At SMTJ, we desperately need to overhaul our website so that we can deliver more and deliver better - by reaching more people and continuing our work to create a TV and Film industry that inspires everyone, by welcoming, trusting and supporting talent from all backgrounds to flourish.
With your help, we will be able to ensure that we keep our website updated and relevant and expand its reach so that everyone can benefit from the work we do.
We know that we get thousands of hits every week - but regular feedback is that people leave confused. You are not getting as much from our website as you could be!
By improving the website, we can keep users from all TV and Film genres updated with jobs, industry news, events and advice to help our community achieve a happier and healthier work-life balance.
We want it to be a site that's easy to navigate; where you can find a job-share partner and search for employers looking for job-sharers.
We know that with a bit of work, it can be the go-to resource for employers to learn about job-sharing, to understand how to manage a job-share and employ in a more flexible and inclusive way. It has the potential to be a really important resource for our community and to connect freelancers with a new, better way of working. But, to do this we need your help to overhaul, maintain and manage the site properly.
We appreciate that money is tight for everyone right now, but any donation - however small - will really help us achieve our goal and every single penny will go towards ensuring we have a website that's fit for purpose.
Please support us by donating whatever you can and by sharing this post on your social media networks so that we can continue to support you and help build a better industry for now and for the future.
Thank you so much,
Team SMTJ x
A BIT MORE ABOUT SMTJ
We’ve been going now since 2015, but in 2020 we got really serious, and with your help we:
Created the award winning The Time Project app - www.thetimeproject.co.uk - where you can anonymously log and compare your working hours and rates with others in your role or department. This led to a report with the University of York and Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) revealing the excessive hours worked in our industry and who is working them.
Download the report here: https://screen-network.org.uk/publication/the-time-project-understanding-working-time-in-the-uk-television-industry/
The Time Project data also fed into Bectu’s new Unscripted rates guidance: https://members.bectu.org.uk/advice-resources/library/3007
In 2021 we partnered with The Institute for Screen Industries Research at The University of Nottingham on 'Locked Down and Locked Out'. The research involved more than 500 participants and examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on mothers working in the UK TV industry.
The work is ongoing and feeding into policy through the All-Party-Parlimentary Group (APPG) Creative Majority and Ofcom.
Download the report here: https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/groups/isir/documents/locked-down-locked-up-full-report-august-2021.pdf
We are currently running two employment programmes: Share The Next Step for Producers stepping up to Series Producer in Unscripted Formats, which is being supported by The Screen Industries Growth Network (SIGN) and the ScreenSkills HETV Job-Share programme placing job-share pairs in behind the camera roles on High End Drama Productions. Both these programmes look at ways to make these roles more sustainable and accessible for everyone.
We regularly run webinars, networking events, training sessions for freelancers and employers, and panel talks looking at how we can create balance in our industry, leading to a more equal and happier workforce. All our training, advice, resources, case studies, and videos are currently free to access for TV and Film workers.
We are working with all the major stakeholders to address the problems that we see from our research and have so far been kindly supported by Bectu, The Screen Industries Growth Network, ScreenSkills, The Film and TV Charity, Directors UK, Sara Putt Associates and The Talent Manager.
Recent feedback from freelancers:
“This whole positive movement is exciting and it makes me think I could return in the future and actually have both, a job I love and a family life.” (Freelance Production Manager)
“I was bowled over by how many people felt worried about asking to Job-Share or work flexi-time. [You made me] very inspired and motivated to do more as a result.” (Freelance Make-Up Artist)