Skillset/UK Film Council Feature Film Production Workforce Survey 2008

3.1 Working patterns in feature film, other audio visual productions and beyond

The first film production workforce survey asked about feature film productions respondents had worked on during the previous two years. This period was shortened in the present survey to the previous twelve months. It should be noted that the period addressed by respondents is not in every case be the same twelve months, as questionnaires were completed at different times.

3.1.1 Number of feature film productions in past twelve months

On average, respondents had worked on three feature film productions during the past twelve months.  Over half had worked on one or two productions; a further quarter had worked on three feature films, and less than one quarter had worked on four or more.

Figure 3.1.1 How many feature film productions have you worked on in the past twelve months?

Base  = 1,113.

3.1.2 Time spent working on recent feature film project

Respondents were asked detailed questions about the feature film production they were involved in at, or around, the time of the survey. One quarter of the respondents had spent, or expected to spend, seven weeks or less working on that production, a similar proportion had spent between eight and twelve weeks on the feature, while 38% had spent more than 16 weeks on the project. The mean number of weeks spent on a recent feature film project was 15.

Figure 3.1.2 For about how many weeks did you work on the production?

Base = 954.

Over three quarters of respondents worked on average for 5 or 6 days a week on the production (78%), while 7% worked ‘11-day fortnights’.

Respondents were asked for how many hours on an average day they had worked on this recent film production.  Less than one in four (23%) respondents reported an average working day of 13 hours or more, and a further 42% had worked 11-12 hours per day, broadly similar to the findings of the 2005 film production workforce survey report.  11% reported working fewer than 9 hours per day.

Figure 3.1.3 For how many hours did you work on an average day whilst employed on this recent film production?

Base: 2005 = 885, 2007 = 1,151.

3.1.3 Involvement in different stages of production

Respondents were asked to indicate in which stage or stages of production they were involved. Four response categories were offered (development, pre-production, shoot/production and editing/ post production) and the vast majority of respondents (88%) were involved in the production stage. Over half worked in the pre-production phase, while nearly one in five was involved in post production, and 10% in feature film development. The pattern of involvement by stage of production is very similar to that found in the 2005 survey report.

Table 3.1.1 Which stage or stages of the production were you involved in?

Note: % does not sum 100% because respondents could tick more than one category.

3.1.4 Time spent working on feature film in past year

On average respondents worked for 23 weeks on feature film production in the previous twelve-month period. Fewer respondents had not been involved in any feature film work in the past year compared with the 2005 survey report but that is most likely due to the fact respondents were recruited at or around the time they were actively involved in feature productions. Fewer had also worked on feature films for 40 weeks or more (23% in 2007 compared with 31% in 2005).  37% had spent between 11 and 29 weeks on feature films, and a further 16% had spent 30-39 weeks on such work.   

Figure 3.1.4 Roughly how many weeks in total did you spend working on feature film productions over the past 12 months?

 
Base: 2005 = 889, 2007 = 1,141.

3.1.5 Other audio visual work in past year

The pattern of other audio visual work undertaken by respondents was broadly similar in the present survey to that found in the 2005 film production workforce survey report. The majority of respondents (86%) had worked on some other type of audio visual production in the past year.  Half had worked on television programmes and less than one quarter on film shorts.  The key difference in 2007 was that fewer respondents had worked on commercials (34% compared with 40% in 2005). The next most common types of audio visual productions were music promos, film documentaries, corporate productions and theatre.  Few had spent time in the past year working in radio, or computer games and interactive productions.

Figure 3.1.5 Have you worked on any of the following types of production in the past year?

Base: 2005 = 833, 2007 = 2,009.

Note: % does not sum 100% because respondents could tick more than one category.

Respondents had spent 11 weeks on average working on other types of production in the previous 12 months. Of those that did work on other types of production, just under half (48%) worked on them for 10 weeks or less and over one third (35%) worked on them for 20 weeks or more.

3.1.6 Working outside the UK

In a new question, respondents were asked how much time they had spent working on audio visual productions abroad over the past twelve months, and nearly two fifths had done so, in the most part for 10 weeks or less:

Table 3.1.2 How much time have you spent working on audio visual productions outside the UK during the past twelve months?

3.1.7 Unemployment in past year

As found in the previous survey, a very high proportion of the respondents (74%) had been unemployed and seeking work at some point during the past twelve months, and more than a third had spent more than 10 weeks of the year unemployed.[1]

Table 3.1.3 How many weeks in total did you spend unemployed and seeking work over the past 12 months?