Unit 11 Task 1

 Employment and Education Opportunities Your Chosen Media Area

a) Three Jobs In Your Area

The area in the media industry I have chosen to research is film and TV. The reason why I have chosen this area of media is because I enjoyed it the most in college as I was proud of my work and I like using Adobe Premiere.

Editor:

A film editor is someone that edits all the footage that was filmed on set by finding the best clips and cutting them down. They essentially put the film together by assembling the material together until it is at a high enough standard and it is suitable to show to release to the public. The elements that the film editor has to work with are:

• dialogue 
• sound effects
• special effects
• camera footage

There are many skills a film editor needs to be able to work well in the job, one being able to take criticism. A film editor will have to show their work to the director and other people working on the film/tv series, and these people will be giving their opinions on how to make the editing better so its at the best standard. This feedback may come across harsh but the film editor must be able to accept it and work under pressure to meet their piers expectations. This also includes being open to change. A film editor must be willing to change their work, even though they are proud of it, because it might not be how the director wants it to be. As the film editor has to show their work to their co-workers, they must be good at communication and working with others. They need to voice their ideas as well as listening to other peoples ideas. A computer is what a film editor works on so having the knowledge of computer operating systems (hardware and software) is important for them to have.

The average salary for someone that has just started their career in film editing is £18,000 per year but when you get a lot of experience in this job and become very qualified, you can earn an average of £45,000 per year. An editor isn't always working as they have to find new work when they have finished editing a film/TV series. However, when they are working the average amount of hours they work per week is 39 to 41 hours. This may include having to work on weekends and bank holidays.

To start your career in film editing, you need to get qualifications. This can be achieved by getting A levels at sixth form then from there you can go to University on a media course. This will allow you to expand your knowledge on editing and gain new skills and also you will get a very high qualification which will look good on your cv. After University most people want to get a job very quickly however a good first step would be to get an Internship. This is beneficial because you will gain knowledge what its like to work in that industry. An internship can lead you to get a job at that company depending on how well you did and if there is a job available. Another way you can start your career after University is by doing an Apprenticeship. This is similar to an Internship but an apprentice lasts longer and you get paid but at a very low income. This will give you experience which is handy to have when applying for a job.

Cinematographer:

A cinematographer (director of photography) is a job that involves for someone to manage the camera and lighting crews on set. They review what works well in certain shots on set so they need to be good at attention to detail as they haven't got long to decide.

To be a cinematographer you need to have knowledge of all the different shot types and to see what shots look good in the scenes. You need to know how to use the camera equipment including setting it up as this process needs to be done as quickly as possible so there's plenty of time to shoot. Its very important to have a good relationship with the film director because cinematographers work very closely with them. The film director has the most control on what happens on set so they voice their opinions if they do or do not like the footage. If there is any criticism then a cinematographer should be able to learn from the mistakes and correct them quickly as it can only be fixed whilst filming on set.

The average salary for a cinematographer according to https://www.payscale.com/research/UK/Job=Cinematographer/Salary is £34,817. However the pay can be higher or lower than this depending on how many set you work on and how successful the film/TV show is. The working hours are very irregular as you would be working on set which means some scenes are filmed late at night, very early in the morning or in the middle of the day. You would be expected to work on weekends and bank holidays. The sets can be filmed in a number of locations including studios, offices and even across the world so you would have a lot of travelling to do.

To become a cinematographer you need to start at the bottom and work your way up. This can be done by starting off as a camera operator trainee/lighting trainee. By getting a job like these it will allow you to gain a lot of experience which will help you lean skills and know what its like to work on a film set. You can make a portfolio with it containing photography or a reel of film which you can market to get yourself known and/or use it in your cv to show in an interview for a job.

Location Manager:

A location manager is a job that requires you to find a location and book it to be able to film there. This job involves having to do a lot of researching to find the places and see if they are appropriate to film on and also to organise access to the sites. You will also have to work during the shooting on set because you have to keep a very high standard of health and safety and security whilst having the pressure of having a strict budget and time limits.

