Industry and Professional Development

2.1       Explain the working culture of the film industry

The film industry is one job that is bustling with creative innovation, but is also a very chaotic way of work to handle. There are many roles that overlap each other and everyone is on a different time to everyone else. Take for instance actors and producers, actors for the main part are only in the production status of a film, being on set and taking part in rehearsals whereas a producer is prominent throughout the entire project. Everyone on set is on a different schedule to you and it doesn’t help that time is the biggest constraint.

There are a myriad of other factors such as set locations and budget. Having a driving licence is top priority for everyone in the crew, and going to multiple locations on set during a a time limit turns out to be pretty useful, especially for transporting the equipment as well. A budget may determine the visual quality of the film, but does little to interfere with the essential story elements of the film.

And of course you need certain characteristics so you have a strong work ethic. Arriving to work on time is an obvious fact. But balancing a certain level of independence and teamwork skills is integral. Producers do work with many different workers in the the industry such as the on set crew or the editors in the end of production, yet they still have to face a level of solitude they go through, as there is usually only one producer that needs to create their vision and put into full effect. Likewise you need patience and the abilities to be confident and steadfast, especially encountering a predicament.

I learned by being a producer win my own team that it is necessary to keep on top of everything, on what everyone is currently up to in their own roles and to make sure that even if not everyone in the team is available on the day of meeting, you are still on track and keep people informed of the latest status of the production.

2.2 Describe a range of key job roles and responsibilities in the film industry

After researching various roles within the film industry, some of the main roles that have come to mind include: the producer, the director, the writer, the cinematographer and the editor. The producer has the task of managing the project from start to finish and integrates themselves in all departments and stages of the film, they plan the production, promote the idea to investors and in addition to this they play a crucial part in the marketing and advertising with the post-production and handle the screenings.

The director’s primary job role is supervising the shooting and acting and is mainly only involved in the production stage of the film and also oversees the visionary aspect of the project. The screenwriter is responsible for the dialogue of each character and the stage instructions in order to guide the actors into the roles that they will become. Furthermore they assemble the storyline in a way that fits, transitioning each scene to make sense. The aspect of the cinematographer involves taking into account the lighting, the visual aspect, the atmospheric qualities and the technical parts of a scene that they will construct. The cinematographer works within the production stage.

And the final role that is within my team is the editor, who is in control of the soundtrack, special effects and the overall final appearance of the film. They are the ones who choose which shot to use and they organise the footage in a particular style and order, they work in the post production and get the film ready for viewing. They also create the trailers for the film.

2.3 Outline the potential progression routes into the film industry and wider sector

A good starting point for getting into the film industry is to be a film runner, someone who is there on set and provides assistance to anyone who calls for them.
Being a film runner is great for anyone who yearns to gain knowledge and insight in the field. On set a film runner may be called to tidy up the set, and distribute call sheets and other notices to others. You also tend to get paid on an hourly rate and a driving license would be needed as film runners may need to drive to perform errands such as getting coffee or transporting people and equipment to different locations.

An alternative route from getting experience hands-on, is to take a university degree for film. This offers people to be able to get hold of equipment and locations for sets, and can be more independent in that you have the choice to create your own stories instead of working as an assistant, like the film runner. However this can rack up a big debt and people who finish the course may not know where to go after that as they have had little experience in an employed job. But of course there are many individuals online classes that cost only a little in comparison to the racks of debt a university course can bring you. Online schools help you to learn alongside a mentor or teacher and even Skype calls can be offered for people who want personal feedback. Other online courses may not have a mentor or teacher but allow you to complete the course in your own time and can be very fulfilling if learned whilst you have a part or full- time job on top of that that may be related to the film industry such as a film runner.

Taking part in the BFI Film Academy allows 16-19 year olds to get hold of the fundamental knowledge of what goes into films and short films and allows you to create your own short film within a small team. This also helps to get your film into film festivals but allows you to have some support from mentors in the industry and the film course invites experienced people such as producers and directors to give masterclasses in certain subjects such as cinematography and directing.

If you want to go the completely independent route you can enter your own produced short film to a film festival. This allows you to have your work shown to a number of people who may even keep you in touch for future opportunities. However this would mean you have to make sure you have the determination to make a short film to the best of your ability. Some people even start without much knowledge of cinematography and film in general but with practice can be taught what works and what doesn’t.