosted its odds at clinching a first-round bye in the Pac-12 tournament with a 93-88 overtime victory over crosstown rival USC (15-14, 8-8) on Thursday night at Pauley Pavilion.

In a game that saw the lead change hands 15 times and the score tied on 12 different occasions, the Bruins managed to fend off each and every one of the Trojans’ attempts to steal the game.

“A game like that can flip either way,” said interim coach Murry Bartow. “But you know, there’s been a lot of questions about leadership, a lot of questions about resilience, there’s been a lot of questions about toughness, there’s been a lot of questions about a lot of different areas. And my gosh, I don’t know what more these guys can do to respond to all that.”

UCLA recovered from a 10-point first-half deficit to take a three-point lead into the half thanks to a 12-0 run midway through the period fueled by sophomore guard Kris Wilkes. However, after they had built up a nine-point advantage eight minutes into the second half, USC made a push of its own.

The Trojans scored 17 of the game’s next 25 points to retake the lead with six and a half minutes remaining. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of regulation, but the contest ended up in overtime after USC forward Bennie Boatwright missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

The Bruins struck for the first five points of the extra period, but didn’t ice the game until sophomore guard Jaylen Hands knocked down a 3-pointer from NBA range as the shot clock expired with 21 seconds remaining in overtime.

Hands said he couldn’t remember the feeling of hitting the biggest shot of the night, but he did emphasize the strides that he feels the team has made since its last meeting with the Trojans.

“The first time we played (USC), when they had a run we couldn’t stop them,” Hands said. “So I think today’s game, we never really blew them out, they were always there, and when they made that run to come back we weathered the storm, so I think that really speaks to our growth.”

Individually, Hands showed out for a second straight game, posting 21 points, 10 assists and zero turnovers. The sophomore guard’s performance came on the heels of a 27-point outburst against Oregon on Saturday.

Wilkes – who scored 16 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists – said UCLA will need Hands to continue playing at that level as the postseason approaches.

UCLA has now won four of its last five games overall, with each win coming down to the wire. And although the Bruins don’t have a typical go-to player down the stretch, Bartow said he is seeing the team win games as a complete unit.

“There is a connection with this team,” Bartow said. “We don’t have maybe that one true guy, but there is a real – I see it in timeouts, I see it in the locker room.”

[Gallery: Bruins trounce Trojans 93-88]

Freshman guard Jules Bernard said he can feel the same type of positive energy as his coach, and added that the team could be primed for a long postseason run if it can stay locked in.

“We’re such a talented team and if we piece things together the way we have been lately, then I think we could do some things in the Pac-12 tournament,” Bernard said. “We just have to stay together and keep playing hard like we are. Keep executing and focusing on certain details in each game, and hopefully, we push through and get the results we want.”

UCLA is now tied with Oregon State for the fourth spot in the Pac-12 standings after the Beavers lost to the Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night. If UCLA wins its final two games at Colorado and Utah, it will have a strong chance at securing a top-four seed and a first-round bye in the conference tournament.

Men’s basketball takes 41-38 lead over USC at half after slow start

The Trojans were getting whatever they wanted early on, but the Bruins responded.

After falling behind by 10 in the opening five minutes, UCLA men’s basketball (15-13, 8-7 Pac-12) came back to take a 41-38 lead over USC (15-13, 8-7) by the half.

The Bruins missed eight of their first 10 shots from the floor to begin the night, helping the Trojans build up an early 16-6 lead. UCLA then rattled off a 12-0 run of its own behind eight points from sophomore guard Kris Wilkes to take the lead.

Wilkes led all scorers in the first half with 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting to go along with five rebounds.

With about seven minutes left in the half, the Bruins extended their lead to as much as six after back-to-back transition 3s from freshman guard David Singleton. The advantage was short-lived, though, as the Trojans responded with a 9-0 run out of a timeout.