Being a location manager, your communication skills need to be at a high standard because you will be working with others and negotiating with site owners to be able to shoot there. This job requires to be able to work under pressure because problems arise quickly so you have to be able to retain calm with it and fix it as quickly as possible with very little stress. A location manager should have full knowledge of health and safety regulations so they know the location is safe for everyone.

The average amount per year a location manager earns is £39,300. This job tends to be more busy in summer rather than winter. While working on set, the location manager is always one of the first people to arrive there and to leave last which makes their working days very long and tiring.

The best way to become a location manager is to get a job as a production assistant or a location scout. During these jobs over the years, you will gain skills and knowledge of what you need to become a location manager so when this job becomes available, you will have a good chance in getting it.

I gathered all my information about the job roles from a website called:
 https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/media-and-internet/jobs-in-the-film-industry

b) Progression Opportunities

Freelance Opportunities:

Bieng a freelancer, it means you are self-employed and work with multiple companies by not being permanently employed by them. To be a freelancer, you must be willing to work with different people all the time.

A website I used to research about freelancing is:
https://www.screenskills.com/careers/freelance-toolkit/

This website has six different sections which are:

• About freelancing
• Equipment and workspace for freelancers
• Tax and finances for freelancers 
• Personal branding and building your business
• Health and well being for freelancers
• Freelancing checklist

This website is very useful for people that are thinking about starting freelancing and need a guidance of how to start and what it takes to be one.

Possible Business Opportunities:

Setting up your own company takes a lot of hard work and patience. First of all, you need a business plan which will include your aims and goals and how you will reach them. You need to think of a business name and set up a website and social media accounts such as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook. By posting on these accounts and gaining followers it will advertise your company and make people aware of it.

 As there is a lot to do in a film company, you will have to employ people so you are not stressed out and the work gets done quicker and more efficiently. The sort of job roles you can employ people for are:

• editor
• cinematographer
• head of sales and distribution
• head of development

I found most of this information on a website called:

https://www.raindance.org/starting-your-own-film-company-5-tips/

This website explain five key steps to start a business in the film industry.

Employment Opportunities:

To understand what jobs in the film and Tv industry are out there I used a website called Prospects. The jobs I found are:

• Film Director
• Director of Photography
• Film producer
• Film Editor
• Lighting Technician
• Runner
• Location Manager
• Sound Technician
• Programme researcher
• Hair and Makeup Artists

On each of these job roles, your can read what qualifications you need, what to expect from the job, skills needed and much more. This is very useful to read if your interested in working in the film industry but don't know which particular job you would want to do. 

Higher Education Options:

The first high education that I think of is University. By going to University you will learn and gain new skills and leave there with a degree. You will also build up your portfolio while at University which is what film company's like to see when you apply for a job.  

A University I have found is called University for the Creative Arts. This is a great University for film production because they have contributed towards films like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Mission Impossible and Godzilla. They have also gained recognition at BAFTA and Oscar levels. As shown on their website, most of the students that have studied on this course have gone on to work with big companies such as BBC and Channel 4, which shows their time at University was helpful for their career.

c) Find Current Opportunities In Your Chosen Sector

A apprenticeship course I have found is with the company 'Technicolour' and the course is to be a film runner. This is a great way to get your foot into the industry because a lot of companies hire you after you've done your apprenticeship and you will have great experience.

There are many University's that let you study film production but one I found is University of Gloucestershire. You learn a lot of different skills on this three year course which will then lead you to so many different jobs in the film industry.

A short course I found is in London and the company is 'metfilm'. This course runs for two days and you learn a lot of techniques and skills such as:

•  directing
• editing
• sound recording
• storyboard making
• script interpretation
• camera operating

You do not need any qualifications to do this course so it is perfect for beginners in the film industry. This course is designed to let people learn and have fun whilst letting them have an insight to the film industry.