Movies

This is the rare bright spot in a tough Hollywood job market

BBG News

Toni Gray’s phone is blowing up these days.

As a passionate film aficionado based in the heart of LA, I used to hear from my peers in the entertainment industry that they were hesitant to venture into the digital world for employment. However, now that I’m leading production at Dhar Mann Studios, which creates captivating content for YouTube and various online platforms, I can confidently say that this reluctance is quickly fading away!

Now, due to scarce job opportunities at traditional studios, they are persistently seeking possibilities at the Burbank studio, renowned for producing family-oriented dramas that tackle issues such as bullying.

Gray finds it thrilling to observe his fellow professionals transitioning into creating content for distribution on platforms like YouTube and the internet. After spending over a decade working in conventional television, he recently joined Dhar Mann Studios in February.

She stated that this situation provides people with the belief they can return to work, and it’s not only about financial security for their homes and children. Rather, it rejuvenates their very existence, allowing their creativity to flourish once more.

In the realm of television and cinema production in Hollywood, numerous job seekers find themselves vying for limited opportunities. This comes at a period when several companies are merging or downsizing, resulting in mass layoffs. However, one sector within the entertainment industry stands out as a beacon of hope – it’s the economy centered around individuals who produce videos for platforms like YouTube and social media.

From being a realm ruled by amateur videographers creating humorous viral content with their smartphones, the video-making industry has evolved into a significant player in the entertainment sector. Today, these content creators are establishing legitimate businesses, complete with large studios located in Southern California, which are financed by major advertising deals with leading brands.

Dhar Mann Studios intends to expand its team of approximately 75 full-time staff members by hiring an additional 15 individuals. Meanwhile, Pave Studios in Sherman Oaks, known for producing shows on wellness and true crime, is growing its workforce of 67 contractors and employees by bringing on board an extra 16 full-time team members.

Across the nation, YouTube’s creative environment generated over 490,000 job opportunities last year, as reported by Google-owned YouTube itself, using data from Oxford Economics. This is approximately 60,000 more jobs compared to the previous year, as stated by YouTube.

Thomas Kim, YouTube’s director of product management for creator monetization, stated that creators are increasingly developing full-fledged businesses. This trend is becoming more prevalent, which in turn means that the number of staff and resources needed to maintain these businesses has expanded over time.

Hollywood Inc.

In the past 20 years, YouTube has evolved from a platform for casual videos into a significant player in television, boasting billions of viewers worldwide and streaming many of the planet’s biggest concerts and sporting events.

Sean Atkins, head of Dhar Mann Studios, views it as a substantial chance for expansion within the market. Notably, YouTube is a significant force in streaming, accounting for over 12.5% of U.S. television viewership in May, surpassing streaming platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, according to Nielsen’s statistics.

Atkins, a past president of MTV, expressed that everything feels fresh and just starting out. He envisions, especially as you tour our studio, it resembles the atmosphere in the ’20s when MGM, Disney, and Warner Bros. were established. It’s like an excited pandemonium where everyone is trying to understand what this setting is all about.

The rise of influencer companies in Southern California is a significant advantage for the local economy’s production sector, which has been facing difficulties. In contrast, L.A. County experienced a drop of 27% or about 108,564 jobs in the motion picture and sound recording industries from 2022 to 2024, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Numerous Hollywood professionals have faced difficulties securing jobs due to studios scaling back their output after the 2023 actor and writer strikes, as well as overspending during the streaming wars. For quite some time, productions have moved away from the region to capitalize on attractive financial incentives offered elsewhere and in foreign countries. Furthermore, production in Los Angeles County was impacted by the destructive wildfires that occurred in January.

During this period, it’s been observed that the number of jobs within the creator economy has been on the rise. The Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation reports that the total workforce in L.A.’s creator economy, which includes businesses like media streaming platforms, social networks, and independent artists, writers, and performers, grew by 5% from 2022 to 2024, reaching 70,012 workers. Furthermore, the number of companies within the creator economy sector also saw a growth of 5%, amounting to 46,425 businesses over the same period, as stated by the LAEDC.

