July 17, 2025

206: Dying to Work in the Film Industry

Show Notes

Joining Film Fights with Friends is Dr. Paul Heinzelmann, a physician, former clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and Producer/Director of Safe Sets: Dying to Work in the Film Industry - a feature length exploration of systemic issues impacting the health and wellbeing of film workers. This critically important documentary weaves together candid interviews with technicians, union representatives, public health experts, and notable performers (Jon Hamm and John Malkovich) with the story of Dr. Paul's effort to conduct research into health and safety in the film industry. The cumulative impacts of sleep deprivation, toxic exposure, stress, long hours, accidents and other issues explored in Safe Sets are not only detrimental and unhealthy, but potentially deadly for film workers. Stunts-gone-wrong and other accidents happen all the time on film sets. Not just the ones that make the news – workers die with such regularity that the life expectancy of film workers is estimated by some to be many years shorter than the national average. Film workers frequently succumb to untreated injuries, illnesses, substance use dependencies and mental health issues because they lack the time and resources to schedule medical appointments or to simply rest and heal.

Safe Sets IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28515733/reference/

Safe Sets Website: https://www.safesetsmovie.org

MENTIONS:

TAMMFF Film

Freeway: https://filmfreeway.com/TAMMFF

FILM FIGHTS WITH FRIENDS

Do you listen to our show as an audio podcast? Give video a try. Subscribe to our Youtube for the video version with awesome behind the scenes pics and video! https://www.youtube.com/@FilmFightsFriendsPod?sub_confirmation=1

Dig the show? Consider supporting our Patreon. There are some

cool perks! http://patreon.com/FilmFightsFriendsPodcast

Join our e-mail list! Hit us up here: fightingwithfriendspod@gmail.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/FilmFightsFriendsPod

Facebook: http://facebook.com/FilmFightsFriendsPod

Steve’s Instagram: Instagram.com/sambosteve

Steve’s IMDB: http://imdb.me/stephenkoepfer

Paul’s on Instagram: http://Instagram.com/KravMagaChef

Paul’s IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8062990/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Breakfall Studios’ Instagram: http://Instagram.com/breakfallstunts

OUR SPONSORS

PRODUCERS