Job Roles within the Film & TV (media) industries!

Job Roles within the Film & TV (media) industries!

When it comes to jobs, much like in Tesco's 'every little helps,' in a production you can find a diverse range of job roles meaning there are a variety of methods of employment, giving people the flexibility to find a job that suits there needs.

For example this can be done by following certain routes, whether it be: editorial, creative, financial or research, down below we will be looking in detail at some of these job roles and what part they play within the media industry.

Management:

Management is simply the process of getting people together in order to achieve an objective or goal. To succeed in this field you have to have the ability of making full use of the resources available to you.  This role as 'manager' can come in many forms, for example the production manager. Being a manager essentially means that you are the first step into making the piece of work, but you do not have control over what happens on set, or creatively, this power is given to the director and producer. 

NOTE: Financial and organisational also comes under management.

Different job roles you will find in this field:

• Accounts
• Transport: Transport manager, transport department, unit driver
• Catering
• Casting
• Health and safety: Unit nurse and paramedics 
• Production office: Producer
• Distribution: Sales agent
• Location: Location manager

Casting: Casting Director

Casting is a vital aspect that can have a major impact on how the film or production resonates with audiences. We ensure that the most suitable casting directors are picked (those who have an extensive knowledge of the available talent combined with the creative ability to imagine how the right actor can portray a character on screen. This is achieved by conducting interviews and auditioning actors to see if any specific person would fit the role, following this a contract is created for the actor. The casting simply hold auditions alongside the director to find new or old talent as this can help the production, alongside acting careers. The casting process involves a lot of time and research being put into it as the correct person will need to be chosen for the role.

It is a regular occurrence that the director will work alongside the casting director on film, entrusting their taste, imagination and ability to deliver the best possible people for the job. The casting director is  given an obligation to know up and coming, or recent talent which and audience would like to see.

In addition, casting agencies also partake in this role, they range in size from big, established companies employing a number of assistants, casting associates, runners and receptionists, to smaller companies consisting of one of two person operation that hire in support staff during busy periods. Casting directors are often need for a number of weeks and demand payment on the first day of production. They finish work when the actors are chosen, and therefore are not needed full time.

Production office: Producer

No one ever said film production is an easy process, meaning it effectively requires the setting up, running and closing down of a substantially sized organisation, solely for the purpose of producing a single film.

Producers are the main part of the production office, they overall have complete control on every aspect of a films production, bringing together the director, screenwriters, cast, production team, and finances, as these different elements ensure that producers are effectively accountable for a successful film attracting audiences. 

In addition to this another role in a producers every day life is to turn storyline ideas into profitable cinematic entertainment, alongside persuading others to share in his or her creative vision. Producers are responsible for everyday operations of the production team, though many practical functions are delegated to the Line producer and Associate producer 

Line producer: The person who is in charge of hiring all of the below-the-line production crew such as camera crews, lighting crews and catering staffs. They are in charge of overseeing the production budget and the day-to-day operations. They work closely with the executive producer of a television show or the director of a film to make sure they are properly executing on the creative vision. Line producers are also in charge of coordinating all post-production efforts such as editing and special effects. On smaller productions a line producer will sometimes also serve as the unit production manager, or UPM. 

Associate Producers: They carry out significant functions in the production or post-production process, which would otherwise be performed by the Producer, Executive Producer or Co-Producer. These responsibilities may range from helping to raise production finance at the beginning of the production process, to supervising the final stages of post-production.

Associate Producers in Film are usually individuals within production companies who have played a particularly significant role in the development of the script or screenplay, or in the packaging process, or who have contributed important creative ideas to the production. They may be another producer; or a senior Script Editor who helps to shape the direction of the final drafts of the screenplay, and without whom the film may not be financed; or the Producer’s Assistant who supervises development or post production for the Producer in their absence.

The term Associate Producer is also sometimes used to describe a Producer from a smaller production company which is co-producing the film, who has typically raised a small amount of funding for the project, but not enough to warrant an Executive Producer or Co-Producer credit.

