Media Industry Jobs.

Comparing & Contrasting 

 There are multiple different roles included in the media industry, ranging from composers to costume designers etc. This post will be comparing and contrasting a few different roles within the industry and their general day to day activities, pros and cons of the job and more.

  Editor

 Editors work closely with directors to finish the film, this requires a creative individual and it can have some cons to it such as being in the editing suite for long periods of time. Editors also run a team of assistants and trainees on big productions. 

  Their role is highly significant as editors are one of the key Head Of Departments on feature films, responsible for first assistant editors and second assistants / trainees. They work very closely with the directions to ensure a coherent story and flow within the film. They will select the best takes and edit them together, often working backwards (from the end of the film to the beginning) hence why it is crucial to be able to maintain a good sense of how the story is unfolding.

            

      Editors work long, unsociable hours and are often under pressure. They are employed on a  freelance basis by the producer based on reputation and experience. They often work on television dramas and feature film.

    

   In regards to qualifications you do not need a specific qualification however those contemplating a film production course on a higher level of education does not go unseen as they provide you with a degree that will prepare you for your career.

 Typically you enter the industry by being a runner to a trainee, second assistant, first assistant and lastly editor.

  

This role interests me as I enjoy putting footage together and editing it to create a coherent film. Upon researching editors and their roles, pros, cons etc I realise that it is very intense. With long hours at unsociable times and under a considerable amount of pressure, despite this as they do work so closely with the director and have a say in how the story will emerge etc I do find it intriguing as a potential career choice.

Journalist

 A journalist will research new news stories and leads for either newspapers, magazines and other news-based services. They will write up stories based on research before submitting it to an editor. The general role of a journalist requires excellent organisation skills as well as being able to meet deadlines perfectly. They require to have the knowledge of knowing laws around journalism and be able to establish a list of contacts within the industry that you can rely of for quotes and interviews etc.

   This role requires a large amount of research before writing articles for magazines, websites etc. They are required to keep a 'finger on the pulse' in the area they are covering. They can either work freelance or for a publication, freelance however can be difficult as publications will send out staff to research the new stories.

  Qualifications for journalists are not require however it is becoming increasingly difficult within the industry to become a journalist without a Journalist or English degree at university. 

   A successful journalist will find themselves leading a group of reporters making sure the sectors is covered to the best of their abilities, alternatively they can become a part of the Editorial team, influencing the direction of production as a whole.

  This career is very different compared to an editor as explained above, I enjoy writing and find it interesting carrying out research of specific topics, however upon deeper research to this specific career it isn't something I would was to pursue ( in higher education etc). I find this role interesting however the industry is difficult, along with the qualifications that are preferred.

 Studio Technician

    A Studio technician will run cameras ( for commercials etc) and work closely with the studio manager. They will attend pre-production meetings and will also oversee the rest of production such as the camera work and workflow of the project and film, ensuring the frames were successfully put into the machines so that everything will run smoothly. They also look after equipment and kit ( cameras).

   In this industry it will help to have qualifications / education of film production to help pursue your career successfully, typically the way into this role is through runners ( much like editors) and you can work your way. Sometimes a simple day can lead to a full time job. The pros to a studio technician is that everyone is involved and that there is a nice atmosphere & enthusiasm within the work place. On the contrary to this maintenance can be difficult as it is their responsibility to ensure that the kit is safe and well maintained. Another pro to working in this role is that you get to work on multiple different projects which will be interesting as opposed to one role that includes the same-ish projects.The role requires a positive attitude as well as patience and passion for the role.

    To conclude, there are a variety of different roles available in the media industry, some easier to enter than others, however they all require determination passion and dedication. Out of the three I have briefly compared and explained the role I would be more inclined to chose and pursue would be editor as that interests me slightly more out of the three. To compare these roles further I would add that although they are in the same industry they are very different. They do however have their similarities, for example long unsociable hours. However the one that is particularly different is a journalist. A lot of the time I found out that alot of journalists work freelance as well as for a publication. All three roles require enthusiasm and passion, as well as dedication. When researching the roles I came to the realisation that qualifications aren't necessary, only for a job in journalism do you require a journalist/ english degree. As discussed these roles ( and others) have a lot of similarities and compare and contrast towards each other. 

Information : http://creativeskillset.org/job_roles
Images: Images are not my own, see Google Images.