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    in_the_panopticonHamilton Nolan
    7/29/14 4:07pm

    I found out the other day that people give you shit for these kind of stories because they're anonymous and "not necessarily representative" of actual workers' experience. I'd just like to say "fuck you" to all those people. It's really depressing that we treat on-the-record accounts from CEOs and other business leaders (who have a financial incentive to lie) as more credible than stories coming from people who HAVE to speak anonymously to avoid being fired for telling the truth.

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      shinada2Hamilton Nolan
      7/29/14 4:22pm

      These are certainly horrific stories, but there are some good reality TV companies out there, I promise! My company offers 401(k), health insurance, overtime, vacation days, sick days, holidays, and more after three months of employment to all of our freelance and staff employees! I know it seems like that if someone's freelance, then they just leave at the end of their show, but we always have more shows coming in so I've seen freelance employees work here for years and get all the same benefits as staff. I've only been at my company for three years, but I know of one freelance employee who was here for five years and went from show to show. I know of many other freelance employees who have been at my company over a year. They're able to then use their vacation days when they want, or during hiatus so that they'll get paid during down days. Even if you leave the company for a month, you can come back and pick up with your benefits like you never left.

      I do feel badly that the industry as a whole doesn't want to get better. Yes the networks claim they have no money, and so they nickle and dime the prod cos, who then nickle and dime their crews, which turns into the crews essentially working for minimum wage. It's terrible, and the WGA has tried to stop it with little to no change. What has to happen for the industry to wake up and take note and become legitimized with its workers the way scripted has?

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        dontgotheregrlfriendHamilton Nolan
        7/29/14 4:14pm

        It might be particularly bad for reality TV, but awful working conditions CERTAINLY extend to indie films and the like. The whole film industry is disgusting especially given its "liberal / progressive" reputation. Under 25 and won't work 60+ hrs/wk for free? Seeya!

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          south2nddontgotheregrlfriend
          7/29/14 6:19pm

          I tried to explain that to a friend who decided to move to L.A. in his late 30's to break into the sound department with no real credits. I told him he'd be expected to work for free if he could even find anyone willing to hire someone his age. He refused to believe me. As far as I know, he never did anything more than a couple student films.

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        PhairgrrlHamilton Nolan
        7/29/14 5:13pm

        To those putting down people who work in this part of the business as worthless pieces of s**t, I would point out that the VAST majority of people who work in this are aspiring (or onetime aspiring) writers, producers and directors for scripted or doc film, who are so slammed with student loans when they graduate that they go into reality and non fiction because, unlike scripted, you don't have to be uber connected to get a job, you make (at the beginning at least) a decent living wage (no default on loans), and you get needed production experience. The problem is, working in reality then tarnishes you in terms of how you're seen in scripted, so people find they can never get out unless they want to get out of the business entirely. Fortunes are being made by networks and production companies off the sweat and unpaid OT of a ton of people. You may hate reality TV and think that it's unimportant, but it's evidence of how the lack of labor protections in this economy is screwing everyone's long term stability, from fast food workers to TV producers. The sad truth is, most people who say they don't give a shit don't because they think they're better than the people who work in reality TV ... and because they're likely at jobs that offer benefits. :) Take those away, as well as any job security, and they might find themselves more empathetic.

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