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project 3: Professional Practice

WHERE TO FIND JOBS

in this section, I will be talking about professional practice which is the jobs and education side of things within the media industry.

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Where to find jobs: You can find media jobs in various locations however I will show a brief insight into different places where you can go in order to find media jobs or more information about media jobs in a list here.​

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Here are a list of some of the best websites you can visit for information and for jobs. I recommend taking a look at Screenskills as this gives you all the information you need. It shows information of various roles and occupations within the industry as well as give you many articles to read from all about how to build portfolios to networking well. Prospects is a website which is tailored to postgraduates which is very informative as well however Screenskills is for anyone who is looking into this industry and is basically a one-stop shop. Investigating job roles for example is a breeze as it shows all the different types of roles in the industry as well as gives an insight through interviewing people in the industry.

job examples

Directors - Directors have the creative vision for the film from pre-production to the final edit. They work closely with screenwriters (often they can be the screenwriter) and producers too to help keep a visual of the final edit. They can be employed by producers, film or television production companies or work as a freelance.

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Producers - Producers are at the financial, practical and creative heart of a film or TV drama.They are the first to get involved with the creative opportunity which they will continue to push right through the distribution of the film or TV drama.

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Production Designer - Production designers are the ones who create the visuals/settings of a film or TV drama. They work with other visual departments to create the world where the story is set for example a steampunk setting to another planet like Mars for example. They are usually freelancers. 

                       A production designer needs to have the technical skills of operating a camera and understanding the camera and the effect on the film’s look on mood by using different lighting as such. They would need to understand colour theory and be able to draw by hand to scale with technical drawings and computer aided design. Art and creativity are essential for a production designer since they visualise the whole look. Communication again is one of the required essential skills since they have to communicate with the whole art department to share the vision which they have. The qualifications required to be a production designer includes the National Diploma in Photography, 3D Design and crafts or a Technical Diploma in Art and Design or equivalent.  

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Art Director - Art directors are responsible for the visual style of the animation. They decide how the characters, props and environments are going to look and provide a basis for the rest of the art department to work from.

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DoP (Director of Photography) -  They work with the director to go over the look and feel of a film and how they will achieve it. They then research how to create this desired look through lighting, framing and camera movement and what they will need in terms of kit and crew to achieve this.

 

Grip - Grips make sure that what the director and director of photography (DoP) want to achieve on a shoot is possible. While directors think of the visuals of the shots, grips work out how they are going to move the cameras to make that happen as they may need to hire equipment to support/adapt the cameras in an extreme place like deserts for example.


Digital Imaging Technician - Digital imaging technicians are essentially camera technicians who work with the DoP to understand what camera effects they desire.  They also advise the camera crew on shots in progress, reporting any soft focus, framing issues or unwanted reflections and shadows.


Gaffer - Gaffers work closely with the DoP to bring to life the overall look of a film by creating and controlling light. For example they will change up the lighting to a tungsten hue if the DoP wants to achieve a warmer feel to the overall look.


Sound Mixer - Sound mixers head up the department responsible for all the sound recorded during filming. This is normally dialogue but can include sound effects and atmosphere. They can also work with Foley artists to add extra sound effects if needed.

 
Editor - The editor cuts the footage and puts them together as they come in from the set. Films tend not to be shot in the order in which the story unfolds, so editors might be working on scenes from the end of the film before the beginning. Their job is to take scenes in non-story order and edit them into chronological order. Technical skills which an editor will need will be the use of being comfortable and experienced in editing software such as Adobe Premiere. Other general skills would be visual awareness, storytelling and communication since the editor needs to communicate with edit assistants, sound editors, dialogue editors, colourists, VFX supervisors and post-production runners.

                       This job requires a lot of communication therefore communication is an essential skill that is compulsory. The qualifications which you will need to become an editor will require a National Diploma in Film and Television Production or equivalent however you would need to have a Post production Technical Operator level 4 to get an apprenticeship in England where as in Northern Ireland and Wales, you will just need a level 3 creative and digital media.

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Animators - Animators makes 2D or 3D figures which has their own personality by making them move in ways that show their character and emotion. In VFX, they use CG rigs which motion track to help make the characters in a shot move in a believable way. They might animate vehicles or machinery too.

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VFX Producers - VFX producers are managers throughout the whole process of the creation of the VFX to the end where they make sure that the end client is happy with the received cut.

 

VFX Editors - VFX editors are people who link between the film or TV production team and the VFX studio that does the visual effects. They may go on set to ensure that the VFX that is desired is possible whilst capturing the live action shoot.

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Costume Designers - Costume is at the core of a film or TV drama. As well as making up the look, it may help the actors feel emotionally connected to the character they are playing through wearing the character’s clothes.

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Concept Artist - Concept artists create artwork to inspire the look of the VFX in a film or TV production. They draw the characters or creatures and environments as well as vehicles, props and buildings. The artwork that concept artists create helps other members of a production, or in the VFX pipeline, to have a shared vision.


