Unit 2: The Future of Film & TV - Task 1

Unit 2: Task 1

Media is a highly popular, and therefore competitive field, so experience is critical. You will need to be motivated and persistent in your applications.


To gain work experience and build up a portfolio of work, contact radio, television, newspaper, PR or advertising agencies and ask about opportunities. Look out for summer placements, part-time and voluntary opportunities while on your course during the summer holidays or evenings and weekends. It may also be useful to get involved with your university radio station, paper or publications office.
Some courses offer the opportunity to undertake a work placement with a media or related company. This provides an excellent opportunity to develop practical and professional skills and to make industry contacts.




Media studies graduates typically enter careers in the media, cultural and creative industries. Areas of work include television and radio, film and video, digital media, computer games, journalism, writing and publishing, PR and media practice.
Employers include:

• communications agencies
• the Civil Service
• further and higher education institutions, such as colleges and universities
• local government
• marketing organisations
• media companies
• the newspaper industry
• PR consultancies
• publishing companies
• TV and radio companies.

Job options

• Media planner
• Multimedia specialist
• Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video
• Public relations officer
• Runner, broadcasting/film/video
• Social media manager
• Television/film/video producer
• Web content manager
• Advertising account executive
• Broadcast journalist
• Editorial assistant
• Event manager
• Film director
• Information officer
• Magazine journalist
• Market researcher
• UX designer
• Writer

Film Director:

Directors are integral to the success of any film project. As a director you'll contribute to all the creative elements of a production and will be responsible for shaping them into a cohesive film.
In order to do this you'll need a strong creative vision and the ability to communicate your ideas to a variety of people throughout the production process. This will include your production team, crew, actors and those responsible for financing the film.


Responsibilities:


As a film director, you'll need to:

• read scripts
• work with writers and provide feedback on the further development of scripts
• select actors - sometimes working with casting directors and producers during this selection process
• monitor rehearsals
• direct actors during the filming
• select locations for filming
• hold meetings with key departments such as camera, art department and costume during the planning stages and throughout the filming
• agree the budget and schedule of the film with the producer
• be responsible for staying on budget and schedule
• supervise all creative aspects of the production
• work with the editor to present the final version of the film
• select music for the final film and/or work with a composer to decide on the musical score
• build and develop a network of contacts including writers, producers, film festivals and public funding bodies
• maintain contemporary technical skills
• have an awareness and knowledge of emerging industry trends.

Salary:


Employment is usually offered on a freelance/self-employed basis and the fees you will command as a freelance director will vary considerably, depending on the size and scale of the project and the level of experience of the director.
Income from directing work is often erratic so it may be necessary to work alongside full or part-time jobs. If this is the case, you may be able to find work which is related to your directing, such as teaching and lecturing or other industry roles such as editing, assistant directing or production management.


Media Planner:


A media planner's job is to identify which media platforms will best advertise your clients/employees product or brand. As a result you need to work within advertising agencies or media planning and buying agencies, with the aim of maximising the impact of advertising campaigns through a range of media platforms.
By combining creative thinking with factual analysis you'll develop appropriate strategies to ensure that campaigns reach their target audiences as effectively as possible. You'll also apply a knowledge of media and communication platforms to identify the most appropriate mediums for building awareness of a client's brand.


Media planners work with:

• Press
• Television
• Radio
• New media, especially the internet via websites and mobile apps
• Other more unusual platforms, including promotion on buses and taxis.

Responsibilities:


As a media planner, you'll need to:

• work with the client and the account team to understand the client's business objectives and advertising strategy
• liaise with the creative agency team, clients and consumers to develop media strategies and campaigns
• work on several projects at the same time, often for several different clients
• make decisions on the best form of media for specific clients and campaigns
• undertake research and analyse data using specialist industry resources
• identify target audiences and analyse their characteristics, behaviour and media habits
• present proposals, including cost schedules, to clients
• recommend the most appropriate types of media to use, as well as the most effective time spans and locations
• work with colleagues, other departments and media buyers either in-house or in a specialist agency
• make and maintain good contacts with media owners, such as newspapers, magazines and websites
• manage client relationships to build respect and gain their trust in your judgement
• proofread advertisement content before release
• maintain detailed records
• evaluate the effectiveness of campaigns to inform future ones.

