Job Roles within the Media Industry

Within Media Industries their are different employment opportunities and job roles. These are:

• Full time- Within a media production an individual with a full time job would be someone who is constantly working on the project and giving their ideas forward to better the production. An example of this would be a floor manager, directors and producers. There may be more than one of these individuals who may work along side one another. In order to recruit for jobs such as these they would be recruited through a process such as Personal Contacts and Networking. Due to these roles being highly professional the individuals would be hired through a high standard process instead of ways such as word of mouth or the internet. These individuals would have a creative, managerial, financial and technical side behind them. This would be needed due to the production being based around. 

• Part time- A part time role would be an individual within a media production who doesn't work as many hours as someone who is full time. They are more than likely to do shifts and alternate with other individuals due to the small amount of hours they work. Camera men would be part time due to them sharing shifts with other individuals who are capable of carrying out the same job. These would be recruited through networking, Personal Contacts and possibly word of mouth. Camera men would be trained to use any form of cameras and be able to co-operate with the technical sides. 

• Freelance- This is someone who creates a piece and then further sells them onto a media production. Any example of this is a writer, graphic designer and a journalist. A writer could write a script for a media production and then sell it onto them, they work for themselves to make a profitably income from their project being sold on. They would have a creative side behind them due to them creating projects for another production. As it is a hands on process and everything is up to them, they would then produce to the best standard in order to make a profit. Free lance camera operators would usually get paid a fee for each contract.

• Shift Work- An individual who's job role is shift working is usually an individual such as a camera operator. They would work take turns with other camera operators to film their production, this could be shows such as big brother which is filmed through out the day. Due to this being long hours this is why shift work exists for camera operators.

• Voluntary- Runners could be a voluntary job role, they may volunteer to do this in order to gain experience in all areas and they full fill their job aspirations. They would be expected to do all the small same repetitive jobs day in day out which no one else is required to do.

In order for individuals to be recruited into these job roles they would into careers advice, trade fairs, national press, trade press, personal contacts, networking, word of mouth and the internet. Careers advice is a website which allows individuals to browse into any categories they want to look into and are interested in. Personal Contacts are useful due to individuals being able to gain a high professional job through a personal contact. This is beneficial as they would know the people recruiting which would increase their chance of getting the job. Networking is going to an open day with an expert being there and then going talking to them afterwards, this gains you knowledge into their sector and ends up with you networking with other individuals. Another method of recruitment is word of mouth, this is a form of spoken communication being transmitted and giving off information.

Before entering into any of these areas education and training would be needed, you need to be educated within your chosen sector and have some for of knowledge behind it. Training would take place after you decide on your sector, you would be trained either on the job or off the job to help you further into your area. If you decide on changing your area to a different one then your company would provide you with references. You would create a CV to 'advertise' your skills and any previous jobs, this would then make you sound professional and more of a candidate to the company you are applying for. Companies look for ICT, Maths and English qualifications. Usually a Level 3 or a Degree. This makes your chance of getting a job higher due to having the standard qualifications.

When applying for jobs like this a professional manager needs to be shown. When actually pursuing with the job a reliable, punctual and self-presentation manner would be highly recommended. Companies would look for individuals who are always on time and never miss a day. Having a positive  attitude and a strong communication line is also recommended as this ensures no spoken communication gets misunderstood and miss passed on. 

Multi Camera Production

Self Reflection- Multi Media Production

Within this Unit we completed a Multi Camera Production, this was Hairspray. In order for us to film this we had to set up all of our required equipment. We started the day early, as we needed to find all the suitable equipment and cables to match our previous equipment list. Once we had identified all the correct equipment and their cables we could then box them away correctly and safety and into the car. These were then transported across to the Drama Studio in which we could then unload the equipment out of the car and then set up within the studio itself. Due to the rehearsal taking place when we got there, we quietly and safely set up all the equipment in the correct places and making sure they were wired correctly. Due to us needed tables for our equipment to go on such as the monitors, DVD player and the vision mixer we then got tables from the our department to use.

