Behind the Cameras: Burbank Crew Members Navigate Industry's Seismic Shifts

The coffee at Porto’s on Magnolia Boulevard tastes the same as it did twenty years ago, but everything else about working in entertainment has changed, according to veteran gaffer Mike Torres.

“I used to know exactly where I’d be working six months out,” says Torres, a 28-year industry veteran who lives in the Rancho neighborhood. “Now? I’m lucky if I know what’s happening next month.”

Torres is one of dozens of Burbank-based crew members grappling with an entertainment industry in flux. Between streaming platform consolidations, artificial intelligence concerns, and lingering effects from last year’s dual strikes, the backbone of Hollywood’s workforce is adapting to unprecedented change.

The New Normal

Script supervisor Maria Gonzalez remembers when pilot season meant guaranteed work from February through May. Her Toluca Lake apartment became a second home to visiting actors who knew they’d be in town for months of potential pickups.

“Pilot season used to be Christmas morning for crew,” Gonzalez explains over lunch at Denny’s on Olive Avenue. “Studios would order 12, 15 pilots. Even if half got picked up, that was steady work. Now? Everything’s different.”

The shift to streaming has fundamentally altered production schedules. Instead of traditional 22-episode seasons, many shows now run 6-10 episodes. Netflix might greenlight a series one month and cancel it the next. The predictable rhythms that sustained Burbank’s entertainment workforce for decades have evaporated.

Camera operator David Kim, who’s worked on everything from “The Big Bang Theory” at Warner Bros. to countless commercials at the studios along Hollywood Way, puts it simply: “We went from feast or famine to… well, mostly famine with occasional snacks.”

Technology’s Double-Edged Sword

The industry’s technological evolution presents both opportunities and threats. LED volume stages—massive curved screens that create realistic backgrounds—have replaced many location shoots. While this keeps more productions in Burbank, it’s also eliminated jobs for transportation coordinators and location managers.

“Virtual production is incredible,” admits dolly grip Sarah Chen, who recently worked on a Disney+ series at the studios near Bob Hope Airport. “But when you can create the surface of Mars in a warehouse in Burbank, you don’t need a crew in Morocco anymore.”

Artificial intelligence looms as the industry’s next disruptor. Visual effects artist Roberto Martinez, who freelances between studios in the Media District, has watched AI tools become increasingly sophisticated.

“Two years ago, it took me three days to rotoscope a complex scene,” Martinez explains. “Now there’s an AI tool that does it in three hours. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s getting scary good.”

Martinez has adapted by learning to work with AI tools rather than against them, a strategy he’s teaching his teenage daughter. “I tell her, ‘Don’t fight the robots, learn to boss them around.’”

Community Impact

These industry changes ripple through Burbank’s economy. Local businesses that depend on production crews are feeling the pinch. Tony Papazian, who owns Burbank Camera Exchange on West Olive, has noticed the shift.

“Used to be, crews would come in needing filters, batteries, memory cards for big shoots,” Papazian says. “Now half the purchases are people upgrading their home setups for virtual meetings or self-taped auditions.”

The housing market tells a similar story. Properties near the studios once commanded premium rents from industry workers. Now, with more remote work and fewer long-term productions, that demand has softened.

“My landlord used to jack up the rent every year because he knew entertainment people made good money,” says sound mixer Janet Williams, who lives in Magnolia Park. “This year, for the first time, he didn’t raise it. He knows we’re all struggling.”

Adaptation and Resilience

Despite the challenges, Burbank’s entertainment workforce is adapting with characteristic resilience. Many are diversifying their skills, taking on corporate video work, or moving into emerging fields like virtual reality production.

Prop master Lisa Rodriguez has pivoted to designing escape rooms and themed experiences. “It’s still storytelling, just interactive,” she explains. “And honestly, the pay is better than half the indie films I was doing.”

Some are finding opportunity in the chaos. Production designer James Walker launched a company that rents furniture and decor specifically for virtual backgrounds on video calls—a business that didn’t exist before 2020.

“Everyone’s doing Zoom calls from home now, but they still want to look professional,” Walker explains from his warehouse near the Burbank Airport. “I’m basically doing set decoration for people’s home offices.”

Looking Forward

Industry veterans like Torres remain cautiously optimistic. Despite the uncertainty, content creation continues to explode across platforms. Someone still needs to hold the cameras, adjust the lights, and make sure the fake blood looks real.

“Content is still king,” Torres says, adjusting his IATSE Local 728 cap. “They’re making more stuff than ever, just differently. We’ll figure it out. We always do.”

The crew members agree that success now requires more flexibility than previous generations. Where once you might specialize in sitcoms or dramas, today’s workers need to be comfortable jumping between commercials, streaming series, corporate videos, and whatever new format emerges next.

“My dad worked at one studio his whole career,” says Chen, the dolly grip. “That world doesn’t exist anymore. But there’s something exciting about not knowing what project you’ll be on next month. Keeps things interesting.”

As the entertainment industry continues its rapid evolution, Burbank remains at the center of it all. The studios still hum with activity, even if the rhythms have changed. And in coffee shops and diners across town, crew members continue swapping stories and job leads, adapting to whatever Hollywood throws at them next.

After all, making magic look real has always required a little improvisation.