A survey by Bectu has found 53 per cent of those working in the TV and film industries think they’ll be back to normal levels of working by June 2021.
Of the 1500 people who took part in Bectu’s survey, 73 per cent said they did not work in June and only 50 per cent expected to return to work in July. However, only 7 per cent of respondents expected to be not working at all by October.
The survey polled people working across the spectrum of film and TV production including: low to high budget dramas and films, outside broadcast, factual TV, entertainment TV and commercials.
Head of Bectu Philippa Childs said: “These findings reveal that film and TV workers believe there is a long journey to recovery for the industry.
“Many of these people have already been cut off from government support during the pandemic because they either operate as a limited company, are employed as a PAYE worker from contract to contract or have earned just over the threshold to qualify for the self-employment income support scheme.
Childs added, “Without reassurance that there is a plan for solid recovery for the film and TV industry which includes government underwriting insurance we risk talent drifting away from a sector that is already facing a skills shortage.”