Responsibilities

Associate Producers contribute significantly to the production process, as they are responsible for specific elements delegated to them by the Producer. This diverse role may encompass development, packaging, raising production finance, supervising the production design team (sets, costumes, etc.), supervising post-production, or co-ordinating the work of the various visual effects companies. In fact, they may carry out any production work that the Producer is too busy to supervise personally, and which is not covered by one of the other production roles (e.g. Executive Producer, Co-producer, Line Producer). Whatever their exact role, Associate Producers must be able to troubleshoot any production difficulties or problems that come within their area of responsibility.

Skills

The producing skills required of Associate Producers depend on the specific responsibility delegated to them. These skills may be in Script Editing, Story Consultancy or Packaging, but they may also encompass other areas of specialisation, such as post-production or digital effects. Associate Producers must be able to contribute to good working relationships, and be excellent communicators. They must act decisively and sensitively under pressure. As supervisors and enablers of other creative people, they should be able to plan, inspire, supervise and delegate. According to the requirements of current Health & Safety Legislation, Associate Producers are not legally responsible for setting up health and safety procedures; however they may be required to carry out risk assessments according to regulatory requirements. They must know how to identify the hazards in the production environment, to assess the level of risk, to recommend action, and to carry out a review of their assessment. They also have a duty to ensure that their own actions reduce risks to health and safety.

Qualifications/Experience

The qualifications required for this role also vary according to Associate Producers’ specific responsibilities on the production. They are often senior Script Editors who are particularly skilled at solving story problems, and turning a great screenplay into a successful film. Where Associate Producers perform limited Line Producing functions, they may have previously been Production Managers with a specific aptitude for problem solving. If they have taken over from the producer in post-production, they are likely to be senior Post Production Supervisors, or Digital Effects Supervisors. Associate Producers must also attend the required Health & Safety courses.

Producers are also in constant communication and consultation with the director as they need to make sure that they meet the brief and oversee the project.

Producers work from beginning to end of production and will spend many hard working hours doing so.

Financial

Financial is essentially the science of funds management. The general areas of finance are:

Business finance: It's a business activity which is concerned with the acquisition and conservation of capital funds in meeting financial needs and overall objectives of business enterprises. 

Personal finance: Use of the principals and techniques of corporate finance in an individual's money affairs, especially the methods of allocation of financial resources. Its objective is financial security and independence so that an individual or a family can meet expected expenses and withstand monetary emergencies. It involves making prudent financial decisions, budgeting, saving, investing, insurance, tax planning, retirement planning, and estate planning.

Public finance: Collection of taxes from those who benefit from the provision of public goods by the government, and the use of those tax funds toward production and distribution of the public goods.

Finance simply includes saving money alongside lending money in order to do so, this field deals with the concept of time, money, risk and how they are interrelated. It also deals with how money is spent and budgeted.

The job roles in this field include:

• Distribution: sales agent
• Publicity/skills: Unit publicist
• Accounts: Production account, assistant accounting, key assistant accounting.   

Organisational

Organisational jobs require persons with the ability to manage people, projects, objects, and people who have the ability to make sure everything goes to plan whilst meeting deadlines. They are primarily in charge of positioning items (for continuity) or people and they make sure everyone has a job on set or within the production.

Different job roles in this field include:

• Catering
• Location: unit manager
• Publicity/skills
• Transport manager & captain

Administrative 

When it comes to business, administration consists of the preformance or management of business operations and the making or implementing of a major decision. 

The term 'administration' can be defined as the universal process of organising people and resources efficiently within the film production and the different departments, this helps them achieve the goal and objectives they have set and their brief.

Different job roles in this field include:

• Casting 
• Location
• Health and safety
• Accounts
• Transport and catering
• Paperwork

Creative

Everybody is a little creative, but in the media industry, creativity goes a long way, in the industry a creative mind helps set the scene alongside making the final product realistic and accurate for the audience. In addition to this they also help portray genres within films, or types of media (e.g in horror films, creative team play an important role in makeup, costumes, and props to set the scene)

Different job roles in this field include:

• Music 
• Script
• Hair/Makeup designer
• Preforming
• Director
• Casting director
• Props
• Lighting: moving light operator, gaffer
• Producer
• Costume: designer+maker
• Camera: camera operator, script operator
• Construction: construction manager, model maker

Director

Without a director there's no movie, so to say they have one of the main roles... is an understatement, as a director, you learn to work with different departments and translate the script to the finished film. The director commissions a script writer to work alongside them or they may choose to write the script themselves. 

