BTEC
LEVEL 3 Diploma in Creative Media Production
Understanding
the TV and Film Industries
Assignment
2/LO 2: Know about job roles in the television and film industries.
I have been asked by the Career Advisors at SFX to
present a 2000 word report on the different job roles within the film and TV
industry for prospective students involved in TV and Film so that I can
showcase this at the Careers fair. In the report I will be explaining all the
different responsibilities each of these job roles require in everyday life.
When it comes to having a job in the TV/Film industry you have to have many
qualities to stand out like; being hardworking, ambitious, independent, have
experience, being able to use your initiative and being patient because the
TV/Film industry is very competitive especially when someone is applying for
the job you want. There several types of job roles in the industry such as
management, creative, editorial, technical, research, financial, organisational
and administrative. All these job roles have different working patterns such as
shift work, fixed term, office hours, freelance, irregular patterns, hourly
rates and piece work which will be further discussed further in the report.
Job
roles: Managerial
Having
management in all TV/Film industries helps keep a company or organisation under
control so the company’s goals are achieved effectively therefore boosting the
company’s standards and status. Management are there to manage, lead and guide
the TV/Film industry organisation so required goals and targets are achieved to
a certain standard because roles within management are very crucial to have as
they help contribute the company’s business. As well as directing and ordering
they hand out useful advice for trainees to understand how the TV/Film operate
so they can perform their job to the best of their ability. There are several
examples of managerial roles presented in the TV/Film industry.
In the TV/Film industry an example of someone who has
to be considered under the managerial sector is a Producer, they recruit all the crew members and delegates roles
(hiring crew and/talent and firing). Producers are in charge of organising all
sectors regarding filming on set to make sure everything runs smoothly from
start to finish. They must have good organisational skills and time management
because their job consists of it. Producers that have these qualities will
produce a TV/film that will run on schedule. Also the need to make sure
production runs on schedule (call sheet) because they won’t know who needs to
be on set unlike the Director. They have to keep a budget log sheet to prevent
over spending so they always have a contingency plan to prevent any unplanned
issues that may delay production such as if a TV/film takes longer than
schedule to shoot, money on equipment won’t be wasted. They have oversight over
pre-production, production and post-production. An example of a TV Producer
would be Simon Cowell because despite being A&R Executive and TV Producer
he has produced “TV shows such as Pop Idol, The X Factor, Britain's Got Talent
and American Idol. He is also the owner of the television production and music
publishing house Syco”.(Wikipedia 1, 20/10/13) Producers have to ensure they
have certain qualities to complete responsibilities and aspirations of the
company such as such as leadership- where they aren’t afraid to take charge and
lead the company into success. Good communication skills- where they are able
to discuss and share information with co-workers. They have to be organised
with everything to ensure everything runs smoothly and doesn’t delay. Three
main qualities a Producer must have are good time management skills because
people depend on them to complete things at a certain deadline in order for
production to do well. Patience is required because if they rush or stress
people too much that person may not perform to the best of their ability
because they are trying to keep the Producer happy. Also in films Producers
have to be very patient especially if there working alongside other well-known
Producers. They have to be very good at multi-tasking to make sure all tasks
are attended to no matter the situation as Producers have to give insight in
everything being done in production. Research skills is also a good quality to
have because they have to research about locations so it’s easy for filming and
equipment to be used. Producers also have to have good maths because they are
dealing and managing budget constantly so people have trust in their expertise.
An example of a film Producer would be Steven Spielberg “who is an American
film director, screenwriter, producer, and business magnate, in a career of
more than four decades. Three of Spielberg's films ‘Jaws’ (1975), ‘E.T. the
Extra-Terrestrial’ (1982), and ‘Jurassic Park’ (1993) achieved box office
records, each becoming the highest-grossing film made at the time.” (Wikipedia
2, 18/10/13) Another film Producer would be Jerry Bruckheimer “who is an
American TV/film producer. He has achieved great success in the genres of
action, drama, and science fiction. His best known television series are CSI:
Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Without a Trace and Cold Case.
