Industry Research

Industry Research

The Media Industry

What does media mean?

This is a term we use to refer to distributing news, music, movies, and education. This can be physical – through magazines, billboards, and newspapers. Or through digital ways – television, internet, radio, telephone, and the internet.

What is the media industry?

It can be described as a varied selection of organisations that have the same purpose of production, publication, and distribution of media texts. Media texts can be used to entertain, inform, or promote ideas.

The different types of media industry

Publishing, Video Games, Video & Animation, Audio, Streaming Media, Film, Music, Social Media, Interactive Media, Graphics, Theatre & Art, Events.

• Publishing: Includes books, newspapers, magazines, comics, and blogs.
• Video Games: Media within virtual environments.
• Video & Animation: Broadcast television, video productions and animations.
• Audio: Broadcast radio and podcasts.
• Streaming media: Digital access to media on demand.
• Film: Production of movies, documentaries, and music videos.
• Music: Production of music.
• Social Media: Digital communities where people can communicate, share, and produce media.
• Interactive Media: Types of media that has user interface, such as an app, website, or software.
• Graphics: The creation of billboards or posters.
• Theatre & Art: Plays, musical theatre, art, and photography.
• Events: Events that communicate to people, such as an industry conference.

Media:

• Broadcasting: V, Radio, BBC, Channel 4, Netflix, Streaming, Audio, Advertising
• Print: Newspaper, Magazines, Books
• Online: Social Media
• Games

What is a profession?

A profession is a full time job which you need a higher level of education of skill to do the job. There is a higher level of responsibility. You must be confident in your own skills and have the ability to work independently. You are expected to manage your own workload for the employer or client.

Some professional jobs include:

Teachers, Doctors, Accountants, Lawyers, Engineers, Architects, Artists/Authors, Designers, Chefs.

Legal & Ethical, what do they mean?

Legal is what the law says. Regulations and rules.

Ethical is making sure you’re doing the general right thing.

What is professional behaviour?

Professional behaviour is the standard of etiquette in a workplace. Respectful and courteous conduct is expected at all times.

Animation Industry

Animation Industry Job Roles

• Artists (Inbetweeners, art direction, clean up artists, background artists)
• Writers
• Voice Actors
• Sound Effects Technicians
• Producers
• Director
• Texture Artists
• 3D Model Builders
• Computer Programmers
• Concept Artists
• Motion Capture Artist
• Compositor
• Digital Effects
• Colourists
• Lighting Technicians
• Lip Sync
• Set Construction
• Editor
• Runner
• Character Design
• Camera Operator
• Animators

Types of Animators

• Character Animator
• 2D Animator
• Particle Animator
• Pixel Animator

Editor: Their job is working out what will need to be animated and how the shots are pieced together. At the beginning of the project, they work with the writer, director and producer to discuss the script and storyboard. They work together to plan scenes and shots. After the animating is done, they arrange the footage and put together a rough cut before completing the final cut which must be approved by the producer. They oversee the audio and sound in the film, so they collaborate with the sound designers and music editors to pull this together.

How do I become an editor?

It’s the best option to start as a post-production runner before moving on to be an assistant editor. While at College, it is smart to take the ‘BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production’ course to give yourself an introduction to digital media and editing. Building a portfolio will provide strong evidence of your capabilities, so creating a YouTube channel and regularly posting videos of your work is a good idea. Look for post-production companies, contact them and look out for editor jobs. Go to ScreenSkills events to meet people working in this field. You can show them your portfolio and give them your number.

Camera Operator: They are responsible for capturing what’s happening. Camera operators physically take charge of the camera and shoot everything that needs shooting. While shooting, these are the people who must consider the composition, framing and movement of a shot as they are the people using the camera. Camera operators work in team in order to take multiple angles of the same thing at the same time. They may use special equipment. To keep the camera in place, they would use a tripod. To capture clean movement, they would use a Gimbal or Steadicam (although this wouldn’t really apply to animating).

Character Animator: Character Animators create and design characters using animation software. These include MotionBuilder 3D, Flash Professional, LightWave, Maya and other programs. They develop characters that use movement to tell a story whether it’s for film, television or a game. These people create and then manipulate the characters to determine how they move. The hard part is trying to make the movements of the character natural. They must think about how things would sway while being hit by a breeze or how someone’s mouth would move while eating. There is a lot to think about.

Example of a Character Animator: Tim Allen

“For over 20 years I’ve been working as a professional stop motion animator on some of the biggest stop motion animation productions in the world. I’m highly versatile as a character animator in both Animation Supervisor & Lead Animator roles. I also do plenty of commercials, short films & TV series.”

