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Judging by the recent success of UK productions like Adolescence<\/a> and Baby Reindeer<\/a>, you might assume that the UK film and television industry is flourishing. And indeed, spending on production has risen dramatically<\/a> in the last year, a boom which is expected to continue<\/a> through to 2026.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, our new report<\/a> highlights a workforce crisis that raises serious questions about the future of the UK screen industry. And Donald Trump\u2019s recent threat to impose tariffs on non-US films<\/a> adds to the grim situation, throwing the industry\u2019s vulnerability into stark relief.<\/p>\n We carried out extensive interviews with 29 participants from across the sector who painted a bleak picture of overwork, financial instability, discrimination and barriers to career progression.<\/p>\n Charities<\/a> supporting the sector have already noted that the industry has a longstanding retention problem \u2013 the so-called \u201cleaky pipeline\u201d. But our report highlights that economic volatility in the UK and elsewhere is worsening financial and working conditions so much that the film and television industry risks a debilitating loss of its most valuable resource: freelancers.<\/p>\n Long gaps between jobs are widening<\/a>, and even experienced freelancers with long careers are struggling to make ends meet<\/a>. Currently there is no publicly available data on numbers entering and leaving the industry, but companies have reported worsening skills shortages, not due to poor recruitment, but because people are leaving<\/a> in response to worsening conditions.<\/p>\n As many as two thirds of screen freelancers are considering leaving the industry within the next five years<\/a>. Since just under 50% of the film production workforce is freelance, such a large-scale exodus would seriously damage our domestic screen industry.<\/p>\n That industry contributes \u00a313.48 billion<\/a> to the UK economy, and its talent on-screen and behind the cameras is world-renowned, so why is this crisis happening at all?<\/p>\n The key change has been a reduction in domestic investment by UK-based public service broadcasters in tandem with increased investment from US-based studios and streamers.<\/p>\n While a recent boom in international investment led to a rapid expansion<\/a> in UK film and TV infrastructure and a corresponding acute shortage of workers<\/a>, it also inflated the costs of production, which has proved unaffordable to traditional domestic commissioners. Without consistent local productions, the UK market is exposed to international disruptions like never before.<\/p>\nBoom and bust<\/h2>\n