Job roles in the media industry

Introduction

In the creative media industry there are various types of job roles which one can undertake. In this post I am going to be explaining each type of job and explain what each job involves.

Creative

A creative job role consists of the production and actual development of the product at hand. This can involve things such as designing the product or actually creating the work itself.  For instance a graphic designer would be a creative job role as you are actually creating the product. Likewise, if you were a researcher for a graphic design company this would not be referred to as a creative job role. This is due to the fact you are not creating the product but merely doing the steps necessary for the people in creative job roles to complete the design. However, the creative aspects of media production would not be possible if it was not for the other job roles such as administration or marketing. Therefore, non creative job roles are just as important as a creative one. An other example would be a photographer. This is due to the fact they are the one producing the product and making decisions on how it should look. In summary any job role consisting of the actual hands-on production of a product is a 'creative job-role.'

Technical

Technical job roles cover anything involving handling technology or digital products and sound. It is a vital part of the industry which ensured all products come out at the best quality possible. Many technical jobs are things such as lighting operator or camera operators. These roles oversea all of the technical aspects of production wit the creative media sector. An example of a technical job would be a sound assistant. They make sure that all of the sound in a film or television program is in check. In these sort of jobs you need to have a good understanding of the software and equipment used in the production process.

Editorial

A person in an editorial job role will normally oversea a publication before it is presented to the public. There are various types of editorial jobs such as copywriters or news editors. An example would be a copy-writer, the will check publications before they are sent out for a range of aspect. These will include things such as spelling mistakes, grammar mistake or legal and ethical issues. Having editorial roles is imperative in the publishing industry in order to make sure publication get out there at an acceptable standard. Of cause, editorial jobs are not limited to writing and newspapers. There are other roles within the editorial spectrum such as art editors. These will oversea the production of graphics and designs and organise the way they look and suggest improvements.


Marketing

Marketing is a very important part of any section of the media industry. They often will work closely with the press and ensure that the product is advertised to the right people. A huge part of the marketing industry in media are P.R'S or 'Public Relation.' These are people who will market the product through any means necessary  They often use social networking to there advantage with sites such as 'Twitter' and 'Reddit.' However, most of the time people do not appreciate advertisements getting thrown at them so they will not make it blatantly obvious. Public Relations workers will work closely within the public and make sure the product or brands identity is spread without making it to apparent.


Managerial

These are the people that are normally in charge of the employees or make the decisions in production. Although, managerial jobs are not limited to production. They can oversea other aspects such as public relations (which i mentioned previously.) They will basically have the final say in what happens and often direct the employees on what move to make next. For instance, an executive producer for a movie would be a managerial job. This is because the production cannot be finalised until the producer has confirmed it is okay. They can also decide on any changes which need to be made and often control the budget. However, as i have stated managerial position come into all types of roles in the media industry. But overall there job is to make sure production stays smoothly and everyone is working to there expected potential. Due to this it can be a very fast paced job role involving lots of decision making.

Administrative

Although this doesn't sound like a very exciting job role it is one of the most important aspects of the production process. By that I mean that without administrative workers there would be no production. As you may have guessed they will work through all the paper work and make sure everything is organised and in check. This can consist of things such as pre-production work and keeping the companies contacts in order. An example would be a pre-production team for a movie. They take care of all the ground work for the movie such as contact sheets, risk assessments and so forth. Overall, it is an important job role and very useful in ensuring the production moves smoothly and on-time. Another example would be a researcher who makes sure all of the research is correct so the production comes out valid, correct and aimed towards the target audience.

Legal


Legal job roles could be compared to a copywriter with the publishing industry. However, they focus solely on the legal aspects of production. This will include things such as copyright and any lawsuits or legal issues the organisation may run into. An example would be  legal editorial job for a newspaper (This can also come into an editorial job role.) They will make sure everything being publish remains with the legal terms of the countries it will be distributed too. They will also take care of any legal concerns the company may run into such as 'Libel' or 'Copyright.' A legal job role is important as a person in this role will have a broad understanding of the legal aspects within the media. This means that your product can be published or presented within the acceptable expectations of the general public and law.

Financial

This job role covers anything based on money and expenditure during a production. They will make sure that the production is remaining within the required budget and is going to gain a respectable profit margin. They work closely with the more theoretical and statistical side of production meaning good understanding of mathematics is essential. An example would be a production accountant  These will work out all of the productions expenditure and offer advice on how to save money and remain within budget. These roles are important as they make sure a company is not spending money unnecessary  This results in less money being spent and overall a higher profit margin.

Types of contracts in the UK

Contracts

A contract is a legal document which acts as a mutual agreement between employee and employer. It is a means of understanding and agreeing on what is expected from both parties. Due to the fact it is in print and signed, this means it is a legally binding document. Therefore, if the contact is breached by the employee  than the employer has the right to dismiss them from the job. Also, if it is the other way around than the employee has the right to sue the employer. This will be taken care of at a court of law and order with a solicitor.

Types of contracts

Full-time - A full-time contract refers to when someone works anywhere up to 35 hours a week. Any shifts worked over this time will be counted as 'Over-time'. Over-time is an option and the employee's salary will not be increased for working more than the designated hours. However, if the employer chooses too they can pay extra wages for each hour they work over-time.

Part-time - The same rules apply with a part-time contract as they do with a full-time contract. The only diffrence is the amount of hours which the employee can work. There is no specific amount of hours a part-time worker is required to work. However, a part-time employee will get less hours than your average full-time worker. Although, in the UK it is law that part-time employees are not treated less favourable to a full-time worker.

Fixed-term - A fixed-term contract refers to when someone is employed to work for a certain period of time. A contract will be signed to agree the length of time which will be worked by the employee. When this contract is over the employer has two options. They can either dismiss the employee from the job or put them on another contract. For instance, if the employer feels you are a valued employee they may put you on a full-time contract. This can only be done after the time period in the fixed-term contract is over.

Freelance - A freelancer is somebody who is self-employed and therefore doesn't work for a specific employer  They get work from clients by marketing themselves and building a reputation. From this reputation they will then have a higher chance of getting clients.Clients will give the freelancer tasks or projects to finish and pay them an hourly rate. For example a freelance graphic designer may be asked to create a logo for a company. They will then be paid an hourly rate for their work wit the client. Freelance work has it's setbacks as well as it's advantages. Although, yo can give and take whatever client or work you want, the job is not a steady one. If the the freelancer can get no work then they get no pay.

On completion -  An on completion contract will be for a job over a certain amount of time. This is when a company or client has a project which needs specific skills to be completed. Due to the fact it is a single project, the employer will only want the employee for a particular amount of time. Therefore, the contract will be set for a period of time in  which the employer expects the project to be finished in. An example would be a company wanting an interactive media product produced. The client may give the employee a contract

Casual - A casual contract consists of the employee working when needed. Due to the fact they are not per say a permanent employee of the company the worker can decline shifts if they wish. However, if the employer feels no need to keep the employee on they can dismiss them or simply stop contacting them when they need work. Casual contracts are normally used for small roles within a company that are not necessarily needed every working day. For example a runner in a film production may not be needed every day of shooting. Therefore, they will be contacted when they are need to do some work. Various employees can often be on a casual contract for the same role and used when the employee needs their specific skills. Or say one employee declines the sift then they can contact another worker also on a casual contract to fill there place. A casual contract is often useful for working your way up the employment ladder in the media industry. It gets you experience working small temporary role within the industry and makes you more desirable to an employer. Due to the fact a casual worker is not an employee many of the standard work clauses are not included in the contract. These can include things such as sick or maternity pay.