A director is the main driving source for a films production. They are a very respected figure and is the link or bond between the production, technical areas and the creative based work. They overlook everything and is the person who is responsible for getting the story from script to screen. The process they will go through is they will create a visually in their head how they want it to turn out, using style and structure. He or she then has to go in to a storytelling mode and bring his vision to reality. They are interpreting what the producers and writers see. Creativity is key in this process as he would need to go into as much detail as possible, for the rest of the crew to visualise the production the way he does.
To keep up to date with the progress of production, a director keeps up to date and in contact the head of every department involved. This is to see if they are sticking to a schedule or uncover any problems that may have occurred. The decision making is the hardest task for a director as its left down to them to pick cast, crew and locations for filming. They have to direct rehearsals and assess it, and if something is not being done right they should be vocal with their feelings on the matter. They manage the technical aspects of filming such as the camera, sound, lighting, design and special effects. These are big responsibilities and it will take a lot to get to this level.
Like any other role they require skills and the main one for director is the ability to develop an original film. From the planning all the through to post-production, his ideas must be original and be what the audience wants. It's a thought draining process but these people are in this role because they worked hard and stuck at what they wanted to finally achieve. The saying you only get out what you put in is very true in the media industry. You have to push yourself to limits to see as a person what limit you can go to. Along with practical work, studying the art of directing is a quite important. But you need the experience there to meet you halfway. Before the though of university, a good starting point be having studied Art & Design, English, Photography and Film & Media studies. These allow you to explore the different areas that require creativeness, visuals and thought and make your own decision on what you want to do. When your a teenager doing these courses, you may not think they will benefit you in the future. But for a directors job, they will look at your complete history of education to how committed you really are.
From there the first job you usually go for is a runner. Once you have the relevant 2 or 3 year's experience, you can start to work your way up the levels in the hierarchy, and work hard at each one to the best of your ability. The strive to succeed in such a challenging field of work, should be the motivation for you to carry on and achieve your goals.
Tuesday, 19 February 2013
Production Runner Job Role
A production runner doesnt have a particular job desciption, because they carry out many different tasks which are similar to an assistant job role. A runner is a fast paced job as you have to be aware all the time, as someone may want something, and it would be down to you to get it to them. The basic jobs are ones such as making tea or coffee, transporting scripts to actors, director, producers, looking after the cast and crew, making sure they are catered for and generally waiting on them. This is a minor role but it is the one where you will first start to gain your experience in all aspects of media, as you get to see everything that is going on. You would get to see the production process, and what it takes throuhout the day or week to get something complete or nearly fnished. It opens you up to so many different oppurtunites, that once you have the experience for, you can then go in to it.
An important part of being a runner would be cash handling. You are given a responsibility to handle petty cash which acters for you and your team of runners. On top of this there is huge list of other responsible jobs, some of which are similar to an office assistant, as there is a lot of paper work involved in a job like this. You are required to fax, file, photocopy, sort out work and papers that relate to job oppurtunities or contracts between the company and cast. These are what proves a certain person is working for a production company so need to be kept safe and done properly.
Other jobs include:
Runners are usually employed on a full time, short term contract. This is due to production being filmed over a set period of time, and once this time is up there is now ork for thr unner. Unless another opputnuity arises they are unemployed for a while. This shouldnt put people off this role though as it is all part of the industry and if there is any work at that time. Some are unpaid and use the job as work experience to put on their CV that they are trying to build up the experience they need to do well. It's important that you're aware of the media industry and know what it involves to run a smooth production. You need to have a basic knowledge of cast, crew, other job roles, the current media industry and trends in the real world. It's very benficiary to have a broad knowledge of current events as there may be something you could apply to a production, and tell them any ideas you think would work.
Runners are required to long hours such as 12 hour shifts or maybe even longer. It can be very stressful line of work and if you really want to get in to media, then you need to stick at it. You can show people that you can work under such high pressure and demand of others. It's important to show dedication to what you're doing and you will learn a lot of skills along the way.
An important part of being a runner would be cash handling. You are given a responsibility to handle petty cash which acters for you and your team of runners. On top of this there is huge list of other responsible jobs, some of which are similar to an office assistant, as there is a lot of paper work involved in a job like this. You are required to fax, file, photocopy, sort out work and papers that relate to job oppurtunities or contracts between the company and cast. These are what proves a certain person is working for a production company so need to be kept safe and done properly.
Other jobs include:
- Fetching items for staff such as equipment, extra cables or tape
- Handing out post and deliverin post if necessary
- Driving to set locations
- Undertaking research for the director, producer or artists
- Ordering stock
- Hiring props
- Preparing schedules for the day
Runners are usually employed on a full time, short term contract. This is due to production being filmed over a set period of time, and once this time is up there is now ork for thr unner. Unless another opputnuity arises they are unemployed for a while. This shouldnt put people off this role though as it is all part of the industry and if there is any work at that time. Some are unpaid and use the job as work experience to put on their CV that they are trying to build up the experience they need to do well. It's important that you're aware of the media industry and know what it involves to run a smooth production. You need to have a basic knowledge of cast, crew, other job roles, the current media industry and trends in the real world. It's very benficiary to have a broad knowledge of current events as there may be something you could apply to a production, and tell them any ideas you think would work.
Runners are required to long hours such as 12 hour shifts or maybe even longer. It can be very stressful line of work and if you really want to get in to media, then you need to stick at it. You can show people that you can work under such high pressure and demand of others. It's important to show dedication to what you're doing and you will learn a lot of skills along the way.