Forward Bennie Boatwright led the way for USC in the first 20 minutes, stuffing the stat sheet with 10 points, eight rebounds and three assists. Boatwright poured in 21 points in the two schools’ previous meeting back on Jan. 19.

UCLA, however, closed the back-and-forth half by scoring nine of the final 12 points with the help of back-to-back buckets from freshman guard Jules Bernard.

The winner of Thursday night’s game will take a one-game lead over the other in the Pac-12 standings and keep its hopes of a first-round bye in the conference tournament alive.

Movie review: Hysteric cinematography makes dance-horror film ‘Climax’ disturbingly satisfying

Gaspar Noé’s “Climax” is a wild roller coaster ride of sex, drugs and techno.

The French filmmaker’s latest movie follows the supposedly true story of a French dance troupe practicing for a tour at a remote boarding school in the 1990s. In celebration of a successful rehearsal, the dance practice transforms into a lively party until the dancers realize their sangria is spiked with LSD. After a descent into drug-induced insanity, accusations turn into violence as they attempt to determine which member of the group laced the drinks. “Climax” can be emotionally overwhelming, but the stunning visuals and nonstop action make for an electrifying experience.

The story begins in the aftermath of the party with a bird’s-eye shot of the boarding school and its surrounding environment. The stark white landscape is tainted with the bloodied body of an individual crawling through the snow. The quietly tragic snapshot clues the audience into the cold world the dancers live in. It shows just enough to establish the film’s brutality and pique interest without throwing too much gore at the audience all at once.

[RELATED: Movie review: ‘Ashes in the Snow’ lingers on the surface, failing to evoke sympathy or meaning]

The gruesome sequence is then met with a warmth completely antithetical to the preceding scene. A feeling of nostalgia is evoked by a shot of a television contemporary to the period playing audition tapes of the dancers. The television is nestled between two bookshelves that include VHS tapes of classic horror films like “Possession” and “Suspiria.” The tapes are fun Easter eggs for film fanatics, cluing them into the potential influences that affected Noé’s direction for “Climax.”

From the very first glimpse into the dance rehearsal, the film utilizes engaging dance sequences supported by an upbeat soundtrack. The diverse group of dancers confidently strut to the relentless pulsations of techno music. Including music by Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, th

From voguing to krumping to normally bone-breaking contortion, each dancer’s moves and style is brought to the choreography. Because the dance troupe is mostly made up of street dancers rather than professional actors, the scenes feel more stylistically sound and authentic than they otherwise would have. The scenes also display Noé’s breathtaking skill in directing surreal, fantastical films. His directing is carefully crafted, and the cinematography feels natural. Rather than impose on the experienced dancers, the camera gracefully navigates the floor, weaving among the performers as if it, too, were involved in a choreographed dance.

Noé hasn’t been one to shy away from disturbing imagery and graphic depictions of violence and sex. “Climax” is no exception. Scenes of self-mutilation, drug-induced sex and a woman’s hair catching on fire are just some of the film’s highlights. Since the film clocks in at just over an hour and a half, the audience isn’t overly inundated with the troubling material. But by the end of the film, the explicit scenes become a thing of beauty. The rotating camera is framed close-up on the indistinguishable acts to an almost nauseating degree. It was a bold move – but it was so satisfying.

Despite the hysteria of the film, “Climax” is beautifully twisted due to its outrageous narrative and breathtaking direction and cinematography – thanks to Noé and the film’s cinematographer Benoît Debie. Although some may criticize the film for capitalizing on “cheap” shock value, its ability to garner genuinely visceral reactions is instead a testament to its effectiveness.

Noé pushes buttons and if you can make it through the whole film, it’ll plague your mind for days. Maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Theater review: Webber’s ‘Cats’ displays visual excellence mired in plot confusion

It’s pitch black. Not a sound can be heard when flickering lights suddenly illuminate the historical Hollywood Pantages Theatre.