Storyboard Artist - Storyboard artists help the head of story create a visual representation of the film's narrative. Storyboard artists translate the script and the director’s vision into pictures. They produce a series of images to plan the shots and ensure continuity between them. These form the basis for the film or TV  in the next stage of production. They are also a way to show the camera movement and composition movement as well.

 
CG Supervisor - Computer graphics (CG) supervisors are ultimately responsible for the delivery and quality of the 3D CG elements of a VFX project.


Modelling Artist - Modelling artists create characters, weapons, plants and animals on a computer in 3D. They start with a brief, which might be 2D or 3D art produced by a concept artist. Or they can work from reference materials, such as photographs or line drawing sketches, which can be scanned into 3D software.


Texture Artist - Texture artists make surfaces look realistic on CG 3D models. They may also do a rough painting of the models to find out what texture is to be used.


Compositor - Compositors create the final image of a frame, shot or VFX sequence. They take all the materials used, such as CG images, live action footage and matte paintings, and combine them to appear as one cohesive image and shot.


Rotoscope Artist - Roto artists are people who do rotoscoping which is when they move frame by frame and add or cut or mask out objects that need to be altered. It is a long process but it can make or break the film.

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(Reference: "Job Profiles," (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.screenskills.com/careers/job-profiles/ )

HIGHER EDUCATION

We took a look at some local university prospects' and found some courses where we can enter after this Diploma.

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Course Title: Media Production

Location: Bournemouth University

Details:

On this course, you will study digital film, audio production, scriptwriting, digital media design, media perspective, audiences and more. Since you will study such a wide range of media skills, this will appeal to the media industry. The pros of this course is that it covers a wide range of areas and skills which you can develop and explore. However, you have a 4 year length for the course time making this quite a longer course compared to other universities.

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Course Title: TV Production

Location: Bournemouth University

Details:

On this course, you will study TV craft, TV principles, concept to screen, understanding media, TV production and more. Since you will study a focused area on TV production, this will appeal to the television sector within the media industry. The pros of this course is that it covers a focused range of  skills which you can develop and explore. However, you have a 4 year length for the course time making this quite a longer course compared to other universities.

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Course Title: Film and Screen Studies

Location: Brighton University

Details:

On this course, you will study histories, theories, industries, documentary film making, TV studio production, journalism, photography, scriptwriting and more. You will study a wide area which will appeal to different aspects of the media industry. The pros of this course is that it has practical elements within the 3 year course. However, you have to study theories and histories which will most likely be boring to many.

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Course Title: Moving Image

Location: Brighton University

Details:

On this course, you will study a wide range of areas, including film making, combining theoretical with practical projects. Since you will study a wider area specifically with video and film work, this will appeal to the creation of film within the media industry. The pros of this course is that it covers a wide yet focused range of  skills which you can develop and explore within the video creation aspect. Yet again, the theory will most likely be boring to many.

What do you need

So what do you need to become employed in this industry? It is pretty straight forward, if you want to go to university, you would want to take A-Levels or equivalents or go into taking the following vocational qualifications:

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BTEC National Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production
NCFE Applied General Certificate in Art and Design
UAL Applied General Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design

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However if you would like to go straight into a job or apprenticeship, the following qualifications Level 3 vocational qualifications are relevant in this case:

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BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Production
BTEC National Diploma in Photography OCR Technical Diploma in Digital Media (Moving Image and Audio Production)
UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Art and Design
UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production and Technology

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progression routes

What to do next? If your dream goal is to be behind the cameras or anything media related, I suggest that the route you should take will be one that is suitable and personalised to you. Some people will go from A-Level (or equivalent) into universities or even the National Film and Television School. However some may just go straight into apprenticeships. Some people may find that they do not want to have a job within this industry and others like me have no clue what they should do next however I would quite like a job and moreover, I want to be more of a freelancer for example. My to do list at the moment is to finish of the this section within the next few days.

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However a good plan that gets you into a first job within the industry includes getting a National Diploma in Creative Media Level 3 which you can use to get most apprenticeships within the industry or go into the National Film and Television School to get the desired qualifications for that specific role. You would want to have a lot of experience and to be comfortable with software and cameras as you will be thrown straight into the deep end. This includes having experience in these technical skills such as editing software, operating cameras, sound design and art (theories as such) as the general aspect however if you want to go into one specific job then this will differ since you will tailor your way to your needs. Other general skills that are required will be communication and working to a deadline and under pressure. Being able to drive is also a skill that will help you in the long term for example working as a runner to work your way up to different roles, a car would be key to solve travel issues. Communication also helps in everything for example I worked with my classmate Matthew, where we recorded and shared ideas together, who's website is located here.

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Touching on the theories, a good understanding of a range of them would be useful such as the colour theory which is a practical guidance to visuals of colour. The hypodermic needle theory which is where the mass media is influencing the audience for example propaganda. And even the uses and gratifications theory where people have a use of media for entertainment, to be informed, for escapism, for social interaction or to find personal identity.

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Where to Find Jobs
Job Examples
Higher Education
What do I need
Progression Route
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