Working in creative media
The media industries
There are many different types of media industries. All of
these will be consumed by different types of people. You have the likes of TV and
film. These have such a wide range of areas they cover. From drama and horror
to comedy and romance. They’ll appeal to many different people depending on the
type. You also have animation. A form that can take a long time to produce. The
biggest type of animations are children’s programmes. However, there are also
older focused ones for older audiences. Interactive media is another form. The big
one for this is the internet and it can take the form of the likes of quizzes
and is used in everyday technology. Then we also have publishing which is
responsible for things like flyers and posters that can be consumed by many
people. A good example of this would be a billboard advert on the side of a
road. The biggest form of media that lots of people see everyday is the press.
This is responsible for getting the news out to people and can be done in many
ways like, TV, newspapers and social media. The press is an industry that also
relies on lots of other industries within media. There are also computer games
which make lots of money and are produced worldwide. A good example of this
would be right on our own doorstep as we have offices for Ubisoft in Newcastle.
They’re used by people of all ages and backgrounds as a way of disconnecting
and forgetting about their problems and entering a virtual world. Then we have
advertising. A huge industry responsible for letting people know about products
and offers all over. They can also rely on many other industries as you can
find advertisements in TV, film, newspapers and even videogames. Marketing is like
advertising but more on the side of looking into how this certain product will
be perceived by people and how to get it too them and get people interested.
The film and television industry
The film and television industry create movies and
programmes for people to watch and enjoy from the cinema to the comfort of a home.
Movies and some television shows can be consumed on DVDs or on video. Other shows
such as talent shows, or soap operas can usually be found on television
channels such as BBC or ITV. Work from this industry can also be watched on
streaming services such as Netflix or Disney+ always with a target audience in
mind. The products that are created in this side of the media industry range in
genres as well as the age groups, genders, interests and emotions of the audience,
meaning there is always something for everyone.
Job roles in the film and television industry
There are many job roles in the film and television industry,
and all are equally important. From directors to designers every role is worked
together to create the art that we watch at home or in the cinema, on our TVs
or mobile phones.
Director
The director is responsible for all the creative elements of
a production. Its their job to make sure the vision is met. Essentially the job
is as it says on the tin. They direct the actors and crew in the manner they
best see fit to get the outcome they want from the production. They also direct
the editors during post production so that the final product matches their
vision and standards. They make sure people are in the places that they need to
be.
Producer
A producer is essentially the boss of a production. They
will be the person who initiates the production. They’ll oversee and manage the
production of movies, TV series and more. They are with the production from
start until after the finish. They help with initial development and writing.
Producers will try to sell scripts while also offering their directors and
actors to get deals. During pre-production the producer tries to keep it as
cheap as possible trying to come in under budget and make sure nothing gets in
the way. During production the producer oversees literally everything. From on
the fly script edits, directors, actors and crew losing their cool to managing people’s
egos and expectations. During postproduction the producers help the editors,
providing notes on anything that is needed. They’ll also keep track of the
budget and if needed do reshoots or use visual effects to get the best finish.
And finally, even after release the producer can never relax. They’ll have to
watch how much the film is making to hopefully turn a profit. They make sure marketing
are doing their job and watch the publics perception of the production.
Actor
An actor is a person you see on screen. Their job role is to
tell the story through the lines written by the scriptwriters and through their
movements and body language such as walking or running, hand gestures or facial
expressions. Their body language as well as what they speak helps give an
indicator to the genre of the movie or television show that that they are
appearing in. for example, in a comedy their gestures and facial expressions
have to match the dialogue in order to get a laugh out of the audience. Just saying
the lines may not get the reaction the writers and director may be hoping for. They
must perform them with meaning. Actors can sometimes relate to the character
they are playing, depending on what is written or how they are dressed. This can
be a good thing as the actor can then perform the role in a more real way.
Writer
The writer is responsible for having a vision. They’ll have
a story that they want to make into a final product. However, they might not
have the dialogue they want so will have to rely on scriptwriters to help them
write the final product that they want. They can help with locations and sets.
They can help set the mood for what is expected of the shoot.
Scriptwriter
The scriptwriter plays a very important role in the
production. They’ll be responsible for all the dialogue and directions that the
actors and crew will need to follow. Its important that they make all of this
as fluid as possible to make it seem real. They don’t want it to sound as if
they actors are literally reading from a sheet of paper. It needs to sound like
something people would say. This means they need to write as if the
conversations where being had by real people.
Set designer
The set designer makes the sets in which the actors perform
in. Different sets will take different amounts of time. The designer will have
a whole host of people working for them to make sure that set is perfectly the
way the director envisioned it. They can go from designing anything from the
inside of a car, a street and even to a massive grand hall.
Costume designer
The costume designer makes and finds the costumes that the
actors wear when playing their characters. This requires a lot of work and detail
depending on the type of show or movie that is being filmed. For example, a movie
set during the Victorian era would require a lot of more in-depth research and
design that something set in the current day.
