“As an industry it is so important that we not only retain exceptional creative talent as their lives evolve; and also ensure there are realistic ways of combining work with demands individuals have elsewhere in their lives. By building a partnership model on Waterloo Road for our exceptional designers Tina and Katie, we feel we are able to both demonstrate a truly flexible way to working on a shoot, whilst enabling individuals to manage a more sustainable life-work balance. We hope this is inspiring to others. For me they are gold standard examples of how this initiative can evolve.”
Executive Producer Cameron Roach
“When you have two really experienced people who know exactly what they are doing, when one person passes the information over to the other, it’s seamless. For me, it didn’t make any difference having two people or having one.”
Managing Director The End James Lessell
“I think it’s important for the production company to be supportive of the idea and therefore it gives the chance for people below to think, ‘what if?’ or ‘let’s think about it in a different way’, and that’s really crucial.”
Magali Gibert
“The main reason that companies should consider job-shares is so that we don’t have a massive ‘brain drain’ from the industry. To keep key people in senior roles, the way to do that is to adapt to their flexible working lives and job shares offer that, so that’s the most important thing. Once you do that, you get two heads for the price of one and you get all the benefits that come with that.”
Executive Producer Teresa Watkins
“I endorse job-sharing in Edit Producing, because in an Edit, you get very ‘wood for the trees’ you get lost in the detail and yet you really need to be able to take a step back and take a fresh look and think, “hmm is this story working? Should actually that character be in a different programme?” Those really Big Picture questions. They (the job‑sharing Edit Producers) were able to do that because each one was able to step away for a day or two.”
Executive Producer Sunshine Jackson
“When I was asked (by my Edit Producer), ‘What is the chance of the job being part-time’ my first thought was ‘Oh God’. Then I thought, actually there is no reason why on Operation Ouch that we can’t – it cuts sequentially so if ever there was a show that could be done by two people this was it.
I think everyone is very pleasantly surprised. From my point of view it has absolutely worked, it has been seamless. The Series Producer has summed it up by saying ‘I don’t notice any difference whatsoever. I have never asked a question where the person who was in that day was unable to answer it.’ We would absolutely do it again. The job‑sharers will go the extra mile so that they can have what they want.”
Head of Production Maria French
“I employed job‑sharing Post supervisors and didn’t have to get involved in the logistics at all as they arranged their shifts themselves, shared an email and handed over in their own time. Our international clients were thrilled as they had seamless cover.”
Founder 5A Studios Cris Aragon – (Sound Post Production)
“VFX is a young industry and so we are starting to see an increase in new parents coming through into roles that are not managerial. Job‑sharing is an important option we can offer to our work-force to provide flexibility and balance between home and work life.”
Henry Bull – Framestore VFX