Stretch tasks R093 TA1: Job Roles and Working in the Industry

Round 1: Quiz Blitz

1. Producer Producer: money, people and deadlines.
2. Director Director: how it looks, sounds and performs.
3. storyboard artist Storyboards are a pre-production document.
4. Post-production Editing happens after filming.
5. Colourist Grading is a post-production job.
6. False Freelancers are self employed and paid per job.
7. Finds faults before the product reaches the audience Testing happens before release.
8. Scriptwriter; Concept artist Pre-production plans the work before anything is made.
9. Work is project based, so crews are needed only for one production A drama may need forty people for ten weeks and none afterwards.
10. Fixed term Fixed term contracts are common for one production.
11. Sound engineer The sound editor edits and mixes it afterwards.
12. client The client's needs are set out in the brief.

Round 2: Quick Fire

1. • The producer handles the budget, schedule, hiring and delivery
   • The director makes the creative decisions
   Model answer

   The producer is responsible for the project as a whole: the budget, the schedule, hiring and delivery. The director is responsible for the creative decisions, such as how it looks and sounds, and directs the cast and crew.

2. • Advantage: variety, and choosing which jobs to take
   • Disadvantage: no holiday or sick pay, and gaps between jobs
   Model answer

   A freelancer works with many clients on varied projects and can choose which jobs to take. However, there is no holiday or sick pay, and there can be gaps between jobs, so income is less secure.

3. • The work is project based, needed only for the production
   • No ongoing salaries, holiday pay or equipment to fund
   • Specialists can be chosen for each production
   Model answer

   Media work is project based: the drama needs a large crew for ten weeks and none of them afterwards. Freelancers are paid per job, so the company avoids paying ongoing salaries, holiday pay and equipment for staff it no longer needs, and it can pick specialists with the right skills for this production.

4. • They find faults and bugs before release
   • Avoiding bad reviews, refunds or damage to reputation
   Model answer

   A quality assurance tester finds faults and bugs before the game reaches players. Fixing them first avoids bad reviews and players uninstalling it, which would damage the studio's reputation.

Round 3: Big Think

1. • The client commissions it and the producer manages it
   • A scriptwriter writes the script
   • A storyboard artist or concept artist plans the visuals
   • Animators create the moving images
   • The director makes the creative decisions
   • A sound engineer records the voice over
   • Editors assemble the sequence and mix the sound
   • A colourist, VFX artist or tester finishes it
   Model answer

   In pre-production, the client commissions the advert and the producer manages the budget, schedule and hiring. A scriptwriter writes the script, and a storyboard artist and a concept artist plan how each shot and character will look. In production, the director makes the creative decisions, animators create the moving images, and a sound engineer records the voice over. In post-production, a video editor assembles the sequence, a sound editor mixes the audio and music, a colourist grades the colour, and a quality assurance tester checks for faults before delivery.

2. • Employed staff give security and are always available
   • But salaries, holiday pay and equipment are costs
   • Staff are paid even when there is no work
   • Freelancers are paid per job
   • Specialist skills can be chosen for each project
   • But freelancers may be busy, and know the brands less well
   • The right choice depends on the workload
   • A conclusion, such as a mixture
   Model answer

   Employed staff give the agency security: they are always available, learn its clients' house styles and are loyal. However, the agency must pay salaries, holiday and sick pay and provide equipment, even when there is no work between projects. Freelancers are paid per job, so the agency only pays when there is work, and it can hire a specialist with the right skills for each project. But a good freelancer may be busy with other clients when needed and knows the agency's brands less well. The right choice depends on the workload: steady work suits employment, while project based peaks suit freelancers. On balance, a small agency should employ a small core team and bring in freelancers for the peaks.

This or That

1. The producer The producer handles money, people and deadlines. The director handles the creative side.
2. Post-production Editing assembles the footage after it has been shot.
3. A concept artist A colourist grades footage in post-production.
4. A web developer A scriptwriter writes the script, dialogue or copy.
5. An employee's Freelancers complete a self assessment.
6. A freelancer An employer provides equipment for its staff.
7. No: say the responsibility Say what they are responsible for: capturing clean audio on location or in a studio.
8. A VFX artist A lighting technician sets up lighting during production.

Memory Match

• A 5 Producer: Budget, schedule, hiring and delivery
• B 6 Director: Creative decisions and directing the cast
• C 2 Storyboard artist: Draws the planned shots
• D 1 Colourist: Grades footage for consistent colour
• E 4 Freelance: Self employed, working job by job
• F 3 Quality assurance: Testing to find faults before release

Sort It

1. Pre-production Storyboard artist Shots are planned in pre-production.
2. Post-production VFX artist Effects are added in post-production.
3. Production Sound engineer Audio is captured on location or in a studio.
4. Pre-production Researcher Facts, locations and contributors are found first.
5. Production Lighting technician Lighting is set up for the shoot.
6. Pre-production Concept artist Early visual ideas come before production.
7. Post-production Video editor Footage is assembled afterwards.
8. Production Director The director directs cast and crew during production.
9. Production Camera operator Shots are captured during production.
10. Post-production Sound editor Audio is edited and mixed afterwards.
11. Post-production Colourist Grading happens after the shoot.
12. Pre-production Scriptwriter The script is written before anything is made.