Tuesday, 24 November 2009
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Unit 1: Research techniques
There are two different types or research which takes place in TV and film industries, one is Market research, and the other is Production research. Firstly let’s have a look at production research. This is research on the show or film you are wishing to make and how viable it is. This can be done by various different ways such as on the internet, or even by looking at competitor shows and films. Here are some of the key areas which are looked at in production research:
Content: First of all you need to know what it is you are wanting to put into the production you are making, this should be ideally based around you target audience , for example if you are producing a children’s programmes, you can’t go putting in violence, inappropriate language and nudity in it. Plus you need to look at the laws and regulations such as OFCOM and the BBFC, this is so when making your production, no laws will be broken which means people will not be offended and sue.
Resources: This involves so many different things which so many people will be involved in researching, for start personnel. Producers will be looking for the best of the best staff wise so that the production will run smoothly efficiently and above all to a very high standard. This is why when recruiting personnel the staff involved in the actual recruiting will research in to each and every one of the possible personnel so that they can hopefully fin the best man/woman for the job.
Talent is a major factor to research in a production, people will be looking for casts bulging with talent, this will help in both making the production as realistic and as popular as possible. It may also help anchor the production due to the popularity of the cast due to perhaps the talent which could have won them a large fan base. But it is vital that the producers get the right person for the job. For example, experience wise the casing department will research each of the auditions previous parts in films or shows. Or if they are making a production where instead of casting well known stars they are wishing to create the stars then they are more likely to hire someone who hasn’t had as much experience, perhaps a few cameo roles, however can show the talent in an audition.
Money will always be among the most important areas with the production of a TV show or film, mainly there are two different areas: Cost and Finance. Firstly cost: cost is everything in TV and film, for some producers it will make or break the production and half of the viability relies on the cost, and this is the cost of everything, Objects, Dressing, Cast hire, locations, editing, sound, EVERYTHING! Which is why if the cost isn’t researched properly then producers could go into serious debt and the production of the TV show or film may possibly have to be cancelled. This is why staff in the money department will be paid for finding the best deals possible and saving the production as much money as possible as well as managing to keep the moral of the film good.
All the money is then dealt by the financial department, these areas are in charge of the buying and selling in a film or TV show. It is in charge of paying ever participant involved in making the production. These people must research where the money is going, why it is going and make sure that everyone is getting there bit. Financial management can also help avoid any serious debt perhaps by researching how much money is available for each of the production departments on competitor films or programmes and try to set realistic amounts available for each production department to spend.
Suppliers are also key to the financial area of a production whether they are supplying equipment or money as the opportunity to be a sponsor. Once again the producers will want research done so that the best supplies with the best deals are recognised and used o the productions advantage. Sponsor wise the producer will want the highest offer as every penny will help towards the production of the film as well as various different TV or film companies wishing to be part of the production for the film or programme which usually once again in research terms will opt for the company offering the most money.
Facilities are the equipment for making the production they could be items such as cameras, they could be sound facilities or lighting facilities which ever it is research must be taken to find the very best. This will improve the quality of the production and open up more opportunities for different effects which may only be available on the very best facilities which will most definitely be at a higher price.
Lots of research will be undergone for the location, weather in a studio or on an actual location producers will want something which sets the mood for their production perfectly. People could be sent off around the country or perhaps even all the way round the world as if the location isn’t right then the production may not work. This is why when in a film, if the story is set in one country it could very likely be filmed on location in a totally different one because the surroundings my suit the description of the actual location better.
The production must be working to everybody’s pace, and it has to meet so many different deadlines, this is why the logistics is vital to the viability of the work, everyone has to be doing the right thing, every piece of equipment has to be in good functioning order, if not the whole production could end in catastrophe. This means people will have to research where every department is in the terms of meeting the deadline, and may have resolve problems such as faulty equipment or areas behind schedules and research into any solutions for these issues.
A key thing which comes up in all of these areas is viability. Is it actually doable? Will it be done on time? Will serious debt come into the equation? All these questions and many more have to be answered before production even takes place and the best possible kind of research for things like this is looking at similar films or programmes to the one the producer is aiming at creating. For example someone wanting to create a soap will obviously look at shows like Coronation Street or Eastenders. Some one wishing to produce an action film may look at various successful films in that department and research all of these issues listed below and above. And if nothing has been done like what the producer is wishing to create, then the staff must decide whether to take the risk or no, which could have an outstanding result, or turn into a huge failure.
Placement: This is where the researcher must find the best place to production obviously the TV programme would be broadcasted, however the researchers for both TV and Film could find out whether it would financially help to involve publication, for example posters, book and may also help to look at web casts, for example a website where viewers could watch the programme again or view trailers, a bit like BBC I PLAYER as quite a lot of the time research will most likely show that quite a bit of profit can be made from this.
Audience: This is critical for the success of any type of media it has to attract its target audience, it then has to get them interested in the production, they next need to feel desire to watch it and finally take action and make themselves view the production. Various different types of research can happen for the aim of the programme or film to suit the audiences need, you could look at similar productions, however the best type of research for this is most likely going to be primary research which can easily be acquired by handing out questionnaires and having interviews for people who fit the description of the productions target audience then you can find out directly what the people want.
Competition: This is where people can take advantage over rival shows; researches can view opposing shows or films similar to theirs, which are aimed at the same target audience and improve on them, they can find out where the opposing shows bad points are and exclude them from their own. Also as said above, researching competition can also help in all of the factors above and if anything looking a rival can only make your show or film a lot more popular with the target audience than that of the rivals.
Understand the purpose of research in media industries
Applying a range of research techniques
Presenting research results
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Unit 2: Pre-Production Techniques
Unit 7: Understanding The Television And Film Industries
THE TV INDUSTRY IN 2008
‘I hate television. I hate it as much as i hate peanuts. But i can’t stop eating peanuts’
ORSON WELLS
TASK 1
As the TV industry is becoming more and more advanced, and a lot more developed, the majority of channels are now digital, this allows the viewers to get more involved with the shows they are watching, and a lot more anchored into the programs. However there are still some shows which remain to be shown on analogue. These programs are BBC1, BBC 2, ITV 1, Channel 4 and Five.
