UK establishes Film & TV Welfare Association following producer death

A film and TV welfare association has been launched in the UK in the wake of the tragic death of producer John Balson.

Balson took his own life a few weeks after working on true crime doco In the Footsteps of Killers.

The show’s producer, Alaska TV, said the wellbeing of its staff members was of “paramount importance.” Channel 4 is also investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

Screendog Head of Production and Welfare Fiona Fletcher, Jude Spencer, the founder of Dolly Mental Health, and psychologist Howie Fine are behind the new initiative, which has sprung up swiftly following the devastating news.

Balson’s widow Yumeno Niimura said his life is “now a legacy,” and called his death a “failure of the industry.”

She noted that her husband informed her that small production companies have “unrealistically low budgets” and “often force extra work and unrealistic assignments on freelancers like him.”

With the continuing rise in demand for true crime and reality TV, the initiative will address issues surrounding duty of care and welfare in the industry.

A set of principles has been established and the association also called for more duty of care training, welfare producers and conversations with regulators [[email protected]].

The principles

Establish Best Practices: Develop, promote, and implement industry-wide best practices for duty of care and mental health to protect and support everyone working in Film and TV.

Promote Ethical and Fair Treatment: Supporting productions to deliver the best possible treatment and support for all crew and contributors, providing rigorous duty of care protocols throughout production.

Develop Industry Standard Guidelines: Create and promote industry welfare procedures for all stages of production: pre-production, production, post-production, and aftercare.

Champion for Welfare Budgets and Provide Industry Training: Consult with broadcasters and streamers to champion budget provisions for training of Execs, SPs, PMs, Welfare Producers, and casting teams. Deliver gold-standard training courses with key industry leaders and provide training certification for production companies and Welfare Producers.

Collaborate with Leading Production Psychologists: Establish best practices when working with vulnerable contributors through consultation with leading production psychologists.

Build a Network of Support: Offer a network of support for production companies implementing mental health and well-being strategies. Foster a strong, supportive network among TV producers, contributors, cast and crew. Encouraging collaboration, mentorship, and mutual support.

Provide Member Services for Welfare Producers: Serve as a hub for Welfare Producers, offering resources and support.

Promote Mental Health and Duty of Care Training: Offer training for senior staff in production companies to ensure a culture of well-being and safety throughout the organisation.

Champion Positive Change: Advocate for improvements in duty of care, mental health, and well-being within the Film and TV industry.

Consult with Regulatory Bodies: Campaign for improvement and expand regulations and guidelines for producers working with contributors.

Collaborate with Other Organizations and Research Projects: Partner with research initiatives and organisations focused on the safety and care of contributors and crew in the TV industry, such as ReCare TV the Coalition for Change and the Film and TV Charity.

Australia’s non-profit body ScreenWell led by filmmaker and actor Ben Steel was formally launched in 2022 and offers Mental Health First Aid training as part of its and wellbeing education and advocacy.

Lifeline 13 11 14
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
SupportAct helpline: 1800 959 500

Source: Yahoo, US Magazine