Becky Morrison is CEO of the production company The Light. She advocates change in the industry, focusing on creating healthy environments.
“Latest: Rust and the Story of Halena” now flows on Hulu. Death of Halyna hutchins was a single tragedy, but the conditions that led to it was anything but unique. Ignoring the crew’s well -being, prioritizing budgets and schedules over security and pushing people past their boundaries occurs every day.
As an industry, we have not yet fully recognized comprehensive working conditions because we have normalized the idea that suffering is an essential part of filmmaking. Our “combat -tested” cameras have names such as rockets, weapons and arsenal. We use terms like “Run N ‘Gun”, “Unlock” and “Shoot.” Our toxic production culture frames suffer as “pays your fees.”
We not only accept self-sacrifice-we glorify it.
Data supports this. In a survey 2024 by IPC79 percent of film The workers reported that they were injured at work and 69 percent believed that creative vision was prioritized over security. In a study of the British film and television revocation77 percent of respondents said that the film and television industry are a mentally unhealthy place to work and a shocking 30 percent that has considered taking their own life over the past year.
These are not just statistics, they are human beings. But since most struggles do not end in public tragedy, they rarely make headlines.
But there is hope. A movement for change is growing. Documentaries such as “Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halena” and “Safe Set: Dying to Work in the Film Industry” are to make it possible for conversations and pay attention to delayed attention to the reality of working behind the scenes. More productions prioritize active well -being, which proves that a better way is possible.
The most effective way to create safe, sustainable sets is to build well -being in the production process rather than react when things go wrong. Here are some ways to start:
- Mental health resources:
- Production can establish dedicated well -being roles with trained professionals embedded in a project to support the crew and proactively deal with mental health, burnout and interpersonal challenges before escalating.
- Reporting mechanisms:
- Only 7 percent of industry workers feel safe reporting problems without fear of retaliation. Anonymous reporting channels allow workers to speak without risking their jobs.
- Industry standards:
- Creating safer productions requires a uniform strategy. Producers, managers and department heads must adapt to the best practice and define the roles that will make security and well -being a priority in each set.
You may ask, “How can we do more when budgets and timelines are already stretched to the limit?” Because the best work does not come from exhaustion and fear. It comes from safe, creative environments where people feel free to bring their best ideas to the table.
When people experience a culture of trust at work, they report a 76 percent increase in commitment and a 50 percent increase in productivity. A study of Google Found that high psychological security in teams leads to 31 percent more innovation. Prioritizing security not only protects people, it raises the work itself.
Rachel Mason, Head of “Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halena,” Have said“Every thing must happen as it did to get this result.” But what if the result had been different? What happens if the bullet had missed? Would anyone other than the crew have ever known to the poor working conditions on Rust? How many other productions have come close to the tragedy without the public ever hearing about it?
This is about more than a feature film – it’s about the production culture. A producer’s success can not only be measured in awards and bottom lines. It must also include the well -being of the people who bring these stories to life. If the cost of a project is that people get injured, can it ever be a success?
A real cultural shift will require measures from those who have the power that sets the tone for how productions work. By undertaking to put in that center’s humanity, where people feel energetic, valued and fulfilled, we do more than improve our individual productions. We raise the standard for how good work is done.
Additional resources:
Britain’s movie + television swelling | The entire image tool kit
