The world of film and TV can feel like a daunting place to try to get into - but did you know there are thousands of jobs in film and TV beyond acting, directing, or producing that can be just as exciting as these better known roles?
We've created a handy list of lesser known or understood job roles in film and TV to get you thinking...
Film/TV Runner
You might have heard of starting out as a runner to work your way up into the film/TV business, but what do they actually do?
TV and film runners work behind the scenes, doing small jobs and basic tasks to help productions run smoothly.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (full list here)
- Collecting and delivering scripts
- Distributing messages and post
- Filing and photocopying
- Driving vehicles around sets or between locations
- Making tea and coffee
Salary: £13k-18k
Hours: 30-41 per week
Animator
Requiring artistic flair and technical ability, animators bring drawings and computer-generated characters to life on screen.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (full list here)
- Drawing how each shot will look
- 'Paint' colour onto digital models to make them look lifelike
- Join together different layers of animation
Salary: £14k-36k
Hours: 35-40 per week
Media Researcher
If you're good at communicating and researching, you might be the right fit for a media researcher role. Media researchers support producers by finding information, people and places for television or radio programmes.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (full list here)
- Discussing programme ideas and researching needs with producers
- Finding and checking information
- Searching media libraries and archives
Salary: £16k-40k
Hours: 38-40 per week
Dubbing Mixer
Dubbing mixers work with the different elements of sound for film and TV productions to produce the final soundtrack.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (Full list here)
- Bringing together the audio for the actors' voices, everyday background sounds (foley), sound effects and music.
Salary: £20k-60k
Hours: 37-48 per week
Gaffer
Gaffers head up the team of lighting and electrical technicians for a film, tv, or video production.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (Full list here)
- Make sure the correct lighting and electrics are in place to make the scene work.
- Determine what kind of lighting effects are needed for each scene.
Salary: £30k-£50k
Hours: 37-42 per week
Film/TV Production Manager
Production managers need more of a business and financial eye, taking care of the business, financial and recruitment side of film and television productions.
Examples of day-to-day jobs... (Full list here)
- Working with the producer and senior production staff
- Drawing up a production schedule & budget
- Hiring crew & contractors
Salary: £25k-£45k
Hours: 38-40 per week
What else can you do in Film & TV?
There are hundreds of different roles in this industry, from set design to marketing, finance to post-production. To see a longer list of roles for you to consider - check out Film and TV roles on Sort here.
Want to know more about how to get into the industry?
Our friends at BBC Bitesize met up with Oscar-award-winning film expert Gareth Ellis-Unwin, who answered questions about getting into the film industry and find out how organisations like ScreenSkills, where he is head of film and animation, can help. Check out the full video here.
