This document outlines the tasks and assessments for Unit 3 of a creative media course, which focuses on introducing students to various job roles and career opportunities in the media production industry. Students will research sectors of interest, profiles of practitioners, and create 5-year career plans. They will also complete assessments including production logs and an end-of-year review of their skills development, work experience, and plans for further study.
Introduction to Media Production Careers and Skills
1. Unit 3: Introduction to
Professional Practice
Job Roles and
Working in the Creative Media Production Industry
2. Introduction to
Professional Practice
• Unit 3 is designed to introduce the variety of roles,
responsibilities, employment and progression opportunities
available in this sector, Media Production.
• As such you will be investigating your own options, methods of
work and planning for the future.
• Assessment in this unit is from set assignments and the
cumulative production journal at the end of the year.
• It is therefore important that you not only track the process of
how you have worked in each project, but also how you have
developed over the year
3. Assessment criteria/Task List
1. Understand progression
opportunities within the
creative media sector.
1.1 Locate, access and use
information to support
own development.
- Illustrated sector guide
- Practitioner research file
- Five Year Plan
2. Understand the skills
needed to pursue a career
in the creative media
sector.
2.1 Critically evaluate a range
of working practices and
methods.
- Music Video Process Log
- End of Year Review
2.2 Apply knowledge of
working practices to
support own
development.
- Music Video Process Log
- End of Year Review
3. Be able to carry out roles
and responsibilities
consistent with
professional practice.
3.1 Organise self and work
to meet deadlines and
targets.
- End of Year 1 review
3.2 Demonstrate
consideration and
professionalism in working
with others.
- End of Year 1 review
4. Task 1: Illustrated Sector Guide [1.1]
Research a sector of the industry that you are interested in working in [e.g. film
production, TV, radio, graphic design, etc]. Use the information you find to produce an
illustrated guide to that sector. Include facts about employment, skills needed,
workforce information, etc.
Task 2: Practitioner Research File [1.1]
Within your chosen sector identify someone who is a notable practitioner and produce
a fact file about them. Research their journey to where they are now; look at
education, experience, skillset and look for insightful quotes about them and by them
to build a picture of who they are and how they work.
Task 3: Five Year Plan [1.1]
Produce a plan taking into account where you are now, what you will need to do next
and how to go about that in the next 5 years. Outline educational requirements
[college, University, courses, etc], experience you will need/would like to gain and
personal development that will be necessary to you in your future plans.
5. Task 4: Music Video Process Log [2.1, 2.2]
Complete the Music Video Process Log to evidence how you worked technically during
the Music Video production phase. Screenshot and explain how you managed to get
your production finalised.
Task 5: End of Year Review [2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2]
Produce an end of year review looking at how you have worked across the year,
considering each stage of production, which productions have worked/not worked,
how you have managed your time, what skills you have developed, how you have
worked with others and how you organised your time, resources and equipment
throughout the year. You should then produce an action plan for Year 2 selecting 5 key
areas you wish to focus on to develop further.
7. Task 1: Illustrated Sector Guide [1.1]
Research a sector of the industry that you are interested in working in [e.g.
film production, TV, radio, graphic design, etc]. Use the information you find to
produce an illustrated guide to that sector. Include facts about employment,
skills needed, workforce information, etc.
8. What we want from you is research in to the part of the media industry that you are
most interested in. That could be films, magazines, video games, television,
journalism… whatever you are interested in.
Find out about that industry. What jobs roles are available? What skills do people
need to work in that industry? What level of education is needed? How diverse, or
not, is the industry?
We want some good facts and figures that you can take and then use in your
illustrated guide.
Write down the information that you find, and keep a record of where you found it.
It’s best to get lots of research, and then pick the most useful information from that.
9. Preproduction
• Screenwriter
• Director
• Executive Producer
• Casting Director
• Line Producer
• Location Manager
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/film-industry-jobs#6-
essential-preproduction-jobs
10. Production
• Set Designer
• Costume Designer
• Hair stylist
• Makeup Artist
• Special Effects coordinator
• Camera operator
13. Diversity
• In 2011, more than half of the films had cast diversity
of less than 11% - but in 2020 that fell with less than
10% of films in that lowest level.
