Feeling Stuck? Your Action Plan for the TV and Film Industry Slowdown

Posted on: Dec 23, 2025

By Brendan Fitzgibbons

The entertainment industry slowdown feels a little like waiting for your Uber — you know it’s eventually going to show up, but right now it just says “5 minutes away” for the last 20 minutes. The good news? You don’t have to sit on the curb doing nothing while you wait.

Let me be Robin Williams in Good Will Hunting for a minute … it’s not your fault. Look at me…it’s not your fault. Between the strikes, studio consolidations, streaming platforms tightening budgets and executives finally realizing they probably don’t need ten different Batman reboots, production has slowed down. Fewer shows and films in development means fewer jobs across the board.

But remember — the industry has gone through downturns before, and every single time it bounces back. Remember 2008? Work dried up, people panicked, and yet a few years later we had an explosion of streaming content. The same thing will happen again. Your job isn’t to stress about what you can’t control — it’s to use this time wisely so when the boom comes back, you’re already at the front of the line. LA has already taken serious action steps to bring productions and films back to the area.

Key Insights

The current entertainment industry slowdown is driven by factors like strikes, budget tightening, and consolidation, but history shows these downturns are temporary.
Expanding your job search beyond Los Angeles and into regional, international, and adjacent industries can significantly increase opportunities.
Downtime is an ideal moment to sharpen technical skills, strengthen your network, and position yourself ahead of the next hiring surge.

Step 1: Expanding Your Job Search Beyond LA

Yes, believe it or not, there are other cities besides Los Angeles. For example, there’s Los Angeles, Texas. Okay, jokes aside — while LA is the mecca of film and TV, right now productions are happening all over the country and the world. Cities like Atlanta, New York, New Orleans, Albuquerque, and even smaller markets are buzzing with shoots. There has also been a massive spike in productions in Ireland, the UK and Canada. If you’re flexible, casting your net wider dramatically increases your odds of landing work.

And don’t just think in terms of big-city markets. Regional productions, indie features, branded shoots and commercials are still hiring crews. The magic of the industry is that sets exist anywhere someone has a camera, a budget and a dream. Translation: opportunities are out there — just maybe not on your doorstep.

Step 2: Key Skills To Learn During Your Downtime

Downtime doesn’t have to mean sitting around and screaming into a paper bag. Trust me, I’ve done that, and it surprisingly does not work. This is the perfect time to get better at what you do. Learn editing software like Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve. Pick up After Effects basics. Get drone-certified. Or, if you’re a PA, start learning what it takes to step into a coordinator role. And if you’re a writer … write, write and then write some more.

Step 3: How To Re-Engage Your Professional Network

When jobs slow down, your network becomes gold — and so does your home base. Reach out to old contacts with a simple, “Hey, how are you holding up?” You don’t need to lead with “HELP!!!” It’s always better to start with curiosity and genuine connection. Check in with former crew members, DPs, producers, or even that one guy from craft services who was impeccable at making tiny grilled cheeses.

Industry people love working with folks they know and trust, and sometimes just reminding someone you exist gets you on their shortlist for the next gig. Think of it as career gardening — water those relationships now, and they’ll flourish when the sun comes back out.

Step 4: Using Staff Me Up Job Alerts To Catch New Openings

This one’s super easy and incredibly impactful. Set up job alerts on Staff Me Up for the exact roles and locations you want. That way, instead of spending hours refreshing job boards (or worse, doomscrolling TikTok), new opportunities come straight to your inbox.

Bonus tip: customize your alerts so you’re not just waiting for “dream jobs.” Include smaller gigs, too. A one-day branded shoot might not sound glamorous, but it keeps you working, adds credits to your résumé, connects you with people who could hire you for bigger projects later, and gives you the confidence to keep going.

Industries Hiring Production Professionals (Besides Film/TV)

Here’s something most people forget: your skills are incredibly transferable. Live events, sports broadcasting, corporate media, advertising and streaming platforms all need crew — and they really need your expertise. Companies constantly need videographers for conferences, product launches and social content. Sports networks are always looking for camera ops. Brands and influencers are hiring editors to churn out TikTok ads faster than you can say, “What’s with all this dancing?”

These may not be your dream jobs, but working in adjacent industries makes you sharper, and you never know which side gig leads you back to film and TV. At the very least, you’ll get better at your craft — and have a story to tell.

Keep Your Eye on Your Dream

With all the noise about Hollywood cutting back, it’s easy to give in to negativity and doubt — or even consider quitting entirely. But remember — you have a dream for a reason. Just because you might have to take a detour, doesn’t mean you won’t get there. Whatever you have to do to survive right now, it’s critical to hold the vision, breathe your future, and know with absolute certainty that there’s a reality where you walk onto set in your dream role, on your ideal show, with the biggest smile on your face. You’re magical, and you got this.

Key Takeaways

Use slow periods strategically by learning new tools, improving your craft, and staying proactive instead of waiting for work to return.
Networking works best when it’s rooted in genuine connection, not desperation, making consistent relationship-building essential.
Staying flexible, open to adjacent industries, and focused on long-term goals helps you weather slowdowns without losing sight of your dream career.

Brendan Fitzgibbons is a comedy writer and actor living in Los Angeles. He’s written for Comedy Central, The Onion, NBC, HuffPost and Bravo. As an actor, he’s appeared on Comedy Central, MTV and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee.” His podcast, “Spiritual As****e” was named a Top Indie Podcast by Stitcher.

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