Task 1: Using the questions below to help you structure your essay, answer the following question - How have advances in technology effected the TV industry and how have audiences changed as a results?
Every day the world vision’s new advances in modern technology, and every day we succeed to produce these. The media industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of today’s society and through this we have seen many developments in the way we live our lives. Television has been one of the main entities that have been affected by these changes and continues to evolve due to this.
One of the main developments, which has been expanded through the TV industry, is digital TV and the mass amount of digital channels that follow. From living TV to MTV, digital has a channel for everybody. Digital television has managed to cut mass audiences down and has created large divisions in the way audiences are categorised; we now have channels for almost every personality. Since Digital TV was available we have seen a major increase in these audience groups for example instead of kids, teens, adults retired and aged divided groups, we now have target audiences such as male 15-30 interested in sport, female 50-70 interested in fashion, children 0-7 etc... From the consumer’s point of view, this is a great development however; due to this division some channels (mainly BBC and ITV) have lost consumer interest. Even with this advancement however, there are still some channels currently broadcast on analogue and are available to everyone who buys a television set; these are BBC1, BBC2, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5. Although popular and still well known, the analogue channels are drowned out by the new and more audience specific digital channels which have, over the years, created a division in mass audiences, affecting many of the channels viewing figures dramatically- As Rupert Murdoch once said:
“Every day new technologies are finding ways to tear down old ones”
And this is the result of the evolving and increasing knowledge of new technologies.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQSKRWXyFw8&feature=player_embedded)
Satellite TV is a subscription service which provides the public with TV services- such as the news and teletext, games, on demand TV and films, popular music and thousands of TV channels with one digital box. More than 85% of the UK population (21.4 million) have satellite TV in their homes making it a more and more common device to have. This device has become so popular that by the end of 2012 the whole of the UK will become digital, however this will result in the analogue system disappearing completely. Looking at the positives this development means that audiences will have a wider range of genre specific channels and programs to view however this would greatly affect viewing figures and reduce mass audiences meaning that more money would need to be invested in producing advertisements and more television programmes to situate each channel. Using satellite TV we are able to subscribe to channels through services such as Sky, Virgin media and BT vision (3 of the country’s main digital providers), some subscriptions also include interactive options which allow consumers to interact with the programs, news and gossip on the channel. These digital providers also allow consumers to record, pause and rewind live TV which is an advantage to many people as they do not miss out on any of their favourite programmes. This has had huge impact in the world of television as people have now developed more control with their TV packages; therefore, television becomes more personal to them. TV has evolved so much that there is now a service in America that is trying to move across to the UK, this is a service in which you can record the shows you want, however it removes the adverts as to stop unnecessary breaks in programmes similar to the BBC channels. At the moment this is illegal in the UK however due to its popularity in the USA this could soon change. This is dangerous for the advertising companies and products being advertised as soon the country will not be viewing adverts via the TV however is good for the audiences as we are able to further our control of programmes.
The simplicity of viewing television isn't enough for people any more. People now want more control and interaction with their television. One device which allows this to happen is the 'red button'. Interacting with your TV allows you to do many things, which include; voting on popular television shows such as the x-factor and strictly come dancing, viewing the recent news, looking up the weeks winning lottery numbers, and entertainment gossip, join debates, watch a variety of music and catching up with on demand programmes. It also allows you to enter a competition the show might be holding at the moment the programme is. The red button allows you to view ‘multiscreen’ which means you can choose a selection of events or commentaries along with a range of camera shots and view them all on one screen. This enables you to watch different sport events that are being played at the same time.