Salary:

Typical starting salaries for junior, assistant and basic media planner/buyer positions range from £18,000 to £22,000.

As a media planner with several years' experience and managerial or team leader responsibilities, your salary will be in the region of £25,000 to £45,000.

At senior level, salaries vary enormously, but may be in excess of £60,000. In a very senior position you might expect to earn £80,000+.

Camera Operator:

As a television camera operator, you'll work with digital, electronic and film cameras and produce required shots by combining the use of complex technology with creative visual skills.
You'll work under a director or director of photography and may be supported by a camera assistant.
You may work on a variety of programmes, for example studio or outside broadcast programmes, television dramas, commercials, documentaries or news. You may use one of several cameras or a portable single camera (PSB). You could also specialise in working in one or more of the following areas:

• Studio - where you follow a camera script, which gives the order of shots. This is practised at rehearsal and is cued by the director during recording. The skill lies in interpreting what the director wants and acting quickly and effectively to achieve it
• Outside broadcast (OB) - working as part of a team of camera operators filming live events, such as sporting and ceremonial occasions and music performances
• On location - where there is likely to be more opportunity for creativity through suggesting shots to the director.

Responsibilities:


As a television camera operator, you'll need to:

• assemble, prepare and set up equipment prior to filming, which may include tripods, monitors, lighting, cables and leads and headphones
• offer advice on how best to shoot a scene and explain the visual impact created by particular shots
• plan shots, for example when filming an expensive drama scene, such as an explosion, there may be only one chance to get things right, so shots need to be meticulously planned beforehand
• practise the camera moves required for pre-arranged shots
• study scripts
• find solutions to technical or other practical problems (for an outside broadcast, for example, the natural light conditions need to be taken into account when setting up shots)
• be prepared to innovate and experiment with ideas
• work quickly, especially as timing is such an important factor
• take sole responsibility in situations where only one camera operator is involved in the filming
• keep up to date with filming methods and equipment
• repair and maintain equipment
• demonstrate a good awareness of health and safety issues
• drive crew, actors and equipment to and from locations.

Part of the role involves interacting and maintaining good working relationships with other members of the crew and cast, including the:

• actors
• director
• interviewees
• lighting technicians
• presenters
• producer
• sound recordists

Sound Technician

As a sound technician, it's your responsibility to assemble, operate and maintain the technical equipment used to record, amplify, enhance, mix or reproduce sound.
Sound technicians are required in a range of industries including:

• advertising
• audio recordings
• broadcasting (radio or television)
• film
• live performance (theatre, music, dance).

Job titles vary according to the industry and can include sound assistant, sound recordist and sound supervisor.


Within film, specialist roles are available such as dialogue editor, dubbing mixer, production mixer and Foley artist.


Your responsibilities will vary depending on whether you work in:

• production - the recording of all sound on set or on location
• post-production - the balancing, mixing, editing and enhancing of pre-recorded audio.

Working in production, you'll need to:

• assess the acoustics of the performance area and assemble and operate the necessary equipment
• consult with producers and performers to determine the sound requirements
• select, position, adjust and operate the equipment used for amplification and recording
• apply technical knowledge of sound recording equipment to achieve the determined artistic objectives
• record sound onto digital audio tape or hard disk recorders
• monitor audio signals to detect sound-quality deviations or malfunctions
• anticipate and correct any problems
• maintain and repair sound equipment.

Working in post-production, you'll need to:

• integrate (synchronise) pre-recorded audio (dialogue, sound effects and music) with visual content
• re-record and synchronise audio (post-synching)
• mix and balance speech, effects and music
• create and alter sound effects for use in films, television, etc.

