Unit 2 learning aim a
- 1. Unit 2: Working in the Creative Media Industry Media Industry There are a lot of different sectors of the media industries, including film, television, radio, animation, interactive media, publishing, press, computer games, advertising and marketing. The film sector in the UK has produced roughly 200 films in 2016 alone. A lot of films produced in the UK are funded by the British Film Academy which uses raised lottery money to contribute to British cinema. Some popular examples of films produced in the UK are the Harry Potter series and Love Actually. The television sector in 2019 had revenues amounting to £16.82 billion. A lot of this revenue comes from advertisements and paid subscriptions. The most popular television shows in this sector of media would be soaps such as Coronation Street, EastEnders and Emmerdale, as well as news broadcasters such as BBC. The radio sector in the UK has produced a lot of different types of content ranging from music stations such as Capital, BBC Radio 1, Heart, etc. to news radio stations such as BBC Radio 4. Music radio stations dominate in the radio industry, for example Heart FM is a music radio station reaching around 9.8 million weekly listeners. The animation sector has been huge in the UK and worldwide with the infinite amount of creativity and ideas that would be extremely expensive to film, animation can make it all come to life by putting pen to paper. Products like Wallace and Gromit and Peppa Pig originating in the UK have become global phenomena. The interactive media sector covers a wide range of different products. It provides products on digital computer based systems like applications on your phone such as games or social media. What makes these apps fit into the interactive media sector is that they are responsive to the user’s behaviour and input. Meaning when the user clicks on the application, it opens. When they click on the keyboard, it types. This sector employs around 53,100 people in Britain alone due to its immense popularity. The publishing sector provides the UK with things like books, magazines and newspapers across the country. In the UK, the publishing sector of the media industry has an annual turnover of roughly £6 billion and employs around 29,000 people exporting their products across the globe. The press sector is one of the UK’s primary sources of news and information. This is indicated by the fact that an estimated 47.7 million adults consume news in the UK every month. Products that the press sector provides include newspapers and magazines in both print and digital formats, live news shows broadcasted throughout the day and highlights posted online. These products overall amounted to roughly £5.3 billion in 2015.
- 2. The video game sector has been claimed to be one of the largest sectors in the media industry in Europe. In 2014, there were an estimated 1,902 active game companies. Some of which have gone on to produce major game franchises such as Batman, Lego and RuneScape. The advertising and marketing sectors go hand in hand with each other. In the UK, around 153,000 people are employed in these sectors. The advertising industry is one of the largest sources of revenue for both online and offline media providing advertisements for companies on social media, television, streaming services, magazines, newspapers, etc. Marketing professionals are often responsible for researching, planning and negotiating the legal contracts of these advertising campaigns. The Film Industry The major players within the film industry in the UK include Aardman, Big Talk Pictures and Cloud Eight which are all huge film production companies based in the UK. Films are financed by companies such as the BFI which is the lead agency for film in the UK. They invest over £26m of lottery funds per year to support film development and production. Jobs in the Film Industry Creative Roles Producers have a huge responsibility in the process of filmmaking. They are in charge of hiring the staff for production such as the director, crew and sometimes the cast. As well as that, they have to raise money and set the budget for the production of the film by talking to publishing organisations such as BBC, ITV or Film 4. They should also conduct meetings with staff to discuss the production progress and check-ins to ensure production objectives goals are being achieved. Without a producer, the film would be a lot harder to fund and there may be a lack of staff as well as being overall less organised and less productive. Directors are responsible for interpreting the script and ensuring the production is managed correctly so that the film turns out how they envisioned it. They work with the scriptwriters to provide feedback on the further development of scripts. They also have responsibilities such as selecting actors and locations for filming. Without a director, the production of the film would be messy as everyone may interpret the script differently so it is important to have one consistent vision to make sure the script turns out correctly on screen. Camera operators are in charge of assembling and setting up the recording equipment while creatively framing and capturing each scene. They are also responsible for planning, preparing and rehearsing scenes and should be able to follow camera scripts efficiently. Without trained camera operators the scenes would feel low-effort and unnatural to watch due to there being a lack of techniques used in recording. A lack of camera operators could also lead to falling behind in terms of time management if any equipment breaks and no one is there to fix it.
