1. Task 6 – Job Roles and Contracts
By Ben Matthews
2. Introduction to the jobs available in
the Media Industry
There are a diverse range of jobs throughout
the Media Industry. There are a variety of
different methods of employment, which
gives people the flexibility to find a job role
that is suited to them. To find your preferred
job you can enter the industry down a number
of different routes, which is one of the
advantages as it gives every individual a
chance to prove themselves.
4. Management
Management is the process of getting people
together to either achieve a goal or an objective.
To be an effective manager you have to make
good use of your resources. An example of the
types of jobs in the media that are available are:
Production Managers and Marketing Manager.
A Marketing Manager work on the process of
advertising and promotion. These people are vital
assets to the company as they sole purpose is to
promote the companies brand/product.
5. Creative
Creative based work is basically employees who
develop new and innovative ideas and products.
The type of creative jobs available in the media
include: Film Producers and Music Creation.
Film Producers are the only individuals who are
involved in the making of a film from start to a
finish. He makes sure that all workers know what
they are doing and where they should be. If a film
is successful it is down to the producer as he has
selected the right people and made sure that
they are always on task.
6. Editorial
Editorial is workers who look at a product/service
and make changes according to how they believe
it can improve. A example of the type of job
available in the media are a: Film Editor and
Sound Editor.
A Sound Editor will analyse the audio, check for
any imperfections and then alter accordingly.
They are vital to ensure the level and quality of
music/sound is appropriate for its purpose.
7. Technical
Technical work usually requires qualified
individuals as it requires people to work with
the latest technology. An example of the types
of jobs that are available are: Technicians and
Lighting Directors.
Lighting Directors are needed on film sets and
decide on how lighting should angled to
portray the actors/prop in the correct light.
8. Research
Jobs in Research is vital as it important for people to have
the correct background information on a topic/genre
before they start work. Research can stop people from
making costly mistakes and produce a better product as
they will have a wider range of ideas to work with. The
types of jobs you can get that involve research include:
Marketing Researchers and Script Writers.
Before a TV program is produced, Marketing Researchers
will need to research what content will go in the program
and the most appropriate actors to act the role. Also they
will need to find out whether there is an appropriately
sized market, that will watch the program.
9. Financial
Financial involves the management of funds and looks
at how the money is distributed throughout the
company. An example types of jobs that you can get in
the financial side of the Media Industry is: Financial
Controllers and Accountants.
Accountants manage your money for you, help you to
set a budget for your company, take care of your taxes
as well as doing a variety of other things. Sky News will
need accountants to look at the amount of funding
they have left and if any finance could be issued to
reporters for transport e.t.c. to get the scoop on the
latest news story.
10. Organisational
Organisational jobs require individuals who have
the ability to manage people or objects. They
usually are in charge of positioning of items or
people. An example of these jobs would be
Stewards or Floor Managers.
Floor managers within television companies
ensure that everyone is knows what to do, while
communicating with various other members of
staff to check everyone is in the correct positions
and no issues are occurring on set.
11. Administrative
Administrative is very important as it works on
producing material or a service to help people and
companies. It can focus on organising data and/or
assisting people with their enquiries. An example of
jobs available in administration is Personal Assistants or
a Receptionist.
A receptionist is a job role that is found throughout
many companies. It basically involves talking to
customers and trying to direct them to the correct
person to help assist their enquiries. They also may
produce documentation such as booking details.
12. Contracts
• Shift Work
• Fixed Term
• Office Hours
• Freelance
• Irregular Pattern
• Hourly Rates
• Piece Work
13. Shift Work
Shift work allows employees to work throughout
certain periods of the day at different intervals such as:
Night Shifts; Day Shifts. This method allows employees
to rotate their working hours rather than having a
specific work schedule. Shift work can be a motivating
factor for employees as they feel they have greater
flexibility over their working schedule.
Lighting Directors for productions will often be
employed on a shift work schedule as they will only be
required usually for when the show/production is
taking place. Therefore it is common for Lighting
Directors to be having to work nights and weekends.
14. Fixed Term
Fixed term working is where employees will
be employed for a pre-arranged period of
time. This is a good method to use as
employees like to have a sense of job security.
Main actors in films are fixed term workers as
they will be employed for a certain period of
time during the making of the film. Their
contract will state how long they will be with
the company for.
15. Office Hours
Office hours typically run from 8am to 5pm, and means
that employees have to be work for that set period of
time on a daily basis. People may be likely to work
better as they will get used to working during that set
period of time, however it may have negative effects as
people don’t have the flexibility to complete work at
their preferred time.
People such as Receptionists will be employed under
office hours as they are a member of staff that need to
with the company all day long to assist customer needs
throughout the day.
16. Freelance
Freelance is where you work independently and rather
than having a set working schedule you will aim to
receive temporary contracts from a variety of different
employers throughout the year.
Script Writers are freelance workers as they will be
working for themselves rather than a employer and will
rely on receiving temporary contracts from companies
to earn money. An issue with freelancing is that you
are never guaranteed a yearly sum of money which
means you are always under pressure to find work.
17. Irregular Pattern
Irregular pattern is whereby you will be working at
different hours, according to when your
employers request you to work.
Creative work is mainly based on irregular
pattern work. For example a Wildlife
Photographer will work for 4 months while
animals are in their natural habitat. The rest of
the 8 months of the year he will then have off to
maybe find employment in another area of work.
18. Hourly Rates
Hourly rate is when employees get paid by the
amount of hours they work rather than receiving
an annual fixed salary.
Often film companies will draft in Camera Men
who will be paid by the hour rather than for a
fixed period. This is mainly due to the company
not knowing how long filming will take. Therefore
by paying hourly, you will only be paying the
Camera Man for however long you need him.
19. Piece Work
Piece work is where you are paid according to
how much you produce, so the payment you
receive will depend on your productivity.
An example of employment that is based on
piece rate pay could be a Set Designer, who is
paid for the amount of individual objects that he
produces for the set. This is usually good as it
motivates employees to finish their work quicker,
however it has disadvantages as quality of
products may suffer.
20. TV Producer
To become a TV Producer you will need top
qualifications, experience in working in
television and good interpersonal skills. TV
Producers are responsible for all the business
elements of a TV show. They need to be aware
of finances; how staff are managed; filming
schedules, scripting and much more.
21. Higher Education
Higher Education is normally needed for most
production jobs as the knowledge they learn
during Higher Education proves to be invaluable
in later life. High school students who are
interested in the Media Industry can get a head
start by taking courses such as: TV and Film
Studies or even a qualification in Broadcasting
and Radio. By taking courses such as these, it can
give students a competitive advantage and gain a
broader background of the media world.
22. University
A University Degree will be vital for students
who want to receive top end TV Producer
jobs. The degree course will allow students to
develop skills and gain an idea of what is
involved in the day in the life of a TV Producer.
An example of Universities that support Media
by offering degrees in the area are:
23. Working as an Assistant or an Intern
After gaining a degree you can look at getting
some experience in the media industry to help
you on the path to becoming a TV Producer.
You can then apply to become an Assistant or
an Intern within a company, which will be vital
for you on your road to success. Once you
have developed your knowledge of the media
world, you can then look to applying for a TV
Producer job.
24. Becoming Established
To become a TV Producer you have to become
established first. Now you have all the
qualifications and skills required, you need to
working on promoting yourself as an
individual and become recognised. If you
compile all your work experience into a
portfolio, it will be a valuable tool for you to
move up the company ladder. Then finally you
will be able to become a TV Producer and get
all the benefits that come with it.