Makeup artist
The makeup artist plays a part in making all the actors look
like their characters. This can range from just a little bit of makeup for a
more natural look to full prosthetics to alter the shape of the actor’s face
depending on their role. This job role also applies makeup to the actor’s
bodies if the role requires it. This can include cuts, bruises or scars for the
injured characters and body paint for superheroes, mythical characters and even
tattoos. The makeup artist may also have to real tattoos on an actor if their
character does not have any.
Hair stylist
The hair stylists, like the makeup artists, help make the
actors look like their characters. They style the actor’s hair to make the
actor’s look fitting to the time period the story is set in and style wigs if
it what the character requires.
Camera crew
The camera crew are very important as they get the footage
for the television show or film. They record the actors performing as well as
get establishing shots of landscapes and buildings. They are usually given a
shot list from the director, however that those shots may change during
production as some may not work when it comes down to filming it. Depending on
the production, this job role requires the use of either single or multi camera
techniques.
Lighting crew
The lighting crew are a team of people who are responsible
for the way a set is lit. They help creating shadows or for allowing more light
into the set. A good example of this would be that a scene shot within an apartment
would have lighting used to make it look like it was shot within the apartment
and not just in a studio. This could include having lights and lamps set up
around the apartment to having studio lights and soft boxes outside the window
to make the light look more naturally like sunlight. Or on a night shot it
could mean making it look darker.
Sound crew
The sound crew are there to make the quality of the audio on
the video sound as best as it possibly could. Their job is very important and
takes lots of time. Typically, a sound crew will have three people. A boom
operator who is responsible for dealing with microphones to make sure they aren’t
in shot and still recording clear audio. A production sound mixer who will be
responsible for making sure all the audio is how it should be and that no
unwanted sounds are picked up. Many will regard this role as the most
important. Finally, you have the sound assistant who is the stock person. They
make sure that batteries are charged and working, mics are ready and generally assisting
the rest of the sound crew where needed.
Editor
The editor is the person who will be making the final
product. They’d work directly with the director to get their exact vision. They’ll
take all the footage that was recorded during the filming process and make it
into a final cut. This means they’ll spend a lot of their time going through
multiple camera angles from the same shot and fitting it all together to make
the final product. This is a vital role to make sure that everything looks
flawless and runs with the director’s vision. And that the audience don’t lose
track of what is happening.
Researcher
The researcher is a very important job role. They are needed
for any television show or movie to help the writers gain more of an understanding
of how they want stories to go or characters to feel. Researchers are also very
necessary when it comes to historical genres or documentaries. They find
information to make sure the product will be historically, factually or culturally
correct before it is fully written. This job role can also help the actors tap
into the characters they have a more dramatic or hard-hitting storyline.
Location scout
A location scout finds locations to fit the television show
or movie when a location that cannot be made on a stage is needed. A location
scout can spend a lot of their time both in the office and out on location.
They can find locations and do research on them before going to the location
themselves. Usually a location scout will take some form of document with them and
make all the required notes on that location. These notes can be very detailed.
They’ll include things relating to shots, how much space there is and things in
the background that could affect the shot to name a few. They’ll also look at
safety concerns to make sure that the environment the actors and crew will be
in wont cause them harm. This can include looking at potential trip hazards,
people in the area and even the traffic passing by. They’ll also need to cover
the weather too as different locations will have different types of weather.
Recruitment in the film and television industry
A big way of getting actors for film and TV would be through
auditions. These will be posted up on social media sites like Facebook, or even
on job boards like Indeed. They would be overseen by the casting director and
is the best way of seeing if someone is fit for the job. For the likes of the
crew advertisement could be put up on social media and job boards. Usually a
copy of a CV and/or portfolio would be submitted. This allows the hiring team
to eliminate and refine the people who applied to create a shortlist for interviewing.
Interviewing allows the recruiter to meet the person and see what they’re like
face to face.
Contracts of employment
Most employees for all companies (not just media) will have
contracts. Within the film and TV industry these contracts may be more in-depth
due to nature of the job. Contracts will include things like, pay, hours and
entitlements. There are different types of employment, full time, part time, temporary,
permanent. Different types of jobs will use different types of contracts. For example,
on a permanent full-time contract you’re more likely to have more rights within
the company than if you were part time temp. TV and film may also include an
NDA (No Disclosure Agreement) in their contract. This means that you can’t talk
about the project until the NDA is lifted.
Finding employment opportunities
For people looking to find employment within the TV and film
industry jobs can be found in various places. Social media sites like Facebook has
groups people can join to be notified about job opportunities near them but
also all over the world. This allows them to see if the job is something they’d
like and if its worth applying for. It also means you can potentially speak to
people who’ve worked on similar projects before to get some hints and tips to
help them during the hiring process. Some production companies may also post
adverts up on job boards. This means it’ll be directed at people looking for
that specific role. The advert can include all the information about the job.
From hours and pay to weather its temporary or permanent.
