Primary research: Primary research is when an individual
conducts their own research on a topic in order to obtain first
hand information. For example if an interview, survey,
questionnaire or focus group is used in order to gather information
to contribute to the research being carried out. However this will
not be enough because there is only a certain amount of research
that can be done first hand so the amount of information gained is
very limited. It is also sometimes very hard to find the target
audience to give their opinions and preferences that will be needed
as part of the research. Secondary research: Secondary research is
when a person looks in books and on the internet to find
information on research that has already been carried out by
someone else and can be used to compare with the primary research
that has been done. This helps to get a wider range of
information.
Slide 3
Qualitative research: Qualitative research is when you gather
in-depth written information gained from an interview or open ended
questionnaire. This enables the research to get better knowledge of
the target audiences preferences and opinions. However for certain
information qualitative information would not be useful because it
is time consuming to gather enough information to add to the
research. Quantitative research: Quantitative research is numerical
data for example pie charts, graphs and tallys. It is a quicker way
of obtaining information and it is used to find out what option
people prefer more e.g.. Out of the four colours which one would
you prefer; blue, pink, red or violet. Quantitative data is easier
to analyse, however in certain circumstances quantitative is not as
useful because it does not go into much detail.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=638W_s5tRq8
Slide 4
There are three main purposes of research within media
industries. Audience research: this is the collection and analyses
of the target audience of a particular product or sector of the
media industry. For example if there is a new perfume brand coming
out or a new movie that is being produced, research will be
conducted on the customer base or audience they aim to reach out
to. It aims to investigate: statistical data about the size and
profile of the audience, the extent to which the targeted audience
are aware of the media product and what the target audience think
of the product and if they would be interested in using the
products e.g. the sun newspaper.
Slide 5
The target audience is essential because it helps the marketers
know exactly who to aim for and what the target audience expect of
the product. The target audience can be based on gender, age,
ethnic group, religion and interests e.g. gardening.
Slide 6
Market research: this is the collection and analysis of
information about the market within which the product may compete
with other products for the same target audience and revenue.
Market research is important for any company because it helps
prevent loss of profit as the media market place is highly
competitive. In order to make sure the product being distributed
becomes a success, in-depth market research will need to get
carried out to make sure that the product does not get beaten by a
competing product. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-q2vwa_n2I
Slide 7
Production research: this is the collection and analysis of
information for the content and production of a media product.
Production research is needed to provide content and gather
material to allow the company to develop the new product, research
the commercial viability of actually making the product, to
investigate the technology and personnel available, look at
suitable filming locations and to thoroughly research and plan the
production and post production to ensure that everything runs
swiftly.
Slide 8
The commissioning editor identify books or media products to
publish in order to build up a publishers list. They also ensure
authors deliver typescripts to specification and on time. In order
for the commissioning editor to develop their publishers list, they
research their field to learn about trends and gaps in the market.
In order to do this they attend book fairs, attend relevant
conferences, use surveys to find out what customers want most and
conduct internet research.
Slide 9
Producers are at the top of the hierarchy in the television,
film and video industries. The producer over see's each project
from the beginning to the end. They work closely with the directors
and other production staff. The producer need to have directing
skills as they they will sometimes need to direct and take care of
all project operations, they also arrange funding for each project
and are responsible for making sure that the production does not go
over budget.
Slide 10
Assistant Producer - The assistant producer supports the
director and the producer. Assistant producers liaise not only with
the creative team but also with the administration team. The
assistant producer works with the researcher to find stories and
contributors for the project, and also instructs the researcher as
to what tasks need to be completed. Sometimes the assistant
producer is required to meet potential contributors and interview
them informally to find out more information before filming or
recording takes place. The assistant producer will often complete
aspects of post-production paperwork so that the film can be
broadcast legally.
Slide 11
Executive Producer - An executive producer is one of the most
important positions in the media industry. Their job is to give
feedback and constructive criticism to the director and producer to
improve the quality of the project. Once a project has been
commissioned, executive producers review the story line and the
narrative. They also check that the during the editing stage, the
commissioners specifications are met. Executive producers are also
called in to advise on any serious problems that arise during
production.
Slide 12
Script editors are responsible for identifying any problems
with the script. They provide a critical overview of the
screenwriting process. Editors can be full time employees of a
production company but they are more often employed on a freelance
basis and their pay and involvement levels can be negotiated.
Slide 13
Editorial Assistant - The editorial assistant is the first
stage in the commissioning process. Their job is to ensure that the
commissioning editors and editors are given the administrative
support they need. They act as a liaison between the commissioning
department, the programme manager and the legal team. It is crucial
that they communicate effectively and remain on top of the agenda
as they will often instigate processes that need to happen in the
commissioning process by booking meetings etc.
