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As of late, there has been much talk about what kind of jobs exist in the film industry. It seems that every person reading this article will at some point be asked to do something with their career that they are not familiar with. This is totally normal as the media flaunts its flashy advertisements and interviews constantly.
Some of these new positions include: production manager (PM), director of photography (DP), gaffer (GF), best boy (BB), boom operator (BO), etc. While most of these positions sound similar, each one actually does something unique!
The PM oversees all departments such as production design (PD), locations, casting, script supervisor, line producer, and finance. They make sure everything runs smoothly for the filming of the movie.
The DP takes care of lighting, camera settings, and overall picture quality. The job varies depending on whether the DP is shooting b-roll or regular footage. If needed, the DP can hire other professionals like gaffers, key grip, and assistants.
A GF handles electrical equipment such as generators, lights, and cameras. A good GB makes sure everyone is comfortable using their tools and knows where everything is. A BO operates any heavy machinery used during filming, such as cranes, dollies, and conveyor belts.
All of these professions work together and help make the movie finalize itself. Only having limited knowledge of certain things may cause issues, so being aware and organized is important.
Film editors are in charge of ensuring that each scene is organized and put together properly. They also make sure that the scenes flow well with one another and contribute to the overall story line.
Their main tool for this is the script. The editor uses the script as a reference when filming and editing the movie.
When they begin shooting a new scene, they will start by reading through the current chapter or section of the script and then add onto it or change it slightly to create an entirely new piece.
This process can be repeated many times throughout the length of production until the final cut!
The director may ask the editor to rework or refine a part of a given scene, but more likely than not, he or she will give them a fresh copy to work with. This way, the two do not get stuck in a rut.
After filming, your next job is to organize all of these pieces! This means picking a organization method that works for you and your media.
Most content editors will use an app such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom to manage their photo albums. These apps are very similar so choose one that you are familiar with already.
Some other good candidates are Google Photos, Flickr, Facebook, and Apple’s own iCloud.
Once organized, you can access each album via a web browser or through the app. Many people also create custom file folders to fit their organizational style, but using an app or web tool makes it easier to search and navigate.
When editing images in photoshop or lightroom, there are various tools you can use to edit different parts of the image. For example, you could crop, rotate, and/or straighten the picture.
As part of our content team, you will be asked to write original screenplay drafts or script treatments for various projects. These are usually short stories that go along with a movie theme or topic.
Many times these new screenplays will already have a writer who completed the first draft, so your job is to make it better!
You can use their material as inspiration, but you are not allowed to copy word for word unless you’re granted permission in writing.
That being said, there are some easy ways to improve upon theirs. First, look at the structure of the scene – how does what happens fit into place?
Second, add more details to bring life to the characters. Third, add more intensity to the dialogue. And lastly, create a flow of events by introducing and developing themes and ideas.
Your goal should be to take the story that has been written before and enhance it, strengthen its potential.
As we already mentioned, an editor’s main goal is to ensure that the movie being published is clear and understandable for your audience.
They do this by distributing the content of the film (examples include writing and editing the script, producing the movie, filming the movie, choosing the camera angles, etc.).
After filming, the editor reviews the footage and selects the best takes and scenes to include in the final cut.
This process is called “editing” the movie.
As mentioned before, a content editor’s main responsibility is to make sure that what goes into a movie or TV show is appropriate and conforms with our standards. They also have the job of reviewing this content to see if it fits our guidelines and if not, changing it to meet them!
Their first task is to check for any issues such as swearing, bad language or sexual scenes. These are things that we don’t allow in our videos so these need to be checked and removed where necessary.
Next they will look at whether the plot makes sense and whether anything seems unrealistic or impossible. For example, why would someone put their hands in the trash?
After that, the content editor will review the overall theme or tone of the video. Is it funny, playful or serious?
Then they will go through each shot and figure out how important it is, whether there’s enough focus placed on the main character and/or action, and whether everything looks natural and believable.
That covers some of the basics but unfortunately you can’t do your job without talking about controversial topics or events. So the next thing they should do is determine whether the subject matter is appropriate for us, even if it’s fictional.
They may find something upsetting or disturbing and talk about his or her body language and emotion while reading the script. All of this helps them give you feedback on whether this is okay for kids.
As mentioned before, content creators are also referred to as film editors or creative directors. This is due to the fact that they work with all of the other departments in making the movie more interesting.
The creative director leads their department and makes sure everything from the sets to the costumes look beautiful. They also make sure the ideas in the scenes flow well and keep an eye out for any potential issues.
The editor works directly under the producer and comes in right after filming to fix anything that may need changing or revamping.
There are several positions within this area depending on what needed done. The most common being storyboard artist, production manager, editorial coordinator, visual effects (VFX) producer, assistant editor, and finally, final cut edit.
As mentioned before, content creators are not only writers! They also have a job title that includes editing other people’s writing or films. This individual typically gets a script of some sort that they need to edit and polish for presentation.
This person may be asked to change, add, or take out certain parts in order to make the film more effective and interesting. The director will usually give this person special attention as they want their vision to shine through.
This individual does not get paid much compared to writers but they are still very valuable.
After a writer has finished writing an article or story, there is another person that can edit it! This individual is referred to as an editor.
As with writers, editors have different levels of editing depending on their field. For example, movie content professionals are called film editors. They may change the tone, wording, and/or sequence of scenes in a film.
This includes changing from normal conversation to more formal speech, reordering sentences, and adding or taking away material. All of these changes are done to better align what the audience receives from the film’s script.
The director already has final say over the overall look and feel of a scene, but an editor can help bring the vision together by making small adjustments.