The mysterious dots grow across the auditorium. Performers donning frighteningly realistic cat costumes appear in the aisles, creeping slowly onto the stage. The theater is flooded in a technicolor splendor of neon lights, revealing a once vacant alleyway that is now teeming with life.

A jumbled story of ambition and identity, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats,” running from Wednesday to March 24, is a dazzling display of feline frenzy. The musical introduces several so-called Jellicle cats living in a dingy junkyard who meet up once a year to celebrate their distinctive identity. While the cats seem to live rather disreputable lives, their personalities are each eccentric and unconventional. The premise of “Cats,” while seemingly quite simple, is riddled with complex storylines, making the oversaturated plot difficult to follow.

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The makeup and costumes, however, are eye-catching. Dark oranges hues and elaborate stripes cover practically every inch of the characters’ bodies, and multicolored wigs can be spotted even from the back of the theater. Mr. Mistoffelees’ (Tion Gaston) bedazzled blazer is the perfect representation of the designers’ obvious attention to detail. Donned with color-changing lights, this character’s flashy personality is captured by his effervescent clothing.

The production’s most impressive features were the technical elements of design, lighting and sound. During scenes of high intensity and drama, dizzying light and dark crossfades appeared on the stage in rapid succession. String lights constantly changed color depending on the mood of the piece. When Mr. Mistoffelees takes the stage, the theater is transformed into an astonishing light show that flashes to the beat of the music. As the cat passionately executes fouettes across the stage, a spotlight shines directly on him and his sparkling costume. Such performances manage to distract, at least for a moment, from the lack of cohesion elsewhere.

The first musical number, “Invitation to the Jellicle Ball,” is performed by a large ensemble of cats dressed in these creative costumes. The dance routine is sultry and sleek, evoking an intriguing sense of both danger and mystery. Elegant jumps and catlike crawls are performed in harmonious unison, uniting the cast members and highlighting the cats’ collective power, strengthening the theme of togetherness.

Audiences are then introduced to ridiculous, yet dynamic characters such as the troublemaking duo Mungojerrie (Tony d’Alelio) and Rumpelteazer (Rose Iannaccone) and their sagacious leader Old Deuteronomy (Brandon Michael Nase). The former two’s mischievous nature and the latter’s peacekeeping trope serve only for entertainment purposes. These characters do not add noteworthy panache to the production. They simply reinforce the incoherent plot.

Macavity’s role in the musical does provide a moment of exhilaration, however. Macavity (Tyler John Logan), the elusive criminal, enters the scene, as the Jellicle cats scatter and ponder his imminent return. The search for him is the only steady trend throughout the musical, which overall lacks a sequential plot. Although the story weaves these cats’ lives together, the omission of a unifying concept makes the piece feel almost unfinished. And though the electrifying dances and fantastical elements are impressive, they get lost in the frazzled plot.

[RELATED: Theater review: ‘On Your Feet!’]

The musical eventually reaches its peak during a palpable performance of “Memory” by Grizabella (Keri René Fuller), a former glamour cat who was shunned by her community. Her high-octane voice provides an emotional depth unmatched by her cast mates, and the song proves to be a moment of transcendence. The audience is engulfed in melancholic desperation, as lyrics about hopelessness and loss of identity vibrate through the theater walls. Grizabella’s gripping performance is the zenith of the cast’s talent and the production’s excitement.

The musical’s jigsawed plot is entangled with a messy series of deviations, intermixed with harmonious dance routines, intricate costumes and dynamic song lyrics – Grizabella’s “Memory” standing out as the production’s No. 1 hit. Unlike most productions with a clear beginning, middle and end, “Cats” veers from the traditional course of action. While undoubtedly creative, it leaves viewers with too many unanswered questions.

The cats’ existence possesses an underlying symbolism for the salvation of humanity and the power of communal identity, but the lack of clarity and cohesion makes that message muddled rather than powerful. However, the mesmerizing effects and design create a spectacle that makes up, at least partially, for the musical’s blemishes. The production design is the glue that holds the piece together.