 Once everything was set up appropriately to what we needed, we could then make sure everything worked properly such as all the cameras linking back to the monitors and the preview monitor. We also had to take on board any health and safety hazards as cables were trailing down the steps, which meant we had to tape them down so no one tripped over them. We were then set assigned roles, which meant we kept with these for the day until we were told to switch and try a different piece of equipment.

Within the production itself my roles were camera and director. Within the camera role I required a camera itself and a headset. My camera was used to capture the entire close ups of the main actors, this meant the zoom on the camera was majorly used to capture the detail and facial expressions. The headset was used so I could hear what the shots the director wanted me to next capture, I would listen out for ‘camera 2’ which would then mean I had to either focus on another actor or a different shot. Along with my camera there was also another 3, these captured different angles and different shots. Some people captured long wide shots, which engaged the whole stage production. 

My second role was Director, this meant I was able to watch all the monitors and decipher which camera needed to adjust their movement or their zoom. This meant I had to keep focus so no mains shots were missed out. I could then speak down the microphone, which allowed everyone with headsets on the cameras to hear what I was saying. I would address the people with the cameras with their camera number and then they would adjust their movement. I then also had to tell the individual on the vision mixer what number button to press so this then switched between the cameras and went to the shots we needed. The vision mixer then was connected to the preview screen, which then allowed us to see the production rolling with all the cameras linking in, and their camera angles.

Understand the structure and Ownership of the media sector

TV has rapidly become one of the most influential forms of prominent media with a number as high as 98% of households within the UK owning a TV. This shows the significant effect broadcasts have within individuals within this time period. TV is split into two Ownership's, Public and Private Ownership. A Public broadcasting company is BBC whereas a Private broadcasting is companies such as Sky and ITV. 

A Public Ownership company is the BBC, this is public due to the company being funded by the Government, with this is the TV License. Households pay their TV License in which almost entirely the money goes straight to the BBC to pay for their broadcasting services. Radio, Television and Internet Services. Due to the BBC being Governmentally ran, it is their duty to identify and meet the publics interests in terms of their media intake. The public are the source of the companies income, they rely on the payment of the TV license to support their funds. The Public are able to complain and give feedback to the BBC in which they will then follow this up and make any possible changes. This is important for the BBC due to their company being ran purely based around the Public. Due to the BBC being publicly based, no adverts get broadcasted throughout their programmes due to the advertisement fee. Being a Public Ownership company has its advantages, due to the BBC running on the basis of the publics interests this means a wide range of programmes are being broadcast to suit the different audiences. 

This further leads to a huge mass amount of audiences watching the different programmes which are targeted at them. This lastly then leads to a high reputation standard. If the BBC did not base their company around the public then any kind of programme would be getting broadcast to an audience which isn't available. However disadvantages are applicable to being a public ownership due to a high majority of people willing to subscribe to companies such as 'Virgin Media' and 'Sky' which allows them to access all channels which the BBC doesn't. The TV license just covers all the BBC broadcasting channels. The BBC is an independent company due to them owning everything themselves, they don't converge with any other companies to make them a media conglomerate. 

The BBC use cross media convergence by advertising products such as BBC Big Weekend within a newspaper or another form of advertisement. They use their products and their channels to their advantage to gain a higher audience knowledge of the upcoming event taking place. The BBC is a vertical integrated company, this is due to themselves being the producer, distributor and exhibition of the product. This allows them to entirely keep the funds and receive all the profits. 

The BBC have a wide range of product diversity, throughout the day they can show programmes such as 'Pointless' which would then differ to the programmes shown within the evening. This could be programmes such as Broadchurch. This shows the diversity used as it differs from 'lifestyle' programmes to drama programmes. Competition is a major issue for the BBC as other companies such as Sky have more to offer with their diverse range of programmes being broadcasted. More people are willing to subscribe to products such as Virgin Media and Sky due to them having incentives on top such as the ability to use Catch Up. 

