Warning: I am not a film specialist. I am not a psychologist. I am not a philosopher. I am not an expert in any field at all and I am entirely unqualified to advise on any topic. This is not phrased for the sensitive, if you are, please don’t read it. This article is not written about anyone in particular and is simply a highly subjective view. I am a swing voter. I am not political.
To those who are chasing authorship, this article is written anonymously. The internet is a cold hard nasty place and putting your name on anything remotely controversial is ill-advised. We hope you understand.
Let’s make a start.
“We are all in in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” Oscar Wilde.
Please as you read this remember we are each perfectly imperfect.
Let’s start with the basics: Why are we toxic at work?
- We are tired. People need 7-9 hours of sleep. Filmmakers don’t get that. Most of us are trying to be courteous and polite, but we are surviving on 4-6 hours of sleep. It makes us irritable, and more prone to stress and anxiety. This affects our impulse control.
- Learned behaviour. Ever found yourself saying something totally out of character at work? Reflecting later on your poor behaviour and wondering where the hell that came from. Patterns of behaviour are passed on. Albert Bandura, known for his work on observational learning, stated, “Most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling.” To put it more simply, if your boss behaved poorly towards you when you were a junior, you will likely repeat this pattern. Not that it is your old boss’s fault; victims make victims. He would have been treated the same way. So, there is this perpetual cycle of behaviour that lacks respect. However, as Dr. Bruce Perry explains, “What is predictable is preventable,”. Be self-aware, try to break the cycle.
- Neurodivergence. Neurodivergents are not toxic, obviously. One must appreciate their approach is a little different. There is a strong pull into the film industry and the arts for the neurodivergent. We struggle to fit in. The film industry and the arts are perfect for us, places where a different perspective is both appreciated and valued. If you think about it, the crew is well-represented here. Neurodivergents are not known for our communicative social filtering ability. Please forgive us for not ‘sugar-coating’, it may not look like it, but we are trying very hard.
- A lack of management training. We are taught on the job and this means we can operate at high speed and deliver. We are brilliant, but we have not had a day of management training. As a corporate you may have an MBA, had formal management training, conflict resolution training and soft skills training. Our dynamic is a “survival of the fittest” model. Unfortunately, this can lead to a toxic work culture. But an MDA corporate manager wouldn’t survive a month, so I don’t know what to suggest here.
- Recruitment. There is very little time for crewing, which means that many hires are not really filtered. No references taken, no background checks, no criminal record checks. You could be a well-known international terrorist and be offered a job looking after the family’s silver. That is partly the reason why you end up with walking hand grenades everywhere. I have never been convicted of a felony yet!
- No human resources. Cards on the table, I think it is a waste of money, I just have a good solicitor (No judgment please). But there are no human resources. They would traditionally handle integration, conflict resolution, support, interpersonal issues, wellness, and work-life balance. Most importantly, they cover legal and ethical standards. Honestly, film moves at such a speed that I don’t think it would work, but it is hard to ignore that we are lacking in these areas.
- Fear and Stress. We have zero job security. We are worried all the time. We are constantly in “fight or flight”. We are pumping serious amounts of cortisol and adrenaline. This leads to impulsive, defensive, or even aggressive behaviours toward others. Nietzsche believed that struggle reveals one’s true nature, and stress can expose the raw, unfiltered aspects of personality that we usually mask with social niceties. Sartre, meanwhile, argued that under intense situations, people experience “bad faith,” where they act inauthentically, driven more by immediate pressures than by genuine intention. It is vital here to be as self-aware as possible and try to maintain alignment with our better selves.
- Lack of supervision. In business everyone requires supervision. EVERYONE. Each department lacks real oversight, HODs operate with almost complete immunity from supervision, except artistic. Behaviour runs unchecked with almost zero repercussions for poor behaviour that is, at best, unethical but often highly illegal. This does not bring out the best in anyone. Little emperor syndromes prevail, and some truly horrifying behaviour goes unnoticed. These are a small minority but think about point 2 again. Poor learned behaviour can spread through the crew quicker than Covid.
