The film industry is facing a shortage of skilled workers.

The number of vacancies for actors in the Russian Federation has increased by 17% over the past six months, and for film production specialists by 77%. There is a growing demand for make-up artists and installation technicians, camera assistants. The competition for personnel has intensified between online platforms that produce new content and TV channels, experts say.

“Kommersant” got acquainted with the data of the HeadHunter portal on the statistics of vacancies for the first half of the year in the production and distribution of television programs and films (online cinemas and cable TV) – their number increased by 24% in general. The cast is in demand: the number of vacancies increased by 17%. But the demand for production specialists has grown even more, there the increase was 77%. The industry needs make-up artists (33% more vacancies than a year earlier), as well as installation and service specialists (up 60%). The demand for procurement specialists in general (the number of vacancies fell by 20%) and top management (a drop by 17%) decreased.

Online cinemas interviewed by Kommersant attribute the trend to a worsening shortage of personnel in the industry. The trend began back in the pandemic, when online platforms began to massively order series (see Kommersant dated August 6, 2021). This led to the fact that TV channels and platforms began to pay for the opportunity to see the project before competitors, concluding, for example, first look deals (a deal with the right to first choose a project) with screenwriters and producers.

As a result, the cost of the services of screenwriters and producers is now very high, notes the editor-in-chief of Kino-teatr.ru, development director of the Chill web cinema, Zhan Prosyanov: “Top authors who can demand from 1 million to 1.5 million rubles. for one series, not much, and they are already busy with large projects that can pull such expenses. Not the most famous production studios have to choose “mid-level” specialists, the expert notes. However, even here the shortage of personnel plays a decisive role. So, according to Mr. Prosyanov, prices in the segment reach 500-700 thousand rubles. for one episode. “This is an overestimation of almost two times – in a situation of market equilibrium, services for writing one series would cost 300-400 thousand rubles,” Zhan Prosyanov believes.

The actor’s fee depends primarily on popularity, the interlocutor of Kommersant in the market clarifies, “his agent can play an important role.” The total number of shifts in the project also affects the cost, the source adds: “You can bring down the price on long-term projects, for example, when there are 30 or 40 shifts, but actors always raise rates for the next seasons.”

There is still a shortage of technical specialists, the authors of the profile Telegram channel VODovorOTT clarify: we are talking about mechanics, focus pullers (assistant to focus operators), operators of special stabilization equipment: “Here, the gap between the real cost of work and requests is not so dramatic, but it is also present. Now they ask for a shift from 20 thousand rubles, although in standard market conditions the payment is 10-15 thousand rubles.” There is also a traditional shortage of mid-level specialists, primarily prop assistants, Kommersant’s interlocutors note: “Because of this, instead of an acceptable 100-150 thousand rubles. I have to offer 200 thousand rubles, and it’s not a fact that for such a fee it will be possible to find someone.”

Kion (MTS) does not see “quantitative problems” with production personnel, but notes organizational ones: “Finding good specialists is not the only task, it is also necessary to make sure that a team is assembled from them and they all match the budget and production schedule.”

At Ivy, the shortage of staff is associated with high competition: “Platforms and productions launch projects with such a frequency that it creates an acute shortage of both creative and technical personnel.” The service believes that the situation can be corrected by working with young specialists who, over time, gain experience and become professionals. “For example, Ilya Yermolov was the director of the TV series Let’s Appeal, and we will continue to cooperate with him,” Evie noted.

TV channels that “come out of hibernation” after the pandemic have begun to play a significant role in content production, which increases the shortage of personnel,” Zhan Prosyanov clarifies: “Today, many original projects are being done in cooperation with television networks.” Thus, REN TV, together with the online cinemas more.tv and Wink, released the series “The Librarian” based on the work of the same name by Mikhail Elizarov.

Julia Yurasova