Over the past few years, the UK film and TV industry has gone through one of the most extreme hiring shifts in its history. From a post-pandemic production boom to widespread unemployment in 2024, crew members have been caught in an unpredictable cycle.
For many, the most pressing question is: If production levels are holding steady, why are so many people still out of work? On the surface, the answer seems simple—lower budgets mean smaller teams. But the real issue goes deeper.
During the post-pandemic production boom, the industry expanded at an unnatural pace. More mid-level crew were needed to fill growing teams, and as a result, career progression skyrocketed. Those with even a small amount of pre-COVID experience were suddenly stepping up into senior roles—not because they were ready, but because there was no alternative. With productions scrambling to fill gaps, many crew members leapfrogged several years of career progression in a matter of months.
We all heard the stories. A crew member starts as a trainee, then jumps ship after two months and lands a mid-level role. Someone with just two years of experience suddenly finds themselves leading a team. The demand for crew outpaced the ability to properly train them, and career trajectories became distorted beyond recognition.
But not all job moves were the same. There’s a big difference between leaving a toxic work environment and leaving mid-production just for a better rate. The former is an unfortunate but necessary reality of freelance work, while the latter—fuelled by the hiring crisis—became increasingly common during the boom. Some took
advantage of the desperate demand, jumping between jobs for quick promotions or higher pay without ever mastering the roles they left behind. This left productions scrambling to fill gaps, destabilised teams, and ultimately contributed to the skills shortage we see today.
For Heads of Department, this was a nightmare. Building a team became a gamble—who would stick around? Who actually had the skills to do the job? With crew jumping ship at any moment for better pay or a bigger title, productions struggled to maintain consistency, and the cracks in the system deepened.
The Aftermath: A Workforce Stuck in Limbo
Now, at the opposite end of the spectrum, we’re dealing with the fallout of an accelerated industry. On paper, the workforce looks vast. In reality, there’s a huge imbalance between skill and experience. Many who were fast-tracked into senior roles never had the time to properly learn their craft. We now have an overabundance of crew, but a shortage of people with the right level of expertise.
The natural career ladder that once existed—where people spent years learning on the job before stepping up—has been severely disrupted. The result? A fragmented workforce. Those who moved up too quickly are now struggling to find work at their last-held position, while those who worked their way up traditionally are competing against an oversaturated job market.
So Where Do We Go from Here?
With more crew than available jobs, separating the wheat from the chaff has become an unavoidable challenge. How do we ensure that productions are staffed with the right people? Checking CVs and calling references is standard practice, but now, the risk is greater than ever. Many producers and HODs are left wondering—does this person actually have the experience their credits suggest? Were they trained properly, or were they simply caught up in the hiring surge?
The industry is now at a crossroads. The hiring crisis that once plagued productions hasn’t disappeared—it’s just evolved. The challenge moving forward is rebalancing the workforce, ensuring that career progression
returns to a sustainable pace, and focusing on skill development over title inflation.
If we don’t, we risk repeating history—and next time, there might not be an easy fix. The industry must now correct course, ensuring career progression is sustainable, skills are properly developed, and hiring is based on experience rather than urgency. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in an even deeper crisis down the line.
BFI. UK Film and TV Industry Statistical Yearbook.
https://www.bfi.org.uk/industry-data-insights/statistical-yearbook
BECTU. News and Campaigns on Film & TV Workforce.
https://bectu.org.uk/news/
ScreenSkills. Labour Market Insights: Skills and Workforce Reports.
https://www.screenskills.com/insight/reports/
Pact. UK TV and Film Sector Trends.
https://www.pact.co.uk/resources/reports.html
BBC News. Why Film and TV Workers Are Still Struggling Post-Strikes.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-67810587
Variety. UK Production Reels as Work Dries Up.
https://variety.com/2024/film/global/uk-production-slowdown-2024-1235913883/
Deadline. SAG-AFTRA Strike Coverage.
https://deadline.com/tag/sag-aftra-strike/
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