Survive to 25? Who’s left in 26?

I have to admit this year I’ve felt the effects of how quiet the television and film industry has been and the domino effect it has had on the commercial world.

Typically work flows nicely with life, and the start of the year was great, but a wealth of cancellations in March and April has made 2025 a more difficult year.

The thing with cancellations is you begin to wonder why your pencil has been released. Is it you or the job? It’s best not to overthink it as anxiety cannot help the situation. We are only human though I guess.

I’m still very much on set and working, just much less than I’d realistically like to. When I am with other crew members on whatever project it’s at least comforting to hear they’re in the same boat as you. We’re seemingly in it together.

There’s nothing worse than hearing everyone talk about how busy it is when you’re quiet. Some individuals will always boast their busy-ness regardless of whether they are or not but when the consensus is that people are working less it’s simply a reflection on the industry as a whole.

Short term it is what it is. Long term it raises concerns that that UK production industry has peaked and is on a steep decline to a smaller world with far less going on.

Covid, the writers strike, AI, Trump. All external factors that force production companies to pivot their strategies into something more economically sensible. Why shoot in the UK when you can shoot in Bulgaria or South Africa for a fraction of the cost?

It’s a shame really. It would be nice to have greater control of the stability of our industry but it’s out of our hands so what else can we do.

When it’s quiet I keep myself busy, watch films and exercise. Right now I am in the best physical shape I have ever been thanks to a specific gym routine, yoga and American Football.

Aiming to be your best self in your free time allows you to maintain that frame of mind when you start a new project. Whenever I engage with something new I always seek to give it my best effort.

The projects I’m working on now are genuinely so exciting, one of which is one of the most logistically challenging I have ever experienced. That’s why we love it though, right?

Thank you for reading this far. I write often in my free time but rarely share it with the world so I appreciate you’ve taken an interest in this. I want to be more honest and open with my writing and aim to post journals more frequently.

It’s hard to talk about negative issues but having a conversation about them is such a crucial step towards understanding how we feel.

If you’re struggling feel free to drop me a DM if you did want to chat or look into @filmtvcharity if you’re after more.

Big love to the people around me. You all make my life wonderful. Stay well 👊🏻