A new app designed to monitor and prevent bullying, harassment and all forms of discrimination in film and TV has been launched, and is currently in “pilot mode”.

Call It!, founded by director Delyth Thomas and producers (and Pact Members) Jules Hussey and Kate Wilson, is a completely anonymous tool that invites everyone in a workplace (be it a film set, a production office, a VFX studio, a cinema, camera supplier etc.) to let their employers know how they are being treated and tell them if they believe that they have experienced or witnessed bullying, harassment or any form of discrimination. Workers (including staff, freelancers and volunteers) are asked to check in every day, inviting and encouraging positive feedback.

In the event of mistreatment, bullying or harassment, the app signposts the user to options for reporting incidents (using the employers’ own Dignity at Work policy and best placed contact for raising informal and formal complaints) and also to mental health support, empowering every individual to make active choices about reporting any mistreatment and their own wellbeing.

The employer can access a web-based dashboard to monitor the anonymised responses, intervening early and taking action when required. Call It’s founders warn that the app is not a substitute for leadership and people management skills, nor can it work effectively without best practice HR policies and procedures. However, these policies and procedures can be supplied by Pact who will support members in their utilisation.

The team behind the app hopes to work with Birmingham City University's Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity by sharing completely anonymised project data to test hypotheses and spot trends in workers’ experiences in film and TV.  This meta-data can inform evidence-based interventions designed to reduce experiences of mistreatment, bullying, harassment and discrimination in the industry. 

Call It! founder and film producer Kate Wilson says:

We’ve adopted the (bold!) assumption that everyone working in film and TV wants to be treated well and to treat others well. Call It! makes it easier to do just that by gauging experiences, facilitating access to discreet reporting procedures and mental health support, and empowering everyone to do better and better, year-on-year. Our industry can and should be the very best place to work and thrive and Call It! can help us get there.

You can read more about Call It! at callitapp.org.  

If you have any questions or challenges or if your company or production would like to participate in the app’s pilot phase, please contact Kate Wilson: kate@callitapp.org.