For large scale operations, such as film productions, you're usually required to work within sound teams. There are often separate sound teams for production and post-production. The job of a sound team is essentially to follow or interpret the instructions of the director, sound designer or sound supervisor.

Full-time contracts

The most common type of employment contract is full-time.
These contracts are generally offered for permanent positions, and usually set out the employee’s salary or hourly wage. Other details included within a full-time contract include holiday entitlements, pension benefits, parental leave allowances, and details on Statutory Sick Pay (SSP).
There is no set minimum number of hours that you must work on a full-time contract. However, most employers recognise full-time work as 35+ hours per week.

Part-time contracts

A part-time worker works fewer contracted hours than a full-time employee.
However, they generally also hold permanent positions, and their contract contains many of the same details as their full-time counterparts. The number of hours they’re scheduled to work per week should be clearly visible within the contract, but they may have the option to work overtime, if and when desired.
Benefits of part-time employment include a more flexible schedule, allowing individuals to fit their work around other commitments, and the opportunity for people to try out new roles without having to give up vast amounts of your time.

 

Fixed-term contracts

Fixed-term contracts last for a specific amount of time, which has been set and agreed in advance.
In some instances, fixed-term contracts may not include an exact timeframe, but will instead end when a specific task has been completed or fulfilled.
Fixed-term employees enjoy all of the same rights and benefits as with any other permanent contract, although factors such as holiday entitlement will depend on contract length.
Depending on the role, and an individual’s performance, fixed-term contacts can sometimes lead to longer term positions.

Temporary contracts

Similar to fixed-term, temporary contracts are offered when a contract is not expected to become permanent.
Usually they would have some form of end date included, however, these may be subject to change. As such, temporary workers may have their contracts extended in line with demand and availability.
Despite their short-term status, temporary workers are entitled to the same rights as any other member of staff. Benefits of temporary contracts include increased flexibility, the ability to manage work around study or other interests, and building experience within a specific sector.

 

Agency contracts

Agency staff have their contracts agreed and managed by a recruitment consultancy or employment agency.
They usually work on a temporary basis, and the length of their contract will depend on demand from the employer, as well as their availability.
It will be the agency’s responsibility to make sure their employees’ rights are protected. However, NI contributions and Statutory Sick Pay will be paid by the employer to the agency you work for.
After 12 weeks’ continuous employment in the same role, agency workers are then entitled to the same rights as permanent employees of the company.

Freelancers and contractors

When working on a freelance or contracted basis, contracts may vary from position to position.
However, individuals working in this way are generally considered self-employed, meaning that it’s their responsibility to look after tax and NI contributions. Contracts may include start and end dates, or the salary may be based on set projects or pieces of work, meaning the contract effectively ends upon delivery.
Freelance and contract workers may also not be entitled to the same rights as more permanent members of staff, although they do get to manage their own schedule, and negotiate their own terms.

Also known as casual contracts, zero hour contracts specify that an employee works only when required by their employer.
The employer is under no obligation to provide a set amount of hours to work. And, similarly, the employee does not have to accept any work that is offered to them.
Zero hour workers are, however, entitled to the same annual leave as permanent workers, and their employer must pay them at least the national minimum wage to work.
Individuals on a zero hour contract may also seek employment elsewhere. In fact, their contract would not be valid if it prevented them from looking for, or accepting, work from another employer.

Unit 2: Task 1B

Denis Villeneuve

As if you all didn't all ready know by unsubtle love for Blade Runner 2049, one of my favourite directors is Denis Villeneuve, Denis (born 3 October 1967 in Gentilly, QC) is one of Canada’s best-known and most acclaimed filmmakers. His visually inventive, atmospheric and sombre films frequently focus on themes of trauma, identity and memory. His Canadian films, including the searing psychological dramas Maelström (2000), Polytechnique (2009), Incendies (2010) and Enemy (2013), have won 22 Genie Awards, five Canadian Screen Awards and 26 Prix Iris. He is the only Québécois filmmaker to receive an Oscar nomination for Best Director, and his Hollywood films — Prisoners (2013), Sicario (2015) and Arrival (2016) — have enjoyed critical and commercial success.

