Film Director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in film making. They control a film's artistic and dramatic aspects, while guiding the technical crew and actors.The director is the highest authority on the set. They are experts on everything that is associated with the process of film making. Film making is a three part process that the director is heavily involved in throughout each stage including pre and post production. It important that before the director begins to shoot the film he/she has read through the script thoroughly.  They have to sit with the screenwriters and make a screenplay out of the script. The screenplay is how the story is going to get played out on the screen. The editing process begins after all the production work is done. The director has to sit with the editor and be a part of the whole editing process. They have to hand the screenplay and the shooting script to the editor so they can line up the shots accordingly. They have to guide the editor on the quality of the picture they want. They also have to choose the background music, ambient sounds and folly sounds that have to be inserted onto the film.n process, the director has to shoot the whole film according to the screenplay and the shooting script. Ensuring that the final edit has their approval before it can be released.

In order to become a film director requires qualifications and experience. Many universities and even colleges offer specialised courses in the art of directing with film direction as specialization; degrees from such universities are helpful in getting a job. Like many other jobs within in this industry many directors work they way up starting off as assistant directors allowing them to gain experience and explore with their ability to direct often involving making armature short films to demonstrate their skills and capability.

Simularly to many other jobs the salary of a director can vary according to the scale of the film and who they are working for. The reputation of a director can be vital as a production company may hire a director of reputation alone and offer them a considerable amount of money and earning from profit made they can even demand to be paid and negotiate deals with a company. For example one of the most famous directors known world wide Steven Speilberg is estimated to be worth £3billion pound.. However on average a film director can make a minimum of £200,0000 a year plus the back end of any profits made.

Camera Operator

A Camera Operator is a professional opertaor of a film or video camera. Depending on the scale of the production they are working on and in what field they will often work with  multi and single-camera operational conditions, producing pictures for directors by combining the use of complex technology with creative visual skills. A camera operator will often work for a production company and can be based in various locations. The cameraman is responsible for physically operating the camera and maintaining composition and camera angles throughout a given scene or shot. It is vital that the camera operator works closely with the director and had good leadership skills along with being creative. They often have to collaborate clsely with the director as it is important that they capture the narrative of whatever they are filming on camera by using different shots and angles that mimic the narrative. Important camera operator skills include choreographing and framing shots knowledge of and the ability to select appropriate camera lenses, and other equipment to portray dramatic scenes. The principles of dramatic story telling and film editing fundamentals are important skills as well.

The camera operator is required to communicate clearly and concisely on sets where time and film budget constraints are ever present.Work activities vary greatly depending on the type of programme, for example studio/outside broadcast programmes, television dramas, commercials, documentaries, current affair and news, and whether the camera operator can use several different cameras however their workload is usually simular.

A camera opertaor must:

assembling, preparing and setting up equipment prior to filming, which may include tripods, monitors, lighting, cables and leads, and headphones;

offering advice on how best to shoot a scene, explaining the visual impact created by particular shots;

planning shots - 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;

practising the camera moves required for pre-arranged shots;

studying scripts;

working quickly, especially as timing is such an important factor;

taking sole responsibility in situations where only one camera operator is involved in the filming;

keeping up to date with filming methods and equipment;

repairing and maintaining equipment;

demonstrating a good awareness of health and safety issues.

In order to become a camera operator training, experiance and qualifications are required. Often cameraoperators start at a lower levels as an assistant observing experienced crew members and gradually gaining practical experience.
Some television companies set up their own in-house training programmes, as and when they need staff in technical roles. Many also start off working freelance to begin with allowing themselves to gain a good reputation so that they are in demand and can apply to become a permenant member of a television production company or film. Once a camera operator is fully trained it is also important they take reponsibility of their career Continuing professional development is vital and all camera operators need to take responsibility for ensuring they keep up to date with changing technology and techniques in the field.

The salary of a cameraoperator can vary depending on who they work for o if they work freelance which many cameraoperators tend to do. According to the production they are working on wether it be television or film. Although the average rate of a days wages earnt by a camera operator can be between £285; for commercials £411; and for TV news £227. However it is possible to negotiate rates of pay based on your previous experience as well as the type of production.

