Ethnic representation analysis of commercial movie posters

Dima Kagan, Mor Levy, Michael Fire () and Galit Fuhrmann Alpert ()
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Dima Kagan: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Mor Levy: Afeka College of Engineering
Michael Fire: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Galit Fuhrmann Alpert: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

Palgrave Communications, 2024, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract In the last decades, global awareness toward the importance of diverse representation has been increasing. The lack of diversity and discrimination toward minorities did not skip the film industry. Here, we examine ethnic bias in the film industry through commercial posters, the industry’s primary advertisement medium for decades. Movie posters are designed to establish the viewer’s initial impression. We developed a novel approach for evaluating ethnic bias in the film industry by analyzing nearly 125,000 posters using state-of-the-art deep learning models. Our analysis shows that while ethnic biases still exist, there is a trend of reduction of bias, as seen by several parameters. Particularly in English-speaking movies, the ethnic distribution of characters on posters from the last couple of years is reaching numbers that are approaching the actual ethnic composition of the US population. An automatic approach to monitoring ethnic diversity in the film industry, potentially integrated with financial value, may be of significant use for producers and policymakers.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02040-y

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