A stop motion animator for 20 years, Tim Allen was a key animator on Wes Anderson’s oscar-nominated film Isle of Dogs. His other credits include Fantastic Mr Fox & Tim Burton's Corpse Bride & Frankenweenie. As well as animating on Oscar-winning Peter & the Wolf & Oscar-nominated My Life as a Zucchini, he’s served many years of TV series work including Fireman Sam, Postman Pat plus Shaun the Sheep & Creature Comforts USA for Aardman Animations. Tim was Animation Supervisor on The Magic Piano & also the stop motion Club Penguin specials for Disney.

I have actually been in contact with Tim Allen and spoke on a video call with him last year. He shared with me some of his work and also gave me some amazing tips for animating.

Director: The Directors take responsibility in working out the style and mood of the animation along with the look and sound of it. The idea is, they will share their vision with the rest of the team and work with them to make it happen. They can also have a say in character design and the voice acting. To do this, they will direct the teams working on design to make sure they influence how the characters will end up looking. The same thing goes for the voice acting. The Director will work with the voice actors to creatively enhance the way everything is said and sounds, specially to fit into their vision. They will participate a big amount into the edited quality of the film. The Director will check over the finished film and run the editors over the changes they want to make. During particularly big projects, there will be a director and an animation director. In a case like this, the director delegates the day-to-day management of the animation department to the animation director.

Animation Producer: Generally, a Producer will manage all the different teams on the project, basically organizing everything. They ensure that the project is done within the budget and to the best creative brief. The need to make sure the animation is delivered on time as well. Once a plan for the project is decided, they will get financial backing from distributors or broadcasters to produce it. Because of this, a Producer’s prime skill is that they must be able to predict production costs so that a good estimation of the budget can be agreed. Animation producers have a strong understanding of animation. This allows them to let the Animators to have freedom while creating but they will need to keep a close watch in order to keep the production constantly on schedule.

Writer: The main job is to develop the story and write it out as a script. The script will then follow on to the Storyboard Artists and the Directors to work out how it will look visually. This is essentially bringing the story to life. The writer must be able to mix great writing skills with a creative mind in order to write brilliant stories. They will either deliver a new idea or contribute to an already existing series. Bringing different writers to a series brings a different feeling and layout to each episode, making for a more interesting and variable series. The stages of which they write is very particular, and this is so they produce a consistently strong idea each time. They will make the story first before creating an outline of what happens in each scene, this gives each scene a purpose. Once this has been completed, they will write the full script, including the dialogue and action. This will then be pitched to a Producer or animation studio. However, this can also happen the other way around, with the animation studio having an idea and commissioning a writer to complete the script/screenplay.

Game Industry

Game Industry Job Roles

• Creative Direction
• Pixel Animation
• Pixel Environment
• Concept Artist
• Game Design
• Programming
• Writing
• Production
• Music Composing & Sound Design
• Vocal Foley
• Vocal Arrangement
• Vocal Foley Coordinator
• Mixing & Additional Recordings
• English Voice Production
• Management
• Voice Director
• Assistant Director
• Script Supervisor
• Technical Director
• System Architect
• Programming Lead
• Player Programming
• Camera Programming
• Enemy Programming
• Wildlife Programming
• Object Programming
• NCP Programming
• Event Programming
• UI Programming
• Environment Programming
• Physics Programming
• AI Navigation Programming
• Framework Programming
• Terrain Programming
• VFX Programming
• Sound Programming
• System Development
• Game Tool Development

Game Producer: They manage the staff and teams that participate in the project and make sure the best possible game is made even if challenges get in the way. They also handle the money within the project. Game producers work closely with the designer, lead artist and programmer to work out the characters and ideas for the game. It’s their job to find a publisher for the game and negotiate the contracts with the suppliers (people coming in to help with development). In a big company, they may pass over the management to a project manager but in smaller companies they do all this themselves.

How do I become a game producer?

Starting with a job as an assistant producer is a good beginning and allows you to work your way up. At college it’s a good idea to take a related course like ‘BTEC Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production’, this will give you a basic understanding of the game industry. Finding game making software and making your own games to build up a portfolio provides great evidence of your skill and liking towards the subject. Qualifying as a project manager first is a good option as these jobs are similar. This would give you a taste of what producing has to offer as well.

Motion Capture Artist: Motion capture artists create computer generated characters who move, interact, and look exactly like real people through the screen. They work closely with the direction team and the actors. Actors who are acting in this field should have skills such as gunplay, sword fighting, dance, general body movement, running & jumping, gymnastics, and fighting.

