‘You're Only as Good as Your Last Job’: the Labour Process and Labour Market in the British Film Industry

Learning film production

“…Chance may lead to the first work, but further employment is a result of the aspirant's social and cultural capital being in agreement with the industry's demand for suitable qualifications. The findings of this study, in accordance with those of Blair (2001) and Blair et al (2003), show that before traits and skills can be discussed, entrants require personal contacts or a mediator to secure work directly. The analysis of the themes addressed in the interviews shows that the entrance requirements, of which personal recommendations are the primary ones, are strictly regulated even though there are no explicit employment requirements, something which JWL 26,5 also has been discussed by Grugulis and Stoyanova (2012).…”

“…Some research has focused on the labour market, prerequisites for film workers and film work (cf. DeFillippi and Arthur, 1998;Blair et al, 1999;Blair, 2001;Bechky, 2006;Jones and DeFillippi, 1996;Conor, 2010), while other researchers have been interested in the importance of the film industry from an economic perspective (De Vany, 2004;Eliashberg et al, 2006) or have focused on management (Cleve, 2000;Soila-Wadman, 2009). The current increasing research interest is probably linked to changes regarding work in general, rapid and radical changes, particularly in the so-called creative industries, but also because the film industry for decades has been organized around the temporary (Bechky, 2006;Conor, 2010).…”

A very precarious profession:

“…For workers in many, but particularly project-based occupations (see Blair, 2001), the necessity to secure work on a regular basis is an on-going problem. For professional footballers, however, acquiring a fixed-term playing-contract does not guarantee active participation at the point of production; which is the central source of status-security.…”

“…One way in which all employees, including footballers, alleviate the problem of uncertainty in workplaces characterized by, in part, short fixed-term contracts (Blair, 2001), is by drawing on a network of contacts in order to take advantage of employment opportunities. One way in which all employees, including footballers, alleviate the problem of uncertainty in workplaces characterized by, in part, short fixed-term contracts (Blair, 2001), is by drawing on a network of contacts in order to take advantage of employment opportunities.…”

“…Uncertainty is central to the lived experiences of players, for whom career advancement and attainment are never secure. Yet sociologists who have examined workplace uncertainties (Blair, 2001(Blair, , 2003Collinson, 2003;Smith, 1998) have all but neglected research on the subjective experiences of professional athletes. In studies undertaken in the sociology of work, the threat of unemployment and the fear of losing one's economic independence constitute central risk factors (Burchell et al, 1999;Collinson, 2003;Doogan, 2001;Sennett, 1998).…”