| This resource aims to equip you with the information
and the skills that will enable you to make a successful start
and develop a flourishing career as a media professional. It
will guide you through the art and the business of managing
a creative career in the media industries, by providing relevant
information based on interviews with successful media professionals,
links to the most useful web sites, diagnostic tasks and research
projects and assignments.
The interview material, the tasks and research projects are
intended to contribute to the Business Planning process, and
to develop in the student an awareness of the importance of
planning and self development as key to sustaining a career
in the media.
As you work through the interviews it is important to note
information and ideas that will be of use to you in the development
of your own career plan/business plan. Contained within the
material are diagnostic tasks and three research projects
that aim to get you to consider and analyse your skills, training,
talents and experience. This will provide you with a personalised
research resource from which to plan a strategy and develop
a business plan to enable you to launch your career. The
research projects will involve you in researching your ideas
and communicating them effectively and appropriately to potential
employers, clients, funders and financiers. This will involve
you in researching possible contacts, communicating your ideas
to others in written form and seeking appropriate help and
advice.
Once you have worked through the material and completed the
tasks and assignments you should have:
- An understanding of the jobs and roles available to media
graduates contemplating setting up a business or pursuing
a freelance career.
- An understanding of the personal qualities needed to sustain
a career in the media industries.
- An understanding of planning and self-development as a
key to a sustainable and successful career.
- An awareness of funding and training schemes
And you should be able to:
- Plan and prepare basic proposals, applications and budgets.
- Analyse the process of how media work is commissioned.
- Understand the notion of career planning and business
planning as key to success.
- Locate the jobs and roles available to media graduates
contemplating freelance work.
- Show the importance of developing networks and contacts.
- Prepare a draft Business Plan.
Study Hours - A Guide
22 hours of study time and 40 research hours as follows:
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| The interview material equates to 4 hours of content-based
material. |
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| The 3 diagnostic tasks require approximately 3
hours of study time and 10 hours of research. |
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| The 3 Research Projects will require at least
15 hours of study time and 30 hours of research. |
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| Some of the research is carried out on the web |
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| Six media
professionals, working in different areas and at different
stages of their careers, have contributed to this resource.
They have shared their experiences with regard to a range
of topics. It is hoped that you will gain insight and
inspiration from their experiences. |
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| A senior lecturer at Bournemouth Media School,
and freelance radio and television journalist, writer
and consultant. |
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| Sarah Beecham and Graham Howard |
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| Husband-and-wife team who run 'Art of Memory',
an interactive media company specialising in museum
kiosks and websites. |
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| A producer and director at the BBC. |
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| A cinema-tographer working in documentary/ factual
television and cinema. |
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| Partner in a company called 'Desperate Optimists',
making performance work and digital video-based
media. |
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| A television producer based in Scotland, currently
working on a seventy-four programme series for Scottish
ITV. |
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