Lead Animator: Lead animators work closely with the art, design, and tech teams to create the best in-game animation. You have input early on in development so there is an option to influence and create your own ideas. You will create cinematic and in-game character animation, and there is a preference for someone with skills in both motion capture and key frame animation. There is a lot of leading, mentoring and working in small groups of people.

Texturing Artist: This role is an entry level job so the things that make up the role are simpler. A texturing artists help to create believable 3D models by making textures that go onto the object’s surface. In order to make things look more realistic, they will add imperfection to things. This includes rust, scratches, or reflections to windows. The key idea is realism as they must make sure that the player forgets they are in a computer-generated world. To make up these textures, Texturing Artists will use materials, shaders, and mapping. Plus, they will have a good idea of how these respond and interact. To create digital textures, Texturing Artists will also use a combination of hand painting, photos, digital and 3D art. They should be able to understand how materials behave in different conditions and how they look. Along with this, having knowledge and knowing how to use the latest softwares.

Gameplay Designer: The focus for the Gameplay Designer is to work out how the game works. They will determine the mechanics and the gameplay side of it – meaning they are very important in the game’s development process. Mechanics involve things like how high a character can jump, how long it takes to accelerate to maximum speed or when you can gain points. They will plan the games main areas such as the characters, rules, vehicles, and props. They can also think about different modes of play which would include multi-player or story mode. Gameplay Designers are the exact line between the technical teams and the art teams. This means they will figure out what is possible if the gameplay is too challenging to achieve. The Gameplay Designers will speak with the testers to ensure they know what to look for and how the finished product should be.

Game Sound Designer: These people are responsible for the soundtrack of the game. This will be a combination of music to fit with the game and foley (sound effects). Foley involves things like gunshots, crashes, cheers, heavy rain. The usefulness of the Sound Designer is huge, since they are the key to adding mood, tempo and emotional depth. Sometimes, they will be working from the very beginning. They will use the brief to start constructing what the player is going to hear. Other times, they may be brought in towards the end of a game’s development. They will look at the game and decide what sound should be put in place for the animations. Sound Designers will edit, and mix sound to produce music and sounds for the game. After this, the foley and music will be tested to ensure they work for the game.

Film Industry

Film Industry Job Roles

• VFX Artist
• Computer Graphic
• Story Boarder
• Sound Effect Technician
• Sound Mixer
• Sound Design
• Lighting Technician
• Lighting Operator
• Editor
• Colourist
• Director
• Producer
• Assistant Director
• Casting Director
• Concept Artist
• Camera Operator
• Runner

Director: Directors are the creative leads of the film who oversee the production. More specifically things like: The creative decisions of the shots and how the acting is done and where people are standing all to get the effect they want. They also read over the script and work with the screen writer to make their own personal changes. Sometimes, the director can be their own screen writer. They have the job of imagining the script in visual form to determine how the film look to the viewer. They work with producers and casting directors to select the actors. Directors also instruct lighting, costume design and makeup supervisors to adjust things according to their envision. The other roles that they work with is the Colourists, Screen Writer, Editors, Production Designer, Producer. They are employed by the producer.

How do I become a director?

There are different routes you can go down that branch out to the director role. You can start as a screenwriter, an assistant director, theatre or the camera department. If you attend college the ‘BTEC National Extended Diploma in Creative Digital Media Production’ course is a good start. It’s a great idea to start your career as a Runner or Camera Trainee as these are entry level jobs and easier to get into. Building a portfolio of your own self-motivated work shows your commitment to your goal and helps when applying for jobs within the film industry. Getting a degree in filmmaking can give you a better understanding of the industry and a bigger chance in being successful.

Producer: They are the handlers of the finance/money of a project, the managers, and part of the creative heart for the project. They gather the specific teams to work on the film and essentially organize everything. As the decision makers, they decide the scale and budget of the film and produce the story ideas for the film and hire writers to work on the script. They work with the director to accomplish all the creative ideas and approve production costs. The main important thing is making sure everything runs smoothly.

Colourist: Colourists contribute to the mood and feeling of the film through colours. They look and the brightness/saturation of scenes, colour temperature and colour tones in a scene. They work with the director to make all this match to how it was imagined. They complete the colour grading to make sure everything is kept consistent and exact, overwise it would be off putting to the viewer.