Bruckheimer was the first producer in Hollywood history to produce the top two
highest-grossing films of a single weekend, ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: The
Curse of the Black Pearl’ and ‘Bad Boys II’.” (Wikipedia 3, 18/10/13) There are
different jobs available in the managerial sector. A Director gives directions to actors on set and editor/s during
post-production because unlike storyboards they also have the artistic vision. First Assistant Director is a Director’s
assistant but they are in charge of time keeping and the smooth running of all
roles on set. They have to be very flexible and independent relating given
tasks set by their boss and be able to have good time management skills in
order to multi task efficiently. They have to be able to work under pressure
because they have to do work Directors don’t have time to do even though
there’s a short deadline. Casting
Directors are in charge of casting. They have to have good conversational
skills/friendly in order for people to feel comfortable. Also they have to have
good experience in their expertise to make smart decisions based on how the
script is e.g. if the main character in the script is a black woman with short
black hair the Casting Director has to auditions for that character. They have
to have patience because some casting takes longer than planned because of the
type of character required to fit the role. Also Casting Directors have to be
able to take charge and have leadership in the casting sessions in order to
find the right people for the characters e.g. informing the person how to
portray the character and what the Casting Director expects to see. Distributors
are companies that just help distribute the film. Distributors have to be
very organisational when releasing films and they have to be able to source
upcoming films to feature in their catalogues. Also it’s imperative that they
have a lot of money to invest and budget their profits in a TV/film show. An
example of a film distributor is Paramount Pictures and an example of a TV/film
distributor is Dazzle because they distribute, exhibit the sales of short
films.
Creative
The creative roles in the TV/Film industry are the
only sectors in the industry that requires people to have artistic and exciting
vision for the production in order to create a story/script for the TV/film. There
are specific job skills and qualities that people have to have in order to suit
this particular job to do it effectively.
The Scriptwriter
only writes the script/story so they don’t have a say with how their story is
portrayed as it’s the Director’s order to tell them how they want it. A scriptwriter has many qualities and
responsibilities to aspire to such as having creativity, being original and a loose
imagination. They have to be very artistic and ensure the story/script has
relevance to the themes of the name of the film. They have to write something
completely original and think outside of the box in order for the TV/film to
progress in the specific market e.g. adding twists in scripts to shock people,
adding cliff-hangers in films that later on lead to sequels that keep being on
their toes as to what will happen next therefore enticing them to watch the
second one or in TV programmes the Scriptwriter adds a unexpected cliff-hanger
to hook viewers to watch the second one. Good literacy skills and grammar are
needed so they can expand their vocabulary and also Directors and
Actors/Actresses are able to learn about the characters and morals of the
story, understand the ways in which the script was written and rehearse easily.
Scriptwriters have to have good communication between the Director in order to
write a successful script/story so they can share and explain their ideas and thoughts
relating the story for the Director to interpret. They have to be very flexible
and be able to change their schedule especially if there’s a deadline for a
script due they have to work well under pressure even if the script isn’t
finished. Also if the Director is getting very impatient with the Scriptwriter,
they still have to stay under pressure. An example of a well-known successful Scriptwriter
would be Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino. Woody Allen directs his own films
to avoid any disappoint within the final product because his film wasn’t as
good as he expected.“Woody Allen is an American screenwriter, director, actor,
comedian and playwright whose career spans more than 50 years. Some of his best
known written over 40 films are ‘Annie
Hall’ (1977), ‘Manhattan’ (1979),
‘Hannah and Her Sisters’ (1986) and ‘Midnight in Paris’ (2011)” (Wikipedia 4,
18/10/13). Another example of a scriptwriter would be Quentin Tarantino “who is
an American film director, screenwriter, producer, and actor. In the early
1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with the release of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ in 1992. He wrote many
other successful films such as ‘Pulp
Fiction’ (1994), ‘Kill Bill Vol. 1’
(2003), ‘Kill Bill Vol. 2’ (2004), ‘Inglorious Basterds’ (2009) and ‘Django Unchained’ (2012)” (Wikipedia 5,
18/10/13). Directors tell the actors
how they should act because they are the only one with artistic vision so if they
can’t draw the image on a storyboard she/he will hire someone to draw out his
vision in more depth. The storyboard is important because it shows how
particular shots will look when it’s eventually created and edited into a
sequence. They have to instruct their crew and talent ensuring they understand
what to do. They have to rehearse with actors to make sure they rehearse their
lines properly and act a certain way to fit the Director’s expectations. Directors
have to ensure they keep a good relationship with the cinematographer and
editor because they each have important roles which link together. The
cinematographer films all the footage the Director wants for a scene. Then
eventually the editor receives all the footage and cuts it into a sequential
order. They are involved in the pre-production, production and post-production
like the Producer. Being a successful Director means having key qualities such
as leadership/good observational skills- where the Director observes and leads
their team into success. They have to be confident especially when talking with
co-workers to show they understand the purpose of their role. They have to be
very creative or imaginative to show they know when to use their initiative and
come up with original productive ideas. Directors have to be able to work under
pressure because TV/films always have strict deadlines and Directors have to
ensure all sectors are covered effectively as they are responsible for that. An
example of a successful film director would be Tim Burton who has directed 16
films as of 2012. Tim Burton is known for adding dark, gothic and quirky takes
on horror and fantasy styles within his movies. A few movies he directed such
as ‘Edward Scissorhands’(1990) and ‘Alice in Wonderland.’(2010). In contrast
an example of a TV director would be Alan Bridges who has directed over 20 TV
programmes in his time such as ‘Les
Miserables.’