Hollywood Inc.

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Behind the stunning job losses in Hollywood: ‘The audience has moved on’

Following last year’s actions by performers and scriptwriters, the entertainment industry in Los Angeles has been having difficulty making a recovery. The decline in production, jobs, and box office earnings is evident.

In these times, I’ve found myself drawn to the dynamic realm of digital media, where the increasing demand has led many seasoned professionals from conventional studio and TV networks to seek employment opportunities. This shift is particularly towards content creators for platforms like YouTube or those working with influencers expanding their teams. It’s an exciting transition, isn’t it?

The shift in consumer behavior is mirrored by the evolution in the business sector. Nowadays, a larger number of Americans are opting to watch YouTube on their TV sets rather than on smartphones. This trend is encroaching upon the territories traditionally occupied by broadcast and cable television. In response, content creators have evolved, setting up larger production teams, venturing into podcasts, merchandise, and occasionally securing streaming deals.

As a passionate film enthusiast, I can’t help but share my admiration for YouTube sensation Jimmy Donaldson, also known as MrBeast. This creative powerhouse has taken the world by storm with his hit reality competition show on Amazon Prime Video. His entrepreneurial ventures don’t stop there – he’s also the mastermind behind Feastables chocolates and other intriguing products. Furthermore, his brand partnerships and sponsorships are a testament to his influence in the industry. Interestingly, his North Carolina-based holding company, Beast Industries, is a powerhouse employing over 500 talented individuals.

Kyle Hjelmeseth, head of talent agency G&B Digital Management, mentioned that he’s fielding increasing numbers of inquiries from individuals with conventional media experience looking to partner with influencers.

Five years back, the perspective on creators in Hollywood would’ve been drastically distinct. Discussing them felt almost elitist, as if we were sniffing air from some exclusive club.

Last month, the team at his firm expanded by bringing on four new hires, with intentions to recruit even more individuals moving forward.

The pressures from the current events in Hollywood and the expanding creator economy are colliding at this point, leading to our discussion about employment opportunities. This collision is causing a significant shift in the overall dynamic, which we’re definitely sensing.

Last year, Pave Studios started out with just a small team of fewer than ten members. Today, they have expanded to a staff of 67 contractors and employees. A significant part of this growth can be attributed to the growing fan base for their video and podcast content, which can be found on various platforms such as YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. The company is currently looking to fill positions like executive producers, with salaries ranging from $95,000 to $145,000, according to founder Max Cutler, depending on the specific show.

With growth and increasing complexities in our business,” Cutler stated, “we find ourselves requiring more experts and additional staff. Video production stands out as a key expansion sector for us.

Hollywood Inc.

In May, streaming platforms overtook traditional broadcast and cable TV for the first time in terms of television viewing share, based on data from Nielsen.

In January, Jen Passovoy started her new role as a producer at Pave Studios, following a decade of experience in producing reality shows like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Ink Master” at Paramount.

Having a background in traditional TV, I was captivated by the agility and audience-centric nature of this company,” Passovoy noted via email. “There’s less bureaucracy here, providing ample space to innovate. It offers the vibrant atmosphere of a startup while maintaining the top-notch content quality you’d find in a large studio.

34-year-old Passovoy expressed that the current job landscape for individuals working in traditional studio and TV networks is quite challenging.

She pointed out that there are currently more unemployed individuals compared to those who are employed, which underscores a significant change. The conventional TV model no longer thrives as it once did; budgets are dwindling, and the secure jobs have all but vanished. The industry has seen an unprecedented number of layoffs, leading many skilled professionals to reconsider their methods and work environments.

The abilities honed in conventional studio and television jobs can be applied effectively in digital-focused positions, such as video editing for social media personalities and digital media organizations, according to experts following the industry.

