Published on Tuesday, 29 April, a report by the Screen Industry Voices project team from the University of Reading says that film and TV freelancers are facing a range of unprecedented challenges, including financial struggles, a lack of professional support and illegal employment practices.
Our report comes as the UK government has placed the creative industries at the centre of its economic growth strategy, but researchers warn that its ambitions are under threat as freelancers consider leaving the industry. More than a third of freelancers have said they will look elsewhere for jobs in the next five years, unless working conditions improve.
Professor Lisa Purse, lead researcher on the Screen Industry Voices project, said: “Freelancers make up almost half of the UK film and television workforce. Without freelancers, the industry simply wouldn’t exist.
“The UK’s film and TV industry is worth £11 billion, and the government has rightly recognised the value of our world-class film and television sector to the UK economy. Without immediate action to support freelancers, we risk losing the talented workforce that makes the industry so valuable.”
Recommendations
As our report reveals, freelancers reported fears about a lack of information on available support, inconsistent and sometimes illegal working practices and frequent financial insecurity.
During our interviews, we heard how experienced producers are selling their homes to survive financially, some freelancers haven’t found work for over a year, and many work without basic benefits like sick pay or holiday pay.
To secure the future of British film and TV, we are calling for:
- A dedicated Minister for Self-Employment and Precarious Workers to advocate for freelancers across government departments.
- Industry-wide standards for employing freelancers, with a certification system linked to funding eligibility.
- Data collection on the freelance workforce as a condition of production companies receiving tax credits and funding.
- A comprehensive online resource to help freelancers find tailored information and support.
Dr Andrew Philip, co-author of the report, was formerly a freelance editor and motion graphics designer. He said: “Twenty years in the industry left me burned out with no pension and struggling to find consistent work. I left a career I loved to improve it from the outside. My experience isn’t unique – talented professionals are walking away from film and TV because the industry is failing them.”
Without urgent action, the workforce exodus will continue, undermining the government’s ‘Invest 2035’ industrial strategy, which identifies the creative industries as a ‘growth driving sector’.
Diversity progress most at risk
The loss of experienced talent is already reversing progress on workforce diversity, with higher proportions of women and people of colour planning to leave the industry. A freelance screenwriter who spoke to us said they believed the industry was ‘structurally racist’ as ‘black and brown talent is not valued in the same way that white talent is’, while a freelance post-production artist said they were frequently ‘the only black person in the room’.
Oscar and BAFTA award winning producer Gareth Ellis-Unwin said:
“The professional freelance labor force is one of the main reasons the UK remains a destination of choice for so many productions. But it is a precarious life to lead for so many, and saddening to see not much has changed in the 30 years since I was a freelance assistant director. Improvements will only come through a unified strategy and approach and I encourage everyone in the UK film and TV industry to work collaboratively in finding a long-lasting solution to make the freelancers lot a more secure and sustainable form of employment. It is to everyone’s benefit in having an effective and resilient freelance workforce to call upon for productions”.
Sara Whybrew, BFI’s Director of Skills and Workforce Development, said: “The workforce is the engine room of our world-class screen sector but reports of people struggling with working conditions, poor mental health and their work-life balance are unfortunately widespread.
“Much of the Screen Industry Voices report findings and recommendations chime with our Good Work Programme for Screen, which is providing £1.5m for the WorkWise for Screen pilot initiative, launched last year.
“Shaped with input from the industry, this free-to-access advice and guidance resource aids the adoption of good work principles and practices covering a range of topics to support greater dignity, respect and inclusion in the workplace. It also aims to help industry navigate and comply with the Government’s incoming Employment Right’s Bill, and associated Plan to Make Work Pay, with a emphasis on better supporting our sector’s self-employed and freelance workers.
“Thanks to the University of Reading for this report and for helping to keep this important agenda within industry discussions.”
Andy Chamberlain, Director of Policy at IPSE – the self-employment association – said: “The UK’s film and TV sector is hugely reliant on the work of talented freelancers – they’re integral to its status as a world leading British industry. It’s great that this report recognises their contribution and calls for measures to ensure these individuals are well looked after in return.”
Creative Director and VFX consultant Courtney D. Price said: “If the UK Film & Television industry truly aims to serve and reflect our society, we must ensure shared equity across a workforce that is as diverse as the audiences we reach. The most effective way to democratise that equity is by establishing clear, transparent pathways for career progression and training—so that everyone, regardless of their background or network, has equal access to information and opportunities for development.
Creating a single, comprehensive platform where freelancers can access resources, plan their next steps, connect for recruitment or gain entry into the industry would be a major step forward, breaking down the current reliance on who you know rather than what you can do.
Moreover, gathering and sharing clearer, more accurate data will help address financial disparities and foster a healthier, more sustainable industry for all. When discrimination or unfair practices are uncovered, they must be acted upon decisively, with accountability to a body or ministerial department that can genuinely improve conditions—giving freelancers the voice and representation they deserve.
With these changes, we can move beyond the outdated, insular gatekeeping that has held the industry back, and instead allow true talent and creativity to flourish in its purest sense.”
Download the report here.