Actors/actresses
act as the characters in the production and they have to experience in acting
via specialised acting schools. They have to have many skills to become a
successful actor/actress to stand out from the others such as great
communication with the Director if there are any issues with them not
connecting with their character as well. They have to have good memorization
skills because they have to learn and remember lines without any help. Also
they have to have focus and stay in character when they need to. They must be
very versatile and automatically play the part of any given character for the
specific story even if it’s out of their comfort zone. In order to get the role
they auditioned for they have to connect with the character physically,
mentally and emotionally. Robert Downey Jr. is “an American actor who has
starred in many films such as ‘The
Singing Detective’ and ‘Tropic
Thunder’ In his recent films in 2008, Downey played the role of Marvel
superhero Tony Stark / Iron Man in the live action film ‘Iron Man’, a role he reprised in ‘Iron Man 2’, ‘Marvel's The
Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man 3’. In
2009 he played the title character in Guy Ritchie's ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and again in 2011's ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’. He's starred in six movies
that have each grossed over $500 million at the box office worldwide. ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Iron Man 3’ each earned over $1 billion. Downey was estimated $75
million in earnings between June 2012 and June 2013” (Wikipedia 6, 20/10/13). British TV Presenters are quite noticeable as
well in the TV industry because they are a part of the contribution of shows
getting views and ratings. Dermot O’Leary is a good example of this because he
is “an English television and radio presenter best known for his current
television and radio work with ITV and BBC Radio 2. He is best known for being the presenter for
The X Factor on ITV since 2007. His early television career saw Dermot present
the spin-off show Big Brother's Little Brother on Channel 4 between 2001 and 2008;
he also presented a number of other Big Brother spin-off shows including Big
Brother Africa and Big Brother around the World. Between 2006 and 2007, Dermot
presented National Lottery game show 1 vs. 100. Since 2010, Dermot has annually presented
National Television Awards airing live from The O2 Arena and airing on ITV. He
currently presents his own Saturday afternoon radio show on BBC Radio 2 and
hosted the first BRITs Icon television celebration with Elton John in September
2013.” (Wikipedia 7, 20/10/13). Art
Director/Set Designers design the film set and provides props. They have to
have an artistic vision and can imagine how a particular scene suits the
storyboard. They have other skills required on set such as “having knowledge of
interior design and architecture as well as a practical understanding of
building and construction. They must have a good eye for decoration and detail
and have the ability to think visually. They have important duties to do in a
TV show/film because they are responsible for commissioning all
Special Effects (such as explosions or car crash sequences) and hiring all
vehicles e.g. cars. Also whilst filming is taking place they must continue to
oversee the construction, dressing and striking of the remaining sets because
when shooting is completed, Art Directors/Set designers must ensure that all
sets are struck, locations are cleared so that all outstanding Art Department
bills are paid.” (Art Director, 03/11/13). They have to have good communication
skills with the Directors and other job roles on set e.g. Lighting Director and
Cameraman/woman. Also they should have some experience with using graphic software
on PCs to be able to create good computerized props or effects. They must
leadership in order to make vast decisions. In the film ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (2010) Stefan Dechant was a supervising Art
Director so he to help supervise the Art Director on set about how creative and
realistic the scene suited.
