4th December 2025
Working in New Zealand’s film and television sector can sound glamorous, but a recent profile from The Spinoff shows a very different day-to-day reality for many behind-the-scenes professionals. A 26-year-old film and TV production contractor shared a detailed breakdown of her income, expenses and how she manages the uncertainty of contractual work by building an “unemployment fund” from every pay cycle.
Her solo income of around $60,000 before tax is far from fixed, and most weeks she saves between $200 and $300 on a good week. Rather than putting that into discretionary spending or investments, it goes into a fund designed to support her through gaps between gigs. Screen industry work often swings between intense short bursts and long dry spells with no guaranteed income, so this kind of financial planning has become a necessity rather than a luxury.
In practical terms, her bills reflect a cost of living that will be familiar to many Kiwis. Groceries cost around $300 a week for two people, she budgets conservatively for eating out or takeaways, makes her own coffee to avoid regular café spend, and pays roughly $50 a week on petrol to get to set. She also balances a mortgage with her partner, paying half of a $743 weekly repayment for their suburban three-bedroom home.
Outside basic living costs, she tracks discretionary spending closely. Clothing costs over a year came to about $400, she spends around $500 annually on grooming services she now keeps minimal, and her main hobby — a pole studio membership — accounts for around $3,000 of annual expenditure. She reports the occasional movie night, the odd social drink, and a few personal indulgences like a Japanese head spa trip, all squeezed into a tight budget.
What stands out in her story is not just the numbers, but the mindset. She describes her financial situation in three words as “erratic, savvy, lucky,” recognising that while she manages her money carefully, the structural instability of screen industry contracting means she always has to be prepared for income gaps. Without the safety net of regular work, an unemployment fund becomes essential to weather the unpredictable rhythm of production schedules.
Her experience underscores a broader reality for many New Zealand screen workers: a sector that offers creative fulfilment and varied opportunities also comes with significant financial unpredictability. The nature of contracting work means there is rarely a sense of long-term income security, and individuals are left to build their own buffers to cope with lean periods between jobs.
For industry professionals, this speaks to the importance of financial literacy and planning, but it also raises questions about how the screen sector supports its workforce more broadly. With a production landscape that can fluctuate with international demand, rebate changes and market cycles, performers, crew and contractors alike may benefit from stronger systems of support, including mechanisms that reduce the reliance on individual savings alone.
Whether it’s negotiating contracts that account for gaps in work, advocating for more stable funding models, or promoting sector-wide approaches to income security, there is a clear need for the industry to look beyond day rates and project-to-project survival. The story from The Spinoff offers a rare and valuable look into what it really costs to build a life as a screen industry worker in Aotearoa, and why forethought and resilience are as vital as any skill on set.
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