Another main contribution to the constant development of TV is Internet television. Internet television is now available to the public and is a device which allows consumers to view TV programmes anywhere they want, due to easy access from laptops and internet connection. On demand websites have been made which provide a catch up service of programmes you may have missed. Some websites include: channel4.com/4od, itvplayer.co.uk, and bbc.co.uk/iplayer. These services are free to watch and are available to everyone with the internet, whether it is on a laptop, computer or mobile phone. Other services include torrent sites in which people illegally download any TV series, films or music that they require. You can also pay for films, TV and music through the iTunes store and other subscription sites such as ‘lovefilm’ and ‘film24’. This again makes it both easier and harder for advertiser to reach audiences. It’s difficult as some of the shows take out the adverts, like torrents and some Television sites. However on the legal sites producing television to consumers is an easier to reach a specific audience as you can put some adverts in with genre specific shows.
The theory of uses and gratification has never been more relevant to today’s TV. This is due to the more audience specific channels producing a sense of personal identity for many viewers, and again meaning they can relate to the program and characters they are watching. Personal identity has become a large art of TV viewing as consumers wish to relate to topics and situations; it produces a topic of conversation and allows them to feel more involved with the programmes. Also a sense of diversion is used regularly in films and some fictional television programmes; we are diverted from reality and move into the characters’ lives instead. Taking into consideration the huge advances in technology the personal relationships theory has been increased as we continue to question and debate the demanding increase of today’s technology and the latest news and entertainment on television.
Advances in technology hasn’t only helped film makers and producers, but has opened a completely new world for them to explore for example the introduction to 3D in TV and Film, the film Avatar being one example; which has become such a record breaking success that it was released in cinema theatres twice! Also animation and CG have enabled films makers to exceed normality and advance technology for ever; they are now able to make the characters in the films and television do anything they want, as opposed to sticking with the laws of reality. It is new technology that will be able to bring mass audiences together in film while dividing and creating new audience types for more and more channels. Technology has shaped the future greatly for the TV industry, where will it take us next!
Task 2: Choose a TV broadcasting organisation, such as, Sky, BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and create a short case study on how your chosen organisation uses technology at the moment and how it is looking to use technology in the future. (P4, M4, D4)
Channel 4, being an original analogue channel, has advanced greatly in the world of technology and through this has become one of the most popular channels in the UK. Some of the ways technology is used is through multiple channels owned by the corporation; these being, Channel 4, Channel 4+1, E4, E4+1, more4 and T4. As well as this audiences can access channel 4 through the internet at www.channel4.co.uk, this allows consumers to not only gain insight into the history and featured programmes, but also enables them to watch their favourite programmes or ones they have missed at any time on any day. Audiences can also access programming on Film4, which introduces old and new films to cater for different genres. These films can vary from children's classics; Muppets Christmas Carol to recognized masterpieces like Clockwork Orange.
Channel 4 also incorporates technology through online and television competitions. Usually the competitions fall in programmes specified for mass audiences; for example ‘Big Brother’- which became a huge success from day 1. Competitions are also found online on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter; which also work as promoters for new programmes yet to arrive on channel 4 stations. The ‘360 rule of modern technology’ is here presented through the websites, which just means a way of promoting programmes, entering competitions and producing online news feeds to the public. In the case of channel 4’s extra stations such as E4, the websites have largely helped in producing interest to the channel simply because of the fun lively atmosphere shown, new programmes, new slogans, new presenters, all of which attracting a new and more modern audience. The target audience of the social networking sites also plays a part here due to the target reach of E4. Young adults and teens are more likely to make use of the sites and therefore act as the primary audience for E4.
In addition to this, we see how the main website for channel 4 (www.channel4.co.uk) has also added effect to the advancement in technology, mainly through promotion of its programming but also through the on demand services it provides. Channel 4 on demand or 4OD as known is a service which allows consumers to control their own viewing, they are able to watch missed programmes, or even repeat programming if they wish to watch again. Other ways to use the service include a TV on demand service which links episodes from each season or series of a programme and groups them together for access to the whole programmes collection for example ‘The Big Band Theory’ or ‘Glee’. This service is a huge success on the TV industry and has become one of the most demanded services to have (even channels like HBO, Living TV and E! entertainment have created sited to watch their latest programmes).