Make-up
Artists apply make-up on the actors. They have to have
experience in their expertise via specialised beauty schools in order to
understand which make up will enhance the character under different lighting or
any accidents e.g. if the TV/film is a horror the Make-up Artist has to know
which make-up will enhance the character effectively and also if the character
has a bruise the Make-up Artist has to know which colour themes will portray
the bruise effect on camera. They have to know about make-up and which one will
do the right job intended on-screen e.g. if someone has visual blemishes they
have to know which make-up will work. They have to be able to have good
relationship/communication skills with the Costume Designers and the Directors
in order to express their ideas. In ‘Grown
Ups’ (2008) Marleen Alter had the responsibility to ensure that all
characters’ make-up reflected how the scene was and the emotions or mood the
character was feeling. Costume Designers choose what the character
should wear. They have be creative/imaginative in order to have a vision
relating the style of character whether it trendy or vintage as this is one of
the key things that will define the character’s personality/mood just like
make-up. They have to experience in fashion and are able to take instructions
from the Directions and the script. In ‘Fantastic
Four’ (2005) Keith Burk was a set designer so his responsibility was that
main characters’ costume suited their superhero characters e.g. Ben was the
only main superhero character to not be fully clothed to show the rocks on him
and how different he was. Lighting Directors
position the lighting on set to suit the scene when filming. They have to
have experience in handling different shaped lights. Also they need to know
which lights will add effect on set for a particular scene e.g. on set there
can’t be natural light from outside so lights have to be in position to create
that effect. They have to have technical skills and have a very steady hand.
Lighting Directors have to collaborate effectively with Directors and the
cameraman/woman in order for things to be filmed right. In the film ‘Twilight’ (2008) Ryan Middleton was
lighting technician and his job ensured that all lighting was working properly
and he checked what light was used for the right scene.
Financial
Financial deals with ranging the money, time and
risks within the TV/Film industry. This field is important because it
concentrates and specialises in making sure money isn’t over spent and budgeted
well. The Financial controller ensures
that proper financial controls and reporting procedures are in place. The
Financial controller requires key skills to understand their job such being
very organisational so they can budget procedures. Also they have to have good
communication skills in order to report and keep track on their findings about
locations. They have to be able to work under pressure because the job requires
you control a substantial amount of money. Another job role in the financial
sector would be the Production
Accountant who manages and organises all finance during the pre-production
stage to the post production stage. They have to strong experience in
calculating maths and keeping an eye on budget. They have to be able to
understand and explain information to the Producer in order for money to be
spent well.
Editorial
The main person during the post-production stage of
a TV show/film would an Editor who
helps edit and cut shots to make TV/film to tell a story to the audience. The
editor has a responsibility to put all the filming into a sequenced order to
tell a story (narrative). They use the storyboard as a guide so the editing of
the shots makes the TV/film look good. Editors have to have a good relationship
with the Director because they sit in on the editing to give the editor directions
on how it his/hers initial vision of the story so it coincides with the film
shots. Editors have to be able to use editing software efficiently and
effectively in order for shots to run consistently. They have to be creative
and imaginative and use various amounts of effects on software without any
hesitation. They have to be team players and good communication skills in order
to learn and share information with other co-workers easily such as if someone
doesn’t know how a certain shot should look they could ask another editor to
help show them. Editors must be able to work under pressure although be very
time efficient because deadlines have to stick to their due date. An example of
a successful editor was Sally Menke who was an “American film and television editor
with more than 20 feature film credits. She had a long-time collaboration with
director Quentin Tarantino, having edited all of his films until she passed
away”. (Wikipedia 8, 19/10/13). Another editor would be Thelma Schoonmaker who
is “an American film editor who has worked with director Martin Scorsese for
over forty years. She has edited all of Scorsese's films since ‘Raging Bull’, first working with
Scorsese in his debut feature film ‘Who's
That Knocking at My Door’ (Wikipedia 9, 19/10/13). The Post-production
Supervisor manages all the post-production crew and compares final
expenditure to original budget. They have to be very easy to approach as they
are dealing with crew every day. Also they have to experience in supervising
and leading a big crew independently.
Assistant Editors communicate with all post-production members, passing on
their requirements to the main editor. They have to be able to receive
instructions from Editors and be able to complete them efficiently. They have
to be friendly and have good time management because there priorities are with
Editors who have high expectations of them to do all jobs. Title Designers design the opening title and the opening and
closing credits on a film e.g. every James Bond movie has a different opening
title but it always relates back to the film. Title Designers must have an artistic
or graphic background and knowledge to design the opening title for films and
programmes. They have to be creative and be able to use original ideas that
relate to TV/films. “Saul Bass was an American graphic designer because he designed
a lot of motion pictures for title sequences. All modern opening title
sequences that introduce the mood or theme of a film can be seen as a legacy of
Saul Bass's innovative work. Any films that are set during the 1960s have
purposely emulated the graphic style of his animated sequences from that era.
