Roles in Focus:
Job-Sharing

This week, we spoke to four people at the forefront of that change: Valeria Bullo, founder of Cinemamas and Chair of the Production Guild's EDI Committee; Michelle Reynolds, founder of ReelTime Media, who runs one of the UK's leading job-share programmes; and members Gemma Kent and Addie Orfila, who have each navigated the realities of a production career alongside responsibilities outside of work. 

"We're Stronger Together"

Valeria Bullo - Cinemamas

When Valeria Bullo became a mother in 2018, she felt completely alone.

"I didn't know any other mothers working in the screen industries," she tells us. "I found myself navigating parenthood without a community of people who understood the unique challenges of our industry. By that point, I'd spent 15 years working in physical production, yet I knew very few industry colleagues who had children. And if they did, it often felt like parenthood was something to keep hidden or quiet about."

Without a nanny, an au pair, or a family support network, Valeria relied entirely on nurseries and childminders — and genuinely couldn't see how she could continue in an industry built around long hours and unpredictability while raising a baby. Cinemamas was born from that need: a space for conversation, connection and support.

"The loneliness so many mothers experience isn't a personal failure or a lack of resilience," she says. "It's the result of systems and working cultures that were never designed with parents in mind. That realisation became the foundation of Cinemamas."

What started as a small community has since grown into a movement. And Valeria is clear that the work is far from done, but equally clear that progress is real.

On job-sharing specifically, Valeria is unambiguous: it works, and productions that resist it are asking the wrong question. "Rather than asking 'why would we do this?', the more useful question is 'how can we make this work?' That's when real change happens."

A successful job-share, she says, is built on trust, communication and careful planning; with clear handover processes, shared accountability and a collaborative mindset. When it's done well, productions don't lose anything.

"All they do is GAIN - they gain two fresh perspectives, better decision-making, and greater resilience."

As Chair of the Production Guild's EDI Committee, Valeria is also clear that this conversation must extend beyond parents. The Film & TV Charity's 2024 Looking Glass report showed increasing numbers of people considering leaving the industry because of poor mental health, burnout and unsustainable working practices. The structural issues affect everyone.

"Supporting parents and carers isn't about creating special arrangements for one group - it's about addressing the structural issues that affect the entire workforce. Happier people make better shows and films. Real change has to come from the top."

"You Get Six Days for the Price of Five"

Michelle Reynolds - ReelTime Media

When Michelle Reynolds first started talking to production companies about job-sharing in 2018, she was told in no uncertain terms that it couldn't work in drama.

Since launching the ScreenSkills HETV job-sharing programme in 2021 - and expanding into features last year, ReelTime has paired, placed and supported over 100 pairs across all departments. The normalisation, she says, is already happening. But in the production office, change has been slower than she expected.

"I knew from my experience in unscripted that roles like PM or PC were perfect for sharing - the crew are highly organised, excellent communicators, and there's a strong paper trail with a plethora of shared documents to hand over," she explains. "Many are women at the midpoint of their careers, where personal lives tend to become more complicated. I've been told by many a PM: 'I wish I could job-share.' So what is holding them back?"

The answer, she believes, is perception. Job-sharing is still seen as risky in roles with so much responsibility. But ReelTime's track record - including six pairs of 2nd ADs, two pairs of accountants, and currently two pairs of job-sharing Line Producers - tells a different story.

At the heart of every successful job-share, Michelle says, are trust, respect and excellent communication. ReelTime works closely with the pairs they support to establish clear, formally agreed arrangements from the outset - including training with executive coach Hannah Corneck in communication, active listening, and managing difficult conversations.

The practical case for productions is equally compelling. "You have double the problem-solving capacity, double the contacts, double the energy. You have an extra pair of eyes on important details and built-in cover for sick days or emergency childcare. You have rested people burning through the workload efficiently - because they're not making mistakes from exhaustion. With ScreenSkills funding, it doesn't cost the production any more money. In fact, they get six days for the price of five."

And who should consider it? Everyone, says Michelle.

"Maybe you're a new entrant who needs to keep a second income going. Maybe you're a parent or carer. Maybe you're neurodivergent and vulnerable to burnout. Maybe you need physio for a bad back. Maybe you're going through cancer treatment. Maybe you just don't want to work 80-hour weeks anymore. All these reasons are valid. The industry needs to keep all these people."

"Nothing Can Replace Face-to-Face Contact"

Gemma Kent - Financial Controller

For Gemma Kent, balance has come gradually. As a Financial Controller, Gemma has been fortunate enough to work in a department where hybrid working is more feasible than in many others. Her children have grown up around film sets, and who now both want to work in the industry themselves, one in film and one in game design.

"It was harder in the earlier days," she admits. "But family support was so helpful whilst I built my career." Now, she ensures her own team is supported in the same way she was. "I would always consider further adjustments to anyone requiring support."

But she is also honest about the limits. A full work-from-home model is difficult on larger productions, she says - because nothing can replace the face-to-face contact with different departments that builds trust and enables effective communication. The hybrid model, thoughtfully applied, is where she has found the balance.

Her advice to anyone navigating this is simple: "It's the best industry in the world to work in, but the demands are high. Having a support network around you is so important."

"Keep Looking Forwards"

Addie Orfila - Production Consultant & Trainer

Addie Orfila has worked in this industry for many years — and her story is one of remarkable adaptability.

After years as a First Assistant Director, damaged discs in her back brought the reality of long-term sustainability sharply into focus. Faced with the possibility of surgery, Addie began asking a different question of herself: "What else could I be good at?" Others took a chance on her - and she moved into Production Management, discovering she loved leading production teams, sitting in writers' rooms and shaping not just logistical but creative decisions.

"None of that was part of some grand master plan," she reflects. "It was about being open to opportunities, looking forwards rather than backwards, and being willing to say yes when something new came along."

Her advice to freelancers navigating careers alongside responsibilities outside of work is equally grounded. "Don't give yourself such a hard time. Building a freelance career whilst trying to have a life outside work is genuinely difficult."

Stay connected, she says. Keep CVs and credits up to date. Register with your local screen agency. Go to events. Ask questions.

She recalls coaching someone who said: "No one told me." It stayed with her.

"The reality is that no one is responsible for managing your freelance career except you. That isn't meant to sound harsh — it's actually empowering. Keep looking forwards. Stay curious. Be kind to people and be kind to yourself. Curiosity and kindness go a really long way — and they're qualities that people remember long after they've forgotten what's on your CV."

What This Means for Our Industry

The four voices in this piece come from very different places in the industry - a community founder, a job-share programme leader, a Financial Controller, and a Production Manager now Consultant & Trainer. But the message remains the same.

Job-sharing is not a radical idea. It is a practical solution to a very real problem and one that the industry's most forward-thinking productions are already embracing. The argument is no longer whether it can work; the evidence shows it can. The question is simply whether we are willing to make it work.

At the Production Guild UK, we believe we are stronger when our community is diverse, supported and sustainable. Job-sharing is one meaningful part of that, and we are proud to be part of the conversation.

If you would like to find out more about job-sharing, visit ReelTime Media, and Cinemamas

Members now have access to Michelle Reynolds Masterclass Resource 'Job-Sharing 101'