- 3. Sound recordists are responsible for capturing all the sound on location including dialogue, singing and action. They set up mics and deal with issues with their placements, thinking about the combinations of mics they use such as boom mics and hidden mics to keep consistency with the shot and shot size and to avoid issues such as phasing between the mics. They are also responsible for working around any issues with background noise and making sure you don’t record sounds that you don’t want in the scene. Without sound recordists, the scene could contain background noise that is unwanted and the scene can just feel unnatural due to the sound not making sense with the visuals. Picture and sound editors are responsible for managing camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects to produce a final film. They usually work closely with the director to achieve the desired end result that the director has envisioned. Without trained picture and sound editors the film would look extremely unnatural and would be missing key elements such as special effects and levels of continuity. Scriptwriters are either hired to write a script by a production company or sell their own scripts on spec to get it turned into a film by securing an agent who can distribute their work to their extensive network of contacts. The scriptwriters are responsible for creating characters and dialogue and writing an engaging plot for the film. Without a writer for the script, there would be no film to be made making it the most necessary job role for a film production. Designers are responsible for the visual concept of a film production. They are in charge of identifying a design style for sets, locations, graphics, props, lighting, camera angles and costumes while working closely with the director and producer. Without a production designer, there could be inconsistency in the look and feel of the film by for example having certain costumes looking bad or not fitting the vibe of the scene/film. A good example of a bad set designer would be in Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix where one scene was covered in mirrors making it difficult to fit cameras and crew in the shot without seeing them through the reflections. Technical Roles Lighting operators are responsible for setting up and operating equipment. They are vital to the production as every shot needs to have correct lighting to make sure everything is visible and consistent throughout the film. Without trained lighting operators, there could be one shot of a scene with bright light but then the next shot could be darker making it inconsistent and causing there to be a lack of continuity in the film. Riggers are in charge of assembling and dismantling gear such as scaffolding, cables and ropes on set. They work with departments such as SFX or stunts in film productions. Riggers need to be able to assess the stress limits that the ceiling can take and distribute the weight of the rigging. Without a rigger to take these measures, the rigging could end up breaking which could put the safety of actors at caution.
- 4. Data wranglers are responsible for backing up files on a location shoot. On a shoot using digital cameras, they take the cards containing the raw files from the cameras and sound recorders and transfer them onto at least 2 external hard drives to create backups. They label and log the data to make sure there’s no data loss or corruption. Without data wrangling, if any of the camera or sound recordings are lost or corrupted, it would require the entire shot to be re- recorded. Marketing Roles Marketing managers help to identify the audience for a film and are responsible for creating a campaign to bring it to their attention and pique their interest. This could be through billboards, posters and social media or other digital strategies. Big production companies will usually have their own marketing departments for their films while smaller ones will use a separate marketing company or agency. Without marketing there would be no way to get people to watch the film or take interest in it when it’s ready to be seen by the public. Managerial Roles Team leaders are important in film production because if there are multiple staff members within a certain crew there needs to be someone to supervise and keep them on the same page as each other so they all know what they’re doing. For example, light operators need a light director to supervise. The light director also may be responsible for rigging up the equipment and carrying out tests which can apply to other team leading responsibilities such as camera and sound operators. There are more managerial jobs such as managing the creative and technical process. Managing the creative process of the film is important to make sure everything is going the way the director wants it to. Managing the technical process is important to make sure all the equipment is working and set up correctly to allow for productive shooting. Administrative Roles Managing the logistics in film production is important to ensure you aren’t going over budget and to make sure your time management is under control and you’re sticking to your schedule. Managing the locations in film production is also extremely important because if you haven’t received the permission to film in specific locations you may get sued and be forced to delete footage. This will cause a lot of extra time being spent on location scouting and can make you fall off schedule. Legal Roles
- 5. Ensuring compliance is making sure you have all the correct permission from the people you are filming and from the owners of the locations you are filming at. If you don’t ensure compliance from these people you are at risk of being sued and forced to delete all footage of these people or locations. Managing legal risks is extremely important for the safety of the actors and the crew. You must ensure that everyone is aware of all potential risks that anyone has towards their safety, whether it be something as small as a cut or something that can cause major injuries. Financial Roles Financial roles are usually handled by the producer in film production. Raising finance can be done by talking to publishing organisations such as BBC, ITV or Film 4 who will fund the film if they think it’s worth it. Producers are also in charge of controlling the budget to make sure there is enough money spent on the set and that they don’t spend too much. Finally, they are also in charge of managing accounts to control where the money is being spent to prevent going over budget and prevent theft. Recruitment in the film sector Networking is extremely important in the film industry for recruitment. A lot of people are recruited to work on a film by request. For example, crew members will often be asked by the producer who they would like to work with. This is because having good chemistry with other people on set is important to keep things smooth and stick to schedule. Since film sets have such a large staff team, being able to trust and rely on each other makes it a lot easier and less stressful. Having personal contacts with producers, directors and other people in the film industry will help you a lot in recruitment because, similarly to what I said above about networking, having a good relationship with people on set will give you more chance to be hired next time they make a film. For example, if you are working on a set and you don’t know the director very well, you should try to be their friend then they will be likely to recommend you to other people or go to you again next time. National press such as The Guardian is big in the film industry because journalists use it to review and critique films. This is a very good way to get your name known in the film industry as a journalist. Social media presence is good to have as you can use it to show off what you do professionally and use it as a portfolio. It’s important to keep your personal life separate from your professional life on social media and to ensure that you aren’t posting anything inappropriate on your personal accounts as they could be used against you in the future. An example of this is Jack Maynard who had an opportunity to be on TV show I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here but insensitive tweets surfaced from nearly 10 years ago that caused him to lose that opportunity.
