Task 3

Employment in the media

EmploymentIn any industry you work in you will see that many of the workers are on various different contracts, these can be any of the following;

• Full-time • Part-time • Freelance • Shift work • Permanent • Temporary • Multiskilled • Voluntary • Casual • Hourly paid • Piecework

Full-Time and Part-TimeAccording to gov.vo.uk benefits of full and part time are:

• A written statement of employment or contract

• The statutory minimum level of paid holiday

• A payslip showing all deductions, e.g. National Insurance contributions (NICs)

• The statutory minimum length of rest breaks

• Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)

• Maternity, paternity and adoption pay and leave

• Full time employment is the most secure contract a person can be in, mainly because it allows the worker to have a constant reliable income, however just because it is the most secure does not mean it is the most suitable to a certain type of job.

• The standard amount of hours someone in full time employment is expected to do each week is around 30 – 40 hours

• When it comes to part time employment you will find that a lot of the time it is predominantly women, most likely one of the reasons is due to how they will go off on maternity leave.

Full-Time and Part-TimeOne of the very few roles within the media sector that will class as full and part time is the role of administration.The job in hand is the process of managing a business or non-profit organisation, so that it remains stable and continues to grow.

To the right is a job opening for a role as finance assistant; just one of the jobs within administration. Just like any full time job it offers a set wage allowing for the candidate to know they will be in comfortable employment for a certain amount of time.

When looking at the role of administration within a TV production they would most likely be the only ones other than the producer to be involved with the whole production due to how they will be in charge of the finances, cast and crew as well as helping to make sure the production runs smoothly and sticks to schedule.

FreelanceOne of the most common employment methods within the media industry is through freelance. This is where an individual does not work for a set company but instead is self employed and is hired to work for different companies on various different projects. In the table to the left we can see a cut down of the percentage of freelancers within the TV sector, it helps to back up what I said previously about freelancers being one of the most common ways in which people are employed within the media industry as we can see that a total of 61% (two thirds of the TV industry) are in fact self employed. One of the downsides to being a freelancer however is the fact that you can not guarantee you will always be working meaning that you will have a very unstable income, because of this you will less likely be accepted for a mortgage or other types of financial needs.

According to gov.co.uk these are a few things that happen when you are freelancer are; • You look after your own tax and

National Insurance contributions • You may not be entitled to the same

rights as workers e.g. minimum wage• The company whom you are working for

at the time is responsible is still responsible for your health and safety

FreelanceQuite often people who go freelance are people whom are specialist within a certain area of the industry, for instance someone who is specialist in special effects would be perfect for a role within a TV production that is on its first series mainly because it means that rather than relying on someone whom isn't as confident in that area you are able to pay someone to do what they are good at which in turn will hopefully make your show look good which will hopefully draw the audience in allowing for further series to be created.

Freelance jobs; • Editor • Cameraman • Script writer • Script editor • Graphic designer • Actors • Stylists• Producer• Director etc

When it comes to finding a job as a freelancer you often find yourself sending out show reels (examples of work) to various companies and productions. For instance if you are freelance script writer you would go and pitch an idea for a story you had to the executive producer hoping that they saw what you wanted to do leading to you being hired. Also any role within TV can be taken up by a freelancer aslong as they are able to show they are good enough for the role.

Shift WorkShift work is a type of employment where the day is divided up in to sections (shifts), this is where people are hired to work certain shifts each week be it day or night. An advantage of shift work are that if you have a family and want to spend more time with them then you are able to ask for a night shfit allowing you to be at home with them in the day.

Obviously if you are working for a company and they gave you a 12 hour shift on a Monday from 9AM – 9PM and then on the Tuesday the same length but 8AM – 8AM you would be warn out but if you were given this for 5 days straight then you would begin to fall ill mainly down to the fatigue and strenuous hours in which you are expected to keep concentration.

Taking a look at the image to the right you can see how the BBC approaches shift work, it clearly states that the nightshifts can disrupt your daily cycle which if happens on a regular basis can have serious repercussions.

Shift WorkWhen it comes to a jobs within TV that are shift work you will find that the most common one is in fact security. The role of a security guard on a TV production is to ensure the set / location is at all times safe to both cast and crew as well as general public, this would include having a visibly strong presence to deter disturbances as well as look out for any hazards that may arise such as a possible causes of fires. They must also accompany anyone on set who is deemed “important” or “famous” enough to require 24/7 protection.

The average pay of someone on a night shift consists of £22,000 a year meaning that although it is a decent enough size income it is still below what you would expect when the employee would be working nights on a continuous basis meaning their health would begin to deter from the strenuously long unsociable hours in which they are having to work.

