Employment in the media industry
Job types
There are a variety of different job types in the creative media industries and to name them all would be an impossibility however a lot of jobs in the creative industries are long hours and hard work, in other words you have to love what you are doing in order to want to go anywhere in the creative industries.
You could be working:
There a lots of places in which people can look for job opportunities within the media industry.
There are many different types of job types in the media industry, these include; creative, technical, editorial, marketing, managerial, administrative, legal and financial.
Creative
The creative roles in any company or production are often some of the most important as they are the reason that something looks, sounds and is flows the way it does. They are responsible mainly for creating and coming up with way of doing things. In a film production the creatives of the production include the Film Director, Cinematographer, Sound Designer, Foley creator, Editor and so many more.
Technical
Technical jobs in the media can often be overlapped with some of the creative roles. Generally, a technical staff member, or techie, are responsible for taking the ideas of the creatives and putting them into practice using technology. Some of these roles across the industry include; Live sound mixing for a radio show, rigging lighting on a TV or film set, and can also include camera or boom operators. As well as a Cinematographer who has a certain level of technical work as well as creative in his role; often working with the cameras and lighting to imagine his and the directors image.
Editorial
The editorial roles in the media industry can differ. When you think of editorial you may first think of a newspaper editor, right? Or maybe a film editor. These are just two of the possible editorial roles. Editorial roles really include any job that involves taking the created rough product and carving that into the finished product, whether that be for video, sound, newspapers etc. A photographer also has an element of an editorial job role, as well as a creative, because of the use of Photoshop on taken photos.
Marketing
The roles of marketing in the media industry are to make sure the product reaches its intended audience in the best way popular in order to gain revenue. Marketers are involved in most types of media companies and are a key part in the process. Marketing job often just come under the name of a marketer. Their jobs include producing trailers, posters, TV ads, magazine ads, and they can also be involved in offers or deals on the product.
Managerial
Management roles are the backbone of the production within any section of media or entertainment. Management roles are quite varied and could involve managing the entire production, or a smaller section. This involves being in charge of people or items, making sure everything/everyone is where it needs to be. Management roles include: Producer, Floor Manager, Company manager, Social media manager, PR manager and more.
Administrative
Admin roles are quite similar to managerial roles; they involve organisation often of paperwork more than people. These roles can often be in immediate response to a manager in one of the above roles. It could also be in immediate response to someone from the creative team. To organise and assist the work they are doing. For example an assistant director on a film set is a type of administration role as they are usually in charge of looking after/collecting cast, props etc. and so their job involves a lot of administration.
Legal
The legal side of a media company is similar to the legal department in any company. It is there to fight for the company or individuals in legal disputes. Often when broadcasting/producing content certain music may be desired and the legal team would have to work out the best way to possibly get copyright to the content through the companies. Legal include jobs such as a Lawyer or legal researcher.
Financial
Managing funds is a massively important part of getting a production out within budget and to the best possible quality. The field of finance often includes dealing with the concepts of time, money and the risk that is related to that. Finance roles can include; Production and assistant accountants.
Case studies
Film Producer
A film producer is responsible for the facilitating of a project; they are involved in every stage of the film production. They are in charge of overseeing the project from start to beginning, both in the studio and on location. Their job roles are vast and varied and include:
To become a producer a degree or HND is preferable but is not essential to get into the role. The best degrees to study to entry the field of producing include:
The skills that are needed to fulfil the job roles of a producer are built up over time and are vital for making a production work, they include:
Gaining a lot of these skills come through experience working as a producer or assistant producer. You can often gain work experience by starting as a runner and working your way up. As in any media or theatre industry experience and work comes from contacts so your ability to get to know people and put yourself out there means more opportunities will come your way.
The starting salaries for this style of job can be from £18,000 to £25,000. With experience salaries can boost to £40,000 to £55,00. Then for heads of departments the salary can range from £60,000 to £80,000 plus benefits. Most employment is offered as self-employment or freelance contract basis with some full time positions with bigger companies.
