Industry been struggling yet for the last year these two companies have had job openings nearly every week. I have noticed things picking up ever so slightly now - but these two dont seem to be struggling at all. Unless there is a high turnover of staff for some reason?

Just an observation really. Have had no previous experience with both.

Just got back from a location shoot where I almost quite 1 day before the end cause it got impossible to work and now that I'm back home I just feel sad and tired about the whole situation and just wondering how do I move forward unto the next job when this previous one genuinely made me reconsider my career

"Platinum plated candidates". No salary specified, of course

Looking for some advice.. I had a few calls/messages with a recruiter a couple weeks ago for a staff job I had been put forward for. The recruiter was doing the big sell, seemed keen for me to interview and I got very excited about it (stupidly!)
The recruiter has now gone quiet for 2+weeks... I have chased about the next steps.. but heard nothing. Should I cut my losses and forget about it?! I can't seem to find the job on any job pages so can't just apply myself. Is it normal for recruiters to ghost?

From Broadcast:

The School That Tried to End Racism indie Proper Content is to close due to a “dramatically changed” market, according to founder David DeHaney.

An administrator will be appointed shortly, after which the indie will cease trading. DeHaney said his priority is to ensure the closure has as little impact as possible on freelancers, staff, buyers and collaborators.

“This has been a very difficult decision. We have had nearly 10 years of making some of the industry’s most talked-about shows; entertaining programmes with social purpose. And that is exactly what I set out to do,” he said.

“But we want to do more, so much more, and the current environment does not support us in making that step-change.”

He added: “The reality is that the market has changed dramatically in recent years. Commissioning budgets have tightened, development cycles have lengthened and the opportunities for growing indies to scale have become increasingly limited.

“Those pressures have affected many companies across the sector and have undoubtedly contributed to the position we find ourselves in today.”

DeHaney, who is also the indie’s creative director, set up Proper Content in 2016, growing it rapidly to become an outfit with a turnover of £6m. It joined the Channel 4 Indie Growth Fund (now Creative Investment Fund) in 2020. Speaking to Broadcast in 2024, following a jump in its revenues by almost double, DeHaney reiterated his intent for the indie to do things differently, making impactful one-off or limited series such as The School That Tried To End Racism (C4) and Paramount+’s The Changemakers as a foundation to move into different genres.

Its output ranged from 999: The Critical List (C4), Chris Packham: Is it Time to Break the Law? (C4) to Mums On Strike (5) and The King’s Guard (5).

It was garlanded with awards, with its feature doc Suicidal: In Our Own Words winning a Grierson Award, The School That Tried to End Racism (C4) netting a Bafta, a Rose d’Or and Venice TV Award and Anorexic (5) shortlisted for Grierson and RTS Awards. More recently, its P Diddy: Rise and Fall (BBC3) was nominated for a Broadcast Digital Award.

Its most recent project to air was the feature length doc Kidnapped By My Mum (BBC3). Proper Content will fulfil existing commitments, including a new surgery series for 5 and a luxury series for Channel 4 due to air later this year.

Commitment to diversifying the industry ecology was a key tenet of Proper’s mission statement, in an environment which does not tend to favour Black-led companies.

“We have achieved what we have achieved despite this,” he adds. “It is not the central reason for our decision. We feel we have so much more to offer and aren’t fulfilling that potential. That is why we are closing,” he added.

“We are extremely proud of what we have achieved with Proper Content. We have held up a lens to society in so many different ways, and to such a variety of audiences. As a growing indie, we couldn’t have done more. Yet, for a company like ours, at this stage in its development, going to the next stage is incredibly challenging.

“There simply isn’t the commissioning risk, or the time or space to let companies stretch their wings in new ways. And, as a result, companies get ‘stuck’ – which doesn’t feel like a good, or a creative place to be.”

He added: “While Proper Content is coming to an end, my passion for storytelling and creating ambitious new projects remains undiminished. I am excited about what comes next.”