Private media ownership is companies such as Sky, this is funded simply by advertising. Therefore private ownerships are more able to satisfy the companies shareholders rather that the publics interests. Companies which are privately owned tend to have a more of a varied channel choice, this gives the audience more of a wider range of what interests them which then boosts the companies reputation and financial income. You tend to find that private channels have a narrowed down target audience they can aim at, an example of this is MTV which is aimed at 16-24. The advertisements broadcasted on this channel would then be different than they would be on Discovery Channel. However, BBC is targeted at all types of audiences which means the programmes being viewed would have a higher variety. 

Sky is a media Conglomerate, it is 40% owned by 21st Century Fox which has over 10 million subscribers within the Uk making it the largest satellite broadcasting company in the Country. Sky is a media conglomerate due to them merging with other companies to benefit themselves, News Corporation is the main company owning other companies within itself. Rupert Murdoch is the founder of these companies, this means the majority of the income is entirely his. They have a wide product diversity as they broadcast channels such as Challenge, Pick, Fox News and all of the Sky Channels. This makes the companies reputation higher which turns into a higher revenue. Sky advertise some of their upcoming or current TV programmes on other channels such as ITV, this is due to ITV having a higher viewing audience however Sky have a higher income due to their variety of channels. Sky's main success within revenue is the fact they have been able to garner with TV rights for the English Premier League with Sky sports. 



The big advantage of Private Ownership is that as it runs purely on advertising funds which means they can focus on their advertisement in order to gain a high income. This means that the higher popularity of the shows and the channels means more money it will cost to advertise during these times and then this means the more money the channel will get to fund more and a wider range of shows. A disadvantage to private ownership is that as the BBC is a publicly owned company, before creating a new show they spend a lot of revenue on research to find out exactly what TV show would be popular before they even fund a show. Whereas with a private channel they wouldn't know their target audience and then their show could be a flop. Private media ownership can result in better quality products due to the competition, the companies are constantly fighting to get their product to be as best as possible and as unique as possible. The threat of losing market share to a competitor makes them put forth their best products. Private Ownerships are not owned by the Government which allows any official sources to be shared to create a higher income. Sky is a horizontally integrated company

Within Broadcasting companies horizontal and vertical integration exists, horizontal integration is the strategy where a company acquires or creates production units for outputs which are alike, either competitive or complementary to one another. They expand into areas of one industry to develop within a certain area of production or they can buy out another company that deals with these areas. This means they rely on other companies as well as themselves to either produce, advertise, distribute or exhibit their product. This could then further lead to a higher income as more knowledge and ideas are being achieved. An example of this is Sky, they could create a product by themselves but they could then get another company to help them to distribute it in order to get higher recognition.

"We have a well-established and comprehensive approach to engaging with our stakeholders. We seek views from our stakeholders to help us shape our individual initiatives as well as our overall approach. This includes customers, our people, policy makers, experts from our industry, the sustainability sector and non-government organisations. We use this feedback to help us meet our stakeholder expectations in evolving our strategy, initiatives and reporting." This is a statement on Sky's website, this implies how the company use Stakeholders to share intellectual knowledge to better their products.

This is an example of Sky using their advertising techniques within a newspaper, this is commonly known as cross convergence due to them working with another media company to promote a product.

Competition is not a major threat to companies such as Sky due to their mass income and readily available audience, due to them being purely based on advertisement this is how they gain their revenue. Unlike the BBC who have major competition such as Sky, they have space to enter into new markets with different ideas and with not much to lose due to their large audience.