Interview techniques
Interviewers will use a wide range of techniques to make
sure the person is fit for the role they’re applying for. One of the main
techniques that will be used is questions. The questions will be specific to
the job role with a few oddballs to see how the applicant handles with a random
question. A big one that companies like is “If you were a brand which brand would
you be.” They may also make you do a roleplay scenario to see how you would handle
being put in a specific position and potentially under pressure. For the likes
of actors, they may also make you read lines from a predefined script to see if
you are fit for the role.
Increasing job opportunities
There are many ways an applicant can increase their job opportunities.
They could get involved in a local drama group. This could be acting, filming
or any other area that helps them get experience. Anything that can go on a
portfolio. You could also build your own portfolio and make videos to post to
websites like YouTube. YouTube is a very big one as it allows you to take on most
of the roles. It also helps increase your opportunities as when applying for
jobs it gives you something to link to so people can see what you’ve worked on in
the past.
Professional behaviour
For anyone working in the media industry (Not just TV and film)
professionalism is a most. This means that when turning up to things. Whether
that be a shoot, an interview or a press event you must be punctual, smartly
dressed and well mannered to help maintain the company image as well as your
own and you must be reliable. Not only will that make you look professional,
but it will help increase job opportunities in the future. Its also important
to be well structured. This can mean keeping a diary of your activities, keeping
your accounts in order and marketing all if any freelance work you do. Finally,
you should make sure to maintain and improve your skills. This is important
because it means that in the future you can go to better and bigger projects
and jobs because you’ll have the technical skills and knowledge to do it.
The structure of the film and television industry
The TV and film industry both have structures to them.
Within the TV industry there are many. TV has public service media. This
includes the like the BBC (News outlet) who provide news to the public and
report on local and national issues. The BBC is government funded meaning the
public pay for it. This means they don’t play advertisements for money. A good
example of a commercial outlet would be the ITV. Unlike the BBC they aren’t funded
by the government so rely on advertisers to keep them going. Independent media
is media which is free of government influence. This could fall under a TV show
that reports on government goings on without sugar coating it because they’re independent
and for the people. Media uses vertical integration a lot. This is when a
company owns different business in the same industry. The best example of this
is 20th Century Fox. They own the studios in Hollywood. As well as cinemas,
TV channels and DVD stores. Horizontal integration is when a company buys out
other business that would be competitors too them. A good example of this would
again be Disney. They buy out lots of companies. Like Pixar and Marvel to then
have them owned by Disney means that they aren’t competitors but instead Disney
makes money from them. Cross media is media that is shared across multiple
platforms. An example of this could be a news story that is published on TV
then gets posted to social media and search engines. Meaning it reaches a wide
range of people. This also falls under multiplatform as again it can be watched
on the TV, or on a mobile phone, tablet or computer. Multinational media is a form
of media that is worldwide and seen by people all over the globe. A prime
example for this would be a Spanish TV show called La Casa De Papel or in English
Money Heist. The show aired in Spain and didn’t really make it big. However,
after being picked up by multinational media company Netflix the show soon
became a worldwide hit. It went so popular that it was dubbed in most languages
so everyone could enjoy the show.
Career opportunities in the film and television industry
TV and film are huge industries worth billions of pounds.
There are many companies that produce many films and shows a year. Most of the companies
are owned by very few people. A big investor who now owns many companies is
Walt Disney. A company that has expanded over many years and taken over lots of
smaller companies and licences and franchises like Star Wars, Pixar, Marvel,
Fox and National Geographic to name a few. To use Disney as an example, if another
company licences and uses their characters they’ll get money for it as well as
royalties for every time their assets are used. Companies will have structures
in place for the management of their organisation. They’ll have departments
that deal with finance, sound, copyright and many more. All of which will over plentiful
career opportunities for the right candidates.
Ethical issues in the film and television industry
There are quite a few ethical issues to consider within the
TV and film industry. You need to consider the representation of groups and/or
individuals. For example, how German people should be represented in a film set
in World War 2. Religious beliefs also an area to be considered. You want the
information on the religion to be perfect and 100% factual. Otherwise you may
cause big offense or upset within that religion. Language should also be taken
into consideration. If you’re a company who prides themselves on being polite
and well mannered on screen, then that should be mirrored off screen too. It
should also be that everyone has equal access to the media you produce. A
perfect example of this is that some soaps have afternoon screenings of the
show with an interpreter for deaf people. Companies usually also have a code of
conduct that will include the company’s ethics and values that employees will
be expected to adhere to during their time working for that company.
Legal issues in the film and television industry
The biggest issue within the film and TV is copyright. You
need to get all the correct permissions for songs or clips for other productions
before you use them, if these permissions aren’t in place you could be liable
to legal action because of it. You also need permissions for actors and
locations that without could lead to legal action. Another issue for this would
be that people in the back of shots who don’t consent to being in that shot
could also take legal action against the production. You also need to see how
things will be interpreted by different audiences. Something that you may see
as perfectly fine would be racist to someone else. This can cause big issues
for the production. Especially if legal action should be taken.
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