More advanced technologies for example 3D have also been used on this channel for ‘test runs’ to the public, which turned out to be quite the success! It has also been stated that Channel 4 will be adapting their programming to fit 3D into their business as a new and improved way of TV viewing. Bringing Film technology to TV has promoted Channel 4 widely and will become a huge attraction from other channels also.
Task 3: How is the TV industry funded and how does this effect programming? (Include a breakdown of British TV – who are the main players?)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_service_broadcasting_in_the_United_Kingdom
- http://help.virginmedia.com/system/selfservice.controller?CONFIGURATION=1002&PARTITION_ID=1&TIMEZONE_OFFSET=&USERTYPE=&VM_CUSTOMER_TYPE=Cable&CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=306117
- www.mediadictionary.com/definition/niche-audience.html
Most channels in the UK are found on digital TV meaning they all funding to be placed on the populations television screens. Other than the BBC, which is a public broadcast service, many channels use promotion, investors and commercial advertising to pay for their licensing and programming on TV.
The BBC was founded in 1930, and since has continued to be a 'main player' in modern TV. Funded by the public and therefore owned by us, the BBC must cater for all specific target audiences, the OFCOM rules and regulations state that a public broadcasting station MUST inform, educate and entertain, thus needs to produce shows which will not necessarily be specific to any one audience group. This explains the mass amount of channels and radio stations produced for example, BBC 1-5, CBBC, CBeebies, BBC news 24, BBC parliament, BBC Radio 1-7, BBC radio. The BBC provides television aimed at everyone in the UK from a conserved and objective view point. Its aim is to broadcast programs intended for the public without the interruptions of commercials throughout the programmes presented on the channel. The BBC has been a popular channel from the begging, it has been able to collect mass audience throughout its existence and therefore has attracted more viewers and thus the introduction to more people acquiring TV licensing and an interest from many investors to contribute to the pay for the programming and internet websites connected to the service. BBC has the ability to accept a variety of programming, due to no specific customer demand the BBC are able to make use and trial new and alternative programming.
Many channels that are not public broadcasting acquire their funding by selling advertising spaces in between programs. These advertisements placed on the channels then initially pay for their programming; such as ITV, Channel 4 and Living TV. This then results in competition between the advertisers for a prime time slot in popular television programmes for full consumer attention and therefore higher price demands for specific time slots. However, advertisements are not the only demand from channels as some require a television subscription service in order for audiences to watch the channels, these are generally monthly subscriptions which vary in price due to demand and attraction from consumers. The subscribers present specific deals such as film channels, sport channels, and news channels. Also some offer bundle packages which are generally more attractive due to its ability to present consumers with more than one television option to watch. Other bundle subscriptions provide people with broadband and phone connection which again would introduce a more popular service as consumers are often getting more for their money. Main subscription channels include SKY, Virgin media and BT vision. These three providers often buy other channels from America for example; HBO, ABC, and E!entertainment, which provide a higher interest to their offers. They also introduce their own channels such as SKY sports or the channel Virgin to incorporate new and exciting programmes to appeal to their audiences. The Virgin media conglomerate, however have purchased the rights to SKY HD channels and have in agreement sold some Virgin media channels to SKY and BT vision. BT vision however, offers subscriptions online and through advertisements to interest their consumers into accepting their subscriptions. This is effective as they are gaining more customers and thus more money into their business. From a consumer eye, we would find all these deals attractive as we are now being introduced to genre specific channels which could appeal to us. We are able to personalise our TV viewing and therefore find it more appealing to buy.
Other ways of gaining money would be through sponsorship and investments. Some products currently on the market would sponsor programmes on the channels for example; on channel 4, big brother was sponsored by the company ‘Talk Talk’ and on ITV some soaps were sponsored by chocolate companies or sofa businesses. This then brings me to product placement. Product placement is used in programmes to attempt to sell items used for example; cars, phones or other appliances. These would last approximately 1 minute and would play throughout the programme as part of its narrative. However, at the moment it is illegal in the UK and in the Film industry.