Directors also looking at the casting to make sure the actors are up to standard alongside being able to keep the team motivated, connected and focused on the jobs at hand. Typical activities of a director include interpreting the script, storyboarding, directing actors, managing technical details and making decisions about design and location. In addition they must also be aware of the constraints, the schedule and budget of the film.

As a director, you are ensured to work long hours, working on all aspects from the beginning to the end of film production. The ability to remain calm, have attention to detail, and think clearly under pressure are all skills needed if you want to partake in being a director.

The roles in this field include:

• Film director
• Casting director
• Assistant director
• Second assistant

Costume department

Whatever you wear, starts from here, yes the costume department is responsible for all clothes and costumes that are present on set, in addition to this the department also deals with the purchasing, manufacturing, hiring and fitting of all the costumes for the actors. Costumes are important in a film because they provide information about characters within the film.. e.g social background and culture.

The main role in the costume department is of course the costume designer, he or she is in charge of all costumes needed for the production, along with helping them get transported to set and hiring them out. The director will give the costume designer a brief as to how they want the characters to visually be portrayed within the film and it is the responsibility of the costume designer to stick to that, as if done wrong, it could ruin the atmosphere and look of the film. In addition to this costumes are so important because they serve a purpose of revealing elements of the film as characters are judged (by audiences) on how they look, to create a successful dress code for the actor, the costume designer must be familiar with the characters personality and be able to make a link with what they are wearing in front of the camera. 

If you take an example of someone wearing rags to someone who is in an expensive and high quality suit, the audience immediately pick up on the wealth and cultural classes of the people thus providing an important asset for the film. To ensure everyone is wearing proper attire much research has to be done towards the time in which the character is living, the location, and the character itself, in order to be successful. Another job a costume designer does is keep track of the budget and costs allocated with the creating of the costumes, all this, whilst sticking to deadlines.

Costume designers work long hard hours, researching and making appropriate costumes. A typical starting salary for this role will be between £13.000 and £18.000 a year, which could rise to £28.000 a year with experience.

Editorial

Editing can make or break a film, but editing is simply the process of selecting and preparing visual, written, audible and film medium used to convey information through the processes of organisation, correction, condensation, and other modifications in various forms of media. This is done with the intention of producing a correct, accurate, complete, and consistent output.

Job roles within this field include:

• Editing and post production overview
• Editor
• Assistant editor
• Title designer
• Second assistant editor
• Post production supervisor

Editing and post production: Title designer 

Title designers as the title would suggest design the opening titles for films, as well as captions that appear in the film giving details of time, place etc., and the end credits and moving roller listing all members of cast and crew. These elements depend on the budget of the film due to the ease and complexity of the opening titles, which help to create the tone and atmosphere of the film (Skyfall is a brilliant example of this). 

They also contribute to decisions regarding font colour and the animation (if any). As expected this requires extensive research on creating or finding specific fonts that match the period/location/theme of the film. This post will often require the person to start work towards the end of the editing process, and they will meet with directors and editors to discuss themes and ideas featured in the film that will influence the creating of the opening titles and the end credits.

TD's are either freelance, working independently in their own graphics studio and pitching for work using show reels, or are employed by companies that require digital and or optical effects.

This post also requires work to strict deadlines following their brief.

Editor

A film or video editor is responsible for assembling raw material into a finished product suitable for the target audience which the editor receives as he is briefed. The materials they work with consist of dialogue, unedited camera footage, graphics, special effects and sound effects. During the edit, the editor has to make sure the film flows in a logical and lineal order, which then, when put together, just slices together into the finished film. 

