Before being approached to film this piece I had a rough idea that income inequality existed but I wasn’t aware of Equal Pay Day in Ontario. What exactly is Equal Pay Day? According to the Equal Pay Coalition “Equal Pay Day illustrates how far into the next year a woman must work to earn the same amount a man made in the previous year“. April 16th 2014. A lot more information can be found here.
I am by no means as educated on this topic as I intend to be one day. At the same time, I do believe that with where I am at right now, I can help raise awareness. I came at this project from a creative point of view–my job was to bring life to the script by choosing interesting angles, dynamic camera movements and editing with intention. All the while my interest grew on this topic. 
Both my Mom and Dad have the same profession. You know when you’re in a public setting and they make an announcement asking for any medical professionals in the building to come forward? Growing up I was the kid who could look over at my Mom and/or Dad and know that they were able to help. Maybe Mom was picking me up from a concert and it meant running out to the car and telling her to come in quick, or a neighbour called for Dad’s help, or a child at church needed medical attention. Those were the times when I realized the value of my parent’s expertise. I was around 10 years old when I witnessed my mom come to the aid of a small child. As she went forward an adult nearby said “She can help! She’s a Nurse!” The problem was quickly taken care of and my mom excused herself once everything was settled. On the way home I asked her “Mom how come you didn’t correct them?”
Both of my parents are Medical Doctors. Right then and there it dawned on me. People knew when my Dad came forward that he was a doctor, but with Mom they often assumed she was a nurse? My Mom’s answer has stuck with me to this day. She didn’t correct them “Because there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Nurse.”
It’s social interactions such as this that affect the way that we think. I was brought up to believe that men and women are equal in the workforce. They hold the same potential. Even with deciding to go in the direction that I have with my profession I have received a great deal of support from both males and females. Yet, I have still experienced discrimination for being a woman videographer/photographer/business owner. Everyday I’m faced with the decision to defend my worth or “just let it go”.
Today, I’m sharing this video with you because I care about this cause. I hope you’ve enjoyed my personal anecdotes and behind the scenes photos, but most of all I hope this has made you stop and think.
I did the cinematography and editing for this piece.
Thank you to Ellie Gordon-Moershel, the producer of this promotional short, whose passion for this project came through in every aspect. Thank you to Andrew Shenkman for his writing and music. Thanks to the lead actor; Steph Tolev the extras; Christine Wong, Larry Gordon, Timothy Hayes and narrator; Tom Morgan.
-Jennifer
[…] To see last year’s video that I worked on read this post. […]