• White film directors were more than twice as likely as
minority directors to lead a film with a budget of
$100m (£72m) or more - with women and minorities
more likely to direct films that fell into the lowest
budget category of less than $20m (14.4m).
• The most underrepresented groups in all categories,
relative to their population in the US, are Latino, Asian
and Native actors, directors and writers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-56860578
14. • in 2019, 84,000 people were employed in the film industry, the third highest figure
since 2010.
• Of this number, 66,000 (78%) worked in film and video production. There were an
estimated 15,000 (18%) in film exhibition and 3,000 (4%) in film and video distribution.
• In 2019, over half (54%) of people working in film and video production were self-
employed compared with 18% of the total UK workforce.
• In 2018/9, 23,800 students were entered into higher education courses in media/film
studies and film production.
https://www.thecreativeindustries.co.uk/facts-
figures/industries-tv-film-tv-film-facts-and-figures-tv-film-
employment
https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads
/bfi-employment-in-the-film-industry-2017-08-30.pdf
15. When making your illustrated guide, think carefully about all the elements
involved.
A good guide will have:
• Concise information
• Consistent image style
• Clear, consistent typography
• A coherent colour scheme
All of these elements need to work together to create your guide.
18. Task 2: Practitioner Research File [1.1]
Within your chosen sector identify someone who is a notable practitioner and produce
a fact file about them. Research their journey to where they are now; look at
education, experience, skillset and look for insightful quotes about them and by them
to build a picture of who they are and how they work.
19. What we want from you is research a specific person that works in the part of the industry
you made your illustrated guide for. Focus on those involved in the production of media,
rather than people who just appear in it.
Find out as much as you can about them, to help you produce your fact file.
We want to know what their education was like, what experience they have and what skills
they have. Find quotes about them. Read about them. Get a good picture of who they are
and how they got to where they are.
Write down the information that you find, and keep a record of where you found it. It’s best
to get lots of research, and then pick the most useful information from that.
20. Ari Aster
• July 15, 1986
• Jewish
• Born in New York, lived in Chester briefly, settled in
New Mexico at 10
• In 2004, Aster enrolled at College of Santa Fe where
he studied film
• Aster was accepted into the 2010 class of fellows at
the AFI Conservatory graduate program, where he
earned a Master of Fine Arts with a focus in
directing
"I just exhausted the horror section of every video store I
could find ... I didn't know how to assemble people who
would cooperate on something like that ... I found myself
just writing screenplays"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ari_Aster
• 20 awards, 32 nominations
21. • Known for Midsommar(2019) , Hereditary(2018) ,
Disappointment Blvd(2022?) and The Strange Thing
About the Johnsons(2011)
• He has cited Rosemary's Baby(1968), Fanny and
Alexander(1982), Persona(1966), A Matter of Life and
Death(1946), The Thing(1982), 45 Years(2015), A
Brighter Summer Day(1991), The Age of
Innocence(1993), In the Mouth of Madness(1994), The
Piano Teacher(2001), 8 1/2(1963), and Repulsion(1965)
as the films that influenced him the most.
• [on Midsommar (2019)] ‘I don't really care about
managing expectations. People can react however they
like. I think it's better to enter the film without any
knowledge. But it's a movie that is adhering to the laws
of a certain subgenre, folk horror, but with the logic of
a different genre, a fairy tale. How do you turn a folk
horror film into a fairy tale?’
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4170048/bio
22.
23. • His short ‘The Strange Thing About the Johnsons’ won
critical notice and gave a hint of what was to come: mature,
stylish and taboo
• ‘I was at AFI, which is a kind of industry school. They're very
Hollywood-oriented and they want to train you to become a
Hollywood filmmaker, and the films they show the incoming
fellows are very politically correct ... Oscar movies. And I just
thought, what's the worst thing I can make at AFI? ... To ask,
what can't I do? And why can't I do it? Oh, a son raping his
dad, we should make that a movie. And then to figure out
what makes that palatable and how to make that work’
https://www.infoplease.com/people/who2-biography/ari-
aster
26. What are you currently doing to pursue a career in your chosen field?
Currently, I am studying a creative media course. I am also teaching myself a film studies A-level so I am able to
continue to university in September. There, I will be studying filmmaking which will give me insight into the
industry.