Some examples of title sequences that show Bass’s graphics and animated title
sequences are ‘Catch Me If You Can’
(2002) and ‘X-Men: First Class’
(2011)” (Wikipedia 10, 19/10/13). Alfred Hitchcock designed the title sequence
for ‘Vertigo’ (1958). The way the
close ups in the film was used reflects the physical features of the woman
because later on in the film we see the developed obsession from a man. “As the
camera pans up to her eyes they move left to right in a slightly panicked way,
the woman is on edge and clearly uncomfortable with the viewer’s scrutiny. This
enhances the creation of suspense. It also highlights the notion of looking,
being watched and being seen watching someone else, a convention of thriller.”
(Title Designers, 03/11/13) Foley Artists
recreates realistic sounds made in the film e.g. heavy rain and thunder
outside. Also covers up unwanted sounds made during films e.g. when there’s a
big scene of extras walking on a street the sound of their shoes are not heard.
They have to experience in music and sound in order to cover and correct
unnecessary sounds. An example would be James Moriana who has recreated over
100 films in his time e.g. ‘Pacific Rim’
(2013). Some considerations James would have to ensure for this film would be checking
several recording tracks such as a ‘move track’ and ‘specifics.’ James would
watch the film to create the sound in real time because several different
tracks are recorded such as fight scenes or footsteps. Majority of recorded
sounds heard in Hollywood films are Foley sound.
Technical
Camera
Operator films all the footage for TV whereas a Cinematographer is used for creating
films. They must have a steady hand but a lot of people depend on their skills
in order for shots to be filmed. Chris Haarhoff is a famous camera operator
because he has worked with many famous Hollywood actors/actresses such as
Harrison Ford and Rose Bryne and also he has filmed many Hollywood films such
as ‘Now You See Me’ (2013) and ‘Ender’s Game’(2013). They have to have
technical skills in order to know which camera works best and they must have
patience with actors/actresses on set if they don’t understand the vision the
Camera Operator has because they follow the Director’s vision for the story.
They have to have good communication with the Director so the filming runs
smoothly and every issue is addressed. The Camera Operator has to have
knowledge of camera lenses in order enhance the shot effectively on-screen. Music editors help the director to
decide what soundtracks are suitable for certain scenes. They have to have good
a relationship with the Director in order for compromises and quick decisions
to be made. They to have some knowledge about within sound and music and also
they have to know how to work different sound equipment in the studio just as
well as on the computer. They must have good communication
skills, be able to give and to accept direction and have the ability to make
decisions under pressure. The Sound
Mixer works alongside the boom operator to ensure microphones are put in
the right place to obtain the best sound quality. They have to have a good
relationship with the Boom operator for work to be completed well. They have to
some experience in the field they want to work in order to pick up new skills
quicker. The Boom operator
operates/positions handheld and mounted microphones to pick up necessary sounds.
They must have a steady hand and have an idea about the sound equipment that
will work best on set. They must have good communication skills with everyone
working in their field. They need to be able to carry out research on specific
locations to be aware of any unsuspected noises e.g. if there’s an airport
nearby there will be lots of planes around. Moving Light Operators control automated and manual lighting chosen
by the D.O.P. They have to have an understanding about lights and how to
control them effectively. They have to have good communication skills with
other operators in their field. Script
Supervisors are in charge of making sure continuity runs correctly with the
script. They have to be able to manage tasks well and keep a strict time
management with the script. They have to have a good relationship with the
Scriptwriter and the Director in order to share information regarding the
script.
Research
Producers
research about the location of where to film and its safety. They research
scheduling times and if a certain car is able to be used on the premises.
Producers research the whereabouts of important people and equipment to hire
for the set. These Producers must be able to share information clearly with
other people and have good time management skills. Whereas the First Assistant Directors research what
Directors order them to because the Directors are in charge of them. They
research about when is the best time to hold casting sessions or they research
about what actors/actresses best suit the part. They help Directors by doing
background research on props and casting sessions.
Organisational
In the TV/film industry the organisational sector is
very important because within the job roles they have to make sure everything
is running on time and in place in order for the production for filming and
rehearsing to happen.
