Speaking Up
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The Film and TV industry has a clear and historical order of authority, engrained in all crew and production from the start of their careers which can make it difficult for people to speak up. It is all too easy for an individual to persuade themselves that their concern relating to safety, cannot be valid if it does not concern the dozen or more senior crew around them.
As a freelance crew member it is natural to worry about being labelled as difficult or falling out of favour with the first AD/Producer/Director and not being booked on the next project but the consequences of not speaking up can lead to serious injury or death.
Issues relating to safety can sometimes be spotted weeks or months ahead of the shoot. If you do raise a concern and do not get a response or solution, it is reasonable for you to take your issue to a higher level. If you work in production and feel that insufficient funds, time or equipment have not been allocated to safely complete a scene or work day, raise your concern as early as possible.
If you are employed in a less senior position, such as a runner, PA, assistant, trainee, it is still important to speak up. You might have concerns about being given responsibility beyond your experience, working hours that are not being monitored, driving cast or the director when a professional driver should be employed. Camera assistants might be pressurised into driving a camera car back to a hire company or driving dailies to the laboratory at the end of a long day.
If you feel the eleven hour turn around is being broken or crew are being taken for granted, someone needs to speak up. You are not encouraged to complain about small detail, but to save your voice for important issues that could effect health and safety. And prevent injury. Speaking up can help strengthen the bond that already exists between crew, looking out for each others safety and helping to make the best decisions for a safe production, allowing everyone to go home safely at the end of the day as they would expect to do in any other profession.