1.2 Written Report on the Creative and Media employment roles and requirements in London

Creative and Media Employment

Summary of roles and requirements


There are many jobs that can be done within the creative and media. Throughout the course I met a variety of people from different jobs all within the creative and media sector and learnt about the four major creative areas. These are Art &Photography, Performing Arts, Film and Music. This report will be about the research that I have conducted into these roles and the requirements that come with it.



Creative Areas
I conducted research into the different areas of Creative and Media. I looked into the South bank, as it is a hub for creative and media activity under the four major creative sectors.

Art and Photography
I took a trip to the south bank and looked at the Hayward Gallery, which showcases contemporary artists and their art. It is very forward thinking and futuristic when it comes to making choices in the picking of the artwork to showcase. If your interested in art it is a great place to work if you want to be a curator or if you want to showcase any of your artwork there and gain some exposure as an artist.

Music
I visited the Royal Festival hall where people go to watch musical performances and to just look around it is a great place to work if your interested in being a singer as you can get a band together and perform there or you can work in the administration side of the festival hall.


Film
I visited the Imax and it is a good place to work if your attracted to films and anything to do with films so you can work there maybe in the projection room if your interested in how films are shown and set up to be viewed.


Performing Arts
The Globe theatre, is also great place to work if you enjoy acting you can work in the globe theatre and act in any of their numerous productions.

People I met

One of the first people I met was Akala and Chanelle Newman. Akala is a rapper who owns his own independent label called Interstate records and is in partnership with Chanelle Newman who used to work with Sony. Together they jointly own Hip Hop Shakespeare; an organization for young people aimed at getting the youth off the streets and putting their energy into something positive like singing or rapping. He spoke about taking inspiration from the littlest of things and using that to inspire you. There is no standard training for rappers and singers but some do a degree in music and usually learn an instrument.

Then I met Paul Mardles who is a journalist for the observer who started his career as a journalist by editing music magazines and interviewing musicians he said what a tough industry it is to work in as it is very competitive and you have to be prepared to work without pay for a while. Its good to have a HND as a basis for a journalistic career you can also do undergraduate courses in journalism and or media. Having experience in writing for local newspapers and magazines is also a good basis for a journalistic career. Other skills you need to possesses are:
- Excellent writing skills
- Proactive approach to investigating and good research skills
- Strong interpersonal skills
- IT skills and familiarity with commonly used software e.g. Photoshop, Java, InDesign and Quark Xpress.

I also met Victoria Warwick who had her own Internet radio programme that she presents she studied media and started of doing work experience before getting a chance to do radio. Having a qualification in media and communication skills is useful other qualifications you can chose from include:
- Drama/performing arts
- Journalism
- Media/Communication studies
- Media Performance
- Music Technology

Some of the skills you need to demonstrate include:
- Excellent communication and presentation skills
- Performance skills and a clear voice,
- Good research and interviewing skills
- Ability to take the initiative and make quick decisions under pressure
- Team working skills
- Creativity and problem-solving skills