New research finds:
- Workforce challenges are similar across the UK
- Crews nationwide now prioritising long-running, well-paid work in high-end TV
- Independent features, children’s drama and low-budget production risk being priced out of the market
- All nations and regions are facing similar skills gaps and shortages with a few local specifics
- Widespread support for joined-up, strategic mid- to long-term action
The current production boom presents more widespread opportunity for sustainable development of hubs across the UK, but comes with a serious threat to indigenous talent and production, according to new research published by ScreenSkills.
Scripted production: assessment of skills shortages and gaps in the UK nations and regions, which was delivered as part the BFI Future Film Skills programme, supported by National Lottery funding. It investigated skills shortages and gaps in film, high-end TV (HETV) and children’s TV production in the UK nations and English regions.
The research found little geographical variation in the headline challenges of finding the right skilled crew in sufficient numbers to meet demand beyond the M25 – though there are a few local specifics.
Interviewees reported shifts in workforce behaviour that could potentially price independent feature film, children's drama and other low budget production - including the training ground it offers - out of the market. Whereas many crew outside of London and Southeast previously worked across genres, they now move less often between scripted sectors and are prioritising long-running, well-paid opportunities offered by HETV over lower budget film, children's and other scripted TV. Issues are intensified for productions at lower budget levels
The research found increased production in hubs is not yet supporting the sustainable development of local crew. Barriers to a career in scripted production remain, despite optimism for improving inclusion. There was, however, a desire for joined-up, strategic mid- to long-term action to address crew shortages and skills gaps despite the immediate needs.
Nearly 60 interviewees - mostly employers and freelancers with hiring responsibilities but also bodies including screen agencies – identified:
- A need to develop and retain people to senior and above-the-line levels alongside heads of department (HoDs) and crew to create sustainable out-of-London hubs
- Their local workforce lacked Black, Asian, minority ethnic or disabled crew and/or those from a low socio-economic background
- The need for more industry-led training to help attain consistent standards among crew as they enter the industry and progress
- The high volume of people stepping up early to meet demand has created an abnormally noticeable breadth of skills gaps.
The increase in production levels does not appear to have translated into opportunities to develop local HoDs or diversify the workforce, despite the potential for regional hubs to benefit from more regular production, and therefore related crew development. Inbound productions are still perceived to be bringing crew into hubs, particularly HoDs, and hiring by word-of-mouth.
A lack of entrants and suitable training provision for art, props, construction, lighting, costume and production management roles were mentioned as a contributing factor to shortages in most geographies. Too many experienced people retiring from technical grades was noted as an additional challenge in the Northwest and Northern Ireland.
The narrowing of roles seen on bigger budget shows, where individual crew members may only experience one aspect of the job, was also seen to be fuelling some skills gaps. However, these were not always becoming apparent until a crew member moves to a low budget film or children’s drama where crews are smaller and a greater breadth of ability and understanding in a role is needed: This could affect regional hubs that have to date relied on an established lower-budget independent sector.
There is frustration in areas including Norfolk in the East of England and Birmingham in the Midlands which do not yet have enough of the studios and infrastructure which they believe would sustain regular production and support building and retaining a local crew base. This was identified by Midlands interviewees as one reason for under-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic crew despite the ethnically diverse local population. Most believe that crew from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled crew and/or crew from working-class backgrounds are under-represented in their local screen workforce, regardless of their location. Welsh speakers are diminishing among crews in Wales and, while this may have several causes, a contributing factor is likely to be crew being tempted away from indigenous productions by higher-budget English-language productions. In addition, national diversity quotas from broadcasters are deemed to present challenges when applied to less ethnically diverse areas.
The research, which also analysed previous studies in some nations and regions, identifies this narrowing of roles as “perhaps the most challenging bigger-picture dilemma”. It says: “Commercially, balance is needed to ensure the mid-to long-term sustainability of the UK's varied scripted production sector and range of creative voices. From a workforce perspective, if polarisation persists, crew in all departments could face choosing a more specific career path at an earlier stage and require greater CPD if/when they choose to move to a different type of scripted production.”
A range of methods for coping with the skills challenges were found including outsourcing aspects of production such as finance, asking people to work across two projects, looking overseas for crew and trying to attract people back from retirement. Few had offered flexible working or training or made the working environment or role more attractive.
There was some recognition of a need for more planning: "We can't expect skilled people to just appear as we get busier and busier. We can blame the market, but there has to be responsibility for planning,” said one respondent in the Northwest.
Interviewees from screen public bodies and agencies in the nations and English regions were additionally asked what single thing could have the most positive local impact to boost production. Greater investment in the planning, development and promotion of local hubs was cited in East of England, London/Southeast, Midlands, North West, Yorkshire/North East, Scotland and Wales. This most commonly took the form of financial investment such as production funds or an extended tax relief. Financial incentives were also seen by these respondents as the necessary precursor to achieving the ambition of developing and retaining more local crew.
Several interviewees outside of London were concerned that the ongoing growth in big budget production across the UK could see hubs in the nations and regions losing their sense of identity. This was expressed both in terms of loss or reduction of indigenous production - and therefore representation of local voices on screen - and loss of the personality that makes a nation or region an attractive and distinct place to live and work.
Seetha Kumar, CEO of ScreenSkills, said: “We began this research to make sure we better understood any geographical differences in skills needs that needed to be addressed, but have established that – with some notable exceptions - shortages and gaps are largely remarkably similar across the nations and English regions, including the historic heart of production in London and the South East.
“Those who took part in the research made clear the desire for a joined-up mid-to long-term strategy to building a skills pipeline. Industry leadership via ScreenSkills has unified the approach to skills and skills planning, and skills councils and working groups across the UK work to ensure regional and nations’ skills are being invested and supported.
“Industry is good at contributing to the ScreenSkills Skills Funds and giving generously of their time and expertise, but demand is outstripping funding. So we shall be raising with government how additional resources for skills and training - delivered with the economies of scale we can offer – could ensure the potential for growth is realised across the whole of the UK.”
Neil Peplow, BFI’s Director of Industry & International Affairs, said: “We welcome this research, the findings from which chime with the recommendations set out on the BFI Skills Review, particularly the need for a more cohesive, industry-led approach to investment in training. Our recently published National Lottery Funding Strategy seeks to address some of the gaps in identified in this research and the Skills Review, by investing in the regions and nations, in order to improve access to opportunities into the industry and support the sustainability of production hubs across the whole of the UK."