Editor: The job of an Editor in Film & TV is to piece together the footage into a story that is in perfect order. Most of the time, films are not shot in the correct scripted order, so it becomes the Editor’s job to create the film how it’s supposed to look, with each scene in the correct place on the timeline.

Sound Mixer: Sound Mixers are responsible for the sound recording during the production segment of the project. This is normally just dialogue but can include atmosphere and sound effects. It is important that they meet with the Producer and Director before attempting any of this, as they will need to discuss the method of capturing the sound and also what the Director’s shooting style. Part of the Sound Mixer’s job is to explore the locations that have been decided. This is so that they can check them over to see if there are any issues that may affect the sound. This includes things like passing trains or road noise. They ensure that sound is being recorded at the suitable level for every take. If a problem is detected then it is up to the Director to decide whether another take is necessary, or if it should be fixed in postproduction. Quite a lot of sound is added in the edit and speech is corrected in postproduction too.

Camera Trainee: Camera Trainees usually work closely with the Second Assistant Camera or Clapper Loader. As this is an entry level job, the tasks involved a very simple. They will help to prepare the kit at the beginning of the job and also have a possibility of being involved in camera and lens tests. They may help make the paperwork like records and camera logs. This is all kept as it is useful during the edit. Camera Trainees will have the opportunity to focus on the monitoring side of things. This means setting up the monitors, cables and wireless. Along with this, if there isn’t a Monitor, this will become the Trainee’s role. If the Trainee is experienced, they will be asked to use the clapperboard, changing camera batteries, and helping the focus puller. With the Camera Trainee, their job roles are widely varied depending on the size of the production.

Types of Employment/Contract

• Full Time – Full time job is considered a job which is more than 35 hours a week. You will have many hours to work per week which means being fully dedicated to the job. There isn’t much time for anything else if you are working full time.
• Part Time – Employed for only part of the working day or week. You will have limited hours, work and personal life balance is much fairer.
• Fixed Term Contract – If the contract ends on a specific date, then this would be a fixed term contract. Or similarly, the job contract ends once a task or project has been completed. As an example, you could be a seasonal employee if you are taken on for up to six months only, during the peak busy period. You could be given a specialized role to complete a certain project. You could also be covering for maternity leave.
• Self-Employment – The owner of a business.

Pros of full time: You get holiday and sick pay for when you’re not working. You have a fixed schedule that is easy to keep track of and a consistent wage so the amount of money you earn won’t change. You will receive a steady income due to the high number of hours spent working. The contract should include an obligated payment that would be paid weekly or monthly. You are also entitled to sick pay which means you would earn money even if you aren’t working. You would work a fixed schedule every week. This means planning things would have no interruptions or surprises. There is more time to grow within your job as well. Being full time means you will have enough hours to really master every aspect of the job.

Cons of full time: Your CV becomes boring due to a lack of experience. This is caused by staying in the same job. Job hunting can become difficult because you haven’t done it in a while. Because all you are focusing on is the job you’re doing, it puts you in a bubble and stops you from reaching your true potential. You may feel a lack of desire to progress. Most routines while full time can become repetitive, and you can get overly comfortable in your day-to-day life leading to disinterest. Balancing your personal life will be very difficult due to the number of hours every week. Most full time jobs will cover 5 days a week leading to very little time outside of working.

Pros of part-time: You have more time for other projects and activities. This means you can then dedicate time to working towards a job you want to do – like a career. A part time job is a good option to gain skills and experience in a field unfamiliar to you. You could earn more money with a part time job then a full time job. This is because you could acquire more than one job if you have the time to. Working part time is a good opportunity for students. You can work while maintaining a busy lifestyle. You would feel more dedicated and don’t get bored working since your hours don’t last all day and aren’t all the time.

Cons of part-time: Performance can be easily affected because you aren’t given as many hours to prove yourself. It can take you longer to learn at a new job since hours are limited. Payment issues may be apparent as well. This is because part time workers don't often get paid well or that much. This can happen as a result of them not being registered properly on the system. Their payments may be inconsistent. Schedules will also be inconsistent. You need to remain available as you do not know when you could a brought in to work. The number of hours you get per week will be inconsistent. This means you could only be brought in during busy hours. This means you will get less hours if it becomes quieter.

Pros of fixed term contract: You would normally be hired because the specific skills you have are particularly suited for the project that has been set. It gives the employee an opportunity to learn something new and experience a new job before deciding whether to stay with a permanent role. Your commitment level would be easy to maintain since you are only there while you are needed, not for an unnecessary reason. If the performance shown by the employee is good enough, they can have the option to change their contract to a permanent contract.