- Burn out. The film industry is a tad intense—okay, it’s a lot intense. You’ve got deadlines, egos, and the delightful thrill of knowing that one slip-up might get you fired. Psychologist Christina Maslach, nailed it when she said that burnout happens “when the demands of a job exceed the resources available to meet them.” That is basically our job description. Mental health just isn’t in the budget.
- Competition. It’s hard to relax when everyone around you is gunning for the same limited number of good gigs. There’s this lovely existential nugget from Sartre that says, “Hell is other people,” and in this industry, it’s true in ways Sartre couldn’t have imagined. Here, “collaborator” can quickly turn to “competitor,” and the constant jockeying for roles, credit, and attention can make you feel like you are on ‘Big Brother’ where the winner gets the next big gig, and you are left crying in your car.
This covers the basics, let’s go a little deeper. To many of us, the film industry is our star and has a strong magnetic pull. This will be very direct, if you are sensitive, please stop reading now. What characteristics does it have a magnetic pull on:
- Often someone with a fluid sense of self
- Inferiority complexes
- I need for recognition
- The need for transformation
I have been each of these things at some point. In this manner, we are very similar to the cast, who also feel the same pull.
A fluid sense of self. The need for transformation. I’ll combine these two as they overlap. The film industry offers the perfect environment for transformation and reinvention. However, this makes you vulnerable to external influence and potential exploitation. You may feel compelled to adjust yourself to meet the ever-shifting expectations of directors, producers, and audiences, often at the expense of your own values or well-being. The danger lies in what Carl Rogers, a prominent humanistic psychologist, called “conditions of worth.” This concept suggests that people can become trapped in trying to meet others’ expectations to feel valued, rather than fostering a secure, internal sense of self-worth. Ever heard this at the studio “You are only as good as your last film”? You are actively encouraged to link your self-worth to your last film. You end up a stressed, confused, frightened mess, constantly in “Fight or Flight”, and what do you do? You misrepresent yourself in your behaviour.
Inferiority complexes. I will borrow from Adler here. Every single person has an inferiority complex, no matter how successful. In his psychological theories, Alfred Adler suggested that people with an inferiority complex often try to compensate for perceived inadequacies by striving for achievement, recognition, or power. In an industry where you have no job security, no protection, and rarely any encouragement, where “You are only as good as your last film”, your feelings of inferiority can really take root. The need for constant affirmation, combined with the industry’s emphasis on perception and competition, creates an environment where feelings of inadequacy are continuously triggered. You are essentially in search of constantly elusive validation. This makes it challenging to maintain a healthy sense of self, leaving you open to self-misrepresentation.
A need for recognition. “You are only as good as your last film”. Last week’s blockbuster is this week’s bargain bucket DVD deal. You are in an endless loop. In this way, the need for recognition shapes a filmmaker’s journey, fuelling their creative ambition but also creating unique pressures. When balanced with a grounded sense of self-worth, this drive can lead to exceptional work. However, when recognition becomes a filmmaker’s primary source of validation, it can lead to insecurity, burnout, and a constant sense of dissatisfaction, regardless of any past achievements.
Combining all these feelings, stressors, environmental conditions, cortisol, and adrenaline, it is a miracle we survive the month. No judgment, we are essentially walking, talking monkeys. Every day you don’t tear a person’s arm off is an achievement, particularly in the hostile world of film.
This blog post is intended to help. Why are we toxic? Why do we behave like this? Why do I feel like this? Why am I so unhappy? We are all living it every day.
The film industry is also a magical place that many of us call home and we don’t welcome or need anyone’s judgement, we are perfectly imperfect, and we are trying.
With best wishes from Mr. Anonymous.
Warning: I am not a film specialist. I am not a psychologist. I am not a philosopher. I am not an expert in any field at all and I am entirely unqualified to advise on any topic. This is not phrased for the sensitive, if you are, please don’t read it. This article is not written about anyone in particular and is simply a highly subjective view. I am a swing voter. I am not political.
Image credit: The Great Red Dragon and the Woman Clothed with the Sun by William Blake