Equipment List

4 cameras
tripods
batteries- spare
mains chargers
one microphone
boom pole
one long mic cable
one vision mixer
4 long fire wire cables- 10m
5 monitors & cables - one preview(TX) 4 cameras
1 talkback system
short mic cable
5 receivers
6 headphones
one battery AA
cable duct
spare fuses
electrical screwdriver
8 tapes
1 DVD recorder
1 MacBook

Rifle shotgun mic kit
Sony HDVS w/ Song NPF960 batteries w/ Sony main chargers
Rode Microphone
Media C10 microphone stand
Seinnheiser E835
Libec Tripods
Data Video - SE800
Philips DVD Recorder

Risk Assessment

These are the risk assessments used for our multi camera production, risk assessments include location contacts and location address. This provides information of our location. Risk assessments are used so any possible risks are identified and solved to stop any accidents.

Recce

This is the recce for the multi camera production we will be filming for our college, the production will be Hairspray. Included in a recce is the plan view, lighting information, sound information and the power information.

Multi-Camera Techniques- Chat Show

This chat show is filmed within a studio, this would be a set that gets put up whenever it is needed. It gives the impression that it is an actual studio when really it is just a set within a studio. Multi camera broadcasts are used within a chat show rather than a single camera as this allows lots more angles to be captured within a time frame. They can switch to different cameras which give off different angles rather than using one camera to cover all the angles and shots. It also makes the show run smoothly as there is no waiting to change the one camera to a different angle, they can use all their cameras to cover the angles they need. There would possibly be around 2-4 cameras used, one or two would be on a track at the front which follows the movement of the guests on the chairs and the conversations they are having and who they are with. If one guest was having a conversation with Graham then they would use a shot reverse shot to capture this to show the conversation. The camera angle would be straight on and the guest would be on a diagonal talking to the presenter or another guest. Close ups get used throughout this clip to show the emotion on David Beckham's face, due to him telling a funny story more close ups are used to show is facial expressions and his laughter. When the Graham is talking to a guest the right hand camera zooms out to capture the conversation taking place and their body expressions. When a guests talks to the other guest the camera zooms out to focus on them both speaking, a focus pull is then used to focus back onto David's facial expressions. Due to this clip being mainly about David himself, the cameras are mainly focused on himself and on Graham when he asks questions. This shows interaction. Interaction is also shown when the audience boo, this creates an atmosphere as it shows their is a readily available live crowd. The logo on the bottom right corner is the logo used for The Graham Norton show, by having this it creates communication with the audience as it lets them know what the show is and creates brand awareness for the show.

The main visual style for this chat show is the studio, the main colours used are pink and red. This makes the set stand out and shows the viewers that the target audience is any gender. There are props used such as cue cards for the presenter, chairs and tables. The chairs create a homely effect, due to Graham sitting away from them, this shows his authority and how it is is show and he is running it. If he was sat next to him this would create an equal level of them all which is not what is wanted. The shots used vary from long ones to fast ones, this keeps the viewers interested and creates an atmosphere. The long ones are usually when a conversation is taking place, the camera would be focused on the guest talking and wouldn't leave their focus until someone says something or the presenter asks a question. Chat shows are usually about 80% scripted, there would be a set amount of questions which would be asked to the guests and then any unscripted questions could then be asked to follow up on the guests reply. There would be small constraints for a chat show due to it being in a studio and the space being limited, the wires for the camera would be the man worry due to it being a trip hazard. A rigger would possibly follow behind holding the cables to avoid any accidents.

Within a chat show like Graham Norton, a wide shot is used to capture the guests and the presenter. The presenter is clearly identifiable due to him sitting in a different area facing them. Wide shots allow everything to be captured such as the set and the props available.

A shot reverse shot is used when a conversation is taking place, the cameras would switch between the two individuals speaking to show that a conversation is taking place.

Close ups are used through out chat shows, they are usually focused onto the main guests the conversation is taking place around. In this case the camera is focused on David Beckham with the use of a close up to show detail and his facial expressions being used.

Sketch of the layout for Graham Norton Chat Show and the identified camera angles.