I have been thinking of writing this article for a long time now. It is an awkward, potentially controversial topic, especially with what is going on with film crews around the world protesting set conditions and working hours and lack of pay. It’s about money. It’s about low rates. It’s about deferment, working for exposure, volunteering, using students on set, or any of the other short cuts producers use to indicate “no pay”. It’s about the perceived exploitation producers put cast and crew through to create movies. And the fact that everyone feels underpaid and is putting their hands in the air saying “please sir, can I have some more?”

Money, money, money.

And it is completely understandable. Everyone deserves to be paid properly for the hard work they do on set, for the years of training and experience they bring to their craft, for the skills in camera or sound or production design or acting they bring to each project.