Niche programming is not generally presented on some of the main channels such as ITV and Channel 4 because of its acute interest. However, some companies find niche programming a good way of attracting new audiences, this is due to the constant change in audience groups and the new interests of current affairs. This would also allow a greater income as, with more channels; the services are able to collect higher viewing figures. On the other hand, individual channels such as ITV, would not use niche programmes as this is not what would appeal to the mass audiences, therefore they would lose audience interest and thus lose money in the process. There is an obvious interest in the demand for advertisements as many companies would present. Channels usually have a 3 minute break every 15 minutes of programming, and each advertisement is generally 30 seconds long, this meaning there would be a total of 6 advertisements in each break. This is a lot of money considering each advertisement would have to pay for a slot in the break; therefore, taking chances on niche programmes is a risky thing to do due to the less popular attraction to them. Due to the introduction of the internet however, advertising agencies can now make their own sites or post their own commercials on sites such as YouTube, therefore reaching their audience through minimum extra cost in front of popular songs. 4OD and ITV player also offer advertising spaces, mainly throughout popular programmes on the channels. This shows that due to television and the media growing, advertisers are entered into a great demand and competition for slots in the channels.
Lastly, it has come to attention that some people want to ban the UK television licensing fees. This would highly affect the public broadcast channel BBC, as it generally has a massive remit which ranges from programmes such as the popular ‘eastenders’ to the less known programmes like flight of the concords and songs of praise. With the licensing fee out of the way, niche programmes like this would die away, we would no longer be living in the objective world of BBC but would be introduced to advertisements and mass audience demanded programmes. If they do go ahead they will largely affect the BBC. Programming will never be the same and we would lose the identity of the BBC and how important it has been to the television industry. The BBC enriches the country,
"we can afford the BBC because we can’t afford not to"
Task Four: Write a report on the film industry covering the following points
- The difference between mainstream and independent cinema.
- What is Bollywood?
- The studio system in Hollywood, who are the big players?
- The British Film Industry – who are the main players?
- What has happened to the British Film Council and how might this effect the British film industry?
Quite obviously the difference between Independent films and Mainstream films is that one produces niche films which are generally more open about the real world, and the other focuses on popular genres to suit the nation. Independent cinema requires no help or funding from any major film companies such as Warner bros or Hollywood, and although the films made through independent cinema are niche and audience specific, some films do turn out to be quite successful. Mainstream films are the ones we are most introduced to, they produce popular rom-coms or cheesy horror films which we learn to love and expect from the mainstream film companies.
Using screen gimmicks, technical developments; such as 3D, HD quality, cinemascope and widescreen processes, the major film studios are able to lure audiences and thus become the more popular option for a cinema trip out with your friends. These techniques were developed in order to retain the dying out mass audiences by giving them the best cinema experience they could ever have. And each yeah they seem to do this, with Oscar winning performances and special effects in ‘Avatar’, to tantalizing dramas such as ‘The King’s Speech.’ Audiences will and always have been interested in the latest development in TV and Film and with the growing media entity we can see why.
Mainstream film can best be described as commercial films; films which are generally shown in well-known cinemas such as Vue and the Odeon, They are also sold in popular stores on DVD, and have a wide streaming across the world. They situate to the nations demands and tend to follow the same narrative structure; equilibrium, disruption, resolution, disruption, resolution. This technique is generally seen in romantic comedies (or rom-coms), as we would see our main character falling in love, then something will stop this from happening, after a while of getting to know each other they will become an item, but then something else will stop them, However the end is relatively simple, they live happily ever after, (as most mainstream movies generally do).
Independent films are famed by their abstract content and artistic style. The filmmaker’s personal vision is generally the main focus in the film, which allows for a more realistic view on society and can also include some true stories and events which are not generally portrayed in mainstream cinema. Although not the most popular of choices, independent films have a great reputation for being eye catching and original.
