Creativity and Wellness Survey in the Chicago Film & TV Industry Survey Results

In 2020 the film and TV industry faced several reckonings on questions of harm in production. Workers below- and above-the-line protested and threatened to strike as they faced downward pressure on wages, increasing demand for their labor, and struggled to maintain their livelihoods and health during a pandemic.

In this context, the Media and Data Equity Lab partnered with OTV | Open Television and the Independent Film Alliance to conduct a survey of Chicago's film & TV workers to assess the impact of increasing production in the city on its workers.

Our survey finds that Chicago's film/TV workers are facing many of the same pressures as workers nationally, but the city's status as a hub for "runaway production" makes working more precarious. Chicago's workers lack agency over their labor, as many of the department heads and executives are based in Los Angeles. Far away from production, studios and distributors are demanding projects be completed too quickly for workers to execute, resulting in long, stressful days and weak company cultures. Inequality across all identity lines are visible in the same, sometimes resulting in conflict, harassment and harm.

As a testament to the resilience and innovation of Chicago's workers, our survey shows them using a range of strategies to support their creativity and wellness.

We hope this information helps industry leaders and workers better understand how to care for the people who help make our most cherished stories.

Dr. Aymar Jean Christian

Director, MADE Lab, Northwestern University