Permanent and temporaryPermanent employment is where an employee is permanently employed by a company and is directly paid a wage by them.They are also jobs in which employees are employed on a regular continuing basis rather than temporary contracts which only allow someone to be employed for a specified length of time.

According to gov.co.uk employers must also ensure that temporary employees get:

• The same pay and conditions as permanent staff• The same or equivalent benefits package• Information about permanent vacancies in the organisation• Protection against redundancy or dismissal• However, they’re only entitled to the same rights as permanent staff working for the same

employer, and not an associated employer’s organisation.• Anyone who’s worked continually for the same employer for 2 years or more has the same

redundancy rights as a permanent employee.

Due to how the media sector is constantly moving and changing it has very few permanent jobs.

Permanent and temporary

Much like full time and part time you will find that administration roles are the most common to be permanent mainly due to how in administration there are countless roles but also due to how it is one of the only jobs needed on the entire production.

When it comes to temporary employment it is much like freelance work in the aspect that you can never be sure when you will find work, however once in employment you will be in a better position that those who are freelancers due to how you will at least know how long you will be in that specific job for as it is the duty of the employers to tell you how long you will be with them for. When it comes to roles within TV that are usually part time it is usually a role that will only be needed for a certain amount of time on the production, for instance the job of editor would only be needed in post production so rather than employing them full time it makes more sense to only employ them for the time in which they would be needed as this way it will work out cheaper for the production as you are not paying people for not doing anything.

MultiskilledA multiskilled job is a job where an employee is capable of taking on various other roles and responsibilities, more often than not it is someone high up within the company that takes on the role of a multiskilled employee.

When it comes to the media sector you will find that the producer would tend to be multi skilled as they will have done the majority if not all the roles involved in production, the reason being that in order to be a good producer you must understand everything that is involved as this will allow for you to then be a good team leader which is essentially what a producer is.They are responsible for facilitating a project and are involved in every stage of the television programme, film or video, overseeing the project from beginning to end, both in the studio and on location.They will usually be supported by production assistants, coordinators and managers.

At the end of the day it is the role of producer to ensure the production is running smoothly by checking each section of the team (finance, editing, scripts, admin, security etc), this will then allow for the director to get on with his job without any hassle, hopefully allowing the production to not run over budget or schedule.

MultiskilledAccording to prospects.ac.uk some of their tasks include:• Raising funding;• Reading, researching and assessing ideas and finished scripts;• Commissioning writers or securing the rights to novels, plays or screenplays;• Hiring key staff, including a director and a crew to shoot programmes, films or videos;• Controlling the budget and allocating resources;• Organising shooting schedules - dependent on the type of producer and availability of support staff;• Ensuring health and safety laws;• Supervising the progress of the project from production to post production;• Holding regular meetings with the director to discuss characters and scenes

In order to become a producer you are not required to have any specific qualifications but rather have experience in the job in hand as in an industry that is highly competitive and creative it is more important to be able to stand out from the ground rather than being the same as everyone else.

VoluntaryWhen it comes to voluntary work within TV this tends to be the bottom of the lot in terms of respect that the employees are given however it is one role that almost everyone undertakes if they wish to get ahead in the industry, one job that would quite often be voluntary would be a runner.

Role of a runner;• Making cups of coffee for cast and crew• Ensuring everyone has a copy of the script• Cleaning up sets and green rooms• Meeting and greeting important guests and TV stars• Photocopying • Getting lunch for everyone

Because the role of runner is often taken up by people on work experience there are no qualifications needed as it allows for the person to gain valuable experience of working on a production, it also allows them to get noticed and hopefully remembered for future productions.

CasualA casual employee tends to be someone who has a main job and then does something else on the side, for instance an example of someone in TV who would be on a casual contract would be a TV extra.

If you wanted to get a role as an extra then you wouldn't’t need any qualification in higher education however experience is recommended as like with many of the other jobs it allows you to stand out of the crowd.

As an Extra, you may work for one specific television show or movie, appearing either as the same character or as different characters. You may work just one day for one project. You arrive at work, dress in your costume, take your place on the set, and behave as outlined in the script.

Although extras tend to be temporary jobs some can be permanent, for instance Jane Slaughter who playes Tracy in Eastenders has been an extra in the show since 1985.