Also known as ‘experimental film’ or ‘experimental cinema’, independent films follow styles that are quite different from them of mainstream and commercial. The avant-garde styles of the films produce a new kind of interest which stems from audience preferences and becomes specific to suit certain audience types.
Bollywood cinema, much like that of Hollywood in the USA, is India’s big film company and acts as the mainstream cinema for many Bollywood films. It is the Hindi language film industry based in Mumbai. Bollywood is the largest film producer in India and circles the world along with the big players in Hollywood. Bollywood, even though not as popular as Hollywood, produces many more films each year, most of which being musicals.
Holding the same kind of interest as many big companies, Bollywood has the same effects as Hollywood films do; its fans follow the latest trends, celebrities and often decide to watch a film based upon their favourite singer/ actor. Bollywood is India’s answer to commercial mainstream film and poses as a very successful entity. Hollywood is the most popular and most watched cinema of the western societies. Having 6 main players who own and develop many independent film companies, the studios hold a lot of power in the media world. The 'big six' conglomerates are; General electric, Walt Disney, News corp, Time Warner, Viacom, and CBS.
The British film industry also holds dome power within the world of film producing blockbusters such as; Harry Potter, Star Wars and James Bond. The main players in the BFI are Pinewood, Shepperton, Elstree and Ealing. The film council in Britain is in-fact Government supported and is partly funded and backed by it. They have helped to fund many films in the past and have backed over 900 films at a total cost of £15 million. These investments were given in order to help British films reach the highs of Hollywood and have done this very successfully. During the recent recession however, the film industry in Britain has been placed on hold, with many films not hitting the cut so to speak. This has had an adverse effect on British Film as many jobs have been taken away, and many recognised stars have lost their fame, therefore resulting in a very big loss.
Task 5:Ownership and control- does it matter who owns the media?
Does it matter who owns the media? Well the simple answer is this; yes. For years we have been coated with the rough blanket of the media, producing controversial news, romantic, happy, sad, harsh and violent films, niche TV channels, a high range of radio stations and many more entities such as the internet as a whole. But the one thing we should concern ourselves with is the people who own the media, simply because they're the people who ultimately help us make decisions and control our lives. What we do not realize however, is how much they actually do this.
Beginning with the 'big six' conglomerates; General electric, Walt Disney, News corp, Time Warner, Viacom, and CBS, I will explore the inside information on the worlds media.
General electric currently holds the biggest revenue with the 2009 survey showing them at $157 billion. It holds many media related bodies which include; Universal Pictures, Television networks NBC and Telemundo, 26 Television stations in the United States and cable networks MSNBC, Focus Features, Bravo and the Sci-fi channel and finally General electric owns 80% of NBC Universal. This again holds a huge amount of power in and amongst the world of media. With NBC as a channel General electric are allowed then to control our viewing and therefore have the opportunities to not only place their political views on screen but also can state the programmes that we should like and continue to watch through each series. They can make us believe things and make us converse; much like the uses and gratification theory says- we are entered in a state of personal relations through speaking with people on popular programmes and films, and are entered into a state of diversion while watching fantasy and fictional media. Thus, we are controlled heavily by the Medias input.
Next on the list of 6 is Walt Disney. Many people will know or have heard of the Disney films, and so they should, with the huge amount of popularity circling round them. Disney seem to have made a name for themselves through the sugar-sweet, rose tinted glasses which we all know and have learnt to either love or hate. They begin once upon a time and end happily ever after, but the reality is we seem to focus our lives on these morals, we follow the ideal of a perfect happy ending with the ones we love, and are told this is the way we should. This is just how powerful the world of Walt Disney can be for the population and is a good example of how it does in fact matter who owns the big six conglomerates in media. With revenues of $36.1 billion, The Walt Disney company owns the following; ABC television network, cable networks including ESPN, the Disney Channel, SOAP-net, A&E and lifetime, 277 radio stations, music and book publishing companies, production companies Touchstone, Miramax and Walt Disney pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, the cellular service Disney Mobile, and numerous theme parks around the world. A huge conglomerate owning a huge arrangement of companies and businesses that again, affect the way we live our lives.