Blade Runner has received multiple nominations at the Oscar's this year, hopefully Roger Deakins gets his well overdue Oscar for his cinematography, without a doubt some of his best work to date. I'm going to do a run down on Denis' early life and work leading into his Hollywood career, exploring what it takes become the most sought after film-maker in today's industry.

Early Years

Denis Villeneuve was born to parents Jean Villeneuve, a notary, and Nicole Demers, a homemaker, in the small town of Gentilly, Québec, near Trois-Rivières. Villeneuve is the eldest of four siblings, and his mother and grandmothers were strong feminist influences. Although he and his younger brother Martin both became filmmakers, Villeneuve’s parents weren’t particularly interested in cinema.
Villeneuve played hockey in his youth, but spent most of his time on the bench developing his imagination. The nearby cinema in Trois-Rivières was Villeneuve’s first film school where he discovered Star Wars and influences like Ingmar Bergman and Stanley Kubrick. He explored his skills making short films during high school, earning the nickname “Spielberg” from his friends.
After studying science at CEGEP, Villeneuve studied Communications with a concentration in film at the Université du Québec à Montréal. With his original and innovative reporting, he won Radio-Canada’s Europe-Asia Competition in 1991, which allowed him to direct a film for the National Film Board. But first, he travelled to the Arctic with legendary filmmaker Pierre Perrault to work on sets for the film Cornouailles.

Early Work

Denis did a number of docudrama short films, including a short film based on multiculturalism called REW-FFWD back in 1994. The docudrama tells the story of a photographer who lands in unfamiliar territory when his car breaks down in a Trench Town ghetto. As the unseen driver puts aside his fears and stereotypical attitudes, Villeneuve uses interviews and photographs to create an essay on time and memory. The film won the prize of the New York Film Academy at the Locarno International Film Festival. Villeneuve then made several music videos for various artists: Ensorcelée, for Daniel Belanger, won a Félix Award; Querer, for Cirque du Soleil, won three awards at the Yorkton Film Festival and a Much Music Video Award; and Tout simplement jaloux, for Beau Dommage, also won a Much Music Video Award (see also MuchMusic). Despite his success, Villeneuve has said that he disliked making the videos as he felt music was meant for the imagination.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUseyw7Hlk


Villeneuve then contributed the segment “Le Technétium” to producer Roger Frappier’s anthology film Cosmos (1996), which featured the work of fellow up-and-coming directors such as Manon Briand and André Turpin. Cosmos won the Prix International des Cinémas d’Art et d’Essai at the Cannes Film Festival and brought Villeneuve his first brush with the Oscar race when it became Canada’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film

Early Feature Films

In 1998, Villeneuve directed his first feature film, Un 32 août sur terre (August 32nd on Earth), which stars Pascale Bussières as a woman on an odyssey to conceive a child after a car accident radically alters her life. It premiered in the Un certain regard competition at the Cannes Film Festival and toured more than 30 other festivals, winning Best Film at the Namur International Film Festival. It was also Canada’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars.
Villeneuve’s breakthrough came with Maelström (2000), which centres on a young woman (Marie-Josée Croze) as she grapples with grief and guilt after killing a fishmonger in a hit and run. In a surreal and original stroke, Villeneuve had a dead fish narrate the drama. Maelström screened in more than 40 countries and received over 20 awards, including at festivals in Avignon, Berlin, Mons, Toronto, Montréal and Paris. Maelström won eight Jutra Awards (now Prix Iris) and five Genie Awards, including Best Film and honours for Villeneuve’s direction and screenplay at both ceremonies. Once again, Villeneuve’s film represented Canada in the Oscar race for Best Foreign Language Film.

