BTEC LEVEL 3 DIPLOMA
IN CREATIVE MEDIA PRODUCTION
Unit 8: Understanding
the television and film industries
Assignment 2/LO2:
Know about job roles in the television and film industries
By: Sophie Samengo-Turner
Teacher: Ms Ahmadian
A film/TV production is a collaboration of many people
who have the vision and desire to conceive an idea, finance it and the get it
on screen. The main people are the:
Producer:
Who provided the finance and the idea/topic
Director:
Who will turn it into the film we see on
the screen
Script Writer: Who will make the script that the
producer/director feel will be a commercial hit and will deliver their vision
Composer: music is a major part of many films with the
music making the tension and driving the narrative. The composer works with the
director to deliver his vision
Beyond these roles, there are groups of technicians,
actors and administrative personnel who collectively (with the producer director,
script writer and composer) turn productions into a final film.
I have been asked to write a
report on the different roles in the film and television industries. As a
researcher it is my job to find out about the different job roles that are
available: how they work? Are they freelance? What are the working hours for
specific jobs? Does this job require irregular working hours? It is also my job
to know which sector a role fits into, is it in the management, technical or creative sector? Is it editorial or
financial or organisational? Does the role require any administration? I also
have to know at which point of the production stage the role is relevant,
whether it is in the pre-production, production or post-production stage. I
shall seek to answer these questions and queries during my report.
There are many jobs in the
film and television industry ranging from script writers to boom microphone
operators to finance managers to actors. Each person has an important role to
fulfil to help create a film or a television programme. I shall look at a range
of these jobs and explain what they do and their hours/work practices in their
day to day working lives.
I shall begin by looking at
the different working patterns. Depending on the job role people have affects
the different hours they work. Some people work shift hours. This means that
there is a schedule/timetable in which people come in and do their job such as
a cameraman who is required when a production is shooting but probably not in
the pre/post production phase. Normally these people get paid by the hour and
they are tasked to get the work in hand to be completed within the timeframe on
budget of the project.
If someone has a fixed term
job then they work according to a contract and have a fixed term of employment.
They have a specific amount holiday days and paid sick leave. Someone working a
fixed term normally has set working hours such as office hours. Office hours
are usually from 9am-5pm but most times during productions these hours can be
significantly longer. These times apply to administrative jobs typically.
There are jobs in which
office hours are inconvenient and so the personnel work irregular hours. An
example is a director and a film crew during a shoot. The day has a starting
time, e.g. 7:30 am but there is no fixed finishing point. This is because, say,
at five o’clock, in the middle of a shoot in a building only hired out for one
day, people cannot just get up and go home if the work isn’t finished. Some
days these people have to work extremely late to finish shooting to keep the
project on track and on budget.
Normally, the crew on a
film are only doing freelance work. They join a company/production to complete
a piece of work and then go off again. These freelance have no stable job and
depend on getting new projects once the old ones come to an end. There are
advantages and disadvantages to being freelance. It means that people have
variety in their choice of work and have no fixed dates in which they need to
go to work unless they are working on something. It can be a problem though
because there are some freelancers who do not get jobs regularly and they can
be unemployed for months at a time. All actors work freelance and depend on
winning new projects to keep in work.
Whilst looking at the job
roles in the industry I shall start with the four most important roles; the
producer, director, scriptwriter and composer. The roles are the most
fundamental roles in my opinion. Afterwards I shall look at each role via their
criteria (creative, managerial, technical, financial and editorial).
The first managerial job I
shall look at is the role of the producer. ‘A producer is responsible for
putting the project together and sometimes finding the finance’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 98).The producer is working in the
film process from the beginning – the pre-production stages – to the end
distribution – post-production stages. A producer is not normally involved in
the creative part of the production but is responsible for putting the finance
of the project in place and assembling the ‘team’ of the director, head actor
etc. Occasionally they go and watch the filming process but they leave the
director to be in charge at that stage. The producer is one of the first people
involved in a project and so they have to start by hiring key members of the
crew including the director. The producer gets daily rushes from the production
so that they can assess the progress throughout the project and get involved
early if they are not happy with the quality of what is being shot.
