Greetings I am an IATSE film crew worker currently in grave danger of losing my home and my car. For those not familiar, I am what is referred to as a Below-The-Line worker in the film/production industry. Like most IATSE workers, I have been devastatingly affected by the Hollywood strikes and the state of the industry over the past two years. For the last decade and a half, I have earned a reasonable middle-class living working in the film industry as a worker bee. I have always been someone who plays by the rules and does things the right way. I have worked hard, lived modestly, have contributed to my community, and other charities when times were good financially. However, at this point, I am on the verge of falling further into a financial sinkhole that I may never recover from for the rest of my life. My partner and I have a three-month-old baby and work/gigs have been few and far between for both of us throughout this turbulent time. I do not live or seek to live an extravagant lifestyle. I have a very modest home in the city of Atlanta and a very modest car to get me from point A to point B. Atlanta is a true commuter city with less than ideal-public transportation. Additionally, when I work on a project I am sometimes required to drive to different locations to perform job-related tasks. In the event of getting independent gigs that are not related to the film industry in Atlanta Georgia as a whole, having a car is a necessity for earning a living.
For the better part of a year and a half, I have completed over 400 applications to companies both statewide and nationwide. I have applied on numerous job boards during this time. Something that many of my fellow IATSE film crew workers will attest to is that corporations/companies/firms are reluctant to hire people from the film industry, even though many of us have decades of experience. One of the reasons I’ve been given through numerous rejection communications is the fear of companies that film crew people will up and leave as soon as a Production comes calling. The industry has suffered a cataclysmic shift following the strikes of 2023 and many film crew workers are seeking to move away from the production industry if they can. I am continually applying, seeking work, speaking with recruiters, attending job fairs, etc. I am not sitting back, waiting for the film industry to rebound. However, as I have mentioned before, I am in grave jeopardy of losing my most valuable asset at this point, which is my home. Please I am asking the universe and generous empathetic people out there to aid me in my time of need. I need $15,000 to save my home and my car. That would be a huge blessing to me and my family as we head into the holidays.