BC Film Industry – End of 2025 Update:
It’s been a while since my last post regarding the slowing pace of the film industry in general. As of now, productions have picked up but definitely not back to peak levels (not even close). In my quest to leave the industry and retire to galivant around the world… I instead ended up getting promoted to the head of my department, worked more than ever before and made more money. What I will summarize from the new found “insider” information from above the line staff/crew can and hopefully aid those who would like to have/maintain a career in the film industry.
First of all, if you live in North Ameria and do not own your own home, paid off automobile and no significant debts… this line of work may NOT be able to support you financially. Not that other jobs could either by today’s high inflated prices… BUT at least you’ll slave 8 hours a day instead of 12-18. There are departments/positions in film which will pay better than a living wage and can afford you a home & support a family… but you’re almost guaranteed an early grave from the physical toll the jobs take on your body. Though the free catering and craft services food does free up some time and save lots of money.
With that said, if you take good care of yourself and use your income to invest for the future instead of paying for overpriced rent/non-essentials, then 100K CAD/70K USD per year is a pretty dang good start (and you can definitely earn much more than that in film). There isn’t as many film jobs available now as before and it only looks to shrink as AI is slowly taking over. Budgets are smaller and shifts for beneath the line crew are reduced. Your goal is to work harder and be a better asset than the next worker. Use your time off to update tickets & certifications (even in different departments) in order to broaden your prospects. You can also add passion to that as well but for me that passion is better spent on enjoying your life/free time. Make as much money as you can in film, then move on to an industry with a long-term future or go start a business.
As I predicted a few years back, older crew (Boomers, older Gen-Xers) are gradually retiring… knowing that their health & longevity is more important than the pay-cheques (it’s all direct deposit now). This has allowed non-senior crew members to finally get shifts but not enough for hiring new employees. Having spent my afterwork screen times between watching informative YouTube videos, anime & playing video games with the occasional movie… I can say that I ain’t gonna miss watching Hollywood products if they disappear. There seems to be a drastic shift towards short-form content and just people going out & doing actual stuff vs watching TV shows & movies.
What you do outside of film and how you budget your expenses & invest your savings on passive income matters just as much as what you do working in film. I can’t give better financial advice than the social media “gurus”; what I can tell you is to listen to your elder co-workers. Learn from their mistakes and their successes. It’s very eye opening to see how some of the older generations spent (more like wasted) their earnings on useless things/people. But it was even more informative to learn how my (smart) Boomer co-workers bought winter homes abroad, living ½ the year in paradise while working the bare minimum back home just to top up their/our exceptional benefits. So there it is, the future is still yours to dictate if you want a job/career in film… how long this will last is still in question but the skills you gain in this industry can and will transfer to other ventures. It ALL depends on what you do on a daily level to prepare for everything and anything that will come your way. You can’t just sit back & relax with your fat pay-cheques like the older generations… almost EVERYTHING costs more these days. Plus, it will take most of y’all decades to attain the same lifestyle that they have… when it only took them years back in their day. Anyhow, I’m bored again… time to get outta here!