Next Floor (2008)

Despite coming off his greatest success to date, Villeneuve then took a break to make commercials and to study film and screenwriting. After reconsidering his first films, he decided to make only projects that held significant meaning for him. Returning to shorts, he directed the surreal, allegorical and technically dazzling Next Floor (2008), a darkly funny drama about a macabre banquet. Next Floor screened at over 120 film festivals worldwide and won more than 50 awards, including the Grand Prix Canal + at Cannes International Critics’ Week, as well as the Genie and Jutra for Best Short Film.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgaibBj1384

Polytechnique (2009)

Villeneuve’s desire for his next feature film to focus on significant subject matter was fulfilled when actor Karine Vanasse approached him about making a film about the 1989 Montreal massacre. Villeneuve and Vanasse obtained consent from the victims’ families and approached the project with maximum respect and sensitivity, but Polytechnique (2009) still drew considerable controversy for dramatizing the traumatic event. Shot in black and featuring a restrained performance by Maxim Gaudette as an unnamed killer, the film drew praise for refusing to sensationalize the bloodshed while honouring the victims by focusing on their experiences throughout the ordeal. Polytechnique was released in Canada in both French and English, and screened at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes. It won numerous awards including Best Canadian Feature Film at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), five Jutra Awards (including Best Director) and nine Genie Awards (including Best Film and Best Director).

Incendies (2010)

Villeneuve gained international attention in the fall of 2010 with Incendies, a shattering adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad’s Governor General’s Award-winning play of the same name. The Canada-France coproduction, shot in Montréal and Jordan, depicts twin siblings Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) and Simon (Maxime Gaudet) trying to honour the final wish of their late mother, Nawal (Lubna Azabal) by finding their father and brother in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. Incendies traces a powerful story of migration and survival as it reconstructs Nawal’s journey as a freedom fighter and war prisoner in parallel with Jeanne and Simon’s search.
Villeneuve’s dark and foreboding yet highly accessible adaptation accentuated the elements of Greek tragedy embedded in Mouawad’s text, most notably the references to the tragedy of Oedipus. Incendies received near-unanimous acclaim upon premiering at the Venice Film Festival and went on to win the Best Canadian Feature Film Award at TIFF, along with dozens of international awards at many festivals. Incendies won eight Genie Awards and nine Jutra Awards, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director at both galas. It was also named one of the top ten films of 2011 by the New York Times and received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. Following the international acclaim of Incendies, Villeneuve was the subject of a career retrospective at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was named one of Variety’s Top Ten Directors to Watch.

My First Encounter with Denis' Work

Hollywood came knocking after the success of Incendies and Villeneuve followed with two major projects in 2013: the Canada-Spain co-production Enemy, which was shot and set in Toronto; and the Hollywood thriller Prisoners. An ambitious adaptation of author José Saramago’s novel The Double, Enemy features Jake Gyllenhaal in a dual role as a meek history professor who descends into a psychological conflict after crossing paths with his doppelgänger, an arrogant and adulterous actor. The gripping yet cryptic psychological thriller drew upon Toronto’s concrete towers and labyrinthine condo compartments to create an eerie speculative atmosphere. Sullenly surreal and open to interpretation, Enemy proved divisive but received such honours as the Directors Guild of Canada Award for Best Feature film and five Canadian Screen Awards, including one for Villeneuve’s direction. These were the first films of Denis' I had encountered and I was immediately blown away. He placed himself firmly on the radar of ot of film fans, students, critics and producers for all of the right reasons.

