The television boom gives more opportunities to filmmakers and scriptwriters but maintains precariousness

A recurring mantra repeats that cinema and television are becoming more and more similar.

This is evidenced by the inclusion of series in cinema festivals, projects for the small screen by renowned filmmakers or shared award galas.

The numbers, however, tell a somewhat different story.

A study published a few days ago by the European Audiovisual Observatory confirms that the

platform

boom

has increased audiovisual production, but it calls into question the alleged mix between both sectors and provides another certainty: what has not changed is the precariousness of directors and screenwriters.

More information

Film director in Europe: an almost impossible job

More work, but for more people.

The report analyzes the situation of about 32,000 professionals in these two categories in Europe, between 2015 and 2022. And it shows a constant growth in projects, especially thanks to the pull of television, until the record of 2019: that year there were about 8,000 script assignments and about 5,000 directing assignments.

The covid-19 crisis reduced production, like practically all other activities, but 2022 marked the return to some normality.

The point is that, while job opportunities increase, so does competition, at the same or greater rate: in 2015 there were 1.17 projects on average for each of the 5,639 active screenwriters and 1.15 for the 3,490 directors;

In 2022 all the figures had risen but the ratio remained identical in the script and even dropped to 1.14 behind the camera.

Almost two-thirds of writing assignments, yes, already come from the small screen.

They are the same, or not.

The numbers show that there is still a clearer labor separation between the big and small screen than some theories suggest.

Among the directors and screenwriters active in the eight years considered, only one in 10 has worked in both television and film.

Half were dedicated to the seventh art for theaters, and the other 36% only to series or films for some platform or station.

Although the study detects that 59% of the directors who worked for television between 2015 and 2022 had at least one film for cinemas in their previous resume.

Those who go from the big screen to the small one also tend to stay, due to greater opportunities and sometimes longer-lasting projects, such as several episodes of a season.

An almost unsustainable job.

All the professionals analyzed are defined as filmmakers or screenwriters.

But, in reality, they were barely able to dedicate themselves to their own thing in the eight years analyzed: directors and writers for the seventh art only worked, on average, on 1.4 films.

Which fits with another previous study by the European Audiovisual Observatory: 41.3% of European filmmakers barely filmed a feature film between 2003 and 2017. “Many teach classes, make music videos... The majority, in reality, make a poor living.

And often those who endure have family financial support behind them that allows them to resist,” explained Cristina Andreu, president of Cima (the association of Spanish female filmmakers).

There is a bit more work, yes, on television: 1.7 films or series for each scriptwriter;

2.2 films or series for each director.

The recent General Assembly of FERA (Federation of European Screen Directors), held within the framework of the Malaga festival, expressed in a statement “great concern about job insecurity” as one of its main conclusions.

Daniela Santiago in an image from the series 'Veneno', by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo.

The invasion of the new ones.

Almost all cultural spheres have been debating overproduction for a long time.

Is there an audience for so many novels, comics, video games, albums or shows?

The numbers seem to clearly say no.

But, at the same time, why should someone who wants to devote themselves to their personal artistic project give up?

Which culture should move forward and which one could we do without?

Film and television are no exception: Europe filmed 2,421 films in 2019 alone, another figure from the observatory.

But the latest study adds a new figure to the sensation of avalanche: 40% of the films produced each year on the continent are debut films.

Good news in terms of chances for debutants.

But so much turnover probably contributes to the fact that almost no one is able to stabilize and continue their career.

The discussion, then, can continue.

An image of 'Libertad', Clara Roquet's first feature film, released in 2021.

The authors, in the room.

At the last Goya Awards gala, many demands were heard about the big screen as an ideal and necessary format for cinema.

To which some platform manager replied on the social network X that they leave the public free to watch films wherever and however they want.

The observatory's study concludes that theatrical release is associated with more “auteur” cinema: half of the films distributed in theaters are written by the director himself.

In television projects, however, 91% of the scripts are not filmed by the person who wrote it.

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