Monday, 18 February 2013
Editor Job Role
An editors professional development is depended on how much experience they have doing that line of work. They would have started at the bottom of the chain and worked there way up to where they want to be. The highest rank in editing would be executive editor. This could include college courses in media such as A-levels and BTECs, and then further on in to university to continue their media studies in their chosen area. By doing this they are broadening their horizons, and have lots of different opportunities they could go in to. It's up to the person themselves to go out and find the work experience they require, which will benefit them extremely well in the future. For example, a small production company are looking to make a short film and are requiring freelance editors to join the company for the duration of the production, to meet the director and producers needs with their editing skills. Because they are only a small company, they wont require a high-end editor as it would be way over their budget, and it is providing yet more experience for the person, so it benefits both sides. If you are applying for a editorial role, making sure you write down all your experience is vital as this is what they are going to be looking for, They want reliable, hard working individuals, who can work in a team or on their own. So they need to know as much about you on paper first, before they meet you properly.
The next thing they may ask for is to see a portfolio of your work, or a show reel. This will show the company your standards and level of the work you produce, and will therefore contribute to their decision whether they will hire you or not. In any job in the media industry, you may be asked to look at your previous work, not just in the editing area. Another very important factor about an editorial job role is references. If your doing some freelance work and are contacted by a production company acquiring your services, the portfolio will show you what you have done, but references are more direct in the way you can contact an employer first hand and hear from then how well you perform and undertake tasks.
Editors need to have a certain set of skills to fulfil their role and become successful at what they do. They need to have a good insight in to screenplay and the different areas such as, the genre and characters, plot, style and story structure. If there is no structure then the production wouldn't run smoothly, and mistakes would be made along the way. So the executive and assistant editors need to be aware of how the story goes, so when it comes to editing footage together, it's done in the right order and that the story and plot is understood. Depending on what genre of film is being produced, you should now how to use dramatic tools like suspense, tension and mystery to grab an audiences attention. This is because you need to know how these tools affect the audience itself. Overall the main aspect of a job like this is the physical editing of a production. It allows you to experiment yet keep to a brief and without this opportunity job role, there wouldn't be a final product at the end of it all.
The next thing they may ask for is to see a portfolio of your work, or a show reel. This will show the company your standards and level of the work you produce, and will therefore contribute to their decision whether they will hire you or not. In any job in the media industry, you may be asked to look at your previous work, not just in the editing area. Another very important factor about an editorial job role is references. If your doing some freelance work and are contacted by a production company acquiring your services, the portfolio will show you what you have done, but references are more direct in the way you can contact an employer first hand and hear from then how well you perform and undertake tasks.
Editors need to have a certain set of skills to fulfil their role and become successful at what they do. They need to have a good insight in to screenplay and the different areas such as, the genre and characters, plot, style and story structure. If there is no structure then the production wouldn't run smoothly, and mistakes would be made along the way. So the executive and assistant editors need to be aware of how the story goes, so when it comes to editing footage together, it's done in the right order and that the story and plot is understood. Depending on what genre of film is being produced, you should now how to use dramatic tools like suspense, tension and mystery to grab an audiences attention. This is because you need to know how these tools affect the audience itself. Overall the main aspect of a job like this is the physical editing of a production. It allows you to experiment yet keep to a brief and without this opportunity job role, there wouldn't be a final product at the end of it all.
Job Role Types
In the Media Industry, there are 8 different job areas that make it up. They all bring their own individual qualities and skills to become successful in this competitive industry. Some are very challenging and involve concentration and thought, yet the others are more design and creative based. The 8 different job areas are:
- Administrative
- Creative
- Editorial
- Financial
- Legal
- Managerial
- Marketing
- RTechnical
Monday, 14 January 2013
Financial
Finance is the 'science' of funds management and involves a lot of responsibility. In media, the cost of production would lie within the finance, and it would be someones responsibility to control how much money is going on to making a film or television program. These people are called film accountants, they manage the budget and must keep a financial record of what is being spent on film production. They work very closely with the film producer and production staff to prepare schedules and budgets. The skills that make an accountant, become a film accountant is the training of accountancy, plus experience in the media and film productions. They also need to have a good knowledge of government regulations. Film accountants work freelance, so they only work when they are required to. The level of experience required depends on the size and scale of each production. For example, your making a film that's expected to make millions at the box office. So for this large scale production, you would require a highly experienced accountant to safely and efficiently manage the budgets for the film.
Legal
In the media it's important to have media lawyers on board in case anything legal related needs to be dealt with. In this industry, they are there t deal with print media, telecommunications and digital communications. Print media covers newspapers, magazines and print advertising etc. Telecommunications is based on radio and television and digital communications is the use of the Internet. All media lawyers handle cases of slander, defamation and the right to privacy. Within a production company there will be certain things that can't be issued to the public, or things they have to keep secret till a certain time. If something is said or spoken out of context or is not true, in a way that it could jeopardise the company or a person, then legal action can be taken. Evidence is needed to pursue the case, such as it being written down in a magazine or recorded in an interview. Every company has a trading name in which they deliver buisness, and often even a logo or deisgn that represents them. This becomes interlectual property whether it is registered or copyrighted. An Interlectual Property Lawyer or Cpyright Lawyer are the people who manage the company brand. If a person is found to be using the same company production name, then a case can be brought against them in court and be sued.
Administrative
An administrative job which is also know as someone being a secretary, is the type of job which requires you to support management and executives of a company. To do this you would use a variety of different skills such as communication, organisation and project management to undertake and tasks you are asked to do or sort out. Secretaries deal with many things such as organising important meetings for the management, and keeping track of any upcoming events that they may be attending. Like any other office job they will also include writing letters, filing paperwork, managing budgets and bookkeeping, and operating and maintaining the running of a company website. Assistants may often be asked to sit in with the executives in meetings and take notes which can then be reviewed afterwards, and this is where the organisational skills apply.
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