Rupert Murdoch's company, News corp is the third of the 'big six' with revenue of $30.4 billion. Much like the surrounding popularity of Disney, we see that everybody knows or has heard of Rupert Murdoch as one of the most powerful man in the media. With news corp owning a mass amount of companies; The Fox Broadcasting Company; television and cable networks such as fox, Fox Business Channel, National Geographic and FX, print publications including 'the wall street journal', ' the new york post' and 'TV guide', The magazinesBarron's and SmartMoney, Book publisher HarperCollins, Film production companies 20th Century Fox, Fox searchlight pictures and Blue Sky Studios, numerous websites including MarketWatch.com, and non-media holdings including the National Rugby League.
The fourth conglomerate in the big six is AOL Time Warner- revenue $26.8 billion. Time warner is the second largest entertainment conglomerate, with 31,000 and high revenue we can see why this company falls in the big six. Beginning as two separate companies; Warner Communications and Time Inc, the two have merged together to what can only be described as one of the most powerful conglomerates in the world. Their intentions lay in Film, Television and publication and aim to entertain the world with new and popular productions in each of the areas. Their holding include; CNN, the CW (a joint venture with CBS), HBO, Cinemax, Cartoon Network, TBS, TNT, America Online, MapQuest, Moviefone, Warner Bros. Pictures, Castle Rock and New Line Cinema, and more than 150 magazines including Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune, Marie Claire and People. It comes as no shock why the population of the world have all heard of this massively successful company.
Viacom revenues $13.6 billion with holdings which include;
· Film production and distribution: Viacom International, Paramount Pictures, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies
· Television networks: Comedy Central, Logo, BET, Spike, TV Land, Nick@Nite, Nickelodeon, TeenNick, Nick Jr., MTV, VH1, MTV2, Tr3́s, CMT, Palladia
· Video gaming: GameTrailers, Neopets
· New media: MTV New Media
The Viacom Company is a media conglomerate which aims to market cinema and cable TV in America. It is the world’s fourth-largest conglomerate behind Walt Disney, Time Warner and the News Corporation. Viacom operates approximately 170 media networks reaching more than 600 million global subscribers and more than 500 branded digital media properties. And finally, connects with audiences through television, motion pictures, through mobile platforms and online in more than 160 countries and territories.
Finally, CBS holds revenue of $13 billion, beginning as a radio corporation CBS has become one of the leading cable services in America. Still being noticed as the company which brought panic to America, through the famous radio show- war of the worlds by Orson wells, CBS is a conglomerate which enables its viewers to be introduced to new and exciting shows on every entity in its hold; CBS Television Network, CBS Television Distribution Group, the CW (a joint venture with Time Warner), Showtime, book publisher Simon & Schuster, 30 television stations, and CBS Radio, Inc, which has 130 stations. CBS is now the leading supplier of video to Google’s new Video Marketplace.
Task 6:Use the resources below to create an organisational chart/essay/powerpoint/speech package/short film that highlights the different jobs available in the TV and Film Industries.
Task 7: You are a special guest on a radio programme and you are on the show as an industry specialist. Choose a specific job role, preferably a role that you are interested in pursuing in the future and research the role. You will be asked the questions that are listed below and you are expected to give comprehensive answers.
My job role:
Director
Description:
A Director is one of the biggest roles of a production (especially in the creation of a feature film). There initial aim is to interpret the script and to oversee the creative aspects of a film, under the producer. Interpreting the vision of the film is one way a director creates a trademark for themselves. Some decide to follow children fantasy films, whilst others follow a dark drama genre. In either case the director needs to ensure all of the crew members understand and will follow this vision. They also must turn the script into a sequence of shots for the editor to then complete. It is important that the director allows the genre to incorporate elements from which the audience will gain the most cinematic experience from, therefore making it a huge success. A director is also responsible for deciding upon the camera shots, angles lenses and lighting with the help from the cinematographer, and set design with the production designer. The director will regularly take part in hiring crew members and actors as they need to feel comfortable with the people they are working with. Finally the director will be also involved in the writing, financing and editing of a film.
