At the root of many issues aired by those who took part in our research on conditions in post production is ‘the schedule’ – the plan established for when decisions will be taken and work will be done. Sometimes the initial schedule is unrealistic in terms of its expectations; for other projects it is the delays or last minute changes to the schedule that results in problems to those working in post production.

The situation is so challenging that it seems to many insiders that family life is incompatible with post production work.

The research found that time needed to complete post production work appears to be frequently underestimated in schedules, with problems baked in from the outset. One interviewee described every project as starting from a position of “controlled panic”.

In some cases, the underestimation is based on insufficient information from productions about the nature of a project. In other cases it may be a lack of understanding by productions as to how long it takes to complete different aspects of post production. Interviewees reported a trend of increasing expectations by productions with less time allocated and for less money.

The impact on individuals working under these circumstances includes stress and exhaustion, both of which are contributors to poor mental health and symptoms such as forgetfulness.

The insufficient time from the outset is often compounded by further changes to the schedule after the project starts. For example, there may be problems on the shoot and an expectation that ‘we can fix it in post’, but with no schedule adjustments to enable that to happen.

Sometimes schedules are paused but the post production facility and freelancers associated with a project are expected to remain available for whenever the project restarts. This pause can happen at very late notice, even on the day itself, leaving workers out of work and with no income. However, they are then expected to stay available if the project should restart.

Some of the schedule squeezes are down to late decision-making, notes or approvals from commissioners and producers, with little recognition of the impact that will have on those working in post production who are under significant pressure to deliver. For example, if a decision to change something is not made until 7pm, that means night shifts for those working on post production, often with no notice.

All the interviewees mentioned long working hours as a feature of the industry, with it impacting different roles in slightly different ways.  Long working hours do not appear to be beneficial to anyone.

For individuals, there are impacts on health, safety and family life. The work itself also suffers, with interviewees in all roles saying that they were unable to work effectively after 10 hours. This means work needs to be reviewed and often repeated, sometimes at additional cost to productions.

As Bectu's Eyes Half Shut report stated, “A long-hours culture damages productivity. It’s bad for business. Ultimately, it’s the product of bad management…and not because of any real business need.”

The long-hours culture in TV is a function of multiple factors:

• Some interviewees blamed freelancers who like to do long hours and then rest for a few weeks, providing a poor example to new industry entrants and sometimes requiring all those around them to work long hours as well.
• Some referred to clients such as commissioners, directors and producers being “treated like gods”, so that everyone has to work to their schedule with no one feeling able to push back.
• Some talked of poor equipment, where slow uploads and downloads of huge data files could add 5-6 hours to a day.
• Some referenced a general expectation to work until a job was done, sometimes continuously.
• Some mentioned a perception that people need to work long hours in order to be noticed and supported to progress – that it’s a ‘rite of passage’.

The hours and lack of rest days have significant knock-on impacts beyond labour rights. From a health perspective, long hours in chairs doing repetitive work can impact physically. From a safety perspective, long hours may mean travelling home late at night driving home when excessively tired.

The lack of rest days meant that interviewees reported being unable to find time to visit doctors or dentists. This makes such work particularly challenging for carers, disabled people who may need regular check ups, those with long-term health conditions, women going through pregnancy or the menopause and anyone else needing to attend medical appointments. It inevitably impacts on diversity, with the schedules making some post production work inaccessible to certain people.

The punishing schedules also have a substantial impact on family life and the ability to make and sustain meaningful relationships and access social support.  One assistant editor felt their role was “100% incompatible with friends and family”.

The lack of time with family and friends can lead to experiences of loneliness, which in turn can have profound effects on a person’s mental and physical health. Amongst industry workers, The Film and TV Charity’s ‘Mind-Craft’ reportfound that loneliness was the biggest single factor influencing mental health, having three times the impact of the second strongest factor measured.

For a small but significant number of interviewees, working in post production feels incompatible with having childrenaltogether. Some mentioned the challenges of managing work around childcare, others described stepping back from career goals or moving into non-craft roles as a result of becoming parents. For example, one interviewee said the lack of work life balance was a factor in not having children.

It should be in everyone’s interests to fix these challenges and yet without concerted industry efforts to address the normalisation of long working hours, it will continue to the detriment of those working in it and, ultimately, to the detriment of the industry as experienced people exit the sector. Our research confirmed these are systemic issues, not isolated incidents, and they will need systemic change to address them.

Broadcasters and productions companies should show preference for post production facilities that put the welfare of workers at the forefront. They should also recognise that changes to schedules have cost implications for everyone in the chain and take accountability for those costs so that they do not fall on individuals least able to cover them. This might include paying for last minute cancellations or for work done but not used. They should also endeavour to be prompt in decision-making, approvals and commissioners’ notes. Where this is not possible, they should recognise that this will impact the schedule and ensure it is revised accordingly.

Part of the gap appears to be a lack of understanding as to what post production involves and the impact that changes can have and so it is important that those working in commissioning and production receive regular training or updates on post production processes and people. Broadcasters and productions should also promote the use of The Film and TV Charity’s Whole Picture Toolkit for Mentally Healthy Productions and its application to post production.

For more detail on the findings and recommendations, read the report at www.tvhumanrights.org/postproduction.