After months of deliberations, the film crew union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a nationwide strike against film and television productions, provided they can't come to a new Basic Agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP).
The entertainment industry has been "essential" throughout COVID-19, with work ramping up rather than slowing down. Film crews are naturally burned out from the grueling hours and hazardous conditions on set, so IATSE union leaders are calling for more rest time, higher wages, and an overall safer working environment.
So we want to hear firsthand stories and experiences from film and TV crews about what it's really like working on set.
Maybe you're sick of losing your weekend time for "rest" after consistently getting scheduled for all-nighters on Fridays, only to turn around for super-early call times on Monday mornings.
Or maybe you had an experience like mine and got into a car accident after many exhausting 12-plus-hour days on set.
Perhaps you were excited to work on a TV show or movie starring your favorite actor, but they were rude to you on set and kept making last-minute demands that would derail the entire day's schedule.
Or perhaps you scheduled a necessary medical procedure, but your boss told you to reschedule the treatment after production wrapped instead of taking time off from work to heal, proving that they valued the profit of production over your general well-being.
