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Wow: this Instagram account shows how intense Hollywood is

inst account that shows life in Hollywood

Do you dream of a job in Hollywood? And maybe not in front of the cameras, but behind them? PA of a famous director for example or an extra, maybe in catering? Honestly: all of these seemed like pretty fun jobs to me. Seemed yes, because I ended up on the Instagram account @ia_stories and I have completely changed my mind about it.

Because this account has gained quite a lot of attention and followers in recent weeks, as they share personal experiences of people working in the Hollywood industry, or in other words, people who are affiliated with the IATSE: International Alliance of Stage Employees. And indeed behind the scenes. The account now has almost 1,200 posts, all messages they have received via DM from (ex-)employees in this field. And believe me: working here is no picnic.

You are literally treated like crap. It sounds so glamorous, working on a set with someone like Leonardo DiCaprio or Margot Robbie, but read a few of these experiences and you'll quickly realize there's nothing glamorous about it. No, it's mostly being underpaid, undervalued, not being insured (that's how it works in America), not daring to call in sick... The list is endless. Check out a small selection of the experiences here. Side note: currently, many strikes have been announced in this industry due to the working conditions there. Understandable, when you read it like this.

1. Finally got your dream job, you get paid $15 per hour (and then taxes are deducted), they decide to move from LA to New York — but you have to pay for all of that yourself.

2. Working more than 60 hours a week because you have your dream job, but ultimately not even earning enough money to pay your rent and groceries.

3. The days are really very long and you just have to keep going, because for you there are ten others who want to replace you.

4. Getting paid for eight hours a day but working 16 is nothing new in Hollywood.

5. And what do they do when strikes are coming? Exactly, they just make you work even harder as long as they can.

6. Calling in sick, for whatever reason, is a no-go and often means immediate dismissal.

7. But there is a bit of light at the end of the tunnel. Hopefully, this becomes more the norm than an exception, because yes: all costs outside of work (regardless of whether they change the location last minute) are at your own expense.