Industry and Professional Development

2.1       Explain the working culture of the film industry

Explain the working culture of the film industry

In the working culture of the film industry , there is definitely a system too how things are handled and how each aspect of it progresses , this creates a hierarchy in my opinion and how everything is connected in order for the project to be successful. There are many different categories and jobs such as a Producer, Director, Director of Photograph (Cinematographer) Production Designer, Costumer Designer, Hair/Make Up Supervisor, Editor, Composer, Visual Effects Supervisor, Sound Designer , script writer … these all work together in order to create a well executed film through, working in a fluid progressive environment, as well as being responsible for time management.

What is it like working in the film industry?  (Consider hours, travel, freelance, working on set and budget. What are the pressures? What are the positives and negatives?)

Working on a film set can be very stressful and a busy schedular as there are so many components of making a film that need to be taken into account and taken care of, I just such a short amount of shoot days, for example if you are a camera man, sound engineer, production design, a runner…

Although you may have a role in either pre production or post production, you will still be rushed around due to time management and short

What qualities do you need to work in the film industry? (E.g. Showing initiative, taking responsibility, good time management, knowing your specialism)

You need to show initiative, and great communication skills in order to work effectively as an efficient team. Also good planning beforehand, and time management are also key to working in the film industry.

 What have you learned about the working culture of the industry from masterclasses and working on your own film production?

I have learned that in the film industry, all crew members must work closely together, in order to have a productive working environment, and a film of high standard, this i have learnt thanks to the BFI course, and sessions with industry professionals.

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

The producer is essentially the group leader and is responsible for managing the production from start to finish. The producer develops the project from the initial idea, makes sure the script is finalised, arranges the financing and manages the production team that makes the film. The producer also coordinates the film making process to ensure that everyone involved in the project is working on schedule and on budget.

The director is primarily responsible for overseeing the shooting and assembly of a film, and their aim is to put across their vision, by guiding the other crew.

The screen writers carefully craft the dialogue of the film. He or she also shapes the sequence of events in a film to ensure that one scene transitions to the next so that the story will unfold logically and in an interesting way.

The cinematographer or the director of photography, (DoP) is responsible for capturing the script on film or video. The DP must pay attention to lighting and the camera’s technical capabilities, in order to visually capture the films aesthetic in the correct way. So when the director wants a shot to achieve certain visual or atmospheric qualities, the DP achieves it through his or her choice of lighting, film stock and careful manipulation of the camera. This craft is referred to as cinematography.

The editors job is to organise the footage and arranges individual shots into one continuous sequence. The editor’s choices about which shots to use, the way that they cut between shots and the order in which to place them, have a profound effect on the appearance of the final film.

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

What have you learned about potential progression routes into film and connected creative industries? Research the following routes:

Following the recent BFI Academy session, led by Yen Yao, i had been made more aware of opportunities within the film industry.

The first being Apprenticeships, these can be very useful to anyone trying to make a start into the film industry, this is mainly done by working close with professionals, and perhaps starting out as a runner. This is a paid apprenticeship, and there would be some time spent either at college or even university, gaining a qualification in addition to the experience. Entry-level jobs, would involve starting low in the industry, before then finding your feet and developing your skills to become professionals in your field.

Studying at university this is a great way to further develop your skills and knowledge, however this is not a necessary step to take, as there are other more easily accessible and debt free ways to make it and be well known in the industry. An example of this would be creating as many films or even documentary’s as possible and then going for online opportunities (e.g. entering competitions, sharing work, networking), as this is a great way to spread your work and gain experience in the field. You can even enter work into Film festivals, but for this i would reccomend that the short films you enter are something different and unique, as well as being of a short length (around/less than 5 mins) this is so that your film, if chosen by the festival manger, can easily be slotted into a gap in the schedule. Another great way to do this wuld be through BFI Film Academy progression, which I have hopes in progressing through, by applying for residentials and more courses in the field of work that I am interested in.

Personal Progression Plan

What areas/ specialisms in creative media would you like to work in?

I would love to work further in the creation of short films, and maybe even documentary’s of a topic that deeply interests me, I would do this through my use of cinematography.

Would you like to further study film / creative media?

At this moment in time, my heart is set on pursuing film furthering he production element, as well as perhaps taking a film studies degree at University.

What courses interest you?

I really like the production element of film and learning he ropes of this side of things. Also I would love to deepen my knowledge of the study of film, and how narrative, cinematography, sound, editing, blocking, dialogue… all affect the overall message and feel of films, as well as looking further into auteur directors, and how much the director that you choose for a project can completely change a film.

Which local media companies would you be interested in working with?

I have recently heard that there are apprenticeships with Channel 4 and even BBC. But working on a larger scale with Netflix and Amazon would be an amazing experience to have.

What are the options for making your own content?

There are many many options when making your own content. This can be done with a team of individuals who each have a role in film production. For this project, you could rent out camera equipment, but this is not necessary as in 2020, we all have mobile phones, that are able to film in decent enough quality for your film to work without the extra cost of renting out equipment.

What would you make and how?

I would probably make an experimental film, that would be brand new and never done before. Or maybe even a documentary in a subject that have have particular interest in.

What are the options for funding and distribution?

There are many options for funding of your short films one of these is by contacting BFI and asking for funding. Or there sare many other organisations that give donations to your work as informed to us in a session at the BFI Academy. There are many options today for funding

What networks will you join?

I am already a member of the BFI Network, as a mamber of the Alumni. But i would also love to work for the BBC or channel 4 and any opportunities here, i will apply for.

What do you hope to gain from these networks?

I hope to gain further knowledge, skill, experience and overall enjoyment by what they have to offer.

Are there other opportunities you are interested in?

I have recently heard about an apprentaship at Channel 4, wich i believe would be a wonderful opportunity for me. Yet alos at this moment in time, i am considering taking a film course at University, so i can get a degree in this field.

What are your next steps?

My next steps, are to continue making films, with a wide range of people, and to further develop my skills as an individual. as well as applying for as many opportunities, and courses as possible to add to my CV and experience, so that when i am job hunting, my profile will be the preferred one.

Learning from Masterclasses

Industry Speaker:

What is their job? What does it involve?

It involves professional and knowledgeable speakers, trainers and facilitators, who gives presentations and spearhead about their specific industry of work. They may have worked from the bottom e.g. as a runner in the film industry, but now are high up in their field and give these talks to encourage and tell others of their own journey, and possible ways into the industry that could be more accessible today than it was for them or even the same as what they experienced.

How did they start working in film/media?

This usually begins as an apprenticeship or entry level job quite low down to start with for example a runner.

What have they done in their career?

They usually will have worked in many different environments and have experienced many of the different roles in their industry of work.

What have you learnt about working in film/media?

I have learned that you can start from pretty much anywhere and eventually try out all different roles, until you find what is suited to you, and further pursue this.

What opportunities for your own progression have you found out about?

I have discovered residential courses for specialist roles (e.g.animation, directing, acting, producing…) which are done with the BFI Academy. As well as learning that a degree is not necessary to make it in this industry, as it is all about work ethic and creativity.