However this doesn’t mean that these analogue channels haven’t used digital TV to their benefit. For example The BBC is a huge company, and they have a lot more channels which are only available on digital, e.g. BBC3, BBC News 24, CBBC channel etc all of which are aimed at various different target audiences. However these channels are only available on digital TV, the good news is though that most of the newly built televisions have digital Freeview TV, which will allow the public to view these and many other channels.
Freeview TV is probably the cheapest form of digital television. It was launched on 30th October 2002 by the joint partnership of the BBC, SKY and The National Grid, and in 2005 was joined by ITV and Channel 4. It has become more and more popular in the UK, and now, as a result, Freeview TV is being broadcasted to more than 14 million homes, allowing the public to gain over 40 digital channels and more than 20 radio stations. [www.simplifydigital.co.uk]
Due to the success and the availability of digital TV, the time for analogue television is almost over, In many different areas all around the UK, the switch to television from analogue to digital is already starting to take place, In the Yorkshire region, the switch will not be happening until 2011, which is still quite a while away, however this will give people enough time to get ready for digital TV. And when this date finally comes, Analogue television will no longer be available to the public. [www.simplifydigital.co.uk]
Another thing which has become very popular, is satellite television, the best example of this is SKY. However if someone is wishing to acquire Sky then they have to subscribe to them. This is also a main area where Sky gets all its money, as people pay monthly to gain the basic Sky package, however to acquire the Sport channels, or perhaps the Movie channels, then people have to pay extra a month which is a very clever way of making money, as the majority of people buy Sky to watch for example all the Premiere league matches, and through this form of subscription, Rupert Murdoch makes a lot of his wealth. And looking at the table below, we can see just how popular Sky have become.
The good thing about Digital TV is that there is a much wider variety for people to watch, this is extremely popular with the public, as the programs available from both Digital and satellite TV can cater for anyone, and the viewer has the ultimate choice on what they want to watch. This idea is so popular, that certain members of the public will watch just one channel, and a lot of them will only be interested in watching one program. This is why there are now things such as SKY +, Virgin on demand available.
These consumer products allow people to not only view their favorite programs, but it also allows the viewer to record what they are watching onto the system of the satellite box, and watch it again and again. These products can also be programmed to record the program every time it’s on, so that if the viewer misses the program, or just feels like watching it again, thanks to the recording system, they can watch it as many times as they like.
TiVo was another type of video recorder created; it allowed viewers to record their favorite programs onto a hard disk. It also allowed the viewer to record a program without having to record the adverts. It seemed as though it could be a very popular creation, however in 2003 the UK took it off of the market. [www.wikipedia.com]
Bt Vision is also a device allowing people to watch what they want, when they want. As one of the biggest problems is having to pay the money for satellite TV, where the truth is, a lot of the channels will never be watched. This is why BT vision differs, the viewer still pays a monthly amount, however this time, instead of being given a fit schedule, like a lot of the channels on satellite, the viewer can choose from hundreds of very popular programs to watch whenever they like.
With these kind of devices, the viewer feel much more in control of the TV they watch on their day to day basis. This is really expanding on how the viewers can interact more with the television. And for a lot of companies like the BBC and SKY, interactive television is the next big thing. One of the most well known type of interactive TV is reality shows such as ‘The X Factor’ and ‘Big Brother’, where the audience is able to phone in and vote for their favorite act. It allows the audience to feel as though they are making the decisions, and they are making all of the changes.
One type of channel which has really used interactive TV as an advantage, are music channel, e.g. TMF. These channels constantly want to keep their audience anchored into the show; so as a result, they involve lots of interactive features. The most common of which is where the viewer can text into the show for things such as ‘love predictor’, ‘fame predictor’, these are usually very effective and very popular due to the number of people texting in every hour. Another reason why music channels are so interactive is because the viewers control the show, the viewers can phone in, or in some cases now sends videos of themselves and friends requesting a song to be played on the show. Due to these interactive features, the channels are making lots and lots of money, where at the same time the viewers are kept engaged and desired into watching the program.
Television is proving to be more and more successful by the day, however there was a time, when there were questions whether television would survive the internet era. The internet is at the peak of the media world at the moment, and there are many reasons why the internet could have conquered the television era. However instead of this happening, the television industry actually used the internet to its advantage for boosting channel ratings and popularity.
An example of the television industry doing this, would be ‘BBC iPLAYER’ etc This very efficient creation allows the public to watch any shows the may have missed, and may have failed to record, more and more channels are starting to create these online features, and not only are they beneficial for target audiences, they are also extremely popular, because as well as having the feature of re watching shows, when on the main programs website, viewers can watch videos, footage's, documentaries, interviews with cast and crew of particular shows, and this Is popular because this kind of footage is only available on the web, Nowhere else. These features expand the target audience to everyday web surfers.
The main reasons why TV on the web is so popular, is because the majority of it is free. And when something in the TV industry is free to watch, it will almost certainly get an audience. Tv on the web doesn’t just end here though, YOUTUBE.COM a prime example of how popular television on the Internet can be. This website allows people to upload their home videos, and share them with the rest of the world. But not only do members of the public upload videos here, Companies, Organization, even TV channels upload videos here, this way they can promote, attract and anchor in anyone who is browsing at any given time on the website. And due to the millions who visit the website and both watch videos and upload them, YOUTUBE.COM has done nothing but prove how free television on the internet can change the world.
However in some cases, you can purchase television on the internet, however in these cases, this will be along with the option of being able to save the program onto your computer or laptop, or perhaps burn them onto a blank disc.
Due to the whole development of television, it would be obvious that television program and channel audiences would increase greatly, however the case is quite the opposite. In fact in many areas the large audiences which were have now been decreased. However this is not because people just don’t watch television anymore, Instead these audiences have been fragmented and spread out. But why? This is simple, because in the days when the audiences were just a large mass, were the days when the analogue was the prime source of television, only showing five channels. Now is the prime time of digital and satellite and instead of there just being five channels, there are now hundreds, and these all show different things, and all cater for different people, Television is now all about variety, something for everyone and thanks to this new era of television, there literally is something for everyone, and people no longer have to watch whatever there is on one of the five analogue channels.