CasualAnother name for casual contracts are zero hour contracts. According to gov.co.uk people on zero hour contracts are usually only for “piecework” meaning;

• They are on call to work when you need them• You don’t have to give them work• They don’t have to do work when asked

Because of how hard casual work can be to find it is often wise to have a second job on the side that generates a more stable income as otherwise you would find it extremely hard to make a living.You will find that zero hour contracts are not that well received due to how they don’t allow the employee to have a stable income, according to an interview on the BBC News website employers say zero-hours contracts allow them to take on staff in response to fluctuating demand for their services, in sectors such as tourism and hospitality.

PieceworkPiecework is work for which employees are paid fairly in accordance with the number of products produced or pieces of work done, they can also be paid hourly at the minimum wage but this is very rare when it comes to piecework

The fair rate is a form of payment that allows an employee to be paid the minimum wage (or close to) if they have been working at an average rate.In order to work out the fair rate have a look at the image to the left.

Piecework within TV can cover anyone who is being employed to create a certain amount of products within a specified amount of time, it allows for a quick turn around as well as helping to ensure a production sticks to schedule.

Types of jobsJobs in TV;

• Director • Producer (executive producer) • Script writer• Editor • Camera operator • Camera Assistant • Administration

• Personnel • Finance

• Actor • Agents • Art Director • Boom Operator • Security • Costume Designer • Lighting Director • Location Manager

• Production manager • PR officer • Researcher• Sound recordist • Sound assistant • Sound supervisor • Transmission engineer• Vision Mixer

Finding JobsThere are various methods of finding work within the media industry, it can be through online applications, word of mouth (through gaining contacts), trade fairs, national press and work experience. Getting a job within the media industry however is extremely completive due to how it is ever evolving and ideas are constantly changing meaning that one day you may be the perfect candidate but then the next you are not, this is why it is extremely important to gain all the experience you would need.Another good way of getting a job in the media industry is to find people with similar interests as you and try and show them your work, ways of doing this is by creating accounts on platforms such as LinkedIn or even going to events such as a film festival (a good place to show off short films you have created) by doing this you will be able to build up the contacts you need in order to get your foot in to the industry.

When looking at which type of employment is best for a media career I would say that being a freelancer allows for you to gain experience in various production companies but also gives you a fresh start every place you go allowing for you to constantly feel creative and fresh.

Finding JobsThere are many place in which you can apply for a job, some of the best sites to look for work within the media industry are on sites such as;

• The Unit List (specializes in TV production jobs)• Mandy (allows you to search for paid and unpaid jobs

in TV, video and film)• Journalism.co.uk (specializes in journalism) • Media UK (specializing in journalism broadcast (radio) • Creativepool (specializing in web and graphic design)

Because of how the media industry works very little jobs require degrees (only usually maths and English GCSE), however what they do like you to have it experience as within an industry that is highly creative, experience is more important to a production than someone who has no experience but the best grades in class.Ways in which you can get experience is by going on to websites such as Mandy and applying to unpaid jobs such as runner as this will give you valuable experience in to how a production runs as you will be expected to do all the jobs that no one wants to do.

Finding JobsIn many industries you will find things knowing as trade unions, these are organizations of workers who have come together to achieve common goals such as protecting the integrity of its trade.The media industry is no different, in the UK BECTU is the media and entertainment trade union.

BECTU provides a wide range of services to all of their 25,000 members, including:

• Negotiating pay, conditions and contracts with employers• Personal advice and representation for individual members• Advice and representation on health and safety• Benefits and services for BECTU members• Training support and courses• Networking events and career development opportunities• Union journal, Stage Screen and Radio, published six

times a year.• Website designed to improve access to the union's advice

and support.

Being part of a trade union not only allows you to have someone to go to if you feel mistreated in the workplace but also it is said that union employees make an average of 30% more than non-union workers. 92% of union workers have job-related health coverage versus 68% of non-union workers. Union workers are more likely to have guaranteed pensions than non-union employees.

What job do you want to do?After researching the various methods of employment as well as looking in to ways you can find jobs I still don’t feel 100% sure on what it is I want to do within the industry as unlike every other industry the media world is constantly evolving so it is rather difficult to be sure what the workplace will look like when I come to being in it. However the one thing I can be sure of is I am more aware of places in which I can find jobs, for instance now I know about Mandy I am able to look for jobs that suit what is I am looking for as well as being able to look for jobs that will give me that all important experience that the media industry loves you to have.

Knowing about the various methods of employment has also enabled me to be aware of how other people either in or trying to get in to the media world may be getting employed, by knowing this it has also made me realise that certain contracts suit certain jobs better, for instance a free lance job is most suited to the media industry as like I have said it is constantly evolving so by having people self employed the industry is able to keep up with changing methods of research, production etc. as with each new person comes new ideas.