Lights Up on a New Reality
When the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA halted Hollywood productions in late 2023 and again in mid-2024, headlines fixated on marquee star salaries and writers’ streaming-residuals fights. Less visible—but no less vital—were the thousands of grips, camera assistants, setdressers, art department interns, and production assistants (PAs) whose paychecks vanished overnight. Now, in spring 2025, with both strikes settled, L.A.’s under-the-line workforce confronts a fractured employment landscape. This feature visits Burbank’s soundstages and Studio City’s backlots to chart the long road back for the crews who make moviemagic possible.
1. Half-Day Call Sheets and Full-Time Anxiety
a) Grips and Gaffers Struggle for Stability
When veteran grip Marcus “Mack” Jackson arrives on set at 6 AM, his call sheet often reads “HALF-DAY—6 HR.” Under COVID-era agreements and strike concessions, producers trimmed crew sizes and restructured shift-rates to cut costs. “They’re paying me for six hours when I end up working ten,” Jackson says. “After deductions for union dues and health-benefits, I’m bringing home less than half of what I used to.”
Key figure: According to IATSE Local 80, average weekly earnings for grips dropped from $1,200 pre-strike to $650 in Q1 2025—a 46% decline.
b) PAs Pivot to Commercials and Indie Films
Production assistants like 22-year-old Yvette Ramirez talk of survival gigs—catering, location-scouting, even ride-share driving. “I love film, but I can’t live on $15 an hour,” she admits. “Commercials pay flat rate and wrap in three days. Indies are fun, but they don’t cover rent.”
2. The Hidden Chain: Art, Props & Set Dressing
While writers and actors negotiate at guild tables, art department workers found themselves collateral damage. Set decorator Ana Liu spent months waiting for calls that never came.
“I thought once the strikes ended, it’d be boom. But luxury-brand commercials got first dibs—then reality shows. Film and scripted TV remain hesitant.”
Statistic: Educational nonprofit FilmL.A. reports that scripted TV production volume in Greater L.A. is still 18% below pre-2023 levels.
Prop masters and scenic painters say budgets are thinner, schedules tighter, and unions less willing to push for overtime—fearing a repeat shutdown.
3. Spotlight on Burbank: Studios’ New Hiring Models
Major studios in Burbank—Warner Bros., Disney, Netflix’s Sunset Gower—have rolled out “tiered crews.” Under these plans, only lead crews receive full benefits; secondary crews (for “overflow” days) are classified as “freelance,” with no guaranteed hours.
- Tier 1: Full-time hires, benefits-eligible, call minimums enforced.
- Tier 2: Project-based contractors, 1099 status, no benefits, paid only for days called.
Veteran 1st AD Karen Foster warns this creates a two-tier workforce: “You’ve got the lucky guys who clock 52 weeks, and the rest hustling to get four days of work a month.”
4. Studio City’s Side Hustle Economy
In Studio City’s café-lined Magnolia Boulevard, “strike baristas” have become the norm. Many below-the-line workers shop their skills to L.A.’s booming events sector: award-show AV rigs, corporate activations, even Club Nite residencies.
“I rigged lighting for a Beyoncé listening party last month,” says lighting tech André Santos. “It paid better than two weeks on a Netflix pilot.”
Yet the pivot carries its own precarity: no union protection, sporadic schedules, and gig-economy headaches (invoicing, health coverage gaps).
5. Union Response and New Contracts
Both IATSE and local AMPTP negotiators acknowledge—publicly—that below-the-line clauses in the new contract (effective Jan 2025) require review:
- Minimum Weekly Guarantee: Remains at 4 days/week, down from 5.
- Health-Plan Eligibility: Requires 50 “covered days” per quarter; many crews fall short.
- Streaming Residuals: Introduced for some department heads, but PAs and grips see none.
IATSE President Matthew Loeb has promised “robust mid-contract reviews” to adjust terms if data show sustained hardship.
6. Voices of Resilience
a) Training and Upskilling
Organizations like Women in Film and the Black TV & Film Collective now offer free training in VFX, post-production software, and drone operation. “We’re arming crews with new skills so they’re indispensable,” says WIF VP Naomi Sato.
b) Mental-Health Push
After months of unemployment and isolation, Crewmates for Care—a grassroots network of film workers—launched “Peer Support Pods” in Burbank. Weekly check-ins, hotlines, and subsidized therapy aim to mitigate the mental-health toll.
7. Looking Ahead: Will Production Rebound?
Industry analysts at Media Finance Analytics forecast a 12% uptick in scripted series filming in L.A. by late 2025—fueled by a pipeline of “backlogged” projects and fresh investment from overseas streamers.
“If budgets stabilize and guilds deliver fair terms, we’ll see crews returning,” predicts MFA director Elise Tran. “But if studios continue tiering and squeezing health benefits, the fallout could be permanent.”
