Worked as a runner at Halo Post Production and unfortunately the environment was far more controlling than supportive. Runners were actively discouraged from sitting down even when there was no work to do, and there was a constant feeling of being watched. Managers would sometimes monitor people secretly in the hope of catching them out doing something “wrong”, which created a really tense atmosphere rather than a productive one.
There was also a huge emphasis on appearances over actual work. People were told off for not smiling enough or not looking cheerful enough, even during long stressful days. It often felt less about doing your job well and more about performing happiness at all times.
There are some lovely people working there and you do learn a lot about post production, but the culture for junior staff felt unnecessarily intimidating and exhausting. What made it more frustrating was seeing the company spend huge amounts of money on massive parties and events while junior staff were treated as completely disposable and kept under constant pressure.
The contrast between the image the company projected and the way runners were actually treated was hard to ignore.