However due to these much more niche audiences, something’s on television has changed, one of the things which has had to change dramatically is the advertisements on the TV channels. Due to the increase in the number of channels on television, advertisers have to think a lot harder where to place their advertisements, their target audience could be fragmented all over different channels, therefore the advertisers have to aim at specific channels which would definitely appeal to the target audiences. For example promoting an ipod or walkman on a music channel, as the advertisers will know that there product will appeal to the music fans. This advertisement issue has both its good points and bad points, the good point is that if the correct type of channel is found which appeals to the target audience, then you can have an extremely effective form of advertisement and promotion. However if the wrong channel is found, then the advertisers will waste a lot of money. Yet there most likely will be some research done to find out what channels the target audience will watch.
Another thing which you could say has changed due to the advancement is the uses and gratification theory. First of all there is surveillance, thanks to the sheer amount of News channels available thanks to satellite TV and of course now the internet, people can always be informed of the news and world around them. Thanks to all the entertainment channels, people can be diverted from their everyday lives, into a world they feel the most entertained. And finally just due to the sheer amount of channels people can find personal relationship and personal identity, as there is just so much more to talk about, and so many more characters on the number of programs where we can all relate to at least on of them.
So due to the success of television, thanks to various different devices and technologies, it leaves the question what about the future?, what is the future for television. The BBC is one company which will be planning for the future as soon as possible, as a public service broadcast channel, they have a service to deliver quality television to it’s audiences, plus this will be critical in rivalry with other programs such as SKY and ITV. One news article which i found extremely relevant to the information above, and explaining a bit of the plans and ideas for the future is found through the link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6142998.stm. There is no doubt that the technology of the future will effect Television even more, and especially the ways we watch it, the viewer may become more involved or perhaps even part of the show. But the main idea is that media is starting to take over the world, and in the future, just looking at the facilities and technologies we have now, it is very possible to see that we may have a world fully run by the media.
Films are arguably becoming more and more popular with the world due to the advancement in technology, For example the invention of movies shown in 3-D, the use of CGI and more recently having films in HD. By doing this film producers are able to make extremely realistic and visually engaging films. 3-D films are extremely popular with children, and have proved to make a large profit for companies such as Disney and Pixar who have claimed to release all of their films in 3-D, and an equally successful company DreamWorks animation states to have all of their films in 3-D by 2009 [www.weird.com]
GGI has changed movies greatly, they are used greatly in films for visual effects, it’s often a lot more realistic, and a lot easier to control. It can also be a lot more profitable, as in many cases using CGI is cheaper than doing the real thing [www.sciencedaily.com] Famous films which used CGI greatly in producing it are: Tron, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, The Matrix, and The lord of the Rings . . .[www.flixter.com]
Finally, HD (high definition) televisions allow the viewer to watch a film at its full potential, with more pixels, and resolution than ordinary TV’s, HD is becoming more popular with both the viewers, and the film makers. Due to the rapid success of HD, products such as Blu-Ray are taking over the DVD market as they aim specifically at high definition films allowing as much quality to be played from the discs possible.
Considering all of the advances in technology, and all of the variations of access to television programs, the uses and gratification theory for people is now a lot stronger and definitely more relevant. The main reason for this is because of all the different areas and channels available for the television industries to broadcast their programs. With this advantage, there are now 24 hour news programs, meaning at any point in the day someone can access this channel and watch the news, this achieves the purpose of surveillance. Next there is diversion, thanks to all of the various different channels and programs showing, people can easily be diverted in something they watch and thanks to this new feature of the Internet people can carry on this diversion by watching different episodes of the program online.
Also thanks to the Internet people can create personal relationships with cast members in their favorite programs, people can relate to characters so much on a television show that they feel strong desires to go on the web and find out more about the characters and find out what the cast are really like. However People also do things like this to develop personal identities, as many people watch programs for social needs, and at school or work or just in public, people discuss television programs forming strong personal identities. Plus thanks to options like interactive television, when watching programs like X-Factor, if people decide to vote, then they can discuss their votes with their friends later on. Also using the Internet, on a lot of websites, especially sites such as WWW.YOUTUBE.COMpeople can leave comments and ratings about the footage they have just watched, and by doing this people share their opinions with each other having conversations and even arguments with each other, all adding to their development of personal identities.
TASK 3
Different channels are funded in many different ways. These different ways can have both their benefits, and there limitations. First of all, there is the BBC. This is funded quite differently to other TV channels, Through Public service broadcasting (PSB). PSB is the broadcasting of television which has been intended for the benefit of the public, as appose to broadcasting for commercial concerns i.e. ITV. [www.wikipedia.com]. The BBC was set up with the goal of having a service to the public, and the channel had to do three specific tasks for its viewers, these were: Entertain Inform and Educate. However despite all of the years of success the BBC has had, the future of PSB is now being questioned. The BBC is currently funded by license fees. The BBC has produced quality TV to its audiences for decades, and is recognized as one of the strongest broadcasters in the world. Ed Richard's, the Chief Executive at OFCOM Offices of communication, which have major roles and duties to play when it comes to broadcasting which can be found on the following link http://www.ofcom.org.uk/about/sdrp/, states that from research, “Audiences attach high to content that reflect the UK. . . they want programming that reflects our cultural identity”. This is one of the things that the BBC excels in. However channels such as ITV are said to have much less quality programming. There have been suggestions that the License income fee should be shared among the BBC and its rivals, however this would have a major effect on the quality of the BBC’s programming, and is said to lose a major part of British culture. Stephen Fry shared his feelings by stating that “The BBC enriches the country in ways we will only discover is gone when it’s too late to build it up again”. He then finished by saying that “We actually can afford the BBC, because we can’t afford not”. Suggesting that if we do spilt the money from the BBC to other channels such as Channel 4, then we will degrade the quality of the BBC’s programming.
