Unit 8 Assignment 2

Trade unions: 

What trade unions can you join if you work in the media and film industry?

The trade unions that you could join if you wanted to work within
the media production industry are one of the two main ones. They are BECTU (Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph & Theatre Union) or The Writers Guild (Of America of or Great Britain).





Why is it important to join a trade union, what can they do for you?

• Unions take on the bad employers, and work with the good to make them better.
• But unions are not just there when something goes wrong. We understand today's working people. Union workplaces are safer, and more likely to help employees get on with better training and development programmes. And in the best workplaces employers and unions have put behind them outdated ideas of confrontation and work together in partnership
• Partnership employers recognise that staff morale and commitment are improved when they are treated well, have their views taken into account and enjoy job security. And in return staff take more pride in their work and are more ready to embrace the changes modern firms often need to compete.

What examples can you find of strikes or other trade union action (look for writers guild strikes in USA), 

• The Writer's Guild of America formed a strike in 2007-2008. The strike moved to increase funding for writers in comparison to the profits for larger studios. The strike was aimed at Alliance Of Motion Picture and Television Producers (a trade Organisation interests of around 350 American Television and Film producers.) 
• Negotiators in the strike reached an agreement in February of 2008 and a deal was approved by both guilds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz-2P13IK9E&feature=youtu.be

Strike over job cuts, work load and claims of bullying. The corporation is cutting over 2000 jobs over 5 years and most through voluntary redundancy. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vwcF6KI7GM&feature=youtu.be

Why did they strike, did it impact any productions?

• Because production ceased for all scripted television programming, hundreds or thousands of support staff were laid off by the studios.
• Within the first week of the strike, AMPTP-member companies fired writers' assistants, production assistants, and other lower-level staffers working on shut down programs.

Freelance contracts

What does it mean to be a freelancer in the media?

• A freelancer is someone who doesn’t work for one company full-time, but is hired by different companies for certain jobs. For example, a magazine or website will have a core team of editors who hire freelance writers to write articles, or a TV production crew might hire freelance cameramen to work on one series of programmes.

What types of freelance contract are there?

• Freelance contracts mean working for a company for a specific time to do a job, they however are responsible for their own arrangements such as holiday or sick pay.
• A fixed-term contract means that the job is temporary and will only be for a specific amount of time. Unlike basic free lance contracts a freelance worker is then entitled to company benefits such as employee discounts and holiday/sick pays.

What types of film or media contracts (short term/fixed term/ first refusal)

• Freelance ^^
• Fixed-term ^
• Permanent-Full time-Work on a full time basis.
• Permanent- Part time-Working part time to a contract.
• Shift work- This means you are set to work specific hours of the day, for example 4am-3pm.
• Office hours.
• Salaried.
• Irregular/anti-social hours pay.
• On completion.

Pros and cons of freelance work. 

link to other post

Editorial Guidelines

Explain what an editorial guideline is:

• An editorial guideline is a key foundation for the maintenance of high editorial standards in everything broadcast or produced by the BBC. They cover a range of standards including impartiality, harm and offence, accuracy, fairness, privacy and dealing with children and young people as contributors.

Look at the following link and summarise the guidelines for two or three of the subheadings
http://www.bbc.co.uk/editorialguidelines/guidelines/

Impartiality:

• It applies for output and services like television and radio, international services, commercial magazines and via the internet.
• The BBC go further by applying the impartiality further than just in the news, the impartiality applies to ALL subjects, the requirements varying. 
• They treat 'Controversial subjects' with impartiality, they seek to provide a range of subject matter and varying perspectives over a suitable timeframe. They create a wide range of opinions so that no significant strand is seen as under-reflected.
• They exercise their freedom to produce content about any subject.

Harm and Offence- Language:

• Strong language can be one of two things it can be taken in jest but it could also cause offence through languages it all depends on the type of viewer. Their age, gender, religion and nationality could all depend on whether or not the programme or film offends a viewer. Strong language could have different impacts depending on the context of its' delivery. The producers ensure a content check over their products taking into consideration the impact that it could have on its'  audience. This helps them decide what time and channel to broadcast their product on depending on whether it is suitable for children or family viewing or whether it should be broadcasted after the watershed where strong language is more acceptable for example Celebrity Juice is aired on ITV 2 at 10pm due to strong language and sexual content.

Why is it important for a television producer to work under guidelines.

It is incredibly important for a television producer to work to guidelines for many reasons, some of which are listed below:

1. Avoids breaking the law.
2. Helps to avoid causing offence or showing content deemed inappropriate for a younger audience.
3. It helps the company receive the best outcome for their programmes.
4. It helps gain a profit, reducing the possibility of suing or getting fined which helps to avoid a failure in the company.
5. It helps the company avoid the loss of viewers.
6. It is very good for business.

BBFC

Who are they and what do they do?

The BBFC are the British Board of Film Classification. They are an organisation of people who grade and class films under a certain certification for viewer protection. They do this to help prevent anyone that is underage from viewing a film suitable for an older audience such as the film Gladiator -a 15 which depicts graphic scenes of violence and some strong language that a younger audience bracket could find offensive. They are the British version of the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America).

What can you/can't you show in a PG, 12A and 15?

15 Films

What you CAN do...

• Show strong violence and contain frequent use of strong language.
• Show drugs and nudity.
• Portray sexual activity and show brief scenes referencing to sexual violence.
• Feature discriminative scenes using verbal or behavioural acts.

What you CAN NOT do...

• Show strong detail of sexual activity or nudity.
• Use drug content to persuade or promote drug misuse. This applies for the showing of dangerous substances.
• Show violence that focuses on the infliction and injury of a person.
• Use strong language which is continuously aggressive.
• Show strong sadistic violence.
• Show signs of dangerous behaviour in great focus nor can they encourage it to be copied.

12 Films

What you CAN do...

• Use some strong language depending on the overall delivery.
• Feature brief and discreet nudity.
• Show some sexual references suitable for a younger viewer, these can often be made into an innuendo or seen with humour.
• Violence which is not heavily graphic or detailed.
• Use weapons so long as they are not glamorised and are used in a discreet way.
• Show scenes of a horrific nature as long as they are not frequent or overly disturbing.
• Show dangerous behaviour such as: Suicide.
• Show the misuse of drugs briefly.

What you CAN NOT do...

• Put emphasis on blood or injury due to violence.
• Glamorise weapons such as knives or guns.
• Present dangerous behaviour in a way that young viewers could copy.
• Endorse anti-social behaviour.
• Glamorise the misuse of drugs.
• Use discriminatory language such as language that is homophobic unless it is later clearly condemned.

PG Films

What you CAN do...

• Use mild bad language such as 'bitch' depending on the context and delivery from the actors.
• Show violence in a mild and non-graphic light, blood can be shown but the reason for the injury can not be shown in great detail.
• Reference to drugs but they will not be a focal point and the reference should be a clear anti-drugs educational message.
• Include sexual references so long as they aren't detailed or frequent, something a child is unlikely to understand is usually allowed.

What you CAN NOT do...

• Contain any content innappropriate for children.
• Contain detailed sexual references.
• Contain detailed violent actions or the use of extremely strong language.
• Contain drug references or the use of drugs if an educational anti-drugs message is apparent.