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1. Jake McMann
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Unit 8 – Understanding the Television and Film Industries
Scenario: You have been approached by a student magazine to produce a comprehensive guide
to the television and film industry that provides information and debate. Within your guide you
must include elucidated examples and consistently use subject terminology correctly.
The top job roles in the film industry are; executive producer, producers, director and the head of
departments. It is the executive producer’s responsibility to ensure success is met and that the end
products are the highest possible quality they can be.
Job Roles
Runner: TV/Film

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A runner is an entry level position, their job can vary from carrying items
around the set, handing items out to the cast or making tea for members
of the crew. They act as general assistants and they work under the
direction of the producer or other production staff, to complete basic
tasks which are required to be done to ensure the smooth running of the
production process. For this role in the film industry there are no specific
educational requirements, however a post-graduate degree in television
or multimedia would be relevant. Starting salaries for this role can range
from £6.50 to £8.80 an hour, most runners
work on a freelance basis and are employed on short-term
contracts, full-time.
Researcher
A media researcher is a very useful role for an upcoming
film or television series, a media researcher would
typically support producers by finding useful
information, places or people needed for the film – most
of the information found is used for the advertisement of the film, it helps the producers work with
targeting the product at a specific target audience. For a researcher role like a Runner, there are no
specific or set qualifications to get a researcher role however many media researchers have a
degree level qualification. Hours and a starting salary is rare in this role. Freelance researchers are
usually paid a set fee for a contract – it is often that there are big gaps in contracts. There are no
set entry requirements, but like any job experience in anything to do with TV or the film industry is
preferred.
Editors
Film and TV Editors’ main role is to assemble raw material into a final
product that would be suitable for broadcasting. This role would be standard
office hours but this could vary depending on the needs of the production
or the rest of the crew.
Director
Directors have one of the most important roles in a production.
They lead a company or a business – in this case the production of
a TV Show or Film. They are responsible for all aspects of the
productions success. A masters Degree or MBA as a director is
essential. Skills would be needed in the following; leadership, being
successful, being a stimulating boss, having good skills with
technology. An average salary for a director is £57,341, however
this obviously would be higher depending on the production.
Hours would also vary depending on the production needs and nothing would be set in stone.
Production Manager

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A production manager is usually involved with the
coordination, planning and control of manufacturing
processes. Average salaries for a production manager
with some experience can range from £30,000 to
£40,000. However, for senior roles in this job, salaries
could be in the region of £40,000 to £60,000. A
production manager is typically a 9-5 job, but like all jobs
in the TV and Film industry, hours can depend on the
needs of the production. A degree in subjects from
business/management to chemistry are preferred, a qualification in other subjects like civil
engineering would also be beneficial. Not having qualifications or a degree could make it very
difficult to obtain this job.
A guide to the Television and Film Industries in 2016
For this unit I have carried out research on contracts and legal and ethical issues in the TV and Film
Industry.
A contract is used as a form of proof of agreement to work between two
or more people, this contract could be verbal or written. In the case of
contracts in the TV and Film Industry the majority of them are written and
between the employer and employee. The contracts that are signed
include the duties, responsibilities and obligations to the employment
salary and working patterns.
PermanentContracts
These contracts are that of such that do not have a time limit and gives employments entitlements
to leave and still be paid. A contract of this type only ends when the employee that has signed the
contract decides to leave the job.
Fixed Term Contracts
These contracts can also be known as temporary
contracts. This type of contract has a start and end
date and usually terminates after a specific task has
been completed. If an employer wants to terminate
this contract before the end date they can if they have valid and lawful reasons. Linking equal
opportunities to a termination of this contract cannot be done in a discriminative way, if it is the
employer will be breaking the law.

4. Jake McMann
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Confidentiality
This is an important aspect in this industry because of
every piece of information about the employees and the
employer are kept within the company. An employee is
okay to disclose information about themselves to the
employer. If an employee isn’t sure about the information
that has been disclosed, the employer should be
approached so the employee can be sure of the information
that has been processed between the two. The information discussed between the employee and
the employer usually includes things like an employee’s salary, their roles and responsibilities and
their role in the production.
Employment Legislation
“Employment law acts and employee legislation in Britain
also protect the work force against discrimination from
co-workers and your employers. ... The fines for an
employer for unfair dismissal or discrimination cases
range from one year's pay and upwards”
- www.theukrules.co.uk/rules/employment/laws-
list.html.
Employment legislation is a set of rules that employers
and employees must follow in the workplace. These rules are important especially when someone
decides to work in the TV and Film industry. These rules include different types of employment
legislations such as health & safety policies, laws such as copyright, and trademarks, the ability to
belong to a trade union and equal opportunities.
EqualityAct https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_2010
“The Equality Act 2010 has replaced the Equal Pay Act 1970, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race
Relations Act 1976, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Employment Equality (Religion or Belief)
Regulations 2003, Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 and the
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.”

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The Equality Act protects employee’s from being
fired for their race, gender, age and sexuality.
Terminating the contract because of an employee
because of any of these factors is illegal. This is likely
a consideration when employing staff, cast and
crew. Employers are responsible for the wellbeing
and safety of whoever is working for them, and they
would be liable for any emotional or physical harm,
as well as any employee acts or omissions whilst in
their employment.
The diagram I have included to the left of this text shows the charges filed by the equal
employment opportunity commission in the USA. It outlines the issues that some employees face
with their employer and shows that the most common factor
that is discriminated against is race.
Trade Unions
Trade Unions exist to protect the interests and the rights of
workers. You have to a member if a certain union to receive
the benefits so members pay yearly fees. The average fee for
a trade union is £120. Trade unions have increased in popularity amongst employees as it gives
them the extra protection that they might need in the workplace.
Copyright
A huge problem
in the film
industry is
copyright.
Pirating a film is
illegal and is a
criminal offence,
however it still
happens on a
daily basis.
Copyright is when the work of someone, whether it be artistic, musical or written is copied and
used by someone else as their own work. Films can be pirated from a cinema and sold at a cheap
price, it costs the film industry millions of pounds a year, I have included a chart showing the most
pirated films of 2009.

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Ethical Issues
Morality issues which could be right or wrong have to be taken
into account. Sensationalism and exploitation also have to be
considered. Offensive material such as privacy and copyright,
which is more often than not enforced by regulatory bodies and
codes of practice within the industry other than the law.
Representational issues are to do with the how people, facts,
opinions and events and presented in a product of film or TV.
Films and TV Shows are reviewed by the BBFC before they are
published, they can most commonly be rated U, PG, 12A, 15 or
18.
Jake McMann