The conditions in which post production work takes place have some unique features which can put the health and mental health of workers at risk. An industry culture of poor communications and reports of discrimination, together with a lack of breaks and rest time, compound the challenges faced by some of those working in it.
In January, the TV Industry Human Rights Forum published a report called “Let’s fix it in post: why broadcasters and production companies can and should address human rights risks in post production”.
This is the fourth related article that covers a key theme from the research. Please see parts 1 - 3 linked at the bottom of this page.
The nature of post production work is that it mostly takes place in small sound-proofed rooms, with one or two people working together. Non-client facing ‘machine rooms’ are often windowless and may be not well ventilated. While air conditioning may be present, this is not always fresh clean air and may be targeted at equipment rather than people. Those working in sound sometimes require complete silence so have to work with no air conditioning at all.
By necessity, rooms are often fairly dark and it is not uncommon for machine rooms to be in a basement. Some interviewees reported working in rooms that were little more than cupboards. On some projects, and particularly in winter, workers may not see daylight all week. Lack of fresh air and sunlight are both risk factors in occupational health.
Post production work involves long hours being sedentary and bending over equipment, which can lead to musculoskeletal problems. While employees in a facility may have the opportunity to access ergonomic desks and set up a healthy working environment, freelancers visiting for short periods or those in non-client-facing roles may have to work with what they have. Workers in different roles all mentioned repetitive strain injury (RSI) as a risk or an experience they had had as a result of very long hours:
“I heard stories of engineers in their 30s and 40s so riddled with RSI that they had a mouse to click with their feet.”
Insufficient breaks are also a key factor in unhealthy eating. Interviewees reported receiving schedules for long days with no breaks marked, eating lunch at desks and relying on takeaways. Regular breaks and movement can help address health risks. Unfortunately, a culture that lionises those that work continuously can make it very difficult to take the breaks that are needed, particularly for those early on in their careers.
“I wouldn’t even take a break to go to the toilet when younger. Then I got kidney stones.”
Much post production work is a solitary experience, requiring deep concentration or sound-proofed rooms. This isolation can have associated mental health impacts. It is also a safety risk. For example, if someone has a health condition and an issue occurs, they may not be found for some time because people are not regularly checked up on.
Working in a small room with perhaps only one other person is also a safety risk in terms of harassment and assault. Rooms are soundproofed which can make people be and feel particularly vulnerable, particularly those staying late or working overnight.
Discrimination unfortunately continues to be a feature of post production. Many interviewees reported that they had personally encountered problematic attitudes. Of those interviewed, only three said that they had not witnessed or experienced discrimination, with one of those saying they felt ‘lucky’ that this was the case.
From an accessibility perspective, many post production facilities have no ramp access and are based in buildings such as Soho townhouses, which, if not modified, are challenging to navigate for those who are not able-bodied.
Our research found that misogyny remains an issue in some parts of the industry and in some facilities. One interviewee shared his experience of an all-male facility with a macho culture where sexist jokes were common. Two interviewees separately described coming across the perception that men are a safer pair of hands than women. Interviewees were also able to share examples of racism, including inappropriate banter, microaggressions and insensitive behaviour.
“I’m surprised racial minorities stick it out – it’s an unfriendly environment to be in.”
For those in the sector who come from less privileged backgrounds, it can be difficult to navigate the industry without support and contacts due to the informal ways that people find work and promotions. Compounding the problems entailed by informal recruitment, diversity targets set by broadcasters for productions do not currently filter through to post production. This means that diversity monitoring forms for Diamond are often not sent by productions to those working in post, particularly freelancers. Consequently there is limited data available to track representation and build the evidence base needed to improve the situation.
No warnings: Working with sensitive or traumatic content
Along the chain of post production, people work with a range of different content, often repeatedly, as they edit, colour, sound edit or quality control a project. Sometimes this content is sensitive or traumatic. This can happen in scripted, such as a dramatisation of a real-life event, and in unscripted, such as fly-on-the-wall documentaries on emergency services, prisons and hospitals. The impact of working with such content can be significant and cumulative, leading to burnout.
“You can’t unsee it. It sticks in your head.”
However, it is not always obvious who might be affected by what. For example, depictions of murder, domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide or eating disorders may particularly affect some workers in post production due to their own lived experience. One interviewee mentioned the challenges of working on an emotional death scene having recently lost a family member.
“Audiences get disclaimers but we don’t.”
The common finding was that post production workers rarely get warned about the type of content they are about to see. The lack of warning reflects a wider disregard for the experience of post production, many of whom raised poor communications from productions as a key challenge. For example, they are rarely considered by production management for counselling and welfare support that might be offered to a production crew. They are also likely to take fewer breaks due to the scheduling time constraints, going against good practice for working with sensitive content.
“There was never a choice or a check that I was ok working with this material.”
Broadcasters and production companies should require and monitor good practices in post production suppliers, as well as ensuring good communication and consideration for those in post, and extending any programmes and support that are put in place for production crew. If this does not happen, then issues could remain unaddressed and unhealthy working environments are likely to reduce productivity.
Broadcasters and production companies should require content descriptions as standard on footage at all stages of the post production chain and, where counselling or other support is made available to production teams because of the nature of the content that they are working on, extend that same support to all those working in post production, including all freelancers. They should ensure that Diamond monitoring form returns include all post production workers assigned to a production and promote the application of The Film and TV Charity’s Whole Picture Toolkit for Mentally Healthy Productions to post production.
For more detail on the findings and recommendations, read the report at www.tvhumanrights.org/postproduction.