Harvey Weinstein is a famous
producer who is mainly famous for being one of the producers in The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
trilogy and pulp fiction. Weinstein often produces with his brother Bob
Weinstein, together they made Miramax which they then sold to Disney. Harvey
Weinstein is known for letting go of the director and editor just before they
finish a film. He then brings in new people to finish the film with an open
mind. Weinstein is also very well known for being good at collecting investors
and other sources of finance for films.
The Director is probably the
most important role in a film. I believe that being a director combines a
creative spirit with an iron will and a talent for organisation. ‘A director
has to be a multitalented multi-tasker. The director is captain of the ship [...]
and is responsible for making all the creative elements come together’
(Stroller, 2009, p. 99). The director is present during all the production
stages of making a film or television episode, from pre to post-production. The
director controls how the actors say their lines to make them believable and
how the scene plays out. The director works with the crew to make sure that the
camera angles are able to get the correct shots and they work with the lighting
crew to ensure that if it is meant to be night or day then there is the
appropriate lighting. In a television programme the director is also in charge
of the presenters if they are part of the programme. The director follows the
storyboard. A director needs to work well with everyone on set to get the results
he or she wants. The director also needs to have a clear vision of how they see
the project turning out. Although that sounds simple, often what people want in
their head can be hard to translate for others to understand. A director needs
to be able to get others to understand them. The following quote shows how
important communication skills between the director and the actors are: ‘
ü The director has to be patient
ü The actors need discipline
ü The director must employ repetition to help the actors
learn
ü The actors need to be rewarded (praised
ü […] the actors need guidance
ü […] The director sometimes needs to reprimand the actors
(civilly)’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 200)
All of these points explain
that a director needs to get along with the actors but also states that the
director needs to show the actors that he/she is in charge. If the director
allows the actors free reign then the actors will not receive the guidance they
need, even the most famous actors need guidance.
A very famous English
horror/suspense director is Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock was known as the
‘Master of suspense’ (IMDb) since many of his films were crafted to keep the
audience on the edge of their seats. Hitchcock has been a writer, director (as
well as an art, assistant and second unit director), set designer, producer,
actor and a title designer. ‘In 1920, Hitch learned that Lasky were to open a
studio in London and managed to secure a job as a title designer’ (IMDb 2). His
first time directing was in 1923 when the director of that film fell ill. Many
were impressed at Hitchcock’s job and he was given his first directing
assignment on a film. ‘It was after Saboteur
(1942) was completed, as his fame as a director grew, that films companies
began to refer to his films like Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
(1960), Alfred Hitchcock's Family Plot (1976), Alfred Hitchcock's Frenzy
(1972)’ (IMDb 3). Hitchcock was known for his trademark themes such as having
blonde actresses and having films follow the plot lines of mistaken identities or
“wrong man” themes.
The starting point of any
film is its script. Without having a script, even a draft, the film would not
develop from just being an idea. The screenwriter creates the script including
the dialogue and the settings. This is a creative and challenging job because
you need to be able to write a conversation between two people or more, imagine
how they are having the conversation and imagine the scene around the
characters. A writer needs to have great skills in use of language and have a wide
imagination as well as the ability to keep his or her writing interesting. If
you take the example of Keith Lemon: The
Film (2012), the ‘characters failed to
develop’ (IMDb 1) which is one of the writer’s main jobs. Most screenwriters in
the UK work freelance. In the US, however, scriptwriters can be on staff for
say, a long running series such as Friends.
The writer needs to expand on an idea, such as translating a book onto the
screen, and then either can write it in their own time or have a deadline for
when the script must be completed. They can work many hours on the script to
complete it. The difference between someone who writes a script for a film and
someone who writes for a television show is the credit. In a film the writer is
credited as a ‘Screen Writer’ whereas in television the writer is just credited
as a writer.
Martin McDonagh is a
producer, director and screenwriter. Two of his most famous films are In Bruges (2008) and Seven Psychopaths (2012). He wrote and
directed these two films. McDonagh is famous for his dark humour. After going
to a Q and A session with McDonagh I learned that he started out writing
theatre plays to test hand in writing since he and his brother, John
Michael McDonagh, enjoyed watching
old horror and comedy films as they grew up. Apparently both of the brothers
had a natural talent in using language to manipulate their audience into
feeling certain emotions during their performances.
Composers
need to be able to interpret music so that it becomes part of the film
narrative and drives the film forward in collaboration with the script.
