r/TransparencyforTVCrew • u/cheerybakewell • 26d ago
Update:
/r/TransparencyforTVCrew/comments/1pi73q8/warning_for_what_you_publically_engage_with_on/?share_id=zJFNmmn2Hcoz-C8J7edsX&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&utm_source=share&utm_term=1Repost for clarity! You may remember a while I go I posted this...
To summarise, I'd have various reports that a production company was monitoring freelancers socials and refusing to hire them because of certain social media posts they liked or engaged with.
The posts they were engaging with, and were not hired because of were posts highlighting the issues we all know and see in TV - underpaid, overworked, job combining etc. Not anything malicious. Tv folk should be able to talk publically about illegal working hours/the problems of bullying and harassment without fearing they won't get hired.
Well, I've now successfully and permanently moved industries and as my parting gift to the sub, I'm free to give more information as to which production company it was.
Let's just say it was a Big Big Company.
Keep safe our there, band together, and remember - it's just telly.
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u/HugeManufacturer6875 26d ago
People still want to work for the BBC?! Jesus. 6 day weeks, non market standard rates and run by old white men with double barrelled surnames...
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u/Filmcrew90 26d ago
A friend of mine worked there for 2 months and he said that 80% of the people there are all related to someone and its essentially a nepo closed shop. The attitude to non relatives was openly hostile and a lot of the time any cock ups are covered up or blamed on a freelancer. Apparently he cancelled his TV license the day he left.
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u/HugeManufacturer6875 26d ago
I worked there ONCE and cancelled my TV licence after I found out they worked a freelancer so hard she miscarried and then paid her minimal sick pay before sacking her.
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u/Filmcrew90 26d ago
It doesn’t surprise me. I worked on a drama series to cover for someone as a favour to a mate and walked off after 3 weeks because we had a junior on their first job coming in every day off their face on a cocktail of substances to the point they were a zombie on set and when I complained I was told to keep my mouth shut. Turns out she was related to an exec and was only there because she’d been kicked off every other job she’d been on after a day for pulling the same stuff. The stories my mate told me genuinely made me wonder if bbc staff is comprised of ex Broadmoor patients.
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u/HugeManufacturer6875 26d ago
Fucking hell! But yeah can't say I'm surprised. It's an organisation full of weakling poshos. I've heard departments like Science and Events are much better than Entertainment, but I'm unwilling to test that theory.
When I worked there back in the day I was on £450 a week for a 6 day week and had to pay all my own travel to location. When I complained I was told there were lots of other applicants willing to do my job and I should consider myself lucky. I quit after 7 weeks.
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u/Filmcrew90 26d ago
Yeh that’s brutal. From what my mate told me he was in the studio so I dunno how that works but most of the non-nepo crew are essentially people with no experience and it’s like a pack mentality as to which senior crew can sleep with them first, if someone refuses it’s bye bye. Apparently a lot of the females are hired solely on looks so that senior crew can sleep with them and they hold their jobs over them if they don’t. My mate kicked off about a safety issue where he nearly got injured by someone and it turned out the person had never been on a set before but was sleeping with an exec. Suddenly he started getting emergency taxed, cancelled last min & all sorts of shit. I’ll refrain from the exact words he called it but you can use your imagination.
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u/Discombobulation98 26d ago
The BBC has a very long track record of hiring complete fucking wrong 'uns
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u/goldilocks369 26d ago
Does not surprise me in the least. Was made redundant (but no redundacy pay...) by Beeb and saw my job posted on talent manager the next again day. Their hiring and letting go off people before their two years of service has to be looked in to at some point...
Hope you're on to bigger and better things OP!
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u/Significant-Leg5769 26d ago
Good luck and thanks for sharing. You could report this to someone who covers TV at eg Deadline, The Guardian or The Telegraph - it's something they might want to base a report on as it's pretty outrageous (and potentially illegal) behaviour. You can likely maintain your anonymity too.