- 6. Employment websites are a great starting point in the film industry as you can find work near you with local producers which will help you build relationships within the local film production community. However, these websites tend to be very competitive in the film industry so it is important that you stand out with an impressive CV, portfolio and presence on social media. Contracts of employment A full-time contract is when you would work around 40 hours per week. Jobs with full-time contracts of employment usually consist in areas like journalism and marketing where there’s always work to be done. A part-time contract is when you’d work 35 hours or less per week. Jobs with part-time contracts of employment normally consist of jobs like assistants in the media industry. Casual labour is when you work irregularly within hours which suit the employer. This can be any job within the industry as casual workers often cover small jobs for small time periods. Temporary jobs are jobs which only last a month or two. These jobs consist of anything in the production or post-production phases which could have long gaps between projects, such as editors. Permanent jobs are jobs where they are always needed as they have large responsibilities within the film. These jobs consist mainly within the pre-production phase, including producers and writers. Voluntary jobs are unpaid jobs which are mainly used to gain experience within the film industry. This could be shadowing a worker in the production phase to learn how things work. According to the BFI, 51% of people working in the creative video production sector were freelance workers. Freelance and self-employment is when you work alone. Freelance is where a performer or writer will work for someone who gives a commission, and they usually get paid hourly. Freelance workers are usually more flexible and work on a range of different projects, however self-employed film makers usually specialize in one area. As a freelance worker you must advertise your work. Freelance work is very competitive so to stand out from others you need good advertisement. One good way to advertise yourself is through social media. Creating a showreel on there showing future employers your work is very beneficial. Self-employment is funding your own business, so the large majority of self-employed film makers work full time due to the volume of work.
- 7. If you are self-employed, you’ll have to pay income tax. You’ll have to pay monthly, and you’ll pay different amounts based on how much you earn. The standard tax bracket is 20% and you’ll be in this bracket if you earn £12,501 - £50,000 a year. The next bracket is £50,000 - £150,000 where you’ll pay 40%, and anything over £150,000, you’ll pay 45%. It’s important to pay your tax as if you don’t do this you can get fined or even imprisoned. National insurance is paid for state pensions for when you retire. You’ll have to pay this if your business earns £6,475. If you’re self-employed you must gain funding for projects which can be done through many ways. You can apply for a funding stream which gives funding to nonprofit organizations mainly through grants which don’t need to be paid back. Crowd funding is another great source as it also doesn’t need to be paid back. Finding employment opportunities Your portfolio can take the form of a social media page or website. A website would appear more professionally as you can embed a showreel, which is a short compilation of clips from films that you’ve produced. As well as that, CV’s can be embedded into a website. A CV is important because it shows your employer why they should choose to employ you, including things like experience, references and skills you’ve acquired within the industry. You can also include a letter of application which is a letter that shows why you’re the best candidate for a specific job. You could also include a catalogue of all your work for the employers to browse. Interview techniques In an interview, it’s important to present yourself professionally. It is necessary to dress appropriately and wash yourself prior to the interview. Appropriate dressing would be dressing professionally rather than casually. This is important because it gives off a good first impression, showing you take care of how you appear in public. Being able to listen and respond with answers relevant to the question is a great skill to have in an interview, as well as not rambling and keeping on topic. It’s better to take a couple seconds after a question to think about it before answering rather than rushing it and, as a result, rambling and sounding unprofessional. Slang and curse words are very unprofessional for a job interview and should be avoided to show respect for the interviewer. Another important part of your language is your tone; make sure you don’t come off as sarcastic or condescending because it will appear like you aren’t taking it seriously or are a disrespectful/unlikable person. Your body language is also important in an interview as you shouldn’t sit too still. Showing enthusiasm and emotion will present yourself as interested and likeable, however don’t be too excessive with it otherwise you’ll appear too energetic. Good eye contact is also a good way to show interest and engagement with the interview. Increasing job opportunities It’s important to employers that you are educated within the industry. You must also make sure that your technical skills are always up to par so they don’t become outdated. For example,
- 8. whenever new equipment or software comes out, you should be prepared to use it. Employers also want to see professional skills relevant to the job you’re doing, such as leadership and planning within a certain job role. Employers want to see your experience in the industry. This can include volunteer work for a local media company, just something that shows you understand what you’re doing and are taking it seriously as a career. This experience can also go into your showreel and portfolio. It’s also important to keep your CV, show reel, website and blog up to date. If any of these stay out of date, it could cause you to miss out on jobs that you didn’t qualify for, but do now. Professional behaviour Professionalism is one of the most important parts of the media industry because you want to keep a good reputation to help with networking. It’s always important to keep clean, well dressed and keep a professional mindset towards work, such as meeting deadlines and putting in your full effort. If you fail to stay professional, you may be seen as unreliable which will cause you to miss out on important job opportunities.