TV Industry Human Rights Forum and Film & TV Charity partnered to back the report
A report backed by the TV Industry Human Rights Forum and the Film & TV Charity has found that people working in post-production in the UK experience “systemic” issues with their human rights.
Led by independent human rights expert Amelia Knott, the report, named “Let’s Fix It In Post”, was also supported by the Creative Diversity Network, together with post production consultancy from freelance sound editor Emma Butt. It was completed using existing data sets as well as in-depth interviews with 28 individuals from across the post industry - with a 50/50 gender split, roles across a mixture of genres, full-time and freelance positions, and working in editing, grading, audio, VFX, senior leadership, technical, coordination, and supervisor roles.
The issues found include exploitative working practices, significant detrimental impacts on health, safety and family life and impediments to diversity.
Report’s examples of human rights issues in post-production
- Illegal and barely legal practices related to contracts, payment terms, health & safety regulations and reasonable adjustments
- A bullying and blame culture as a consequence of unclear lines of accountability, conflicting hierarchies and conflicting priorities
- Significant impacts on the health, safety, and the family lives of workers, such as being unable to establish and maintain relationships with family and friends
- Unacceptable working conditions, including excessive working hours, a lack of rest days, insufficient breaks, a lack of daylight and working in small, dark and airless rooms
- A lack of warning about traumatic or sensitive content or any support in handling such content
The researchers believe one of the key causes of these issues is a lack of understanding of post-production processes among many of those working in commissioning and in productions, leading to “insufficient budgets, impossible schedules, a lack of transparency and poor communications.”
Report’s causes of human rights issues in post-production
- Demands for post production work that is cheap, fast and high quality
- The associated purchasing practices of commissioners and productions, including: unrealistic schedules; late notes, approvals and decisions; poor communication; and late payments
- The failure to require, budget for and monitor practices of post production suppliers, instead tending towards the lowest bidder rather than rewarding those suppliers with good working conditions in place.
It concludes that, “some of the costs of a production are borne by individuals least able to afford it, who end up providing their labour below cost or for free,” and that broadcasters and production companies should reset budget and time expectations to incentivise and enable better working conditions. The full report can be found here.
Knott said: “The situations described appear to have become so normalised in the sector that many have not recognised the extent to which the conditions they tolerate amount to significant human rights harms.”
Marcus Ryder, chief executive of the Film and TV Charity, said, “At the Film and TV Charity, we see the impact on individuals that poor working conditions and practices create – both in terms of significant mental health impacts, financial precarity and a wide-ranging effect on diversity in the industry. We urge all film and television media organisations to review their working practices, and those of third-party suppliers, when it comes to post production, and we’d encourage them to act on the report’s recommendations.”
Butt added: “For years, I and others have been working behind the scenes to engage in conversations with people at all levels about the poor conditions we often work under, their impact on our mental health and the negative impact they have on the lack of diversity and inclusion across post. I hope at least some of the recommendations in this report are embraced to create a more sustainable and inclusive post sector.”
Sky, BBC Studios, ITV, and NBC UniversalTV, with Channel 4 joining later, founded the TV Industry Human Rights Forum, which supports research that takes a human rights lens to different parts of the TV production value chain, in order to build an understanding of risks and insights to address them.
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