Subscriptions broadcasting however is a completely different issue, SKY, BT Vision, Virgin are all prime examples of subscription. However they are all different, these channels allow the viewers to subscribe to the channels they want to watch, SKY for example make millions every year, by making their viewers subscribe to various different packages. These packages include Music, Children’s, News, Knowledge etc. However Sky makes a lot more money by increasing the prices of channels which they are aware are extremely popular to the population, which most of the time is SPORT, and MOVIES. Yet this is not where the subscription finishes. Now there are a whole range of features the public can subscribe to, Once again in the case of SKY, people can subscribe to three different items. SKY TV, SKY Broadband and SKY Talk, and in each of these areas there are a range of different offers available, which can be viewed on the link: http://packages.sky.com/buy/ [www.sky.com]
Subscription is pretty much the dominant form of television in the US, One of the best example of how popular Subscription TV is in the US, and of course how much a channel can benefit from it is to look at HBO TV. HBO did and still does make a lot if not the majority of money, reputation and popularity by broadcasting a wide variety of very popular programs and events. The majority of these events will usually be Sporting events, for example On September 30th 1975, HBO will have dominated the US by broadcasting ‘Thrilla in Manila’ AKA Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier in one of the most if not the most historical Boxing event ever. An event which people will have paid a VERY large sum to watch. [www.wikipedia.com] Since its beginning and its rapid success HBO have brought out more and more different channels but also things such as: HBO On demand, on iTunes, Mobile etc. All of these different subscription offers are viewable on http://www.hbo.com/. [www.hbo.com]
Subscription TV is quite different to pay-per-view TV. Pay per view (PPV) TV, is a form of television which is becoming more and more popular all around the world. It was a system created for the purpose that viewers could purchase different types of events which are soon to be seen on TV. The idea is that once purchased, the viewer will gain a private telecast of the event into their own home. It’s very popular, especially in countries like America, which have channels such as: Cable video story, and viewer’s choice, which are channels devoted to PPV. It began to take off in the 1980’s, and as time progresses, PPV is becoming more demanded by the viewers, so that they can watch things such as Sport, especially boxing and wrestling, Pornographic films and feature length films, ranging from prices of around $3.99 to around $49.99. [www.wikipedia.com]
Because of the varieties of ways that people can watch TV and film, it is vital for sponsorships to take place, as it helps both the programs and channels make moey, and the sponsors promote themselves. Examples of these are, Foxy bingo, sponsors of the Jeremy Kyle show, Appletize, sponsors of Friends, and Harvey’s, sponsors of Coronation Street. All of these sponsors have to think about the program before they choose to sponsor a program. They usually have to take their own target audience into account, and then look at the TV programs audiences and see if there is any similarity. If there is a strong similarity, then the sponsors are more likely to make an offer on that program. i.e. This is why Black and Decker are sponsors of Extreme Makeover. As the program is about DIY, and the majority of the viewers will most likely be DIY fans, therefore Black and Decker who sell DIY goods, will see this program as a perfect opportunity to promote their products, and of course their company. This is also why Friends is sponsored by Appletize, as the product is targeting a young perhaps teenage audience, which is a huge majority of the Friends programs audience, and once again will see this as a very profitable opportunity.
Advertising however is slightly different to sponsorship. If placed correctly on the right channel, then an advert can create a large promotion, however if it is placed on the wrong channel, it can be ignored and unattractive to the audience. It has been a lot harder for Advertisers in the past few years compared to the years where the technology side of media hadn’t developed that much, and the only channels available were the basic terrestrial channels. Now due to the fact that audiences are fragmented into niche audiences. Despite this being much harder for advertisers, this (if placed right) can be extremely beneficial. All the advertisers should do before placing their advertisement is take place a large amount of research. Due to the number of digital channels, it will be harder to find that target audience, therefore from the research, the advertisers should be able to find out where the best place to put the advert. And due to the carious different place Channels now show programs, the advertisers can change the style and format of the advert to suit the area it’s shown. For example on TV, advertisers will produce a standard advert which gets their message across. However on the internet, showing a video will take longer to load up, which could resort in the public leaving the webpage without seeing the advert. There for the advertiser would create a simple image, most likely a screenshot from the advert shown on TV, with the name of the product, or whatever the advert is trying to promote juxtaposed against the image so that the message is still sent across the audiences in a quick, cheaper and more efficient way.
Another good source of funding, is by product placement/embedded marketing. This is where products in a film or TV program are the same as a product in real life e.g some on in a film drinking from a coca cola can. Its a very strong market opportunity which as well as as finding a profit on films, are now starting to find a profit through video games such as Grand Theft Auto.. [www.wikipedia.com] However this form of advertisement is not used in every country and one of those countries who do not use it is the UK. One major question which is starting to arise in the Media industry is will the UK ever use Product branding? Due to the huge success it has, and the amount of money it has the potential to make, i believe that within the next 10 years, product branding will have been introduced in the UK and several other countries who are currently against the idea.
TASK 4
TASK 7+9
Fixed term contract – A fixed term contract will be used to bring somebody into the job for a certain amount of time, usually in the media, people who work as free lance employees are hired until the production of the film is complete. The amount of time the employee will be working for the media company is usually specified in the contract.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?type=RESOURCES&itemId=1073793880
Casual contract= A casual contract is where someone is brought into a media company say if a certain member of the crew was ill and couldn’t attend production or similar reasons. With a casual contract the workers is not recognised as an employee, and therefore need no contract of employment, and are not entitled to sick pay. Usually tere is no compulsion that the media employer will be able to assure any work.
http://www.chester-le-street.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/a/Guidance_Temp_Full_Time_and_Casual_Contracts.pdf
Flexi Contracts- Due to the large amounts of tasks in a media production and pre-production, many workers could have a flexible contract; the flexibility area could be for a number of issues, there is flexibility on the location of which the employee can work e.g. working from home or in an office. Another flexible area is the amount of hours of work and then what is expected of the employee for example casual labour.