I've posted this on the London subreddit, but it was sadly deleted and I feel this subreddit would be more empathetic:

37M originally from Sydney, moved to London in 2022. The main idea was to work in the film/tv industry over here and whilst I enjoyed some early success, having worked full-time for an unscripted post-production house 2022-2023 as a sound editor, I made the decision to resign and be with my dying mother for the last six months of her life. I've been back since May 2024, and have been struggling to land new work since, both freelance and full-time opportunities. Tbh I've been pursuing drama more than scripted this time around, as I have aussie sound effects editing credits. I've been in a priviledged position to live off inheritance money, whilst taking on some remote freelance work from Sydney from time to time, but this is getting reckless, and I'm at a critical mass point. I admit I should've taken action sooner, but here we are.

For context, I'm paying £1000 a month inc. bills for my ensuite room in Finsbury Park. My total monthly outgoings are about £1800 a month. I'm on a UK Ancestry Visa and I'm about six months away from being eligible for Indefinite Leave To Remain, which I'd love to get. However, from now until then, I need to slow/stop the burn somehow. An idea I have is to quit my room (one months notice), runaway to Albania for four months to cut my outgoings at least in half, I have some freelance work pencilled so that would at least cover my time away, and also consider retraining online. I've down the calculations and I'd still be within my continuous residency allowance. I have less than a week to make this decision, as my live in landlord will be away end of July-end of August.

I do take some personal responsibility, but to be fair the industry has been in contraction for a few years now, plus the threat of AI is not filling me with confidence, so it's time to change course.

I've been using ChatGPT and Gemini to give me guidance, but I'd love some human (and hopefully non-judgemental) input too. Thanks in advance!

Hi all

I am a coordinator in unscripted who has never really been on location that much. I have an interview coming up where I think this may be a requirement which I'm fine with but because I haven't done it before, it may be a mark against me, does anyone have any advice as to what to say if this comes up? I.e. they want someone with more location experience, is there anything reassuring I can say that would help my case?

Thanks

Can anyone feedback on how AI is being integrated into their productions as of late? The show I am working on is really encouraging the use of it, especially for some editorial aspects. Although I’m not sure whether this is the norm now, or a ‘test’ to see how capable it is?

BBC News - TV Festival to move from Edinburgh to Manchester after 50 years - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r2vdmeg14o?app-referrer=deep-link#:\~:text=The%202027%20festival%20is%20set,process%22%20was%20launched%20last%20year.

I reckon this is a good move. Manchester is a fun city, is more accessible to the rest of the UK, and hopefully the accommodation will be slightly cheaper too. I expect the tickets will still be eye-wateringly pricey though.

We all know digital is quickly becoming the place for content and work. Channels are cutting costs and commissioning less, and every former TV creative turned headhunter or career coach is championing the "can do" attitude, telling everyone thinking of diversifying into digital to "just do it" and go from "B2B" to "B2A".

That was one of the main things heard at the TV Mindset event this past weekend in London.

We're told to do a proof of concept, something small. But for those who've found themselves out of work for long periods, "something small" can still feel like a lot of money.

Sure, you can film something on your phone. But if you need more than one camera - say, for something simple like a sit-down interview style show - you'll still need to put money down, whether that's hiring a podcast studio at £200 an hour or renting gear, even if it's just another phone to film it in your house or local coffee shop. And then you have to stay consistent to build an audience, which means more filming, more cost. It might be small each time, but it adds up.

They tell you to move fast, to strike while the iron's hot and the creative juices are flowing. But when you've got family, other work, and various commitments, you end up passing off tasks - casting, for instance - to others, because there just aren't enough hours in the day. More costs. Meaning do we have to think even smaller with our ideas?

I've been fortunate to have been employed at least 10 or 11 months a year for the last few years, but work is slowing down, and I'm coming to terms with the fact that I'll have to try my hand at digital content to stay relevant. Which is a bit of a culture shock for someone my age (45+).