Photographer
There are a variety of different types of photographers in the media world, everything ranging from a social or personal photographer to a press photographer. On top of these most professional photographers specialise in the following areas:
The role of a photographer is to use your technical and creative skills to document events or create art work. Work as a photographer is often freelance and can be very hit and miss, however if you hit the right thing it can be a very promising career. Some of the most common revenue making opportunities as a freelance photographer comes from:
Qualifications aren’t required to go into photography however at higher levels of fine art, editorial, fashion, advertising and corporate photography. The following degree subjects are relevant to going on to the higher levels of photography:
To go on to these types of degrees it is always preferable that you have previous experience in using a camera or art. You can gain these skills through GCSE or A-Level qualifications in media studies, photography or art. However, some photographers learn through YouTube and experimentation with your own camera. It is recommended that if you want to go into photography you get yourself your own DSLR camera to use and practice with.
Work experience is vital in getting a job as a photographer; when applying for a job as a photographer you will have to showcase a portfolio of your work to your employer. You can get experience through photoshoots with friends, wildlife photography, photographic clubs or societies and shadowing photographers. Any opportunities to get your work published should also be taken.
To get a job as a photographer it often requires a great amount of personality, perseverance, and patience. Dedication is also needed to get your foot in the door and to then get your desired photo. Although working as a photographer can be solitary it is also important to be able to build a rapport with other people. Furthermore, it is important to have knowledge of working with Photoshop and Lightroom in order to manipulate photos before they are supplied digitally to the employer.
Salaries and working hours as a photographer can vary depending on assignment. It really is hard to tell how long you will be working and how often you will get work as working as a photographer depends on what people need. Salaries in full-time employment as a photography can range from £12,000 to £65,000 at the highest end of the scale.
There are a variety of different job types in the creative media industries and to name them all would be an impossibility however a lot of jobs in the creative industries are long hours and hard work, in other words you have to love what you are doing in order to want to go anywhere in the creative industries.
You could be working:
- Part-time - Working part time usually means you work under 35 hours a week, people working part-time often may have other obligations or the company can't find a full time position that they need filling. Jobs like a cameraman could be on a part-time contract.
- Full-time - A full time contract is for someone who usually works over 35 hours a week and most of what they do is work, producers and media company executives will be on full time contracts.
- Freelance - Freelance work is most common in the creative industries as companies will often only need people for small amounts of time so it is easier to have freelancers come in and work for what they need and then the company doesn't need to worry about paying them a salary and have no obligation to give them any certain amount of hours. Wedding photographers and videographers are often freelancers.
- Shift-work - Shift work applies to all different types of employment as everyone does a shift when working, however it links quite closely to freelance and zero-hour contracts as people are given shifts to work and not always knowing when they will be needed months in advance.
- Permanent - A permanent employee is employed to a company with no agreed ending date to their contract, they will work at that company until they decide to move on or get fired.
- Temporary - A temporary employee is someone often employed for a busier period in which they are most needed. For example in retail more people are hired for Christmas temp positions. In media, runners may be hired when a tv show, like the X factor is touring and they don't want to travel with runners so they hire runners at the city they are visiting on temp contracts.
- Multi-skilled - Multi-skilled employees will work in more than one position, for example some writers also direct what they have written or some directors will also star in their film or produce it. Multi-skilled employees are always a huge help to a company as they can fill more needs with one person and not have to hire/pay another person.
- Casual - Casual workers are a mixture of temporary and zero hour contract workers. A casual worker comes in to meet demand from a higher intensity period. This can be a Christmas period or as I mentioned before, when a TV show needs extra runners.
- Zero-hour contract - Someone employed on a zero hour contract is not obliged to work any hours in a week, however some companies will try and make you a lot, however they could also give you no hours of work. This type of contract can be very unstable and isn't always the best option. However it is very flexible and can be good for students.
- Hourly paid - Employees on part-time, zero hour contracts, freelance and doing shift work will be paid hourly. Some full-time work will also be paid hourly, however they are more likely to be on a yearly salary. Hourly pay can be good if you are working lots of hours, or if you are working overtime. This is only really good if your hourly rate is good, however salaries are a much more stable way to earn money.