Cons of fixed term contract: There is little security to the length of the contract. Different from a permanent employment, you will find yourself out of a job after a short time. This means you will find yourself job hunting more than you would like to. Promotion is highly unlikely as a fixed term contract is normally very short term. Promotions are usually possible after a long employment time, but fixed term contracts don’t allow for that. You won’t be able to fully commit to the role because of the short time you are employed.

Pros of self-employment: With being self-employed, you will never have to answer to a boss, since you are the person who runs most of the business. There are no rules to the hours you work, so they can be flexible and fit to you. You can create your own work schedule depending on what works best for you. You will end up earning more money than the average amount employed people do. You will be very productive while maintaining your own business. You will be able to approach tasks at your own pace which lowers stress. The idea of working from home allows for the opportunity to spend more time with family.

Cons of self-employment: There are no guaranteed monthly pay checks. You will earn whatever the business manages to produce. You will have to answer to clients, which can be just as frustrated as having a boss anyway. You will have much more work to do and will need to work much harder to balance it. The time you work throughout day-to-day may be up to you but the hours you work will become longer than an employed worker. This means days will be longer. Getting distracted could be a problem since most work would be done at home, and you won’t have a boss telling you what to do. Maintaining self-discipline could be difficult.

How People Get Jobs

• Networking, referrals, career websites, job fairs, company websites, cold calling, recruiters.
• Websites you can find jobs through:
• Indeed – Indeed provides access to many job opportunities. It includes full time and part time jobs which are hiring at the moment giving you a variety of jobs to select from. It is easy to search for the type of job you are looking for. You can also filter searches to find jobs within a certain distance from you.
• Glassdoor – Glassdoor shows reviews about companies from previously or currently employed people. This can be crucial to look at if you are deciding what company to go for. This is a site which is useful to use when looking for things that need specific skills, like jobs working with companies and not underneath them.
• Monster – This is a similar site to the others except you have the option to keep your CV hidden from your current employer so that won't know about the job search.
• Dice - Specifically specialises in technology-based jobs. It works like every other site, and you can upload your CV too.
• LinkedIn – On LinkedIn, you can use your profile as a CV which makes applying to jobs much simpler. Based on the information on your profile, it will recommend jobs that match your qualifications.

Asking Questions

Questions to ask an experienced Director

• How many jobs did you go through to get to where you are now?
• What different jobs did you experience before being a Director?
• What was the main starting point for getting into the film industry?
• How much money do you earn for your role?
• What is the most challenging part of your job?
• What part of your job do you enjoy the most?
• How long did it take from the beginning of your career to get where you are now?
• What is your opinion on going to University to study film and directing – is it a waste of time and money?
• What would you recommend to do to make good first steps into the industry?
• What are your average working hours?
• How often do you work on a film?
• When making a portfolio, what kind of work should be showcased?
  

Presentation During An Interview

• Dressing smartly and appropriately
• Keeping clean and tidy
• Having good posture and having both feet on the ground looks very professional and stops you from looking unbothered and disengaged
• Looking interested – asking lots of questions and responding with conversational answers instead of just yes and no
• Eye contact – don’t look at the ground and keep eye contact to make it clear you are listening
• Speak clearly and pronounce your words correctly
• Smiling shows you are feeling positive about the job and that you are naturally approachable
• Make sure you are equipped with a CV so the employer can see everything about you so they know who they may be hiring

Behavior In The Workplace

• When working, it is important to always have a leadership behavior even if you aren’t. You could end up being the only person standing up to a problem and finding solutions even if you are not assigned the leader role. It is important to have this mentality either way.
• Working well as a team with your colleagues consistently throughout the work day is a key aspect to working professionally. This means there must be constant communication. Making sure everyone is informed of any changes and applying a joint positive attitude if anything becomes hectic – this all comes down to good team work.
• The next thing, is to be positive individually. This will help you to enjoy the job generally and also means the level of stress you may feel will be low. This will motivate you too.
• You must be well presented. This means keeping clean and tidy. Your hair must be presentable and not scruffy. You don’t need to wear makeup, just maintain a good standard of hygiene. Smelling nice is a key factor and keeping your hand clean, especially in a food environment.
• Having a respectful attitude towards everyone, this could be colleagues or customers, is expected. This stops conflict and keeps everyone out of any social problems that could include not being treated nicely, for example. Conflict should be kept out of situations at work which is why respecting everyone is important.
• Being on time to work is a standard that should be kept up, every time you arrive. If this is not met, you could be fired. Your manager is relying on you.