Hollywood’s In Trouble—and Everyone Feels It
By Mike Fortin
Let’s not dance around it: people in this industry are pissed off, burnt out, and broke.
For the past couple years, we’ve all been clinging to some version of “it’ll bounce back soon,” while our inboxes stayed quiet, our gear collected dust, and our bank accounts dried up. The strikes were necessary—absolutely—but they also exposed just how fragile the system was underneath. And now, even with agreements in place, most of us are still waiting on that so-called comeback.
It’s not here. Not really.
This Isn’t a Comeback—It’s a Slow Bleed
Everyone’s trying to play it cool, but behind closed doors, people are hurting. Crew members are picking up side hustles to pay rent. Directors are begging for half the budgets they used to have. Small production houses are folding. And even when the work does come in, the rates are lower, the timelines are shorter, and the expectations are somehow higher.
And for those of us running small companies—like mine, CineDrones—it’s been brutal.
We’re chasing down jobs that used to come to us. We’re quoting tighter and tighter to stay competitive, only to find out someone else undercut by 30% just to keep their team working. Everyone’s scrambling, and nobody wants to say it out loud, but here it is:
Hollywood is a mess right now.
The Drone Game: Not Glamorous, Just Grit
People love to assume that drone work is booming. That we’re out here racking up gigs with Netflix and HBO every week, just flying over cliffs and sunsets. Nope. We’ve been grinding, pivoting into whatever will keep the engine running—window cleanings, inspections, real estate flyovers—anything to avoid going under while the big projects stall out.
We believe in the work. We know the value of cinematic drone footage. But the truth is, a lot of productions just aren’t spending like they used to. And when they do, drones are treated like a luxury, not the powerful storytelling tool they really are.
It’s demoralizing. But we keep showing up anyway.
So Where Does This Leave Us?
The honest answer? In limbo.
The “Hollywood machine” that used to keep thousands of people employed is sputtering. And it’s not just about AI, or strikes, or streaming—it’s about decades of bloat, bad habits, and a broken model that finally cracked. Now we’re all left trying to figure out what the new normal even looks like—and how the hell to survive until it gets here.
But here’s what gives me hope: we’re still here. The ones who love this craft, the ones who can’t imagine doing anything else—we’re still standing. Banged up, sure. Scraping by? Yeah. But not done.
And if you’re feeling all of this too? You’re not alone.
Final Thought
Hollywood needs a rebuild. Not just structurally, but spiritually. The passion, the risk, the artistry—it’s still there. It’s just buried under years of chaos and corporate nonsense.
So yeah, we’re frustrated. We’re exhausted. But we’re not giving up.
We’ll keep flying. Keep creating. Keep calling out the BS. And when the dust settles? We’ll be ready.
– Mike Fortin
Owner, CineDrones