Slide 14
Editorial Administrator - The editorial administrator acts as
personal assistant to the head of the commissioning department.
Their main task is to make sure the commissioning department runs
smoothly and efficiently. The position is a step up from editorial
assistants, but a lot of the job requirements overlap. They often
deal with other departments to organise meetings and viewings. They
also check that the legal department are happy with programmes and
that the press and publicity team are aware of what is coming
up.
Slide 15
Researcher - Researchers have many different roles within the
commissioning process and so multi-tasking is a vital skill
required. They may be asked to research information about the topic
the project is covering, finding appropriate interviewees,
researching locations for filming, visiting the location to take
photos for the director or taking part in script meetings. It is
sometimes the researcher's job to obtain filming permissions and
consent forms. Researchers often work on a production from
beginning to end, but sometimes they are also brought in at
different stages in the process. At the end of a production,
researchers often help with the post-production paperwork, filling
in the contributors' details and making a note of what music is
used etc.
Slide 16
Commissioner - The commissioner is in charge of which films get
made. They do this by selecting the best ideas submitted by
companies to them. The commissioner may already have an idea of
what kind of film they are looking for but other times they may
just take an interest in whatever turns up. Once a commissioner has
selected an idea that they like for a film, a contract is issued
between the production company and the film company. After this,
the film then goes into production.
Slide 17
Writers are involved in crating and developing the works of
fiction and non-fiction. This can be poetry, writing for screenplay
or radio, and material for theaters. Most writers are freelance and
self employed, they own 100% copyright of their work, when they
want to get investors and have their work published by a company
they can negotiate the percentage of copyright the company will
receive. They often have to support themselves by getting another
job to provide the needed finance for their writing. When a
publisher decides on a specific product they may contact the
freelance writer with an outline of their requirements and schedule
and ask if the writer is able to help. If this is the case then
they get a detailed brief with all the project requirements, for
example how much theyre expected to write and an outline of the
content and layout.
Slide 18
A contracted writer is a writer that works for a company. They
have a set pay, set working hours and all the work they produce is
a copyright of the company. They are required to feel comfortable
with working alone, meeting deadlines and accepting criticism. The
writer may also be required to get publicity for the production
that they are writing and are not at liberty to discuss the content
of the script they are producing with anyone that is not part of
the production team except as agreed with the producers.
Slide 19
The pros of working as a freelance writer is that they are
entitled to the majority of their earnings if not all, depending on
the negotiations made between the freelance writer and the producer
they would have partnered up with for the production of their
script. The freelance writers can also choose their own working
hours. The cons of being a freelance writer is that they have no
steady income and are not guaranteed a set job, so they only get a
writing job as and when they can depending on if someone decides to
publish their work or need them to write a script for a production
and need the writers writing style.
Slide 20
The pros of working as a contracted writer is that the
contracted writer has set pay and a set job so they know they have
a steady income. There are other benefits such as working with a
team as supposed to relying on themselves to go out and find work
and try to get their wok published. However the downfall to working
as a contracted writer is that they have set working time and all
the work they produced is entirely owned by the company so the pay
they receive cannot be negotiated and is down to the amount the
company chooses to pay the writer.
Slide 21
Copyright - A production must never copy or use the material
from another production without their permission so as not to
breach the terms and conditions of copyright. If the laws of
copyright are broken, legal action can be taken against the
production company. Bias - This is when a programme only expresses
the views and opinions of one party and not the opposite. This
makes the programme prejudiced and therefore may become
unethical.
Slide 22
Censorship - This is when explicit aspects of programmes such
as sex, drug abuse. violence, swearing and discrimination are taken
out of a programme so as to suit viewing from a younger audience.
Watersheds - After the watershed, programmes which feature sex,
violence, drug abuse, swearing and discrimination are allowed to be
aired on television. This is normally around some time in the late
evening around 9 oclock.
Slide 23
Libel - This is when a programme mocks another party without
their permission. If the other party take offense to what is being
said or done in the programme, they can take legal action against
them.
Slide 24
EDEXEL Creative Media production level 3 BTEC national text
book http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=638W_s5tRq8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-q2vwa_n2I
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/writer_job_description.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/commissioning_editor_job_description.htm
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/television_film_video_producer_job_description.htm
http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/script/article_4056_1.asp
http://www.createhavoc.org/louisclark/Louis_Clark/Writing_for_Television_and_Video/Entries/2010/3/18_Day_of_longboarding.html
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