Showrunner Launched Jobs Portal for Industry Freelancers

The site connects film and television professionals to new employers amid ongoing industry contraction.

Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Remote Work

Heavy steel film lighting equipment and a cinema camera tripod on a polished studio floor, reflecting the technical environment of the entertainment industry.
Former showrunner Peter Lenkov launched Between Gigs on September 28, 2026, creating a new digital labor-matching portal for displaced film and television production workers. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Do you believe specialized online platforms effectively help workers find income during industry downturns?

Former Hawaii Five-0 showrunner Peter Lenkov launched Between Gigs to serve as a bridge for entertainment workers seeking employment. The digital platform launched September 28, 2026, to assist crew members affected by industry-wide consolidation.

Why it matters

The platform addresses the ongoing contraction in film and television production that has displaced thousands of skilled trade workers. By centralizing talent discovery, it creates a new labor-matching mechanism for projects operating outside of traditional studio pipelines.

The new platform arrives following years of industry disruption, with founder Peter Lenkov having departed his role at CBS TV Studios in 2020. The site now hosts a database of set carpenters, makeup artists, hairstylists, and costumers looking for work.

The players

Peter Lenkov

A veteran showrunner who previously led the production team for the Hawaii Five-0 series before departing CBS TV Studios.

CBS TV Studios

A major television production entity and subsidiary of a larger media conglomerate responsible for producing high-volume network programming.

The details

Between Gigs functions as a centralized database that allows entertainment professionals to connect directly with external clients for production work. The initiative relies on social media outreach, including Facebook and Instagram, to drive traffic among displaced industry workers. This shift reflects a move toward decentralized freelance labor markets in sectors traditionally reliant on internal studio talent rosters.

Timeline

  1. • Peter Lenkov departed CBS TV Studios in 2020.

  2. • The Between Gigs website went live on September 28, 2026.

  3. • A wider audience rollout occurred the week of October 1, 2026.

Market Landscape

This platform emerges as a direct response to the consolidation and downsizing of major studio production teams. The launch of this platform follows the pattern set by the ongoing contraction in Hollywood television production.

Operators in the entertainment sector should monitor this platform as a potential signal for shifts in crew recruitment dynamics. Businesses relying on specialized freelance talent should evaluate whether such independent databases improve hiring efficiency compared to traditional agency or studio rosters.

The takeaway

The rise of specialized talent portals indicates that decentralized labor matching is becoming a standard coping mechanism for industries undergoing contraction. Operators should track whether this model successfully secures consistent talent, as it could become a blueprint for other skilled-trade sectors.

Further reading

For more on shifts in the freelance labor market, see Remote Work.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Deadline.

Live Poll

Do you believe specialized online platforms effectively help workers find income during industry downturns?