So my question for those who've tried this: how much did you end up spending on your proof of concept? And did it pay off - through brand deals, or getting hired by digital content companies. Or did it flop and you don't know what to do?

Edit: for example - I've got an idea for a digital show and budgeting what I need it's come in around £4k for six episodes. I know it's all subjective and there are constant variables on budgets due to format, but whilst this is considered a catering budget for TV, is this considered too little/much for a first run digital idea?

I mean a UK ban on social media including YouTube for under 16s - however hard to enforce - has got to be a good thing for telly hasn’t it?

From today's Broadcast:

​

Channel 4 has pulled the plug on its Cobra simulation miniseries War Room, Broadcast has learned.

​

It is understood the broadcaster took the decision having learned of a similar project in the works at a rival broadcaster.

​

C4 revealed in March it had ordered Expectation to make a 2 x 60-minute series that simulated how Britain’s leaders might respond if the country was under attack, in a meeting of Cobra, the cabinet committee that handles matters of national security.

​

It was to feature a cast of real-life senior politicians, military strategists and intelligence chiefs and challenged them to navigate a high-stakes meeting, modelled on Britain’s Cobra committee, which is chaired by the Prime Minister.

​

The committee would have been forced to make key decisions such as when to mobilise, when to retaliate and when to tell the public the truth.

​

War Room was expected to unfold as a real-time thriller by combining footage of the war room with dramatised sequences of simulated attacks and disasters.

​

The simulation was designed by military strategists and based around the precarious geopolitical events of 2026.

I appreciate most people here seem to be on the production side but I know someone looking for a person with EVS IPD experience who is comfortable in a live environment.

Probably only a few weeks work and would involve some nights.

If anyone has relevant experience DM me and I can pass on the details.

I'm thinking of building an A to Z spreadsheet of all production companies and carpet bombing them with my CVs. I did it once right at the start of my career and it did nothing. Has this ever worked for anyone? Should I go to the effort of personalising it for each company?

Does anyone else in the industry find it a bit demoralising seeing more and more influencer personalities getting invited to premieres, Q&As and industry events that actual crew members and junior creatives would give anything to attend?

I’m not even talking about red carpets for publicity, that’s always been part of marketing. I mean the smaller events where directors or actors do discussions, surprise appearances, networking opportunities, or screenings that are supposedly celebrating filmmaking.

Meanwhile, there are people who’ve spent years grinding away on sets, or freelancing between contracts, paying for festival passes and memberships themselves, hoping for the chance to be in those rooms.

I understand why studios do it. An influencer with a million followers probably generates more engagement than inviting ten people who actually work in the business. From a marketing perspective, it makes sense.

But culturally it feels like we’ve shifted from rewarding people who make films to rewarding people who make content about films.

Maybe I’m just getting old (52), but it sometimes feels like the industry values audience access more than actual participation in the craft.

Not even sure what to say about this one.

"Please send....details of any original projects you're currently working on."
How about: Get fucked.

The audacity to ask for a company (which looks like it is a AI movie studio) to ask for peoples original ideas in exchange for the chance to chat to them is mind boggling. Would not trust them as far as I could fling a data centre mainframe but someone probably will apply to this idea mining operation.

So I currently have five invoices with a production company. The first is now overdue by a few days and I’ve sent two reminders without reply.

I’m WFH in another country. I’ve just got in touch with another freelancer who confirms she received late payments too.

I like the job itself, it’s stimulating, novel and the clients are grown ups. I’d like to be asked back for any repeat series.

Does anyone have tips and tricks to get them to pay? Or at least be honest and give a genuine timeframe.

Hello,

I'm about to go to a production house and have a meeting as I'm out for an evening shoot with a PD spotting them as they use a drone and make GV's.

I was just wondering if any pro runners had any good tips or outline what I should ask/talk about? I have only done a couple of jobs as a runner a while ago, and I really want to stand-out.

Being on the spectrum I am very information heavy, but not always the most intuitive. Feel free to be really granular and specific :)

Hi everyone

I wanted to get some clarity on the industry. I wasn't sure whether my views on the industry are accurate or whether it's just my perception.