In addition to general positions, the creator economy encompasses niche roles like thumbnail designers – individuals responsible for crafting the enticing visuals that introduce videos on platforms such as YouTube. These roles can offer high annual salaries, as their work plays a crucial part in attracting viewers to watch the videos.

In June 2025, the hiring platform Roster, which specializes in job listings for the creative industry, reported an almost 80% rise in employers joining to find workers since January of the same year. Out of 1,430 job postings related to creators in 2025, Roster found that video editor positions were the most sought-after, making up approximately 42.5%, with thumbnail designers coming in second at around 16.1% and producers third at 10.6%.

There are downsides. Not all jobs are full-time. Many creators opt to hire freelancers.

Sherry Wong, CEO of Roster, stated that the production requirements of their team should be flexible, expanding and contracting similar to an accordion. This is why many creators, even those who are well-established, hire freelancers, contractors, and maintain a lean workforce.

Due to a high number of job seekers, the job market is incredibly competitive, and the application processes can often be intricate and innovative.

In Miami, freelance creators were sourced by Jenny Hoyos when she organized a hiring event on the platform Roster. The applicants were provided with 10 minutes of unedited video content and asked to trim it down into a compact video, ideally lasting between 30 to 60 seconds.

Today, Hoyos, aged 20, asked potential applicants to produce a concluding piece that was captivating, consistent, and in line with her unique aesthetic. Over one hundred submissions were received by her.

Initially, there were formidable competitors hailing from California, but in the end, the victors turned out to be individuals from Brazil and India. These two freelancers became her preferred choices, whom she described as effectively putting in a workload similar to that of full-time editors.

As a passionate movie enthusiast, I believe in casting the widest possible net when it comes to finding fresh talent for my team. I emphasize that anyone interested in breaking into the digital media world needs more than just a casual interest; they must be fully committed to immersing themselves in the content we create. It doesn’t matter if you grew up with YouTube and social media or not, but what matters is that you develop an unquenchable thirst for consuming such content.

Not everyone who works for YouTube creators gets paid.

Screenwriter Natalie Badillo isn’t receiving a regular income as she works on growing her audience through her YouTube channel, “Great Job Nat.” Previously, Badillo had sold a self-produced project titled the same to HBO Max. Seeking alternative means to avoid the long wait for a TV show to be picked up, she opted to share her material with the world via this YouTube channel.

“Why wait for somebody to throw you a party when you can just throw your own party?” she said.

Badillo leverages her relationships within the classic film and television industry to create the YouTube content. As the channel is in its early stages, contributors often work for minimal compensation or purely for enjoyment and learning opportunities. Despite this, her aspirations are grand, as she declared, “I aim to be the Jon Stewart of the West.

People transitioning from traditional media industries may encounter problems related to wage discrepancies when seeking employment. While certain ventures involving influencers and short clips of television shows or films might be governed by union contracts, many projects lack such safeguards.

As a film critic, I can tell you from my own experiences in the industry that temporary work in Hollywood is much like anything else – it’s a delicate dance requiring a safety net or a significant volume of projects under your belt. Kevin Klowden, executive director at Milken Institute Finance, puts it perfectly: “You either need another source of income to balance things out, or you need to accumulate enough work on multiple projects.” Sadly, the pool of stable, long-term jobs in Hollywood seems to be dwindling.

Yet, as these two realms intersect, established media entities have started acknowledging the surge in popularity of creator-driven shows. They’re actively seeking collaborations with influencers. For instance, Amazon recently greenlit additional seasons for MrBeast’s reality competition series “Beast Games.” Meanwhile, digital media companies are recruiting individuals from conventional media backgrounds to their teams.

Hjelmeseth remarked that things are still quite tentative. It’s as if everyone is hesitantly glancing around the room, wondering if it’s appropriate to start dancing.

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2025-07-12 13:32

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