Sometimes music is created for a film specifically. For example, in Skyfall (2012) or any other James Bond film, a new song is created
specifically for the film. To create the song you need a composer. The composer
needs to be skilled in making a tune that fits the mood and feel of the film as
well as adding lyrics if they are needed.
Often a song is composed in collaboration with one person writing the
music, the other writing the lyrics such Elton John (music) and Tim Rice
(lyrics) the Lion King (1994) created
by Disney.
Since there are so many
varied jobs in the film and television industry there are certain criteria for
each job. In the jobs I am about to discuss the people need to be very
creative. This is not the only criteria they need to be good at but it is the
main criteria for these jobs. Non creative job roles shall be considered later
in the report.
A script supervisor can be
both managerial and creative. I believe that the job is more creative because
one of the main aspects of their job is attention to detail. ‘Being a Script Supervisor requires attention
to detail and endurance. A key element in a Script Supervisor's role is
to understand the breakdown of a script for shooting’ (Film making). To do this
the script supervisor must understand any further meanings in the script to try
and help portray them in the film, trying to get the writer’s creativity and
the director’s creativity to merge whilst sticking to the script. He/she may
often be in conflict with the writer and director to ensure the script fits the
original remit from the producers or originators of the project.
Talent is important in any production be it film or
television. In Argo (2012) the main
talent was also the producer and director, Ben Affleck. It is not rare for the
main talent to have another role in creating a production. Talent means
everyone from the extras who sit in the background miming to the main actor. In
many films the main actor is well known to get a larger audience. The Last Stand (2013), coming out soon,
stars Arnold Schwarzenegger. Many people will go and see this film because of
the main casting, Schwarzenegger. They have seen his films in the past and
enjoyed them and so they will want to see his latest film. All actors are
freelance, the actors are hired to perform their part. In long term soaps, the
actors may be on a full term contract but they have no employment rights. The
skills of a talent are:
·
Good acting
·
Good at following
instructions
·
The ability to
improvise
·
Have comedic value if
necessary
All of these skill are vital to be a good actor.
Costume design is a large
part in setting a scene. A costume designer is responsible for making sure
there are no continuity errors with what the actors are wearing. The costume
designer must make sure they know the style of clothing that the characters
would be wearing, for example if the film is set in the 1950s the costume
designer must know the style of that period and make sure that each character
has the appropriate costume. This person has to keep tabs on every piece of
costume from the socks and shoes to the hat or hair band, otherwise something
might get lost or taken home and if they have to do a shoot with the same
costumes it may be difficult and expensive to find a replica of what has gone
missing. The costume designer must also know about any costume changes between
scenes and they have to make sure that ‘the actor’s wardrobe is kept clean (or
dirty, depending on what the scene requires)’ (Stroller, 2009, p.106). The main
skills required to be a costume designer are organisation and persistence in my
opinion. If someone says they will hand you the boots in a minute then you need
to make sure it is handed over so that nothing gets lost or forgotten about.
This job can be freelance where people join for piece work or a costume
designer can work full time for a production company. Since the designer works
on set they are needed all day during location or studio shooting and so can
work irregular hours.
Often the opening credits
set the mood for a film. They are themed on the film and what is going to
happen. The person who creates the opening credits is called the Title Credit Designer.
This person works closely with the music composer to create an effective
beginning to a film to catch the audience’s attention. There are title credits
in television programmes. Few programmes change their opening credits and those
who do might change them every few series. It is vital that TV opening credits
in a series are strong enough to continue for the who series. One of the most high
profit credit designer jobs is for the James
Bond films. Each film has a unique song created specifically for the film
with a dramatic opening credits often including women and weapons and whatever
else the film is about. For Skyfall (2012)
the opening credits included graves and trying to kill someone very hard to
kill. This reflected the film and its themes.
A well-known title credit
designer is Saul Bass. Bass has worked on many projects as many different roles
from directing to writing to doing the opening credits. Bass is known to have ‘often
worked with directors Martin Scorsese and especially Alfred Hitchcock on his
very famous film Psycho, of which he designed the titles’ (IMDb 4). Saul Bass
also worked on Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo
(1958). Bass is renowned for his work and critics have said ‘once you
see the opening titles to a film that Saul Bass has done, you can walk out of
the theatre because you know exactly what the film's about: he has shown you
the entire thing in the first minute or so’ (IMDb 5). This job is very creative
and a person has to do what Bass can do, condense the entire theme of a film
into the first few minutes setting the scene for the audience to enjoy.
include
ü Breaking down the script [...]