The editors will form a team who will work closely with the director to achieve the desired end result, in addition to this they will work with the director even before shooting begins, deciding how to maximise the potential of the screenplay. Editors may work on a variety of productions from T.V programmes to music video's, to corporate training videos/adverts and feature films.

The majority of editors are employed on a freelance basis, working on short term contracts for post production studios, corporate employers and television companies. This job requires work in the edit suite for long hours, alongside requiring hard work, and strict deadlines which have to be met. The salary of a film editor starts at around 11, 500 (a year) and fully trained editors can receive between 18,000 and 25,000, yet with more experience you could also earn from 30,000 to 60, 000.

Another job editors are required to (alongside editing ) is to check the technical standard.

Job roles in this field include:

• Head editor
• Assistant editor
• Assistant manager
• Second assistant manager

Technical

Technical jobs consist of making sure the technology around the set or the production area is working and set up properly. Such as cameras, lighting, and sound.

Different job roles in this field include:

• Studio and broadcast-TV
• Post production sound: Production sound mixer, boom operator.
• Lighting department
• Technology
• Camera

Lighting department

LET THERE BE LIGHT!!! Someone once said.... years on, nothing much's changed.. In the media industry the lighting department plays a critical role in production. Wether it be natural lighting (such as the sun).. but sometimes that is not enough, that's where artificial lighting comes in order to create a certain atmosphere, effect or visual image that is needed for a specific scene and a wide variety of equipment is needed to do this.

To carry out a job role in the lighting department workers are required to work safely around electricity and other potential dangers, this field has become increasingly sophisticated over the years with a large variety of lamps and accessories being used nowadays to create certain effects.

Examples of job roles in this field include 

•  Directors of photography (these are key heads of departments of film sets)

These people work closely with directors and production designers to give a film it's visual signature, they also work with moving light operators.

Sound department: Boom operator

Boom operators are strictly responsible for placing the microphone in the correct position for optimum sound quality alongside not interrupting or disturbing the camera operators and actors whilst doing so. The boom mike is often placed close to the actors (just off screen) to capture clear dialogue.

Boom operators also assist the production sound mixer, as these two jobs go hand in hand. The microphone itself can be hand held, or mounted on a dolly. Boom operators are also responsible for sound equipment, making sure it's working and fixing and problems with it.

They usually work on a freelance basis, and report to the sound mixers who work in the sound department too. This job requires long hours and periods away from homes. The job is finished once production is completed, and they begin work on the first day of principal photography.


Research 

Research is defined as The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. In terms of media, research helps to make a scene/location/character more historically accurate which will favour well with the audience.

Different job roles in this field include:

• Location
• Transport
• Music
• Casting
• Costume/props
• Catering crew

Location: Location manager

Location, location, location, this is the job of the location manager, finding the appropriate location for a scene in a production. In addition to this, they do a lot of research and heavily calculate the costs of filming/shooting at that given location. Alongside this, they are also in charge of managing all aspects of shooting at a location and to see it threw with the director.

In addition to this they also have to begin negotiations over contract  as organise fees for locations, as well as coordinating, available power sources, parking facilities, catering requirements and relevant authorities. They also have to oversee and check health and safety everyone using the location alongside making sure everything runs smoothly. Finally they also have to look after the shoot once filming is done because they need to make sure the location is clean, locked and ready to return to the original owners.

Catering 

Even though actors may act as superheroes, ther'ye not superhuman, food is an important asset to every production as the production works long hours... and that's where the catering crew come in. They work alongside the production providing everyone with the standard 3 daily meals (those being breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus tea, drinks and snacks, if they crew are required to work late in the evening). They prepare menus for each meal, buy, cook and serve the food, make tea's and coffee's and clean and drive the catering truck to and from the location.

Catering companies are hired by the production managers who work out the catering budget which would of been agreed with the producer. Before the start of production unit leaders will organise the packing of catering trucks with all the equipment and food in advance making the overall process easier. Once shooting begins each day they set off early in the morning to arrive on set early, so that breakfast can be prepared for cast and crew.  

This makes this a very time consuming job as they're working every day, all day.

Job roles in this field often include:

• Unit leaders
• Location chefs
• Dish washers