http://www.flexibility.co.uk/flexwork/index.htm
Freelance- A freelance worker is someone who is self employed, and will then be hired by a media company for usually the production of the film. A large amount of jobs within the media industry are freelance ranging form art directors to actors, however many people within their profession are becoming a lot more recognized for the quality of their work and as a result are being hired a lot more often, or in some cases given full time employment. In other cases for example a script writer, director or a researcher, they will present and try to sell their ideas to the media company instead of the media company going to the them. There are many websites set up for companies who are looking for freelance employees such as the following in the link. http://jobs.brandrepublic.com/jobs/media-and-new-media/freelance/
http://freelance-job.blogspot.com/2007/01/what-is-freelancer-and-what-exactly-is.html
Secondment contract- In a secondment contract, this is most likely to be where the employer within the media company moves a certain employer to a different area/role, this could range from many different things, for example moving a hair and makeup artist to a different studio to work on a different film or program, or perhaps moving a floor runner to the role of a 2nd assistant director etc, this contract is usually specified for a certain amount of time, and as soon as this time is over, then the employee is expected to return to their original line of work or area.
Voluntary contract- Volunteer work is the best way to gain experience and reputation within a media organisation, they very rarely pay, however many people who have done voluntary wok have sometimes been successful in obtaining jobs within that media company. As a volunteer, they will have no employee rights. Sometimes it is necessary for the media company to give the volunteer specific training so that they can do the job suitably, however besides this the employee can’t always promise their employees anything official such as an actually contracted job.
Below is a current freelance job available to be applied for at the BBC as a Producer/Director of a programme called: when Romeo met Juliet.
https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?s=raCzFKhUsJVaXxJsp&jobid=27114,7234346162&key=16789366&c=409887565614&pagestamp=sevogeixcdeppcxhwo
The following link leads to another job at the BBC, this time as a part time promotion and events co-ordinator, this job however is an attachment/fixed term job.
https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?s=uTcEbHMjWuLXcZzLur&jobid=26501,8834492369&key=16789366&c=409887565614&pagestamp=setbvxzxxzgdqbnzds
One final example of a job at the BBC is a Flexi contract job, where the employee would be taking on the role of a part time receptionist at BBC radio York.
https://jobs.bbc.co.uk/fe/tpl_bbc01.asp?s=BkMjPUrEcTFkHhTcz&jobid=26940,8752622161&key=16789366&c=409887565614&pagestamp=sejuagsugjhnwfsmpn
A huge part of the media world is about laws and legislation, if these areas are not taken seriously, then a production could be in severe danger of being cancelled or stopped during the production itself. The following areas are all essential for a media company to take on board otherwise the consequences could be severe.
Equal Opportunities- By following the idea of equal opportunities, then media companies are showing no discrimination. They employ the person who is most qualified for the job available. This means that there will be no judgement on the employees: Age, sex, race, religion, disability etc. By allowing equal opportunities, media companies are more likely to gain the crew who have the best potential for creating a quality production. Another key issue is acess to disable equiptment and facilities. Many work places don’t have these basic and essential requirements, and as a result many people who have disabilities are unable to find work, and it’s this reason, especially in the media industry, why everywhere must have disabled facilities.
http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1=1073858787&topicId=1074003268&r.lc=en&r.l2=1073877851&r.s=tl
‘The BBC is committed to promoting equal opportunities for all, irrespective of colour, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origins, gender, marital/civil partnership status, sexuality, disability or age’ The BBC
The following link leads to a BBC page, where the BBC itself is publishing their attitudes and agreements towards equal opportunities towards work in the BBC. The same page also shares the BBC’s actions towards disability, and the disability scheme which they have.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/info/policies/diversity.shtml
‘ITV is committed to diversity, including disability, on and off-screen’
ITV
The following link is very similar to the BBC link; however this leads to a page on the ITV website, it share the activities taken place to make the company more supportive towards anyone with a disabilities. Looking closely you can see how similar both ITV and BBC are, which conveys how media companies and organisations use the same manner to resolve these issues.
Employment equality age regulations act 2006- This act was brought into action on October 1st 2006, which was set up to eradicate discrimination towards the employment of someone based on their age. This does stand for media companies, however certain jobs within the media industry will acquire the employee to prove they are capable of doing the job e.g. lifting heavy equipment.
Employer’s liability- The employer’s liability law has been created to ensure that if at work within the media organisation or any other business, someone becomes injured due to a fault not of their own, and the fault actually rests with the employer, then the injured employee has a right to claim insurance as compensation of this accident. The law is very effective especially within the media industry, as all sets and shoots have risk assessments undergone to reduce any risk of injury.
Trade unions- A Trade union is a group of workers in the same industry who usually have the same feelings and attitudes towards different areas of their jobs. As a trade union, their primary goals involve looking after each other’s protection and rights, whether it concerns money, hours or just treatment by other members of the cast and crew. Another goal organised by a trade union is to try and promote ideas and get their feelings made aware to employers so that the working conditions can be improved.
http://www.irwinmitchell.com/Business/IntellectualProperty/default.htm
TASK 5&6
PROPS
Property Master
Prop Maker
Armourer
Greensman
Prop Storeman
Dressing Props
Standby Props
Armourer
If a film involves any sorts of fire arms or weaponry, then an armourer is needed to transport, store and look after the usage of this equipment. The main reason for this job role is that any film involving a fire arm without a licensed armourer is illegal, and as a result could create serious problems for the producers, and even risk having the film stopped from production. They have to ensure that all the pieces of equipment are used correctly and safely. Plus as well as this they can work very close with stunt co-ordinators ensuring that any footage involving the equipment isn’t dangerous.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Health And Safety Advisor/Consultant
Paramedics And Paramedical Staff
Unit Nurse
Unit Nurse
A unit nurse provides the vast majority of healthcare for both the cast and crew during the production of a film. A large part of their job is providing first aid to anyone injured during a shoot however they must also ensure that cast and crew members are also looking after their own health, ensuring that they aren’t taking on too much work or putting their health at risk in anyway. Many of the nurses are unable to gain full time employment in the film industry, however a lot of nurses manage to gain reputation allowing them to be more successful in gaining work as appose to a less experienced nurse.