Most important responsibility:
The most important responsibility in the job of a director is to undergo the initial vision of the script. Meaning as a director I would have to decide upon what audience to target, therefore making a clear decision on the direction of the plot.
Most interesting problem faced with:
A most interesting problem I had to face would have been when we were taken to the wrong location. I was so angry with the location manager, the timing was perfect for the shots and the location we chose originally seemed so perfect for the scene. So we looked through the script found where the new location would fit and decided to incorporate film. Everyone had to rush around getting ready and finally we shot the beginning scene. But it was worth it.
Task 9: Fill in a PGS Media Risk Assessment or create a hyperlink to a form that you have filled out for another unit.
Task 8: Explain some of the different types of jobs and contracts that are being advertised currently at the BBC.
Explain the notion of confidentiality and exclusivity agreements and provide relevant examples
The BBC has a base of 8 TV channels and over 40 radio stations with numerous websites in its control. With over 20,000 employees through each branch in different regional areas, the BBC needs to have a certain control through various contracts in each sector. They aim to gather all the correct elements, through legal terms and employment, to ensure the broadcasts are producing the best possible material they can and therefore would need to be in control of these. From jobs such as the assistant producer to jobs like the broadcast journalist, the BBC advertises many jobs on its websites.
Some contracts include:
· Attachment
· Fixed Term
· Casual
· Flexi
· Freelance
· Secondment
· Voluntary
· A Freelance
The BBC defines a freelance contract as the following:
“Freelance' is not a term that has a particular legal definition. Freelance engagements, as considered on this site, are contracts for services which do not attract tax on a PAYE basis and which do not give employee status. This means the individual is not eligible for 'staff' conditions on matters such as sick pay or maternity benefits.”
A Freelancer is hired to do jobs or projects on an ad hoc basis, they work behind the cameras and microphones and would have a job title such as; camera operative, technical support or sound operative. They sell their services to organizations and then move from one to another when the job is over. In the media, there are a number of different freelance jobs you can get. You can work a part-time position as a freelancer, working a reduced schedule, or you can be a full-time freelancer, working either as a freelance writer, photographer or illustrator. You can also work a full-time job and freelance on the side, doing projects here and there. In the media world, working freelance might allow you to do different projects than if you were on staff full-time. At a magazine, for example, many features are assigned to freelance writers since full-time editors often don’t have the time to spend outside the office doing the story. However, Freelancing can be tough because most freelancers don’t receive health coverage, unless they have a specific contract with a company (and then have a unique full-time freelance position). The other big issue with freelancing is that you can’t rely on a steady stream of income. Therefore a freelancer must be prepared for the consequences.
A flexi contract is defined as:
“This is a contract of a known duration and with a specified expiry date, so is suitable when the requirement for the individual is for a defined limited period. In other respects it is the same as a continuing contract.”
This contract is for as person who is required to work at fixed hours per week/month. The contract, much like that of a fixed term contract, a flexi contract
A voluntary contract is one which means that the job seeker earns no money from requiring this role. They generally employ them selves in minor roles such as; the runner, extras or assistants to middle importance. As the runner they would be expected to situate the directors needs, their jobs would include shadowing the director in any way possible, helping out where needed. It is sometimes vital to have runners in a production as they do jobs which require little skill but are needed to be completed. In some minor projects the runner is not needed as to many people in the production would disadvantage the programme or film being created. An extras job is to entail a minor role in the creative side of the production. They are background people and are not generally in the spotlight. Actors build up their careers through experience of being extras. A voluntary contract in the BBC allows more workers for less payment.