Throwback Thursday: Upcoming building of residence hall echoes De Neve’s construction 20 years ago

UCLA’s infamous nickname “Under Construction Like Always” remains apropos as the university embarks on yet another project – the Lot 15 Residence Hall.

The Lot 15 Residence Hall complex will be situated in the northwest zone of campus and will be comprised of a residence hall and student commons, as well as a storage space for housing maintenance.

Construction of this sort is also reminiscent of the time when the De Neve Housing Project was underway in March of 1999. Examining the article, we get the sense that regardless of the passage of time, some student experiences remain remarkably similar.

Angela Marciano, special projects manager for housing administration during De Neve’s construction, told The Bruin that the De Neve Housing Project emerged at a time when the need for housing was experiencing an upward trend – one that continues today. Marciano emphasized the timeliness of the 1,260 new beds that would be the product of the project’s completion, but an unfortunately situated high-voltage power line delayed the completion of one of the buildings for 67 days.

Delays of this sort can be unfortunate for many people, and students living near the construction zone are no exception.

Despite current students’ fondness for De Neve – Hello, Late Night – the students living in Dykstra Hall 20 years ago objected to the disruptions associated with its lengthy construction. The students at the time pointed to noise from vehicles in the morning and drills in the afternoon, bright lights and dust invading their rooms as sources of vexation.

“The constant noise has gotten a lot worse now that they’re actually hammering,” said Yumiko Hara, a first-year biology student and resident of Dykstra Hall in 1999. “I usually go to Powell and stay until six, because the construction workers don’t get done until seven.”

The Lot 15 Residence Hall project, in which construction is set to occur between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays, might elicit similar concerns from students living in the vicinity of the construction. This is especially true in the dorms closest to the construction site – Hitch Suites, Saxon Suites, Hedrick and Rieber.

The new residence hall will hold 1,781 beds for first- and second-year undergraduate students. In addition to the dorm rooms, the complex will include a three-story study commons and versatile maker space, a pedestrian bridge, solar thermal panels and views of the greenery outside.

The construction of the residence hall, as well as other construction projects around Westwood, are the manifestations of UCLA Housing’s attempt to provide guaranteed housing for four years to all incoming freshman and for two years to transfers. UCLA has begun work on the Margan, Southwest Campus and 10995 Le Conte Avenue Apartments on top of the construction of the Lot 15 Residence Hall to begin closing the gap between the existing situation and this lofty goal.

These housing projects are a welcome step toward alleviating the student housing shortage. Nonetheless, like most things, construction of this sort is a trade-off. Students living on and around campus, whether in 1999 or 2019, must bear some inconveniences in order for progress to be made.

Naomi Matsutani, then a first-year political science student, said the beeping from the backing up of the construction vehicles sometimes woke her up in the morning. Other students said the floodlights used prevented them from falling asleep in the first place.

Accordingly, UCLA has adopted certain measures to lessen the risk of construction harming student well being.

Blackout curtains were installed on the windows of the most impacted rooms in Dykstra Hall to attempt to alleviate some of the issues the students were facing when De Neve was being built. Today, UCLA has taken measures including providing complimentary earplugs to allay the difficulties resulting from the construction.

Regardless of the compensatory measures taken, construction is by nature a disruption to the state of affairs. However, although there were students in the article who were dissatisfied with the construction, there were others who had adjusted to it – they had accepted it as the way of life.

“People have gotten used to it by now because we started the year out this way,” said Diana Canseco, a first-year psychology student in 1999. “We came into this situation with the construction already going on, so it’s to be expected.”

The completed De Neve housing complex is the physical manifestation of the light at the end of the tunnel that is construction; it serves to remind us that all of construction’s inconveniences are temporary. There’s only one thing left for current students to do – grin and bear it.