Ten Reasons to Be Positive About Working in TV as a Freelancer TodaySo many conversations I have with people in TV right now - from commissioners to cameramen - are laden with fear and anxiety. Understandably so: we are an industry in extreme transition. But beyond the fear, there is so much to be positive about.... Read more
Ten Reasons to Be Positive About Working in TV as a Freelancer Today
So many conversations I have with people in TV right now - from commissioners to cameramen - are laden with fear and anxiety. Understandably so: we are an industry in extreme transition. But beyond the fear, there is so much to be positive about. Here are my top ten reasons.
🐝 Linear TV Isn’t Dead - 76% of the viewing population was born before 2000 and grew up with a TV in their living rooms. Linear isn’t disappearing — it’s evolving.
🐝 Convergence Is Coming - the current “linear vs digital” battle will fade. Broadcasters are already acquiring digital content (e.g. Channel 5 & Piers Morgan’s YouTube show). Production company business models and the landscape will stabilise.
🐝 Possibilities As A TV Solopreneur - smartphones, home editing and AI mean freelancers can be one-person production powerhouses able to pitch themselves.
🐝 Direct Access to Talent - if you have an idea, or want to work with a piece of talent, you can actually get hold of them yourself! Want to work with Steven Bartlett or Simon Squibb? Send them a linked in message; DM them on TikTok or Insta. Freelancers I know are already winning work this way.
🐝 We Are In A Golden Age of Factual/Fact Ent - audiences are devouring premium documentaries and factual entertainment - from The Tinder Swindler to The Traitors. If you can get a foot in the door there’s a definite market for your talents and people working in these areas rarely find themselves out of a job.
🐝 True Crime’s Staying Power - true crime remains a ratings juggernaut across all broadcasters. If you can manage the psychological intensity, it’s a genre that offers consistent opportunities for work.
🐝 Niche Stories Go Global - stories about subcultures and small communities (Cheer, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Below Deck) can now explode worldwide thanks to algorithm-driven discovery. So that amazing story you heard about your aunt’s cat might just get commissioned!
🐝 LinkedIn Is a Game-Changer - for Honey Bee a single post led to our first big digital deal agreed yesterday, and another connection opened the way to a premium factual proposal we are currently discussing with networks. I see it as a gold mine . . . you just keep digging until you find a seam.
🐝 Demand for Diverse Voices - audiences are hungry for stories that reflect underrepresented voices and new storytellers. If you bring those stories, you get a seat at the table with broadcasters.
🐝 Transferable Skills - and if you finally decide you’ve had enough of TV . . . freelancers have extraordinary, portable skills — entrepreneurialism, resilience, creativity, storytelling. Every industry needs them. You’re employable anywhere.
Love to hear any other reasons people might have to be positive below. Let’s create a tsunami of positive thought so we all have a good week!
So many conversations I have with people in TV right now - from commissioners to cameramen - are laden with fear and anxiety. Understandably so: we are an industry in extreme transition. But beyond the fear, there is so much to be positive about. Here are my top ten reasons.
🐝 Linear TV Isn’t Dead - 76% of the viewing population was born before 2000 and grew up with a TV in their living rooms. Linear isn’t disappearing — it’s evolving.
🐝 Convergence Is Coming - the current “linear vs digital” battle will fade. Broadcasters are already acquiring digital content (e.g. Channel 5 & Piers Morgan’s YouTube show). Production company business models and the landscape will stabilise.
🐝 Possibilities As A TV Solopreneur - smartphones, home editing and AI mean freelancers can be one-person production powerhouses able to pitch themselves.
🐝 Direct Access to Talent - if you have an idea, or want to work with a piece of talent, you can actually get hold of them yourself! Want to work with Steven Bartlett or Simon Squibb? Send them a linked in message; DM them on TikTok or Insta. Freelancers I know are already winning work this way.
🐝 We Are In A Golden Age of Factual/Fact Ent - audiences are devouring premium documentaries and factual entertainment - from The Tinder Swindler to The Traitors. If you can get a foot in the door there’s a definite market for your talents and people working in these areas rarely find themselves out of a job.
🐝 True Crime’s Staying Power - true crime remains a ratings juggernaut across all broadcasters. If you can manage the psychological intensity, it’s a genre that offers consistent opportunities for work.
🐝 Niche Stories Go Global - stories about subcultures and small communities (Cheer, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Below Deck) can now explode worldwide thanks to algorithm-driven discovery. So that amazing story you heard about your aunt’s cat might just get commissioned!
🐝 LinkedIn Is a Game-Changer - for Honey Bee a single post led to our first big digital deal agreed yesterday, and another connection opened the way to a premium factual proposal we are currently discussing with networks. I see it as a gold mine . . . you just keep digging until you find a seam.
🐝 Demand for Diverse Voices - audiences are hungry for stories that reflect underrepresented voices and new storytellers. If you bring those stories, you get a seat at the table with broadcasters.
🐝 Transferable Skills - and if you finally decide you’ve had enough of TV . . . freelancers have extraordinary, portable skills — entrepreneurialism, resilience, creativity, storytelling. Every industry needs them. You’re employable anywhere.
Love to hear any other reasons people might have to be positive below. Let’s create a tsunami of positive thought so we all have a good week!
"Linear TV Isn’t Dead - 76% of the viewing population was born before 2000" - may be true BUT broadcasters aren't commissioning for THEM (US). x