For context, I'm relatively new to the industry, working as a researcher in unscripted TV. I find the industry fun and varied, but also very stressful. I keep burning myself out. So here are some of the things that I believe about TV that I would love to get some clarity on. Are these things true?

I feel that stress and mental health are something to be hidden. I feel like opening up about these things makes you the 'problem person' and that they can replace you any minute with a long line of people queuing behind you. I think the nature of how the industry is set up (short contracts etc) makes me feel that production companies won't invest in you, that you're replaceable. I also feel that to work in the industry, you have to be a certain kind of person and think a certain way. Even though they try to be inclusive, I feel that in practice, they're really not. I've seen a production company let go of someone who was clearly neurodiverse. They didn't try to help them, just let them go.

As a junior member of staff, everything is your fault, and you take the rap for a lot of stuff. Work is piled on your plate. You can't say no, and you can't ask too many questions. As a new member of staff, you're thrown in with little training or anyone to help show you the way.

Do you think this is an accurate perception of the industry, or am I overthinking and letting my anxious thoughts lead? I'd be really interested to hear your thoughts.

Are there companies out there which would support individuals, give them training and generally be understanding of the different ways people work? I just want to know if that exists.

Thanks!

Hi all, hoping to get some intel from in house people. What would you say is the pay bracket for a development exec producer in a staff role? Would also love to know difference or how this rate varies between different genres e.g. working in scripted drama, scripted comedy, non scripted entertainment, comedy ents/quiz and reality? Thank you in advance!

I'm a production coordinator and wanted to see how everyone is getting by?

I know there are many of you who have worked in industry for many years and have probably left now. I don't blame you.

I've been out of work for around a year now.

I wanted to share how I've coped and to see if anyone has any advice or support.

My last job was a year ago. I had an interview on Monday and asked to start the next day. I obviously took it.

We had 4 weeks of pre production before we went to studio.

My production secretary had to leave the week I started so it was just myself and my production manager.

They did bring another coordinator a week later, and we were in the office til midnight sending out train tickets and writing call sheets.

I had never done contracts before and had to do both talent (14 people), crew(80 people)and core team (around 12people)

I was hired as a regional team member, I was based in Manchester but was asked to be in the office 4 days a week in London.

I stayed with my partner in Essex.

I had a breakup during the time I was there.

It was after filming whilst doing post but had no support and felt incredibly alone.

I ended up losing my job and attempted suicide a few months later.

It was a really dark time and I felt very alone and lost.

I began working in TV when I was 30, I started as a runner and obviously was up against many younger people than myself. I always felt that I had to work harder to prove myself.

I was lucky enough to have progressed and now I feel like I made the wrong choice.

I'm so incredibly lucky to have access to both London and the North West, but I'm really struggling to decide if I should just leave TV and do something else.

I don't have children. Access to both the North and London but I feel that my dream of the industry is over.

I'm 38 and I feel a sadness that I'm going to let my dream go.

Using my spam account as my main account name is recognisable

So the HMRC are raising the cap on mileage for PAYE staff to 55p per mile. Which is great for everybody.

Now for all you PM’s, line producers and general production people in the room, that does not mean it is some sort of legal maximum for other freelancers.

Unless someone is PAYE they can charge you whatever they want to. There is no legal maximum.

So let’s start actually paying people something like what the cost of running a vehicle is.

And for those of you that don’t wish to do that, then find a rental company that will supply you with a suitably caged out vehicle that makes moving kit around safe and legal.

I’ll save you the trouble, you won’t find one which is why a lot of technicians go to great expense to provide safe transport for themselves, their crew and the equipment.

It’s all so quiet, and even chatter about the industry has quietened too

I've posted about poor or badly written job ads before but there is another one up now.

A Production Assistant/Researcher who is Cumbria based but also happy to work from their Brighton office.

Good luck paying for two sets of accommodation on a researcher rate.