The Transport
Co-ordinator arranges vehicles for transportation by taking all needed
facilities into account. They must have good knowledge on transport and cars
e.g. knowing the size of a car to add necessary facilities inside. The Casting
Director organises casting of all the actors/actresses needed in the film
(including extras).They must be very organised and be able to set out a
structured plan to help them with order. They must be easy to approach and be
able to have good communication with actors/actresses/extras just as well as
the Director in order for information to be passed.
Administrative
The Production
Accountant manages finances and maintains financial records during
production. They also manage casting by arranging casting sessions and filing
important files on people. They manage location of where to film and set up
props and catering all by making important phone calls, setting deadlines and
staying aware of things. They have to have skills in many fields in order for
them to be a good efficient flexible person that knows how to do other jobs and
can be good at multi-tasking for work to be completed faster. They have to be
very good at maths because the job consists of budgeting and calculating money.
They have to be confident and have good communication skills if they are
calling and addressing people. Also they must have a good relationship with the
Producer and Casting Director because the Producer has to organise and manage
all people on set. Also if they’re dealing with casting sessions the Casting
Director needs to be informed about potential people appearing on set.
Working
patterns:
In the TV/film industry there are many job roles
such as management, creative, editorial, technical, research, financial,
organisational and administrative but they all have different working shift
patterns. People who work in these jobs have to be very driven and aspirational
to these times if they want to perform to the best of their ability. They are
very committed and dedicated to their jobs because having a job in this
industry keeps you very busy at all times because these contracted jobs aren’t
like traditional ones.
Shift
Work
In the TV/film industry shift work means when the
same workers do the same hours of a job on relay. Shift hours are set to a
certain time of day e.g. 7am-3pm or 11pm-7am. Media companies have to consider
health
and legal ramifications so workers have to work a full 24 hours a day. Breaks
are entitled for workers so to do this two workers share 24 hours of work a day
between them.
The table below can show a shift
pattern time table, with each colour representing a different employee.
Image
1, (Accessed on 20/10/13)
Disadvantages of shift-work can include health
problems, such as lack of sleep while working through the night, known as the
"graveyard shift". Lack of routine can be another problematical area,
as the change in scheduled shift times can interrupt employees.” (Shift work 1,
20/10/13). An example of a job role that would be shift work would be a Camera
operator because their hours would often be long and irregular because they are
there for the whole production stage, Also camera operators need to be flexible
and work at short notice.
Fixed-Term
The contracts for Fixed-term and freelance have many
similarities because both don’t last a long time, only a couple of months. Employers
who are under these fixed-terms contract are more likely to receive company
benefits and promotions more than temporary workers within the company because
their jobs aren’t permanent. Some job sectors that are involved in the fixed
term contract are Technical and Creative. Only under a short term contract
employees can be hired from companies. Although temporary workers can be
offered a permanent job role within the company depending on their performance
standards in the job. “Temporary roles can allow an amount of freedom for the
employee, as they are not committed to one company for a long period of time
however it can also have little security, which may be a disadvantage for
someone looking for a stable job.” (Fixed-Term 1, 20/10/13)
Office
Hours
These hours are very popular in administrative or
office based jobs because the hours are very routine based- Monday to Friday
from 9am-5pm were people are mostly working roughly six hours a day. The job
roles most likely to consist of office hours in the TV/film industry are
financial and assistants such as TV/film production assistants because depending
on what time the hours are in the production and location the employers “could
work long hours, including early mornings, late evenings and shifts. However
they would be based in an office with other members of the production team
although during filming workers would also spend a lot of time moving between
offices and production areas.” (Office Hours, 20/10/13)
Freelance
When a person is self-employed and doesn’t commit to
just one company long term they are working freelance. Freelancers offer their
skills to an employer if they want one specific job role for that limited
amount of time and one-off payment. Some freelancers may set up work with
certain employers frequently to continue growing that relationship. Freelancers
are usually in charge of the terms and conditions of their work own work. They
can charge by hour, day or per-project basis depending on how they feel.
Freelancing is very common within the media sector, especially in photography
and film making. The benefits of working as a freelance worker is the large
amount of freedom given because workers can work a various amount of jobs, work
for a wide range of companies, without committing to anything long term.
