This unit introduces students to career opportunities and professional practices in the creative media industry. Students will research different job roles, conduct case studies of practitioners, and create long-term career plans. Assessments include creating an illustrated guide to their chosen sector, a fact file on an industry professional, and a five-year career plan. Throughout the year students must track their skills development, time management, collaboration skills, and how their work has progressed in a cumulative production journal.

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 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.

6. Illustrated Sector Guide

7. Task 1: Illustrated sector guide
• the photography sector employs over 18,000
people throughout the entire UK.
• There has been a 1.2% industry growth from 2015-
2020
• The skills preferably needed are creativity, technical
photography skills, patience/concentration,
attention to detail, strong networking and team
work.

8. Task 1: (not directly part of task 1)
Typical employers of photographers
• Agencies
• Picture libraries
• Newspapers/magazines/catalogs
• Advertising agencies
• Hospitals/medical publishers
• Museums/art galleries
• Auctioneers

10. Practitioner Research

11. Will Burrard-Lucas
Will is a wild life
photographer/entrepreneur.
He's also known for developing
camera-traps to get close up
pictures of wild animals.
Since 2010, Will has been a full
time wild like photographer.
He's worked for multiple
conservation NGO's such as
World Wildlife Fund, Frankfurt
Zoological Society, African Parks,
Ethiopian Wolf Conservation
Programme, Painted Dog
Conservation, Zambian
Carnivore Programme and
Panthera.

12. 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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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.

17. When making a fact file, think carefully about all the elements involved.
A good fact file will have:
• Concise and relevant information
• Quotes about the practitioner
• Information on their work and achievements
• Background on how they got in to the industry
• What insight you have taken from this that can help you in your
development?
This information can be presented with graphics, typography and a colour
scheme.

18. (put your fact file here)
There isn’t much
information on
Will Burrard-
Lucas to produce
a fact file

19. 5 Year Plan.

20. What are you currently doing to pursue a career in your chosen field?
Im currently working alongside Authentic productions in gaining experience
by producing promotional content for small businesses around the harrogate and
starbeck area.
The experience im gaining is helping me become more confident in working
alongside people, also creating client base and an e-portfolio which would
hopefully help me in the future.
Working with Authentic productions is also giving me experience on what
equipment is suitable for what sector of photography I go into. Such as lenses,
camera bodies, lights, editing software and computers.

21. What do you plan to do next in the pursuit of your chosen field?
Im planning to carry on working with Authentic productions for a few more years
until I’ve gained enough experience to hopefully start my own company or
something similar. Then possibly Authentic productions can sub-contract me into
their work with me still working on my business.
I’ll be able to do my own work as well as still working along side authentic production
in providing promotional content.

22. 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.
The University of Leeds holds a impressive media course, containing a supportive environment equipped with a range
of industry-standard resources. As well as extensive loans service for equipment such as digital recorders, video
cameras, stills cameras, darkroom and 40 editing suites equipped with the latest Avid video editing software and
Photoshop.
• The entry requirements for the A level course are: AAB as shown on the website.
Sheffield Hallam university helps me acquire digital and traditional photographic analogue skills, digital capture and
production and image management and manipulation, using industry standard equipment. Develop my core practical
skills through creative professional practice and a critical engagement with image making. Refines your ability to solve
problems, manage complex projects, and communicate your ideas effectively.
• The entry requirements are: must include at least two A levels or equivalent BTEC National qualifications,
including at least 32 points in a relevant* subject.

23. 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?
I think becoming a photography assistant would provide me with the correct
work experience to broaden my knowledge in the photography sector,
because not only does it provide me with experience with photography, it also
gives me experience in lighting, audio (if they work video & photo), angles.
The basic components as them.

24. 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.
• Creativity: come up with ideas that could improve the outcome.
• Confidence: be more confident because it shows that you want to work.
• Technical skills: know how to use the equipment that you have.
• Patience/concentration: don’t rush anything, or else it might not come out
as anticipated.
• Attention to detail: add a lot of detail, even if there small
• Networking skills: know people that can give you advice and help guide
you along the right path.
• Team working skills: Be able to work with 2 or more people.

25. In 5 years time I will…
In 5 years of time I will be working a “standard” retail job but still doing
photography with uthentic productions as a side job to bring in an extra bit of
income. Possibly 2 years after that I would make photography my full time job
hopefully bringing in a stable income, still working with authentic productions

26. Music Video Process Log

27. 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.

28. End of Year Review

29. 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.

30. Which productions have worked/not worked?

31. How you have managed your time?

32. What skills you have developed?

33. How you have worked with others?

34. How you organised your time, resources and equipment
throughout the year?

35. Produce an action plan for Year 2 selecting 5 key areas you wish
to focus on to develop further.
Area to work on Actions to take