Labor Conditions of "Below the Line" Workers in the Uruguayan Audiovisual Industry

Abstract

This article provides a qualitative approach to the labor conditions of "below the line" workers in the film and audiovisual industry in Uruguay. Based on in-depth interviews with workers, observations on set, and sectoral sources, it analyzes both the objective dimensions of work—contractual modalities, working hours, income—as well as the meanings, connections, and inequalities that shape it. The text shows how the structure of project-based work and organizational fragmentation generate regimes of immersion, uncertainty, and constant demand for availability. At the same time, it highlights that the sector is not homogeneous: subsectors such as advertising, national cinema, and international series exhibit specific organizational, recognition, and sustainability logics. Inequalities based on gender, generation, and available social capital are also evident. This text is part of an ongoing research project and aims to contribute to the construction of more just agendas in the sector.