Confidentiality is an act in which a worker in the BBC or in any other media entity has to follow. An employee must not reveal any information about the productions being made to the public or any other person not involved in the creation. An example of this could be employed upon an extra when filming a scene- they must not disclose and information to the public on the narrative.
Exclusivity - Exclusivity is where star vehicles are contracted to endorse a brand or company, on a commercial scale. This is usually where the celebrity has to use/where the product or equipment from the brand. A classic example of this would be David Beckham contracted with Adidas, and there having to support the brand, this is done by wearing Adidas football boots on the pitch. Another example of this would be Morrisons employing Richard Hammond to act as a celebrity figure had towards the brand.
See unit 21, Task 11: Healthy and Safety
Task 10: Provide definitions of and examples relating to the following terms of Media Legislation…….equal opportunities; Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006; employer’s liability; employee rights; belonging to a trade union; Intellectual Property: copyright; trademarks;
Equal Opportunities:
This suggests that any person can work in the media entity and will not be discriminated for being who they are; whether this is race, sexuality or disability. Some acts in the BBC have been developed to support this such as;
1. The commitment statement- is an act in which they tell viewers that the broadcasting company does not discriminate against and individual.
2. The sexual discrimination act- this act says that it is against the law to discriminate against and person because of their gender. It ensures equal treatment for both males and females, and makes sure each gender have a fair chance at the job in hand.
3. The minimum wage act- this is an act which ensures that every employee of a business are paid at least the minimum wage, therefore this enables employees to be un-exploited for the job they are doing. The minimum wage for an employee 22 years old or over is £5.73 per hour. Many students and people aged 16-21 are now being employed more often than those above, this is because the minimum wage for them is £4.77, this makes it cheaper and easier for a company to run.
4. The disability act- This act ensures that people with disabilities must have rights in certain areas in a job. They must have the correct accessibility to facilities, education and employment.
Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006:
This act ensures that a company does not, by law, favour an age, whether they are younger or older. Acts such as this one allow freedom for any aged worker to have equal rights in their chosen work placement and thus, have the same treatment throughout their employment.
Employer's Liability:
This act protects all a placements employees from being harmed in the workplace. It follows health and safety regulations which have to be met and completed by an employer. They must also have a level of insurance in case of any accidents or harm to an employee, this is vital in order to be able to deal with any and all claims.
Employee Rights:
Created in 1996, the employee rights act states that a workplace has to meet the regulations of all employee rights; through the treatment of their employees and also there needs in the workplace. Some of the entities inside of this act include; wages and payment, disclosers and detriment, Sundays, betting, suspension and time off, childcare, dismissal notice and reasons, unfair dismissal, redundancy payments, employer insolvency, miscellaneous and interpretation.
Intellectual Property:
This act prevents anyone from replicating designs, ideas and frameworks which were specifically created by one person. This right does not stop existing on a product when the owner passes away; therefore the design will not be able to be copied ever. Most commonly used on certain buildings, this is because buildings are made to express an architect’s vision, it is also used on monuments to ensure that no other person copies the ideas and therefore reassures the designers.
Copyright:
This act enables protection against the stealing, selling without permission and replication of and product. The copyright act, in the media industry, ensures work is protected for 70 years post of the creator’s death. This product or design is then allowed to be used for any other purpose. The act can be passed through people owning the product/design, and therefore is protected for longer. Some people have used this to protect their work forever, passing it from generation to generation. There are 8 regulations of this act and they are:
1. Data must be fairly and lawfully processed
2. Data must be processed for limited purposes
3. Data must be adequate, relevant and not excessive
4. Data must be accurate
5. Data must not be kept longer than is necessary
6. Data must be processed in accordance with individual’s rights
7. Data must be kept secret
8. Data may not be transferred to non-EEA or EU without adequate protection
Trademarks:
The trademark symbols are labels which legally signify that this product is owned by certain companies, the sign is generally presented with the company’s name followed promptly by a tm. This then allows consumers to identify the brand and also ensures no other person can use the name for their production or company