Freelancing does have its disadvantages just as advantages because “workers can
be left unemployed and as you are claiming to be self-employed, it is much
harder to be considered for financial help or benefits.” (Freelance,
20/10/13). The best solution for freelancers is to have a stable, part-time
employer so if there’s any problems like have a back-up plan to practice
freelance work in their own time. As everyone is looking to find work freelancing
can be a competitive field. Freelancers have sole responsibility in things that
affect them such as pensions, holiday and sick pay just as well as other ways
they earn income.
Irregular
patterns
Irregular patterns coincide with overtime because
when a person is paid extra money with their normal wages they are working overtime
or unsociable hours. This occurs a lot in the media industries because
production work consists of a lot of thought and dedication put in from workers
especially for location. This is irregular because it involves working very
early in the morning or very late into the night Directors are a good example
of people that work irregular patterns in the TV/film industry because “they
work patterns and contracts that vary from different film projects. Directors
will need to have flexible work patterns because filming will involve irregular
hours most of the time. Their track record, reputation and experience will also
determine how that director gets paid e.g. Steven Spielberg’s annual salary is
$150 million.” (Irregular patterns 1, 20/10/13). Depending on how
much extra work the director put in and the conditions from the specific
contract he is entitled to having some of the film’s return profit.
Hourly
Rates
Having a full time or part time job or working
casually or temporary either way that worker is being paid hourly. Depending on
the payment rate and if the salary is paid hourly that worker is entitled to
hourly pay which is collected so they either get fully paid weekly or on a
specific day on every month. “The minimum wage in the UK as of October 2001 is
£6.08 per hour for workers aged 21 and above, £4.98 for workers aged 18-20,
£3.68 for workers aged 16-17, and £2.60. In the media sector, hourly paid work
is most common with freelancers.” (Hourly rates 1, 20/10/13). Runners are also
entitled to hourly pay depending on the Media production. It’s very important
that runners are very organized and they have the ability to prioritise day to
day workload because runners are given a large amount of responsibility across
multiple areas that they have to complete well because the pay is reflected
against their performance on the job. Runners generally get minimum wage or
more because more companies are trying to supply runners with more money. Like
majority of jobs in the TV production, runners will be paid on a contract basis
or hourly rate. “As a runner, they will do some amazing things; from meeting
and greeting stars and being involved in great TV shows, to gaining huge
responsibility and of course being invited to glitzy rap parties. However you
will be working extremely long hours, and can expect to be first in and last
out on a regular basis. Incredible stamina is essential because they will be
asked to undertake the tasks which nobody else is willing to do, so these will
often be very boring so they have to be very enthusiastic.” (Hourly rates 2,
20/10/13)
Piece
work
When a worker has completed a particular piece of
work they are rewarded by being paid after that section of work. Companies
usually pay the employee accordingly based on their performance related strategies to set a
fixed-rate of payment for each piece. Workers are paid for the products they
create. An example of someone under this working pattern would be any type of
editor e.g. sound because they are only needed for one part of the production
to cut and edit important parts.
As being a noble researcher relating the various job
roles and working patterns within the TV/film industry I have gained a better
understanding as to regards to the specific qualities, responsibilities and
types of experience each job entails upon. Also I have learned new working
patterns and how different they all are frim another. Although there are many
aspects in the making of TV shows/films e.g. famous actors who have
multi-tasked and written scripts just as well as being on set to help direct
and produce. I have learnt that the people in the TV/film industry are very
devoted and are willing to make changes or further their understanding in their
job to gain more experience so they are able to perform to their best of their
ability in their position in order for a good TV show/film to be produced.
Bibliography
Fixed-Term 1: https://sites.google.com/site/creativemediajoelee/add-a-gallery,
(Accessed on 20/10/13)
Office Hours: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/tvorfilmproductionassistant.aspx,
(Accessed on 20/10/13)
Hourly Rates 1: https://sites.google.com/site/creativemediajoelee/add-a-gallery,
(Accessed on 20/10/13)
Hourly Rates 2: http://www.mediavolt.co.uk/how-to-become-a-tv-or-film-runner-television-runner-jobs,
(Accessed on 20/10/13)
Irregular Patterns 1: http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/directors/steven-spielberg-net-worth/,
(Accessed on 20/10/13)
Art Director: http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/productiondesign/article_4669_1.asp,
(Accessed on 03/11/13)
Title Designers: http://www.slideshare.net/longroadmedia/an-analysis-of-the-opening-sequence-of-vertigo-presentation, (
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