27. What do you plan to do next in the pursuit of your chosen field?
Next, I am going to university to study filmmaking. I will either go to Leeds Beckett University or The University of
Worcester. I will potentially have the option to do a working year in the course.
28. Select at least three potential University courses that would help you further your career aims. You should state
what the course is, which university it is run by, the entry requirements and why you think it would help you.
Filmmaking – Leeds Beckett University – 128 UCAS Points – This is my firm choice, I would like to go here because
I attended an open day and found the introduction lecture extremely interesting. I also am familiar with Leeds
and it is a fairly close university for me to attend.
Film Production and Film Studies – University of Worcester – 104 UCAS Points – This is my insurance choice. I
chose this because they offered me a reduced entry requirement of 94 UCAS Points. I also liked this option as I
enjoy the idea of studying a combined degree and exploring the theory side of film as well as the practical.
Filmmaking – Leeds Arts University – 112 UCAS Points – This was another university I chose to apply to. I, again,
liked the location and proximity as well as the course content.
29. What type of work experience do you think you would need to help you in your future career? How might you
be able to find work experience placements? If you could pick anywhere to do work experience, where would it
be and why?
BFI offers a paid internship which would be a good start to gaining experience. There is also a 12-month
internship at Working Title films. I think the most important thing during work experience is trying to get involved
with as many things as possible and trying to take in knowledge that you can’t learn in a classroom. If I could
choose to get work experience anywhere I would love to intern at A24 as I find their movies artistic and
boundary-pushing. I also prefer film shooting to TV shows and a lot of British companies that do work experience
film TV shows. There is an A24 headquarters in the UK which means it may be possible to get work experience
there.
30. What specific skills do you need to develop? There should be a mix of industry specific skills and also personal
development points. When you identify these, come up with suggestions as to how you might make those
improvements.
I need to develop my creativity, as this will aid me in my chosen career path. To do this I should practice
brainstorming ideas and also take time each day to create something to get used to the act. I also need to practice
shooting videos, even just on a phone camera, to practice steadying my hand as I have struggled with this
throughout the year. I also think from next year onwards I need to develop my time management skills, I can do
this by creating schedules and time limits for tasks I am trying to accomplish.
31. In 5 years time I will…
In 5 years time I will be 24. I will have finished my undergraduate degree and will either be in work experience or
a postgraduate degree, currently it would be in cinematography but that could change in time. I would also
possibly be able to work and do a part-time postgraduate degree.
33. Task 4: Music Video Process Log [2.1, 2.2]
Complete the Music Video Process Log to evidence how you worked technically
during the Music Video production phase. Screenshot and explain how you managed
to get your production finalised.
There is a specific pro forma that you will use for this as part of your music video
production. Ensure that is completed with your Music Video project, to complete this
task.
35. Task 5: End of Year Review [2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2]
Produce an end of year review looking at how you have worked across the year,
considering each stage of production, which productions have worked/not worked,
how you have managed your time, what skills you have developed, how you have
worked with others and how you organised your time, resources and equipment
throughout the year. You should then produce an action plan for Year 2 selecting 5
key areas you wish to focus on to develop further.
Complete the following slides to review your year. You can add images if you want to.
You can get screenshots from any part of your previous projects to support your work
on this.
36. Which productions have worked/not worked?
• I believe my most successful production was the
music video. This is beneficial as I going into
filmmaking.
• My production that was the least successful was
the audio project. I struggled with creating an
immersive soundscape.
37. How you have managed your time?
• When I have been sick and had to not be in college,
I have made sure to catch up throughout the year. I
have also had to manage my time around a job
which means making sure I’m organized for
whatever I plan to do in the day.
38. What skills have you developed?
• I have learnt how to use Premier Pro. I have also
learnt how to use Photoshop to a higher level. I
have also developed my use of a camera and learnt
some more of the detailed controls to help my
photography and filming.
39. • At the start of the year, we created two projects in
groups. This was the key video and the experiment
music video.
• As the year has progressed I have worked with my
peers to further our research and knowledge on
each project.
How you have worked with others?
40. How you organised your time, resources and
equipment throughout the year?
• I had to organize my time when in the production
stages of my products as I had to fit in the time to
shoot or film around other people’s schedules. This
meant knowing when to book out equipment from
college and in times when that was not possible,
using my phone to capture footage.