The UK film and TV industry faced unemployment and uncertainty in 2023. However, with new leadership, optimism for 2024 grew.
In 2023, the UK film and TV industry struggled, with many freelancers unemployed due to the US strikes, according to Bectu’s September report. Unfortunately, 2024 didn’t look much better, either.
It started badly with 68% of freelance workers out of work, as reported by Bectu in February. By July 2024, 52% remained welded to their mobiles in the forlorn hope that the next call would be offering work – three months in the Caribbean preferably, but a couple of dailies in a sodden UK field would have been almost equally cheering! The mantra Survive to 25 was born and repeated endlessly with varying degrees of optimism and despair.
LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
Fortunately for the GBCT, Lorraine Luke gave us a shining beacon of hope, by taking up the reins as chief operating officer, after a year in the doldrums, adjusting to GBCT life without Dee and trying to get back on our feet. Tim Potter and Gabriel Hyman were stellar at keeping us afloat, but we all breathed a huge sigh of relief, as she set to and transformed us into a model of streamlined efficiency.
The Board has embraced the holocratic principles implemented by Oona Menges BSC, resulting in working groups taking on various aspects of running the guild. Ian Ogden, IT guru, had the mammoth task of developing and running the new website: https://www.gbct.org. Tim and Gabriel took on finance and legal affairs. Despite the unforgiving financial climate, Ruth Woodside and her team organised a successful training events programme, which included the GBCT’s first Cardiff film loading workshop from 9-12 April, the CV Writing and Creating Your Network Webinar on 20 April and a two-day Script Supervising course in July.
In the meantime, they set up the GBCT Trainees Scheme for 2025 and organised a Screenskills-funded Steadicam Workshop in partnership with the Tiffen Company and No Drama, who between them kindly supplied both equipment and venue. It took place in Glasgow on 28 January and was greatly appreciated. Members benefits added discounted cinema tickets, osteopath treatments, professional events make-up and mobile hairdressing to the equipment, clothing, insurance services and industry publications already on offer. The ever popular Chase List continued to alert members to upcoming productions, such as there were last year.
The unlikely party animal on the Board coerced and co-ordinated picnics in all corners of the UK, but was thwarted by the sullen grey skies and exponential amounts of rain which defined the summer. Thanks to the efforts of Ryan Douglas and Richard Bevan, the brave and hardy souls in Belfast and Leeds had a good time, regardless. Cardiff and Bristol were washed out, as was London, but they succeeded with a second attempt in September. Manchester decided to stay indoors and Dan Gadd organised joining forces with the ACO for Christmas drinks. The GBCT Christmas party was a success and the eclectic offerings from the Lucky Dip entertained more than they disappointed. Applications are up with a steady average of two members joining us every month, largely thanks to Cathy Crawley’s (https://www.luxmc.com) generous help in raising our social media profile.
TAXING TIMES
The Guild has supported a great number of its members, who have been involved in CineCertified for the last couple of years, culminating in the launch at last month’s BSC Expo. Hopefully, their commitment and perseverance will establish an industry standard to which all will aspire.
It’s also hoped that the major boost for the UK film industry announced by the DCMS in November 2024 will give everyone a great influx of productions from which to choose. The tax incentives have been expanded to encompass indie films with a budget up to £15 million and is part of the Government’s push to create jobs and drive growth. What a great opportunity to revive the UK independent film industry and how jealous would Alfred Hitchcock have been of such a golden opportunity! The first film he directed was never completed, due to lack of funding. It was called Mrs. Peabody (also Number 13) and was made in 1922, when he was 23. By 1929 he was sufficiently established to direct Blackmail, his first talkie and the first British film to use sync sound, which was added after the silent version was dubbed and partly re-shot. They were less enlightened times and the main character Alice White, played by Austrian/Czech actor Anny Ondra, had her dialogue replaced with the received pronunciation of Joan Barry. Regardless, Blackmail was one of the year’s biggest hits, the most memorable sequence being a chase through the British Museum and across its roof.
Independent filmmaking has never been for the faint-hearted. The £2.3 million budget for 1992’s The Crying Game was dogged by financial woes. Producer Nik Powell reported that his fellow producer Stephen Woolley confronted their backers and “threatened to set himself on fire in the foyer” in a bid for additional funding. Happily, he was spared from self-immolation by Nik allegedly mortgaging his house, which came as an unwelcome surprise to his then wife Sandie Shaw. The box office return of £71 million more than vindicated his leap of blind faith.
GREEN GIANT
Kit4Crew, (https://realsfx.com/kit4crew/), which featured in issue 124 won Green Business of the Year at the South Wales Business Awards. It was also nominated for Start Up of the Year. Both win and nomination are a fitting testament to the hard work and dedication of its team, helped by industry support from the GBCT, the ACO, the BSC, Badwolf, BBC Roath Lock, Bectu, Cult Cymru, Dragon Studios, Great Point, SGIL Cymru, The Bottle Yard Bristol and British Cinematographer. Kit4Crew is a labour of love, aimed at recycling essential workwear to production crews in the film and television industry, while promoting sustainable practices. It’s also a celebration of the collaboration and community spirit that makes the creative industry so special.
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