Conclusion
Hollywood’s writers and actors may have won headline victories—but for the grips, PAs, setdressers, and countless other artisans who labor behind the camera, the aftermath remains uncertain. As Burbank retools its hiring, Studio City’s gig hubs boom, and unions promise mid-term fixes, L.A.’s below-the-line workforce is racing to redefine “security” in an industry built on impermanence.Lights Up on a New Reality
When the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA halted Hollywood productions in late 2023 and again in mid-2024, headlines fixated on marquee star salaries and writers’ streaming-residuals fights. Less visible—but no less vital—were the thousands of grips, camera assistants, setdressers, art department interns, and production assistants (PAs) whose paychecks vanished overnight. Now, in spring 2025, with both strikes settled, L.A.’s under-the-line workforce confronts a fractured employment landscape. This feature visits Burbank’s soundstages and Studio City’s backlots to chart the long road back for the crews who make moviemagic possible.
1. Half-Day Call Sheets and Full-Time Anxiety
a) Grips and Gaffers Struggle for Stability
When veteran grip Marcus “Mack” Jackson arrives on set at 6 AM, his call sheet often reads “HALF-DAY—6 HR.” Under COVID-era agreements and strike concessions, producers trimmed crew sizes and restructured shift-rates to cut costs. “They’re paying me for six hours when I end up working ten,” Jackson says. “After deductions for union dues and health-benefits, I’m bringing home less than half of what I used to.”
Key figure: According to IATSE Local 80, average weekly earnings for grips dropped from $1,200 pre-strike to $650 in Q1 2025—a 46% decline.
b) PAs Pivot to Commercials and Indie Films
Production assistants like 22-year-old Yvette Ramirez talk of survival gigs—catering, location-scouting, even ride-share driving. “I love film, but I can’t live on $15 an hour,” she admits. “Commercials pay flat rate and wrap in three days. Indies are fun, but they don’t cover rent.”
2. The Hidden Chain: Art, Props & Set Dressing
While writers and actors negotiate at guild tables, art department workers found themselves collateral damage. Set decorator Ana Liu spent months waiting for calls that never came.
“I thought once the strikes ended, it’d be boom. But luxury-brand commercials got first dibs—then reality shows. Film and scripted TV remain hesitant.”
Statistic: Educational nonprofit FilmL.A. reports that scripted TV production volume in Greater L.A. is still 18% below pre-2023 levels.
Prop masters and scenic painters say budgets are thinner, schedules tighter, and unions less willing to push for overtime—fearing a repeat shutdown.
3. Spotlight on Burbank: Studios’ New Hiring Models
Major studios in Burbank—Warner Bros., Disney, Netflix’s Sunset Gower—have rolled out “tiered crews.” Under these plans, only lead crews receive full benefits; secondary crews (for “overflow” days) are classified as “freelance,” with no guaranteed hours.
- Tier 1: Full-time hires, benefits-eligible, call minimums enforced.
- Tier 2: Project-based contractors, 1099 status, no benefits, paid only for days called.
Veteran 1st AD Karen Foster warns this creates a two-tier workforce: “You’ve got the lucky guys who clock 52 weeks, and the rest hustling to get four days of work a month.”
4. Studio City’s Side Hustle Economy
In Studio City’s café-lined Magnolia Boulevard, “strike baristas” have become the norm. Many below-the-line workers shop their skills to L.A.’s booming events sector: award-show AV rigs, corporate activations, even Club Nite residencies.
“I rigged lighting for a Beyoncé listening party last month,” says lighting tech André Santos. “It paid better than two weeks on a Netflix pilot.”
Yet the pivot carries its own precarity: no union protection, sporadic schedules, and gig-economy headaches (invoicing, health coverage gaps).
5. Union Response and New Contracts
Both IATSE and local AMPTP negotiators acknowledge—publicly—that below-the-line clauses in the new contract (effective Jan 2025) require review:
- Minimum Weekly Guarantee: Remains at 4 days/week, down from 5.
- Health-Plan Eligibility: Requires 50 “covered days” per quarter; many crews fall short.
- Streaming Residuals: Introduced for some department heads, but PAs and grips see none.
IATSE President Matthew Loeb has promised “robust mid-contract reviews” to adjust terms if data show sustained hardship.
6. Voices of Resilience
a) Training and Upskilling
Organizations like Women in Film and the Black TV & Film Collective now offer free training in VFX, post-production software, and drone operation. “We’re arming crews with new skills so they’re indispensable,” says WIF VP Naomi Sato.
b) Mental-Health Push
After months of unemployment and isolation, Crewmates for Care—a grassroots network of film workers—launched “Peer Support Pods” in Burbank. Weekly check-ins, hotlines, and subsidized therapy aim to mitigate the mental-health toll.
7. Looking Ahead: Will Production Rebound?
Industry analysts at Media Finance Analytics forecast a 12% uptick in scripted series filming in L.A. by late 2025—fueled by a pipeline of “backlogged” projects and fresh investment from overseas streamers.
“If budgets stabilize and guilds deliver fair terms, we’ll see crews returning,” predicts MFA director Elise Tran. “But if studios continue tiering and squeezing health benefits, the fallout could be permanent.”
Conclusion
Hollywood’s writers and actors may have won headline victories—but for the grips, PAs, setdressers, and countless other artisans who labor behind the camera, the aftermath remains uncertain. As Burbank retools its hiring, Studio City’s gig hubs boom, and unions promise mid-term fixes, L.A.’s below-the-line workforce is racing to redefine “security” in an industry built on impermanence.