Dedication, patience and stamina are needed. The work can be physically demanding as you have to stand for long periods of time and carry heavy equipment. Working to tight deadlines may be stressful, and long waits between shots and repeating ‘takes’ till the recording is perfect may also be frustrating.

Publicist

A Publicist is someone whose job it is to represent and manage another person generating press attention publicity and handling their business and demand for work. The main responsibility of a publicist is to generate positive press coverage by maintaining good relationships with both their client and journalists. They must serve as the bridge between their client and the media writing press releases that are written much like a news story complete with a eye catching headline to attract attention and create interest. A publicist has to handle all interview or any appearances request that their client may receive then they must ensure that their client is protected asking what the interview will be about and what exactly they plan to ask allowing their client to plan and either accept or decline work.
Publicists often organize press tours for actors, celebrities and authors. The publicist makes all the travel arrangements for the client, sets up locations, arranges for press passes and even accompanies the client on the road. More than ever, publicists network with online bloggers and read and respond to comments on popular social networks. In addition to a standard press tour, they might arrange for a live, online Q&A session with a popular fansite or interviews with podcasts.

When training to become a publicist several skills are required both academic and personal. It is very important that a good publicist can handle the balance between a working relationship and a personal relationship they may or may not have with their client. They must also have the ability and qualifications to think like a journalist so they are able to distinguish the need for a story and how the story could be tailored and edited for the readers interest. Communication skills are a vital skill to have as they must communicate and maintain relationships, both written and phone communication is very important. The best publicists establish genuine relationships with the editors and reporters who cover their client. They know how to network without looking like they're networking. Patience and flexibility is also very important as often celebrities can be difficult to work with and the hours they work are not always consistent like a typical 9-5 job.  As a Publicist is working within the sector of public relation is is also important that they keep cal under pressure and in emergencies as like any part of the media industry many things can go wrong or often clients can be very demanding. They must also be able to make the most of a bad situation and use their accademic skills and relationships with the media to turn a bad story or mistake made by a client into a positive lesson to be learnt and demonstrated to the public ensuring their clients image is kept clean and positive.

Often a publicist starts at the bottom and gain experiance. Strong written and communications skills are essential. Although degress or certain qualifications and not essential  experiance in communcation any type of public relation or journalism study can be required although their is not one course you can study to become a publicist defress in english (journalism) or PR and the media is a starting point if you want to become a publicist.  Internships are a good place to start at Public relation firms literary agencies and talent agencies are good places to look for publicity internships. Interns are expected to do some of the least glamorous work like pick up rental cars and dry cleaning for the client. Many Publicists are assistancs to professionals before becoming a publicists themselves however moving up to an assistants position is a major step to becoming  a successfull publicist.
To move up from an assistant position, you need to start making contacts within the publicity industry and the media. Being an assistant is a great place to start, because you can piggyback on the network of contacts already in your boss's Rolodex. You need to show your boss and members of the media that you're reliable, a solid writer and that you have a nose for a good news story.

Depending on who a Publicist represents their annual salary can vary dramatically according to the scale they are working at. As a Publicist may be independant or work for a company again this will effect the final earning they will recieve.  They can earnt a percentage of how much their client recieves for a certain interview, appearance or any other publicity stunt. A deal with their client will be negotiated before the client chooses them to represent them personally.  Therefore a publicist can earn an annual salary ranging from £30,000 per year to £250,000 00 per year.

Max Clifford is considered the highest profile and best known publicist in the United Kingdom. Over the years his client range has varied and he is a controversial figure as he has represented unpopular celebrities and acted as an agent for those who are not always considered celebrties for example those who sell kiss and tell stories to the paper in order to create fame. Max originally began his career working as a journalist it was through his passion for writing he was introduced to this industry and soon discoverd his ability to reprsent people and make them famous. In 1970 he set up his own agaency called Max Clifford Associates. He has reprsented starts such as Muahmmed Ali and Marvin gaye both known world wide for different reasons. He is worth an esimated 10million pound.