- Piece work - Piece work is when a employee is paid per piece of work they do, for example however many hours you spend on a piece of work if you have agreed a price pre-production when that piece of work, for example a short film, is finished and given to the commissioner you will be paid that amount.
There a lots of places in which people can look for job opportunities within the media industry.
- Careers advisor's in school - Career advice is a great place to start with moving into any industry as they are able to guide you down the path of uni or film schools or even work somewhere in the industry. They also have connections with many places that can be accessed.
- Trade fairs - Trade fairs invite employers and hopeful employee's looking for jobs. This is a great way of physically being able to see opportunities and meet people. By doing this you can take your CV to a employer and present them your abilities in the hope of getting a job with them. Trade fairs can also be great for finding out the best paths for those wanting to study film.
- National press - National press often publish jobs for all industries including the media industry so looking in a national newspaper is a great way to see what is out there and find out what opportunities there are. This is also a great way of getting practice with contacting the companies.
- Local press - The local press is very similar to the national press however it will be more likely that you will find smaller scale local jobs than you would in a national paper.
- Personal contacts/Networking - Personal contacts and networking cover similar principles really. You can use your personal contacts to network. Talking to the right person is often the way to get into the industry as it is so much more who you know and not what you know that networking is so important. Sites like LinkedIn is a great example of how you can use modern technology to network with business professionals.
- Word of mouth - Word of mouth is often seen as a more old fashioned version of the internet and social media however it can often be the best social network, as people often trust those in person more. And information could be passed from person to person, again this is about personal contacts and networking so you are in the right circles to hear about jobs from.
- Internet/Social networks - The internet and social media are both great ways of finding out about jobs or career opportunities. For example websites like Starnow have lots of media related jobs available, as well as UK Film Network which also has social media presence. Connecting to these pages and sites are a great way of learning about upcoming or current opportunities within the industry.
There are many different types of job types in the media industry, these include; creative, technical, editorial, marketing, managerial, administrative, legal and financial.
Creative
The creative roles in any company or production are often some of the most important as they are the reason that something looks, sounds and is flows the way it does. They are responsible mainly for creating and coming up with way of doing things. In a film production the creatives of the production include the Film Director, Cinematographer, Sound Designer, Foley creator, Editor and so many more.
Technical
Technical jobs in the media can often be overlapped with some of the creative roles. Generally, a technical staff member, or techie, are responsible for taking the ideas of the creatives and putting them into practice using technology. Some of these roles across the industry include; Live sound mixing for a radio show, rigging lighting on a TV or film set, and can also include camera or boom operators. As well as a Cinematographer who has a certain level of technical work as well as creative in his role; often working with the cameras and lighting to imagine his and the directors image.
Editorial
The editorial roles in the media industry can differ. When you think of editorial you may first think of a newspaper editor, right? Or maybe a film editor. These are just two of the possible editorial roles. Editorial roles really include any job that involves taking the created rough product and carving that into the finished product, whether that be for video, sound, newspapers etc. A photographer also has an element of an editorial job role, as well as a creative, because of the use of Photoshop on taken photos.
Marketing
The roles of marketing in the media industry are to make sure the product reaches its intended audience in the best way popular in order to gain revenue. Marketers are involved in most types of media companies and are a key part in the process. Marketing job often just come under the name of a marketer. Their jobs include producing trailers, posters, TV ads, magazine ads, and they can also be involved in offers or deals on the product.
Managerial
Management roles are the backbone of the production within any section of media or entertainment. Management roles are quite varied and could involve managing the entire production, or a smaller section. This involves being in charge of people or items, making sure everything/everyone is where it needs to be. Management roles include: Producer, Floor Manager, Company manager, Social media manager, PR manager and more.
Administrative
Admin roles are quite similar to managerial roles; they involve organisation often of paperwork more than people. These roles can often be in immediate response to a manager in one of the above roles. It could also be in immediate response to someone from the creative team. To organise and assist the work they are doing. For example an assistant director on a film set is a type of administration role as they are usually in charge of looking after/collecting cast, props etc. and so their job involves a lot of administration.
