RFC's Holiday Wish List
Written by Sarah Lutot
Though we do our best to live out our ideals every day, we wish for a screen industry that embodies all the things that are important to us: care, kindness, compassion, and sustainability.
Here’s our wish for a perfect screen industry:
- Equitable Pay Structures: Fair and transparent pay scales that reflect the expertise, experience, and contribution of each worker. Bridge all pay gaps to ensure equal pay for equal work across all roles within the industry.
- Employer-Supported Dependent Care: Dependent care is essential for parents and caregivers. We want to see employers in the screen industry offering to support this care that would allow caregivers to work.
- Safe and Healthy Work Environments: This includes everything from anti-harassment, anti-discrimination, and anti-retaliation protocols to stunt and intimacy coordinators. Open communication and respectful boundaries to accessibility and mental health support systems.
- Time Sensible Days: 16-hour days should be a thing of the past. Our wish is for modified French Hours to be the new norm. 8/10-hour days? Yes please!
- Comprehensive Health and Benefits Packages for All Workers: The majority of screenworkers are independent contractors, meaning health insurance, retirement plans, and other benefits are traditionally out of the question. We wish for long-term security for screenworkers.
- Collaborative Decision-Making & Job Sharing: We want a collaborative and inclusive decision-making process that involves input from all stakeholders, including actors, directors, writers, and crew members. Having this open line of communication allows for job sharing so that all of the responsibility doesn’t fall on one person for a production to move forward. This communication allows for the sharing of feedback to address concerns and improve working conditions.
- Remote Work When Possible: Having a flexible schedule and work environment is a game changer. The ability to work remotely when possible is more sustainable for workers’ livelihoods while creating more opportunities for caretakers who cannot commit to a full set schedule. The asynchronous parts of screenwork should be offered remotely – flexibility is sustainability.
- Accessibility Options: Adherence to accessibility standards should not be overlooked in the screen industry. Ensuring accessible physical spaces, digital tools, and working methods for individuals with varying needs is our desired baseline.
- Sociocratic Leadership: Teamwork makes the dream work in screenwork! We wish for interconnected teams in which everyone has a voice in every process. A collaborative working system is an inclusive, transparent, and efficient one.
- Equity, Inclusion, and Justice: The perfect industry will not only increase the number of diverse screenworkers; it will reduce harm done to traditionally underserved screenworkers by creating thoughtful and generative practices (including all of the wishes above).
All of these wishes are underlined by one central theme:
an industry-wide ethos of care.
Each of these wishes aims to reach the root of the issue to achieve real change. Because the system is designed for those with the privilege of time and money to be able to participate, we must dig up the roots of the current industry and plant the seeds of sustainable production.
An overall commitment to worker wellness creates better working environments AND better productions. Join us in taking action make our wish list come true.
