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Spring updateIndustry news, Bectu allowances survey, Set & Scene discountAn update on the industry, April 2026
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How quiet is the industry? We know many crew are currently out of work and feeling concerned about how quiet things are. It’s not always easy to get a clear picture of what’s really going on, so we wanted to share a bit of context. We have all heard about how overall industry spend has increased in recent years, reaching its highest level so far in 2025 (around £6.8 billion). What is less widely talked about is that over the last few years, the number of high-end TV and feature productions has fallen, from over 700 in 2022 to around 360 in 2025.¹ So more spend, but less productions hiring crew. (Corrected 16-04-26) Our Job Alert data shows that 2021 was a bumper year for jobs, a high that the industry has not returned to. There was a dip during the 2023 strikes, but both 2024 and 2025 were up again and fairly similar in terms of the number of Job Alerts, and we hoped things were leveling out. However, for the first part of 2026, alerts are down by around 80% compared to the previous few years, which is a huge drop. That's not to say that the rest of the year won't balance that dip out though. And to put that into some context, production levels in 2025 were around 40% higher than in the early 2010s, and roughly 80% higher than in the 2000s. So whether things feel “quiet” really depends on what you’re comparing it to. A concern we are hearing frequently at the moment is that more productions may be going abroad. Unfortunately there is no data to help us track that. What we can measure is what's coming into the UK, and BFI figures show that around 80–85% of UK production spend now comes from inward investment². While the US remains more expensive for film-makers and the UK continues to be so attractive for productions with the infrastructure now in place, along with the current 25–34% tax incentives, a large-scale move back to the US would be surprising. This wouldn't be the first year to be extremely slow in the first quarter and then busy for the rest, and we wish we had a crystal ball to help us see what's in store! In the meantime, we hope you're doing okay and we'll continue to post Job Alerts when they come through. You can check on recent Job Alerts here and update your Filmbase profile, by editing your profile page. Fill in our survey to let us know if you're working at the moment: Bectu Art Dept allowances survey All crew are being asked to take part in a quick survey of what allowances you've been granted on jobs - these are allowances given in addition to your rate. The Bectu Art Dept Branch Committee will compile everyone's answers and then produce an updated 'allowances guidance document' for the Art, Set Dec and Graphics departments. You can complete the survey (whether you're a Bectu member or not) here. Please share the survey with colleagues - the more answers, the better! New HMRC status for Art Department Coordinators Art Department Coordinators are to be added to HRMC's Appendix 1, the "agreed list" of roles that can work as a Sole Trader, ie roles that can be classified as self-employed. The full Appendix 1 will be released by HMRC soon and in the meantime this document shows the new additions. Senior drapes crew have also been added. Set Dec and Props coordinator are still not on the list, contact your Bectu Department Committee if you would like to discuss those roles being added: info@bectuartdepartment.co.uk or thepropsbranch@gmail.com Freelance finance advisor David Thomas explains Appendix 1 here. You can find the Government's current (not yet updated) list here.  Set & Scene Set & Scene is a new event for crew and other creative professionals, taking place on 25 April in London. Filmbase members can get discounted tickets by using the code below. Set & Scene takes place at Central Saint Martins, with a range of speakers. Filmbase will be there to moderate a panel discussion about how to build a sustainable career. There will be practical skills demonstrations, panel discussions, networking opportunities and more. Use code FBASE26 when booking tickets to access your discount. Hope to see you at Set & Scene on 25 April!
Citations ¹ Production numbers ² Inward investment share | Upcoming webinars
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