+

Job roles in the Tv and Film IndustryChristy Guy

+Roles and responsibilities in the industry

The Tv and Film industry employs many different employees, each with individual roles and responsibilities which equate to the creation of the finished product.

Job roles in this industry are divided into two sectors including ‘creative’ roles and ‘non-creative’ roles.

In terms of production, the Tv and film industry is split into five stages of development, equating to the final product. Stages as follows:

Development – the written side of the project including script writing, this section also involves finance for film ideas and scripts.

Production – the setting up and shooting of scenes in a movie. Post-production – this is getting to the stage of creating the finished product. Distribution – this stage is the process of selling the product to audiences and this

can be done for example, through cinema and retail. Exhibition – this is the final stage, where the film is exhibited to audiences through

cinemas. Each of these different stages include different ‘creative’ and ‘non-creative’ roles.

+Categorising different roles

Management• Production management • Brand manager

Creative• Hair and make-up• Costume• Scripts/ script writer• Camera persons

Editorial• Video editing

Technical• Editing • Sound

Research• Market research

Financial• Accounts

Organisational• Director• Distribution/ marketing

Administrative• Health and safety• Casting

Although jobs roles can be catergorised, there are often overlaps in categorising different roles for example, a job role such as a director can be classified under the organisational section as the Director directs the cast and crew and organises them and how they would want the set, for example, to look. However, as well as organisational a Director’s role would also come under creative as they would have a vision of how they would want the film/ programme to look and carry out tasks to ensure this. Another example of this could be Camera persons as this role could fall under technical, due to the technicality of the role. However, it could fall under the category of creative, as camera persons could be imaginative with different camera angles and shots.

+‘Non-creative’ job roles

CastingJob role: Casting assistant.Tasks:-Casting Assistants duties differ varying on the budget of the film.- Reading scripts and assisting the Casting Associate and the Casting Director to think of potential actors for the main characters.- Provide ‘general running duties’ including answering telephones, sending emails and faxes and making drinks.

Skills: -Really good communication skills.- Good organisational skills.-‘ability to recognise talent’. - To have a broad knowledge’of cinema and actors’.

Qualifications and experience:-No specific qualifications or training for this job.- Employees in the role usually are graduates of English, Film, Theatre, Communications, Arts or Media Studies, who have an interest in casting, theatre and film.

-Although I have catergorised this role under a non-creative role, this role could be categorised under a creative role as Casting Assistants could think of matching different actors and actresses to suit different characters, therefore I would expect this would need a level of imagination and creativity.

AccountsJob role: Production Accountant.Tasks: -Involved in the preparation of budget and schedule for different movie productions.-Production accountants have to ‘set up and maintain accounting systems’.

Skills:-‘meticulous bookkeeping and accountancy skills’, ‘thorough working knowledge of filmmaking processes’.- Production Accountants need to have good organisational skills and work well in an environment that is fast-paced.-Skills including ‘an expertise in accountancy software packages’ and different ‘budgeting and scheduling software’ are specific to this job role.

Qualifications and experience:-Production Accountants typically have a BA in Accountancy.-Lots of experience in the movie industry.- The specific level of experience and qualification relies on the scale of the production. Production Accountants in film often need to have a ‘proven track record’ for approval of for example, financers of the production.

+‘Creative’ job roles

CostumeJob role: Costume Assistant.Tasks: - Researching into costume styles and designs.- Dressing actors.- Assisting in the design of costumes.- Helping organise The Costume Department – ordering materials/ assisting in making the costumes.

Skills:- To be very organised. - To have good communication skills and have the ability to work under pressure and in a team.- Have foundation skills in for example, adapting costumes, ironing and both hand and machine sewing.- ‘Knowledge of both costume history and contemporary fashion is useful’.

Qualifications and experience:- Could have qualifications in the fields of for example, Fashion and Costume Design at BA Hons/ BTEC level.- Although according to Skillset’s job profile ‘practical experience is the key to progressing in the industry’.

CameraJob role: Camera operator.Tasks:- Deciding on the location of cameras and lighting.- Operating cameras to record footage.- Studying scripts and interpreting the presentation of scenes.- Working with and following instructions from the director.

Skills:-Good physical ability of co-ordination and strength.- Good communication skills.- Having ‘a good sense of visual composition, perspective and movement’.- Being able to work together as part of a team.

Qualifications and experience:- No specified qualifications.- Most employees learn the majority of practical skills through practical experience.- A basic knowledge of skills required – employees will probably have studied this for further education qualifications.

+Job Structures

Different roles in the media industry often come with different working patterns, below are different examples of different working contracts.

Shift work Work hours outside the standard normal.

Fixed term A work contract to a certain period of time.

Office hours Hours in which an office in a business is open for.

Freelance Someone who is self-employed, this contract is popular in jobs such as journalism, graphic design and other creative roles.

Irregular pattern A working pattern which is not regular for example, a camera operator could work hours that are ‘long and irregular’.

Hourly rates Rate of pay per hour of an employee.

Piece work An employee who is paid at a ‘fixed piece rate’ for a job, disregarding the amount of time taken to complete.

+How do you forge a career in the media? Going to university. Getting an unpaid internship, however, this may disadvantage working class budding employees as this

social class may not be able to afford to take an unpaid internship as opposed to higher class candidates.

Starting of in the industry as a runner could provide a route into the media, gradually working your way up to a higher professional role/ higher professional roles.

Example (From Skillet).

Lots of Directors – their route into the media – ‘from entry level positions’ gaining work experience as a runner.

No specific route to become a Film Producer – have experience in the film industry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Courses in Media

Courses are available for Media from A/S qualifications to post-graduate degrees at university. For example, people can study Media as a BTEC at A/S and A-level. People can also study a variety of Media degrees at university.

Places which specialise in media for example, are the Bradford Media School which offers a variety of undergraduate courses such as BSc Digital Media and BA Film Studies. This organisation also offers a variety of post-graduate courses such as MA Digital Filmmaking and MA Media Studies. Goldsmiths, University of London has a ‘Department of Media and Communications’ which offers a variety of programmes such as a BA (Hons) Media and Communications and an MA in Brand Development.