EDITING & POST PRODUCTION
Editor
Post Production SupervisoR
Assistant Editor
Title Designer
Second Assistant Editor
Title Designer
Title designers have the extremely important task of designing the titles which will run at the start of the film as the opening credits and of course the finishing credits which display every member of the cast and crew who helped or had something to do with the creation of the film. Not only must they do this task, but they must also design and create any titles which will be shown during the film. These titles may reference the time, the place, the date, or even the name of a character. It is a very important job, as the font chosen for the film must be a signifier of the films genre. They usually work as freelancers who are set very strict and direct deadlines to complete their jobs.
PUBLICITY/SKILLS
Unit Publicist
Unit Stills Photographer
EPK Director/ Producer
Unit publicist
Working very closely with producers, distributors and Sales Agents, Unit Publicists or UP’s help both create public interest about the film, and sell it. A major part of their job is to make sure that only certain bits of information about the film is let out at certain times, by doing this; they should achieve gaining a large amount of public interest. UP’s mainly work freelance, and much of the time are paid for being in charge of publicising the film in various different areas on the run up to the films release.
LIGHTING
Director Of Photography
Gaffer
Best Boy
Lighting Technician
Moving Light Operator
Practical Lighting Technician
Console Operator
Apprentice Lighting Technician
Genny Operator
Gaffer
Gaffers have the role of controlling all of the electrical work in a production. They have to lead a large team of technicians so that the equipment is installed and used efficiently and effectively. They also have the role of making sure that the lighting equipment is safe and that they carry out a risk assessment. They also need to keep control of lighting budget. They also have the very important task of choosing the right kind of lighting equipment to suite the scene, and also work well with the camera shots.
EXHIBITION
Programmer
Projectionist
Projectionist
Projectionists need to make sure that any adverts or trailers shown run smoothly and without any problems. They also have the responsibility of making sure that the adverts are played on time as they are given a specific schedule. Due to the different times in which these items are played, then the work hours can vary. Many projectionists work on their own, and due to this they need several skills including technical skills and observation.
SCRIPT
Screenwriter
Development Executive
Script Editor
Script Reader
Script Reader
The script reader must analyse and evaluate the script writers work. A large part of their job is to suggest improvements on the script so that the film can have an effective and popular narrative as possible. The job isn’t always a job which offers a lot of money. However many script readers of ten work in other areas of the production. Yet script reading is very valuable for people who want to get into script development and indeed script writing itself.
CONSTRUCTION
Construction Manager
Assistant Construction Manager
HOD (Head Of Department) Plasterer
Plasterer
Model Maker
Sculptor
HOD Rigger
Chargehand Rigger
Standby Rigger
Supervising Rigger
Chargehand Carpenter
Rigger
Carpenter
Standby Carpenter
Trainee Carpenter
Chargehand Painter
Scenic Artist
Standby Painter
Painter
Stage Hands
Model Maker
Model makes have the task of producing miniatures and scaled models for film productions. The model could be anything from a person to an animal. They also have a responsibility of making models for visual special effects. The requests can be so demanding that the model making crew could spend days and even weeks, making sure that as much detail can be added as possible making models look as realistic and lifelike as possible. In the production of Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, request were so challenging that the Wetta Workshop crew in charge of making models had to make a life size scale elephant ‘Biggature’ for one of the battle scenes. It was so large it had to be transported in various different parts.
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Makeup And Hair Designer
Chief Makeup Artist
Chief Hairdresser
Prosthetics Artist
Hairdresser
Makeup Artist
Assistant Hairdresser
Assistant Makeup Artist
Makeup And Hair Artist
Makeup And Hair Assistant
Makeup And Hair Trainee
Hairdresser
Hair dressers have very important jobs which can sometimes take very long hours of work, and also mean large amounts of time away from home. They work very closely with directors and the actors themselves in making sure that the actors hair stays efficient for the script and the scene. They also have a responsibility for taking care of wigs and making sure they appropriately fit the actors both realistically and comfortably. Hairdressers usually work freelance, and it is very common to see that much more famous and wealthy actors have their own personal hairdressers.
PRODUCTION SOUND
Production Sound Department Overview
Production Sound Mixer
Sound Assistant/ Trainee
Boom Operator
Production Sound Mixer
The production sound mixer has the vital responsibility of making sure that all of the dialogue recorded and played on the film is clear and understandable. This involves the sound assistant needing a lot of patience and persistence so that all of the film has clear speech. This can be very challenging sometimes, as in some locations there can be large amounts of unwanted sounds which are picked up. It can be a very time costly process; however it will affect the films quality greatly.
ART DEPARTMENT
Production Designer
Production Designer
Art Director
Supervising Art Director
Standby Art Director
Assistant Art Director
Set Decorator/Assistant Set Decorator
Assistant Production Buyer
Production Buyer
Concept Artist
Specialist Researcher
Graphic Artist
Storyboard Artist
Draughtsman/Junior Draughtsman
Drapesmaster
Art Dept Assistant
Art Dept Co-ordinator
Assistant Art Director
Assistant art directors have various different tasks which all depend on the size and scale of the production being made. They are often working in partnership with the Art Director, and they carry out a range of tasks for the art department. These tasks could vary in working hours depending on the task itself. For example if research needs to be taken place then the assistant art director could have to travel to various different art exhibitions and locations to gain inspiration and influence for the work.
POST PRODUCTION SOUND
Sound Post Production Overview
Sound Designer
Supervising Sound Editor
Foley Editor
Re-Recording Mixer
Music Editor
ADR Dialogue Editor/ADR Mixer
Audio Describer
Subtitler
Subtitler
This role is responsible for a huge number of viewers, these people need to make sure that the film caters for the death and hard of hearing. As well as making sure that the dialogue featured i n the film can be presented in a readable format, Subtitles also have other jobs. They must ensure that any foreign dialogue can be read and understood by the audience. They must also make sure that the subtitles set the relevant scenes e.g. background noises such as clapping, barking etc. The subtitler must also ensure that the subtitles are shown as the best time, as they only show up briefly and cannot be paused in many cases.