ü Getting the shot ready by making sure that all production
personnel and actors are in place and ready when the director needs them
ü [...] Making up the call sheets [...]. On bigger
productions this is usually handed off by the first assistant director to the
unit production manager’
(Stroller, 2009, p. 99-100).
The assistant director, also known as the A.D, does not assist with the
directing. They have no power over when a shot starts or ends, the A.D. keeps
everything on schedule for that day and is the vital no. 2 to the director to
ensure that he is free to direct without having to worry too much about the
admin or other issues. An assistant director needs to be patient and follow
orders given to them but they also need to be motivating to keep the cast and
crew going strongly enough so that they can get the shots needed. Although the
A.D. gets almost all of the paperwork given to the director which is often
pushed down the chain to the second assistant director. Not all films include a
second assistant director but they are there ‘to help make the boss’s job
easier’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 100).
In every company there is a
hierarchy with management at the top. Management is ‘the person or persons
controlling and directing’ (dictionary) either a section of the product or the
whole of the product. For example, an Executive Producer is in charge of the
whole show whereas a prop master is only in charge of his or her section of the
product, in this case, looking after and managing the props. The following jobs
fall mainly into the managerial sector.
I shall discuss it the
Executive Producer. The Executive Producers, ‘this person earns the title by
either handling the business of the production, being the actual financer of
the project or being someone without whom the film would never have come to
fruition’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 98). This person has a lot of
authority and is often in charge of any other producer. Most of the time the
producer works for a company, for instance, Disney or Warner Bros. and so is
not freelance. If they were involved with the production stage then they would
work irregular hours like everyone on set.
As well as having a producer
and an executive producer, a film can also have an associate producer. ‘An
associate producer is usually a glorified title reserved for someone who
contributes an important element to the production –such as finding the
financing or the name stars’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 98). This job role is not something a
person signs up for but achieves. Many people on a film project might be
attempting to achieve this name by assisting the film in necessary ways.
Along with all these
producers is the assistant producer. The assistant producer job is similar to
an assistant director’s job, their job is to make the producers job easier.
Whilst I was researching the job of an assistant producer I found a useful
video giving me an example of what one man does for his job. Gavin Whithead,
assistant producer of Top Gear,
worked his way up from being a runner to assistant producer in four years. His
job is different every day. One of the main aspects of his job though, is to set
up shoots for the programme. He works with the director, executive producer,
researchers, scriptwriters and show presenters to develop ideas and create them
into a finished product. He also has a studio element to his job. He books cars
to test, sorts out news stories and looks at different guests that are going to
be interviewed. Whitehead works office hours Monday – Friday.
‘As
soon as the finance has been raised, the Line Producer supervises the
preparation of the film's budget, and the day-to-day planning and running of
the production’ (creative skill set). The line producer works with the
producer, director and other heads of departments to create a schedule and work
out the finance in the pre-production stage. In the production stage the line
producer is in charge of overseeing all activities as well as other
responsibilities such as collaborating with the production accountant to make
sure that everything is within the budget. ‘Line Producers must possess an
in-depth knowledge of scheduling and budgeting, and of all the physical and
technical processes of filmmaking’ (creative skill set) although they are not
responsible for any health and safety aspect. Line producers are usually
freelance and are employed to do piece work and they work long hours.
I spoke to a production
coordinator about her job, Rosie of Baby Cow Productions. Her job runs from the
pre-production stages to the post-production stages. I asked about the way she
works, whether she was a freelance or if she worked for a company and learnt
that she is on a contract. Rosie normally works for a company of 3-4 months and
then moves on to a different company to work on a different project. Whilst
working for that company she is put on a payroll and works office hours. Depending
on what sort of project a production coordinator is working on will change the
salary income, they can earn from £450 per week (television) to £1600 per week
(film). Normally the production coordinator gets paid more when they are
working on a film project that is in the production stage rather than when it
has not yet been fully financed and is underdevelopment. I also asked about
what she does during a normal day and found that most days are never the same depending
on the stage of production. She could be booking crew/equipment/transport/logistics/cast/communicating with all
departments/organising things/troubleshooting/sorting out money/coordinating
edit/shoots/speaking to legal people and answering questions most of the day.
