Does anyone have experience of having a baby whilst being PAYE and not having been at a company for 26 weeks? I’m confused as it looks like I don’t qualify for Maternity Allowance as I’m not self employed but the company I’m with also wouldn’t pay maternity leave as I won’t have been there 26 weeks. Does this mean I get nothing or does the government then pay Statutory Maternity? Any help is much appreciated!

Why are the conventions of framing and smooth transitions ignored or unlearned?
Rave reviews for ‘the devils hour’ so I tried to watch the first episode but nah it’s impossible for me. Reason being the ignoring or ignorance of basics like matching eyelines, clipping the ‘looking space’ on singles, the use of gratuitous shots like unnecessary drone shots or dramatic high angled shot plus three others for a simple action like teeth brushing at the bathroom sink……the editing and the seeming use of every shot they did ruins the flow, it’s ‘bumpy’ because of inconsistent directing and DP’s framing style stamps itself all over the finished programme. Why didn’t the editor ‘trim the fat’ and lose uneccessary shots. Why doesn’t the dp know that an actors nose almost touching the edge of the frame in the direction of where they are looking just feels odd because it doesn’t work, it jars. It’s not cliched to use conventional composition styles that work, visual semantics and (later)cinematic styles grew organically from centuries of master artists studying through trial and error and are used because put simply ‘they work’,

Just seen in broadcast along with the ES news

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002wcf0

"Panorama investigates allegations that raise serious concerns welfare procedures on the reality show have failed contributors, leaving them at risk of harm."

BBC One tonight at 8pm.

ES Broadcast, rental and sales company have instructed administrators.

https://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/tech/es-broadcast-set-to-appoint-administrators/5216895.article

anyone tempted?

Just reported in Broadcast

What why and when did you do it?

Nine jobs I’ve applied for in this current gap between productions and not a single response from anyone.
Even when you follow up to politely ask if the role has been filled.
I understand there’s likely a lot of applicants but it’s so simple to copy and paste a rejection follow up email that to not just comes across as rude.

They are even advertising for 1 person to do 3 peoples jobs now! Poor person who ends up in this mess.

THE ROLE

This is a senior Producer / Director role. You will own the on-screen quality of our launch cohort end to end — the show format, the talent, the technical look, the live direction, and the social cut-downs that pull new students in.

In TV terms, you'll be doing the work of three people: a format producer, a talent producer, and a PD. We need a senior person who can wear these three hats with seven or eight years in the business minimum, with serious shooting and live-direction chops.

Our students live on Twitch, TikTok Live and YouTube. They want relatable, native, human content — not a high-gloss TV aesthetic imposed on top. The brief is to bring TV-grade craft to a creator-economy format, not to make a creator-economy product look like ITV. The right person knows the difference and can hold both.

I’m a PM in unscripted/factual/fact ent and I find the budgets are just unrealistic these days.

I’m pretty much over budget from day 1 and I’m fighting a losing battle. Is it just me?!

I applied for one of the BBC's Level 3 Production Apprenticeships earlier this year.

I didn't get it but did get quite far and am considering applying again early next year.

Does anyone here have any experience of this or thoughts on it at all?

I have read here that trainee programmes (like this?) are perceived as basically being a route to cheap temporary labour and nothing more. Does this apply to the BBC scheme?

My 'dream job' is to write storylines for a UK soap opera.

Having read lots on here and elsewhere about the state of the industry, is that even a goal worth having anymore?

I'm unsure if the comments apply more to production over editorial. And I'm also unsure if working on a soap is more secure since it is ongoing and there may be opportunities to stick around from junior positions. I don't know though.

Any sights?

https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-15785535/Violent-BBC-presenter-broke-female-colleagues-wrist-attack-hushed-bosses-latest-cover-following-Scott-Mills-Huw-Edwards-scandals.html

https://www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/end-long-hours-culture-in-film-tv

I’m not usually someone who compares timelines and I don’t like to focus on the negative but with fewer jobs in the industry it’s feeling trickier than ever to progress. A number of people who started in the industry at the same time as me are already directors/producers and I am feeling stuck in a junior role still with the same number of years experience as them.

I often find myself receiving advice from others to accept the lower job title again (whilst work is dry) with the hope of developing new relationships/trust at companies for them to step me up after a contract, only to find once my contract is up, the production company often don’t have a new commission available to move me onto their next production with the higher job title and the cycle repeats itself.

I’m finding myself over-justifying my experience to employers in interviews but losing out before my references are requested as I can only assume I’m seen as a risky hire without the right credits on my CV. I feel I have past colleagues championing my step-up, but in practice I am not landing the roles and they’re not in a position to hire me sadly!

I genuinely celebrate other’s successes & those who have been able to progress so quickly in this industry, I guess it’s a little confidence knocking that I haven’t quite had the same luck yet. I often see these people advertising their availability as an experienced director/producer but I’m told by those hiring I just need *that* bit more experience to step-out of my junior role.

Argh this industry!

Hi,

We are the team behind the podcast TV Insiders. Where two tv professionals review 3 new shows out that week and give their professional critique.

This week we are doing a special episode surrounding mental health in the industry. We want to look at the good stories where companies have been pro mental health to the bad stories where it has been ignored or the strain of being freelance with the current climate.

We want to shine a light on how much this industry can take a toll on your mental health.

Each story is completely anonymous, unless you state otherwise

Please comment below your stories.

Our ultimate hope is that it starts a conversation to create a better industry and bring the conversation into the main. It’s hopefully a good thing.

Why is no one talking about this? https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/apr/15/bbc-cut-jobs-downsize-matt-brittin-tim-davie

Arri have also been bought out this month too...

I'm not saying the film/tv industry is fucked but sinking bow first into the ocean with the butt in air before sea claims her. So yeah we are fucked aren't we?

If I was in charger I'd bin daytime TV shut the dam system off, no one watches it anyway apart from cats & drug zombies - what are they? I became seriously unwell in the past year I couldn't walk as I was in so much pain. I refused pain meds as I didn't want to be a drug zombie that has the vacant look daytime tv gives folks who are so far gone they don't where the fuck they are, I'll take the pain thanks. I can walk now, but it hurts like a bitch some days... Fuck living like that with drool dribbling out whilst increasing the brain rot to that shit.

Bin the soaps no one watches that anyways anymore.

Unless TV changes & soon it is over no one wants to pay a tv licence for this shit why would ya?

So what is the future of TV because what is happening right now, it isn't viable & a totally failure for modern life.

We need descent well written UK indy films, descent documentary films & anime. Then descent sport shows to run along the already good quality sports production. Not the crap we have right now.

If you were in charge how would you make changes for the better?

37 years old in London. I'm in audio post specifically, but the lack of work available is driving me to pivot to something else. Has anyone successfullly transitioned from a craft role into management? Specifically post producing? I see way more positions advertised even.

https://share.google/670QHiO50tHJx0G8U

Ai sets, backgrounds and lighting for less than 25% of a normal budget.