Sicario (2015)

The success of Prisoners affirmed Villeneuve’s talent to Hollywood, which he solidified with his next production, Sicario (2015). Villeneuve’s status had become strong enough for producers to grant him carte blanche and direct the film according to his own vision. Sicario echoed Villeneuve’s earlier works with its strong female protagonist, FBI agent Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), and unflinching descent into the more horrifying elements of the Mexican drug trade and the methods used to combat it. Villeneuve’s gritty and authentic vision firmly established him as an auteur on the world stage following the film’s premier in the official competition at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. Sicario grossed over $86 million worldwide, earned three Oscar nominations and three BAFTA nominations, and made many critics’ Top 10 lists that year. In my opinion Sicario was the point in Villeneuve's career in which he became a household name amongst film enthusiasts, there wasn't a moment in 2015 where Sicario wasn't mentioned our applauded by critics, Denis was making waves and showed young, inspired film makers that originality and artistic flare wasn't dead in Hollywood.

Arrival (2016)

The critical and commercials success of Prisoners and Sicario allowed Villeneuve to make the leap to Hollywood blockbusters with his next picture, Arrival (2016). Adapted from the short story “Story of Your Life” by Ted Chiang — which fellow Montréaler and filmmaker Shawn Levy recommended to Villeneuve — Arrival brought Villeneuve’s austere and thoughtful aesthetic to the science fiction genre. Starring Amy Adams as an intuitive linguist tasked with bridging communication between humans and aliens, Arrival was shot in Montréal and outside Rimouski, Quebec. The crew included some of Villeneuve’s frequent Québécois collaborators, including production designer Patrice Vermette, costume designer Renée April, and sound designer Sylvain Bellemare, who won an Oscar and a BAFTA for his work on the film. This film is a brilliant example of intelligent film making, something that Villeneuve would later use in Blade Runner 2049. Unlike most sci-fi blockbusters, however, Arrival had a modest budget of $46 million and relied on ideas, themes and substance instead of spectacular special effects.

Arrival premiered at Venice, Telluride and TIFF, where it wowed critics and audiences with its thought-provoking premise, execution and themes. Other critics noted the relevance of Arrival’s parable on the power of language in the context of Donald Trump’s election as American President. Arrival received eight Academy Award nominations including Best Picture and Best Achievement in Direction ­— the first ever for a Québec director — while Villeneuve also earned nominations for best director at the BAFTAs and the Director’s Guild of America Awards. Arrival went on to gross more than $185 million worldwide.

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

We arrive at one of my favourite films of 2017 (and at the top of my all time list), it's very different from his previous projects and follows on from Ridley Scott's 1982 sci-fi cult classic Blade Runner. Starring Ryan Gosling and Harrison Ford, the film takes place 30 years after the events of the original. Taking on a film with a legacy such as this to live up too is no easy undertaking, the weight was on Denis' shoulders yet he delivered an outstanding film loved by critics. Unfortunately the film under performed at the box office. Villeneuve and Gosling admitted during interviews that this was always a possibility due to the original being attractive only to a specific audience, and that the modern box office takings usually don't favour longer movies (the film clocks in at not far off 3 hours) that require the audience to think. It's funny really, the original film suffered from the same box office failure, yet also received the same high praise from film critics and sci-fi fans alike. The production value o this film is incredible, it looks and feels like an authentic cyberpunk dystopia with it's set design, costumes and beautiful original score. It's no surprise really, Villeneuve’s films are typically dark and haunting psychological dramas that emphasize an atmosphere of foreboding doom. His films frequently concentrate on themes of trauma, identity and memory. With the exception of Enemy, Prisoners and Blade Runner 2049, his protagonists are strong and complex women. He frequently collaborates with cinematographers Roger Deakins, André Turpin and Nicholas Bolduc, and production designer Patrice Vermeer. His team is always the best of the best and his films as a result are nothing short of perfection.

Denis Villeneuve is my favourite director because he pushes boundaries with precise and thoughtful execution. His team is comprised of the best talent in Hollywood and sets a standard for aspiring film-makers, a standard that we all aspire to meet. Villeneuve currently has multiple projects in the pipeline and by the signs of things, he's not slowing down anytime soon. He will go down as one of the greatest directors of our generation, I can be sure of that. Who knows? Perhaps his best work is still to come.