Rosie enjoys her job because it is a challenge and her end goal is to work as a
producer ‘so I see coordinating as more part of the process in gaining
experience’ (from interview). Rosie has worked her way up and gained experience
as she has progressed and hopes to keep gaining new experience until the day
she finishes her career.
A prop master is primarily a
managerial job because they manage all the props needed by the director ranging
from mobile phones to guns to chainsaws to the small decoration staple gun that
will be thrown across the room in a scene. If a project is low budget then the
prop mast can double as the greensman, who is in charge of plants, flowers and
trees, or they could also be the set designer, ‘the person responsible for
items the actors don’t interact with’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 106). A prop master
will probably work for a production company to have access to prop houses or
other places where they can get props cheaply. ‘A prop person [...] needs to be
organized, reliable and detail oriented’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 106). The prop
person would work during the production stages and work the irregular working
hours on a set.
Many of the technical
aspects of film and television are done during the production process, this
includes the sound, use of camera, electricians and more. All the people in the
production stage work irregular hours and many are freelance who are hired to
come in and do piece work. The following jobs roles are some of the roles on
the technical aspect of film making.
The ‘gaffer works closely
with your cinematographer to make sure the mood and lighting of each scene
works effectively.’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 104). It is not abnormal for gaffers to
have previously worked as electricians. A gaffer must have knowledge and
experience on how electricity works and they must know about different voltage
equipment. A gaffer must get on with the cinematographer because they have to
work together closely to get the desired lighting effects. During a period of
work experience I met a gaffer in training. The man went to university to learn
about different jobs in the film industry and once he left the only job he
could get was a transport driver. He accepted a long term job with Baby Cow
Productions as their transport driver with the agreement that he could work
with the gaffer on set and take an apprenticeship at the same time. This shows
that this job requires specific knowledge that is best learnt on the job.
Sound has always been
important for films and television. Even in the silent film era there was music
setting the mood of the film. A sound mixer is incredibly important because
they are ‘responsible for recording the actors’ dialogue on set and ensuring
that it’s clear and comprehensible’ (Stroller,
2009, p. 105). The sound mixer has to have good communication skills to direct
the boom operator to get the correct amount of sound but they also need to know
how to operate their equipment professionally. The sound mixer will have a
mixing board so that he/she can adjust the sound to the microphones. If there
are several microphones in use on set then the sound mixer must adjust the
sounds to get an appropriate balance of all the mics. If the sound mixer was incompetent
and much of the sound they had recorded was unusable then the sound mixer would
have to come in during the post-production stages and rerecord someone
speaking, this is known as re-dubbing. If you have to re-record a lot of the
dialogue then you will not build a great reputation for yourself and may result
in not getting repeat work.
As I previously mentioned,
the Sound Mixer is in charge of directing the boom operator. The boom operators
themselves should know about the technology they are using even if they just
have to hold the heavy equipment as they are instructed. Although the sound
mixer tells them how close they should have the microphone to the person to
pick up the best amount of sound, the boom operator also has to be able to
position him/herself in a convenient place to stay out of the way of the camera.
The boom operator needs to know whether a ‘fluffy dog’ (protects against wind
noise) is needed and they also have to be quite strong because they have to
hold the heavy fish pole (the long pole) for up to 5 minutes, sometimes even
longer. Often, a freelance sound mixer will bring his preferred boom operator
with them for a job because the two people need to be able to communicate well
and get along well enough to do a good job and sometimes some people find it
hard to keep changing who they work with each time.
The Director of Photography
works with the director to get the shot that they want and works with the
lighting team to get the right lights for the scene whilst keeping all the
equipment out of the shot. In film, the director of photography is also known
as the cinematographer or DoP. Often on low budget productions the
cinematographer and the camera operator can be the same person. 'The
cinematographer's most basic tool is the motion picture camera [...] which
demands understanding and care if the camera is to produce the best and most
consistent results' (Malkiewicz, Mullen, 2005, P. 1). The D.P is in charge of
knowing which lens is needed for each shot. The cinematographer must be able to
work in the space they are provided, e.g. if there is a scene in a small
restaurant they must find a way to set up the camera without getting any
unwanted people or equipment in the shot and they must know the difference
between each lens. Cinematographers might be freelancers who join a company to
do piece work. Since their job is needed in the production stage of filming,
they must work irregular hours that are required for the filming.
