Tool Box Talks Infrastructure/Ecosystems and Stressors

Toolbox Talks

Infrastructure/Ecosystems and Potential Stressors

What do we mean when we talk about infrastructure/ecosystems?

This refers to all the different groups of people that make up your workplace or are part of your project team. Here are just a few examples:

Venue – stage crew, front of house/box office/ushers, facility operations, security, porters and custodial, food and beverage, administration, performers
Touring Production – crew, tour management, performers, local crew and venue labor/staff, production office, creatives/designers
Motion Picture and Television – production office, writers’ room, art department, costumes, shooting crew, rigging teams, cast and stunt performers, locations and unit departments, post-production
Manufacturing/Supply/Professional Services Company – leadership, sales, marketing, accounting, shipping, warehouse, production
Union – executive leadership/board, staff, stewards, department heads, members
Temporary Projects – such as new construction or renovation – client, architect, consultants, suppliers, installers, end-users. In an event production you would have client, production company, designers, installers, operators.

Who makes up your infrastructure/ecosystem?

Stressors

Remember to consider all parts of your infrastructure/ecosystem when thinking about the stressors that will impact mental and physical health. Adding language about wellbeing to your workplace communications will be most effective if it directly addresses what people are experiencing.

Some are issues common to almost every area of the entertainment industry while others are unique to a particular occupation. Below are examples of these kinds of stressors.

Common

Long hours
Lack of sleep
Challenge of work/life balance
Unpredictable schedules
Job and financial insecurity
Pressure of deadlines
Lack of resources (time, money, people)
Unrealistic expectations
Navigating difficult personalities
Bullying, harassment and intimidation
Discrimination
Lack of respect / being unseen and unheard
Lack of trust / poor team dynamic
Substance misuse
COVID and other illnesses

Venues

Additional stressors might include:

Public assembly crowd management
Abusive patrons or artists
Budget pressures
Insufficient training
Environmental / climate issues

Touring Production

Additional stressors might include:

Lack of access to everyday amenities (food, laundry, groceries)
No access to consistent mental and physical health care
Isolation from family and friends
Toll on relationships including inability to participate in family activities/occasions
Effects of travel (sleep, time zones, physical exertion)
Expense of travel (food, housing)
Close living/working quarters (bus travel/sharing hotel rooms)
Complications from being in a different time zone from general management/office
Variations on state regulations for crew (pyro, firearms, crew numbers, etc)
Personal and workplace safety variations in different cities/venues

Motion Picture and Television

Additional stressors might include:

Shooting on location
- Location of the shooting (i.e. in the middle of the woods or on a boat in the middle of the ocean)
- Traveling away from home for periods of time
- Lack of access to everyday amenities (food, laundry, groceries)
- No access to consistent mental and physical health care
- Isolation from family and friends
- Toll on relationships including inability to participate in family activities/occasions
- Effects of travel (lack of sleep, time zone changes)
- Physical demands, especially in remote locations
- Filming in adverse weather conditions (snow, rain, heat)

Manufacturing/Supply/Professional Services Companies

Additional stressors might include:

Competing crises
Constant change
Dangerous or high risk work
Keeping up with changes in technology
Professional exams / certifications / credentials
Regulatory pressures
Budget pressures / profitability expectations

THIS IS HOW CHANGE HAPPENS

Behind the Scenes Foundation makes no representations or warranty whatsoever, either expressed or implied, regarding any information or advice provided herein. In no event shall Behind the Scenes Foundation be liable to you or anyone else for any decision or action taken in reliance on information provided herein.