Legal
The legal side of a media company is similar to the legal department in any company. It is there to fight for the company or individuals in legal disputes. Often when broadcasting/producing content certain music may be desired and the legal team would have to work out the best way to possibly get copyright to the content through the companies. Legal include jobs such as a Lawyer or legal researcher.
Financial
Managing funds is a massively important part of getting a production out within budget and to the best possible quality. The field of finance often includes dealing with the concepts of time, money and the risk that is related to that. Finance roles can include; Production and assistant accountants.
Case studies
Film Producer
A film producer is responsible for the facilitating of a project; they are involved in every stage of the film production. They are in charge of overseeing the project from start to beginning, both in the studio and on location. Their job roles are vast and varied and include:
- Raising funds;
- Researching;
- Building and developing contacts;
- Scheduling;
- Hiring staff, including directors, writers and film crews;
- Controlling the budget and resources;
- Complying with relevant regulations;
- Supervising the projects progress;
- And many more.
To become a producer a degree or HND is preferable but is not essential to get into the role. The best degrees to study to entry the field of producing include:
- Communication and media studies;
- Photography/film/television;
- Information technology/multimedia;
- Broadcasting.
The skills that are needed to fulfil the job roles of a producer are built up over time and are vital for making a production work, they include:
- Confidence in their own ability;
- Strong people and communication skills;
- Presentation and pitching skills;
- Strong time management;
- Resource management;
- Creativity;
- Good under pressure;
- Strong numerical skills;
- Leadership skills.
Gaining a lot of these skills come through experience working as a producer or assistant producer. You can often gain work experience by starting as a runner and working your way up. As in any media or theatre industry experience and work comes from contacts so your ability to get to know people and put yourself out there means more opportunities will come your way.
The starting salaries for this style of job can be from £18,000 to £25,000. With experience salaries can boost to £40,000 to £55,00. Then for heads of departments the salary can range from £60,000 to £80,000 plus benefits. Most employment is offered as self-employment or freelance contract basis with some full time positions with bigger companies.
Photographer
There are a variety of different types of photographers in the media world, everything ranging from a social or personal photographer to a press photographer. On top of these most professional photographers specialise in the following areas:
- Advertising;
- Corporate;
- Editorial;
- Fashion
- And Fine art.
The role of a photographer is to use your technical and creative skills to document events or create art work. Work as a photographer is often freelance and can be very hit and miss, however if you hit the right thing it can be a very promising career. Some of the most common revenue making opportunities as a freelance photographer comes from:
- Wedding photoshoots;
- Family and baby photos;
- Or Headshots.
Qualifications aren’t required to go into photography however at higher levels of fine art, editorial, fashion, advertising and corporate photography. The following degree subjects are relevant to going on to the higher levels of photography:
- Art and design;
- Digital imaging;
- Fine art;
- Graphics;
- Media studies;
- And Photography.
To go on to these types of degrees it is always preferable that you have previous experience in using a camera or art. You can gain these skills through GCSE or A-Level qualifications in media studies, photography or art. However, some photographers learn through YouTube and experimentation with your own camera. It is recommended that if you want to go into photography you get yourself your own DSLR camera to use and practice with.
Work experience is vital in getting a job as a photographer; when applying for a job as a photographer you will have to showcase a portfolio of your work to your employer. You can get experience through photoshoots with friends, wildlife photography, photographic clubs or societies and shadowing photographers. Any opportunities to get your work published should also be taken.
To get a job as a photographer it often requires a great amount of personality, perseverance, and patience. Dedication is also needed to get your foot in the door and to then get your desired photo. Although working as a photographer can be solitary it is also important to be able to build a rapport with other people. Furthermore, it is important to have knowledge of working with Photoshop and Lightroom in order to manipulate photos before they are supplied digitally to the employer.
Salaries and working hours as a photographer can vary depending on assignment. It really is hard to tell how long you will be working and how often you will get work as working as a photographer depends on what people need. Salaries in full-time employment as a photography can range from £12,000 to £65,000 at the highest end of the scale.