PREFORMING
Performers Overview
Actors
Agent
Variety Artist
Choreographer
Singer
Assistant Choreographer
Puppeteer
Stunt Performer
Walk Ons/Supporting Artist
Puppeteer
Puppeteers have the specific goal of working with puppets to create as much popularity and attentions as the actors do themselves. Puppeteers are usually freelance workers hired by the film company because they may have an incredible skill with various different puppets. The puppeteers will vary due to the type of puppet involved, for example there could be a hand puppet, or even a stringed puppet. People spend lots of their time mastering the use of these kinds of puppets and due to this often get hired very often. On a larger scale, there are animatronics, yet whatever kind of puppet, the puppeteer must make their puppet of puppets as realistic as possible, which is why many puppets in the Star Wars films were often a lot more popular than some of the human characters. And due to the large demand for talented puppeteers, the puppeteer may find themselves having to travel great distances for a very large sum of money.
PRODUCTION OFFICE
Producer
Executive Producer
Associate Producer Or Assistant Producer
Co-Producer
Producers Assistant
Line Producer
Production Manager
Production Co-Ordinator
Production Runner Or Production Assistant
Assistant Production Co-Ordinator
Line producer
Line producers have essential roles to play in both pre-production and the production itself. They are often highly involved in producing the schedule for the film and tasks such as organising shooting dates. They are also involved in other pre-production tasks such as casting hiring production teams and setting up the production office. During the production itself, the line producer’s ultimate responsibility is to make sure that everybody in every area is doing their job properly so that the film will be finished on time and to a very good quality.
CAMERA
Camera Department Overview
Director Of Photography
Script Supervisor
Camera Operator
1st Assistant Camera
2ndAssistant Camera
Camera Trainee
Stedicam Operator
Ariel Director Of photography
Ariel Camera Pilot
Ariel Camera Assistant
Marine And Diving Camera Crew
Grip
Crane Operator
Camera Operator
Camera operators must accurately carry out the information which is set to the by the director of photography, if they fail to do this, then the films won’t get the appropriate shots the need to make it successful. They have several vital jobs including being the first to give suggestions and opinions about the set when looking through the camera, this job usually concentrates on the light, facial expression and other vital shots they can obtain. They also have a large say in the type of camera and type of shot which should be used to get the desired which will keep the narrative flowing successfully. These jobs are usually discussed with the Director of Photography.
MUSIC
Music Roles
Composer
Music Agent/Composer Agent
Music Supervisor
Composer
Composers have a big role of creating efficient and effective teams to produce sufficient and suitable music for different scenes in a movie. A composer could be given an emotional scene which could involve finding an appropriate solo musician. In some scenes a large orchestra may be required, and the composer must direct everybody in it to ensure that the correct sounds are being played at the correct moments at the correct volume etc. The composer must also as a leader brief the musicians with the goal they must achieve in which to supply the film with music. Many composers used in films are freelance, and have large reputations for their work which is why they are hired, for example John Williams being one of the most famous Composers in the world producing music for films such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones.
DISTRIBUTION
Film Distribution
Distributor
Marketing And Publicity Manager
Publicist
Marketing Assistant
Sales Agent
Publicist
The publicist has the important job of getting the film recognised. They must work most likely under office hours to try and get a film the advertisement it is needed to get as many people view it as possible. Often this job would require the Publicist to travel to various different areas and by doing so the film can be advertised in various different forms. For example on the television, on the radio, on the internet and even on the side of buses. This job can make or break the success of a film, as no one will go and watch the film if they haven’t seen any advertisements. However if there are advertisements everywhere, and a big enough tension for the release is created, then there could be millions who go and watch the film.
LOCATION
Unit Manager
Location Manager
Assistant Location Manager
Location Manager
This job involves that the film gains the most appropriate location to mirror the image created in the script. This involves a lot of jobs and due to these jobs, a location manager could work irregular hours to travel long distances to find the appropriate location and setting. Plus location mangers are responsible with dealing with financial issues in the location such as the cost to hire out certain areas or setting, how much it would cost to transport equipment and crew their etc. And by working very closely with the director and understanding what is wanted, they must find somewhere that makes the film stand out.
DIRECTION
The Direction Department
Film Director
Film Assistant Director
Second Assistant Director
Third Assistant Director
Runner/ Floor Runner
Runner/Floor runner
This is a vital job to the success of a film which doesn’t get as much credit as it should. Runners are the messengers in a film production, they are often communicating with the directors and other crew members to ensure that everybody is doing their job, everybody is where they need to be or everybody knows what they have to do. They can also be given the task of supplying cast and crew members with tea and coffee, and trying to resolve any problem which cast members may have.
COSTUME
The Costume Department
Costume Designer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Costume Supervisor
Costume Maker
Costume Design Assistant
Costume Daily
Costume Assistant
Wardrobe supervisor
Wardrobe supervisors are only really hired on a very large budget films. One of their main jobs is to discuss with the other members of the costume area such as the costume designer and the costume maker what kinds of costumes are needed for the actors to wear in different scenes. They also have a large financial responsibility in managing the companies costume budget; this will involve not only buying material, but also cleaning it. They also have large responsibilities when looking at transport, as they need to ensure that all costumes arrive at the locations without damage or anything missing. They also supervise large crowd fittings ensuring that there are no issues to be seen with clothing.
TRANSPORT
Transport Manager
Transport Co-Ordinator
Transport Captain
Unit Driver
Unit Minibus Driver
Driver (Facilities Vehicles)
Unit Driver
A unit driver can be a very demanding job which could take place at irregular work patterns, their job of transporting the films directors, producers and various other crew members could start and 9 o’clock in the morning or 2 o’clock in the morning. The driver must be committed and prepared to drive vast distances to get to the directors approved location. A unit driver is often self-employed and only hired for parts of production which are on location. It’s very similar to a taxi company however the cars are owned by the driver themselves and isn’t uncommon to find that the car is very expensive. Usually to suite the status of the person they’re transporting.