In television there is a Floor Manager. This
person communicates with the director, producer and anyone else in a booth
instead of on set. The people in the booth instruct the floor manager with what
to do. ‘The floor manager is responsible for passing on cues to presenters and
guests to ensure timings are met and the broadcast goes smoothly. The work is
mainly studio-based, but may also include outside broadcasts, depending on the
production’ (prospects). Some of the Floor Managers work activities are:
·
Seating the audience (if it has a live audience)
·
Assisting any guests
·
Organizing the runners
·
Making sure people are sticking to health and safety regulations
·
Assisting with any technical difficulties
·
And more
‘Companies
such as the BBC and ITV used to have staff floor managers but these days nearly
all floor managers are freelance and are employed on a daily basis’ (prospects
case study).
There are a few differences
between filming in television and filming in film. One of the differences in
that film has a best boy and TV doesn’t.
The best boy works with the gaffer and so has to know a lot about
electrics and how the lights work. The best boy ‘runs the extension cords and
checks that everything is plugged in correctly’ (Stroller, 2009, p. 104). The
best boy can be recommended by the gaffer, if not then they are chosen by the
cinematographer or another crew member.
To make sure that the
individual scenes flow smoothly one to the other there needs to be an Editor to
perform the process. The next job roles I shall discuss are editorial. There
are two different editorial jobs; a script editor and a film editor.
After a script is created it
is run by the script editor. This name applies to both script editors in the
film industry and the television industry. The script editor must go through
the script and consider whether or not they think it is possible to transform
this script into a final product (either the TV programme or a film). I believe
that this job is a creative job role because the person needs to have a vision of
how the final product might be created but it is also, mainly, an editorial
job. This person needs to be good at language usage to spot any mistakes in the
spelling or grammar but they also need to see whether the script flows well. A
script editor may have to reread the same script several times because they
have to send it back to the writer to make changes and then have to check the
revised script.
A film editor is ‘responsible
for completing the production as a sequence of shots made from the rushes,
dialogue, sound effects and graphics.’ (Baylis, Brockbank, Freedman, Hall,
Holmes, Morgan, Procter, Wardle, 2010, P. 143). The editor creates the final
piece and makes sure that the film runs smoothly between scenes. An editor
needs to know how to work with the technology they need to use and they also
need to adapt to any new technology as it is advancing such as HD, 3D etc. The
editor needs to follow the storyboard and work with the director to chose which
individual ‘takes’ to use to make the film deliver as the directors vision. The
film editor is key and often the director will use his favourite editor because
he will know what the director wants having worked with him before. An editor
also needs to be aware of whether they have used a shot before or if they do
not have the correct shot and adjustments need to be made. The editor will take
each days rushes and make a rough draft of the final film. At the end of
shooting there will be a ‘directors cut’ or ‘rough cut’ showing the full film
before post-production, special effects and colourisation is done. This will inform
the producers and director is any scenes are missing or need to be reshot.
The following jobs are part
of the researching side of the industry. Almost all research is done during the
pre-production stages. Here I will discuss what research jobs are needed.
Before shooting starts, one needs
to find a location to film in and they need to be sure it is safe. A location
scout will find an area in which they think would fit one or more of the scenes
in the film or programme. They assess whether it is safe to film there, they
consider how danger can be avoided if it is dangerous. ‘The job
[…] can be difficult, frustrating, tedious and exasperating, and all that's
likely to be within the same day […] there's nothing else like it, but don't
ever, ever expect it to be easy’ (Location Works). A location scout
needs skills to be able to consider others. Although they may have found a
perfect spot for a shoot, e.g. a clearing in a forest, they need to think about
how the cameramen will set up the cameras, how easy it will be to transport
people near the location. This is the risk assessment stage of their job.
Location scouts fill out risk assessments to check on the dangers of the areas
and how any accidents can be prevented. Location scouts are also present during:
recces, where the director and producer scout out locations to see how a scene
will be shot.