ACCOUNTS
Production Accounting
Financial Controller
Production Accountant
Key Assistant Accountant
Assistant Accountant
Accountants Trainee
Financial Controller
A financial controller is a very important role, they are give the responsibility of controlling the film companies accounting, taxation and analysing the financial areas in various different stages of the film’s production, including distribution, development and production etc. A large amount of pressure is put on financial controllers shoulders as due to their actions a film company could avoid going into serious in not any debt, provided by the films budget. In many cases financial controllers are employed in on a fixed term. Or some financial controllers are freelance hired only for the duration of making and distributing the film.
CATERING
Catering Crew
Catering Crew
Catering crews are vital to keeping everyone involved in the film making process happy, depending on whether the film is in location or not, the could be from 2 to 20 trucks all specifically used for catering uses. This job would most likely be paid at hourly rates, and can be extremely demanding with large work force looking for both food and drink. The job also requires a large amount of preparation to make sure that there is enough food, the food can be prepared in the allotted time and that also the hygiene levels are kept to a very good standard.
CASTING
Casting Director
Casting Assistant
Casting Director
The casting director plays a crucial role in the creation of a film. Their main responsibility would have to find the appropriate cast for the crew. This is from the films lead actor to a film extra. A casting director would usually work alongside the film’s director and producer to find the films perfect acting force. They need great observational skills which will allow them to achieve various tasks such as paying great attention to detail, remember who in the auditions showed talent, and place actors in the most appropriate part possible .
THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY
ART AND DESIGN
Art Director
Assistant Art Director
Art Director
Art directors are usually the people who take on the leadership role within the art department and working with the production designer they must try and achieve a visual image for the production, making it recognisable and relevant to the genre. In larger productions, the art directors are usually in charge for the art department’s budgets. Working on a freelance basis, art directors also have to find practical and efficient routes around any issues which concern art areas.
JOURNALISM AND SPORT
Broadcast Journalist
Broadcast Journalist
Usually most common in news programmes, a broadcast journalist verifies and analysis certain issues which are affecting people, whether that involves sport, entertainment, current affairs etc, a journalist will present this information to the public. This job can sometimes be a freelance role, however a large number of broadcasting companies will hire someone to fulfill this role as this way the face of the journalist will become a lot more familiar with the public, and a lot more popular.
PRODUCTION
Director
Executive Producer
Location Manager
Production Manager
Researcher
Researcher
Researchers work across all the different types of genres, and have the crucial task of coming up with ideas for the production. They usually have to take on hand different requirements and different laws and legislations. Finally once an idea has been created and developed, then the researcher must present their findings ideas and results to broad casters or directors, who will then hire these people on a freelance basis.
STUDIO BROADCAST DIRECTOR
Network Operations Assistant
Transmission Engineer
Vision Mixer
Vision Mixer
This job can be aimed at various types of production, including live filming, studio filming, basically any type of production which requires a number of different cameras to achieve a multi angle footage. Good examples are news programmes, or sport programmes i.e. live football. The vision mixers task is to cut and create a variety of transitions for a range of clips which have all been filmed at different angles. By doing this, different and desired moods can be created for the audience, plus the audience is less likely to get bored. This extremely demanding freelance job requires a lot of determination, and a lot of patience, as sometime, especially if live the job can place the vision mixer under a lot of pressure.
LIGHTING
Lighting Director
Gaffer
Lighting Director
As the most important role within the lighting department, as well as working with scripts and various member of the production team, the lighting director must help create the look for the set. They usually work on a freelance basis with other members of crew such as electricians and gaffers to create the perfect type of lighting for the set. By doing this, the production will look more effective more realistic and more visually engaging.
SOUND
Sound Department Overview
Sound Supervisor
Sound Recordist
Sound Assistant
Boom Operator
Sound Assistant
Sound assistants are very good roles to play if trying to gain experience in a sound department of media world. Sound assistants must work very closely with everybody else in the sound department to try and achieve the best possible quality for the production being made. A sound assistant can be a freelance or staff role, however it will require large amounts of concentration and indeed input in to creating the best product possible outcome.
HAIR AND MAKEUP
Makeup And Hair Designer
Makeup And Hair Artist
Makeup And Hair Trainee
Makeup And Hair Assistant
Makeup and hair designer
These workers are usually on paid to work on high budget TV dramas. Usually working on a freelance basis, a hair and makeup designer must create for a look which will transform the actor into the character themselves. They must create a look which can be replicable a number of times, and well maintained throughout both production and pre-production. Plus this job due to its sheer importance usually requires the hair and makeup designer to work very long periods away from home with the rest of the cast and crew.
PERFORMERS
Performers Overview
Actor
Presenter
Stand Up Comedian
Walk Ons/ Supporting Artists
Variety Artists
Choreographer
Singer
Puppeteer
Assistant Choreographer
Stunt Performer
Agent
Actor
An actor is one of the most crucial roles which will decide whether a production will be successful or not. An actor must portray a character created in a script as affectively as possible on screen. Actors must be able to adapt efficiently not only to suit the role they have been give, but to also create a positive, or sometimes a negative appeal to the audience. As well as being able to work on television, many actors are expected to sometimes appear on other forms of media such as the radio, theatre, films etc. This job is usually freelance; however some will develop contracts with programmes and due to the success and popularity of some actor, many directors and producers battle hard to get certain actors in their production.
CAMERA
Camera Department Overview
Script Supervisor
Camera Operator (Studio/Outside Broadcast)
Camera Assistant (Studio/Outside Broadcast)
Camera Operator (Portable/Single Camera)
Camera Assistant (Portable/Single Camera)
Lighting Camera (Portable/Single Camera)
Camera Operator (Studio/Outside Broadcast)
This can be a very demanding responsibility, which can vary greatly depending on the type of production being made. This freelance job involves the camera operator to control one of a number of cameras, to acquire different desired shots. Instructions are usually given to a camera operator by the director or someone els
e, usually through headphones. Not only does the job involve shift work hours and irregular hour, but the camera operator must be very skilled in their work, and due to their expertise, a lot of the time, they are able to give advice or directions in the correct or most appropriate shot to use.
Finally below is a video recording of me being interviewed after taking the role of a director
TASK 8
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