In the industry there is a location scout and a location
manager. The location scout works for the location manager and goes and assesses
if a location is viable. ‘The Location Manager
is the person who will be liaising directly with the film production company or
advertising agency, and may be working closely with the film's Director, taking
decisions not only about the right location, but also the logistics of making
that location work’ (Location works).
As well as having location
scouts and managers as part of the researching aspect of the pre-production
stages you also have researchers. Researchers are mainly relevant from
television programmes, they ‘often develop ideas for television programmes,
finding information or contacts to meet the programme’s requirements, for the
producers to decide the next step’ (Baylis, Brockbank, Freedman, Hall, Holmes,
Morgan, Procter, Wardle, 2010, P. 143). If someone joins the television
industry this is one of the beginning jobs they might have. This person needs
to know what is happening in upcoming episodes of a programme so they know what
to research. I went onto the BBC website and looked at the job of a researcher
and found Careen Murray, a researcher for the Weakest Link. Murray’s average day is very busy and hectic but she
enjoys it. She works with a large team and they spend their day; auditioning or
casting for upcoming episodes or writing biographies for contestants. Murray
works office hours and has worked at the BBC for several years trying out new
jobs.
One of
the main challenges of the film industry is finding finance for a project.
Without finance there is no production. Finance and accountants handle the
money and often have to find more money if a production is going over budget.
The accountants look at what is needed, how much it will cost, whether they
have sufficient funds and if not how do they compromise. At the top of the
finance part of a company is the finance director. The finance director is in
charge of making sure that the finances are in order and that the company does
not run over budget. The finance director needs to be good at controlling the
money. They must be organised to anticipate problems such as going over budget..
The accountant also needs to know how to use software such as Excel to help
calculate the spending and needs to have good communication skills to work with
both the producer and the director who are frequently in conflict.
One of
the main ways to enter the film and television industry is to become a runner.
The professional name for a runner is production assistant but they are also
called gophers. ‘The position doesn’t require skill as much as it does
eagerness to work on a film set. Reliability and hard work’ (Stroller,
2009, p. 107) are the main qualities needed to make a good runner. The runner
can have many different jobs. The runner is known for making tea but also gets
given many administrative jobs such as sending out the next day’s call sheet.
The runner has to do what they are told and help whoever they can. This job is
one of the first jobs most people get when joining the film industry and gives
them the chance to demonstrate how good they are so that they get promoted.
Most senior people in the creative or technical side of the industry started as
runners many years ago. In many media companies, the system is that to join a
company and work your way up you join to become a runner for 6 months. Over the
6 months you are observed to see how dedicated you are and it is decided
whether you deserve to get promoted. After 6 months, if you are not promoted
the company may choose to let you go. Runners are not often freelancers but
they work long hours on the job. If they are working on a film set then often
they will be freelance.
Many people might mistake an apprentice for a
runner. A filmmaker’s apprentice shadows a director or producer but often runs
the same errands as a runner, making teas and coffees or making phone calls and
handing out information. ‘He or she is usually willing to work for free in
exchange for learning everything possible on set’ (Stroller,
2009, p. 98).
In conclusion, there are many different job
roles in the industry and they are all important in their own way. There are
many ways to gain these jobs either by working your way up or signing up for a
specific job. You can either work for a production company and work on contract
for a fixed term or be a freelance and do piece work. Some jobs require a
creative mind such as the job of the director but other jobs involve more
technical, administrative, financial or managerial aspects. Also, depending on
where you work or which stage of the production process (pre-production,
production or post-production) would depend on your working hours, whether that
means you work office hours or work irregular hours where one day you might
finish at 6pm and the next day you might finish at 8pm. So if film and
television is your passion there is a job for everyone at whatever level of
qualification or skill set.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Baylis, P, Brockbank, D,
Freedman, A, Hall, K, Holmes, P, Morgan, D, Procter, N, Wardle,P. (2010),
Creative Media Production Level 3, A Pearson Company.
Malkiewicz, K, Mullen, M D.
2005, Cinematography, FireSide
Stroller, B M (2005). Film
Making For Dummies, Wiley.
Creative skill set: http://www.creativeskillset.org/film/jobs/production/article_3870_1.asp (29/12/12)
Film Making:
(10/12/12)
prospects case
study: http://www.prospects.ac.uk/case_studies_television_floor_manager_steve.htm (29/12/12)
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