Professional Media Practice – serie

So You Want to Be a Producer is packed with information and advice from top Hollywood producers, writers and directors and is a must-read for anyone interested in what it really takes to get a film made, including: * Finding your story * Obtaining the rights * Developing the script * Hiring your cast and crew * Distributing your movie Lawrence Turman, the producer of more than forty films, including The Graduate, The River Wild, Short Circuit and American History X, offers an insider's guide that covers every aspect of the role, from finding a story and hiring actors to developing a script and marketing the finished product.

The Art of Writing Drama is an indispensable textbook for wherever writing for the stage is taught, but also serves as a foundational book for any student taking courses in performance media - radio, television and film. Coupling theory with practice, the book opens with a survey of the current methodologies of teaching playwriting and of textual analysis. The theories of Bakhtin, Foucault and Derrida are examined as are the agendas of play reviewers from the national press. In the second section of the book, a wealth of guidance with practical exercises on the skills of writing for the stage is provided. Throughout the text, Wandor draws on her extensive experience as both playwright and teacher of creative writing to provide a guide that is both a scholarly and an immensely practical guide to writing for the theatre.

Specialists from across the fast-changing world of TV, Radio, Film, Video and Interactive Media have contributed 'behind-the-scenes' advice to provide the definitive guide to a career in these areas. Updated throughout, the revised second edition of this unique guide answers a multitude of questions, including: * How do I choose a course that will help me? * What are the jobs? * How do I get useful work experience? * What's it like to be a freelance? * What are the areas of opportunity? * How do you find out about jobs that aren't advertised? * Which qualifications or training will help me build my career?

Print journalism is one of the most popular career options among recent graduates. But how many of them land that crucial first job and go on to build a career in print journalism? This book gives you all you need to plan and build your career in journalism, including sections on: * Analysis of the industry: sectors and structures * Types of print journalism: newspapers, national and regional; magazines; consumer handouts; voluntary sector publishing; web journalism; agency work; photojournalism * Range of job opportunities; freelance/salaried; in-house/in the field * Routes into journalism: getting in and getting on * Training and education; resources/contacts.

Video games is a lucrative new market for scriptwriters but writing for video games is complex and very different to traditional media (tv or film). This practical guide shows how you can adapt your writing skills to this exciting medium. Written by an award-winning games writer, the book gives you a realistic picture of how games companies work, how the writer fits into the development process, and the skills required: from storytelling, to developing interactive narrative, characters and viewpoints, dialogue comedy and professional practice. Illustrated with examples from games and quotes from developers, writers and agents, this is a cutting edge professional writing guide at a very accessible price.

This is a practical, how-to guide to producing and presenting radio to a professional standard. Packed with day-to-day advice that captures the essence and buzz of live broadcasting; from preparing your show before it goes out, last minute changes to running orders, deciding what to drop in over a track, how to sell a feature or promote a programme, setting up competitions, thinking fast in a phone in- this book will help you do all that and more. It covers network and commercial, music and talk radio skills. It will particularly suit the independent local or community radio sector, where people often start out. It features advice from industry professionals, covers industry-wide best practice with enough 'need-to-know' technical information to get you up and running, and distills tried and tested practical tips from a specialist BBC radio trainer, and award-winning radio broadcaster with over 15 years of experience. A handbook you wouldn't want to be without before you go on air.

'Incredibly comprehensive. Learn and understand this lot and you will have a fine grasp' Jon Snow 'This sets the standard for every radio newsroom' - Andy Ivy, Editor, Sky News Radio In an age of infinite choice made possible by new technology, and a disturbing move away from traditional reporting into colourful comment and speculation by blogs and 'citizen journalists' there has never been a better time to focus on pure journalism skills. Essential Radio Journalism is a vastly comprehensive working manual for radio journalists as well as a textbook for broadcast journalism students. It contains practical advice for gathering, reporting, writing, editing and presenting, the news, alongside media law and ethics. There is a wealth of 'inside' information, checklists and on-the-job advice that you can immediately put to use whether you are in your first job or have several years of experience. This is a book to inspire responsible, accurate and exceptional journalism skills.

'Incredibly timely, practical advice for developing contacts and skills' Jo Taylor, 4Talent Manager at Channel 4 TV is a notoriously difficult industry to get into and progress within. There is no set career path and 70% of applicants rely on contacts to get a foothold. Based on the author's experience as a TV researcher, series producer and recruitment executive, this contemporary guide will help thousands of hopefuls break into TV. It is packed with inside information and advice from training bodies, HR executives, and people working in the industry at every level, including for example: Conrad Green - the multi award-winning British Executive Producer of American Idol and Dancing With the Stars (US) Tim Hincks - Chairman of Endemol (makers of Big Brother) Grant Mansfield - Chairman and MD of RDF Television Kate Phillips - Head of Development at BBC TV From the do's and don'ts of work experience, the role of the researcher, the 'seven stages of CV', pathways to series producer and how to move up the ladder, this is the TV job hunter's bible.

"One of the few books we'd recommend" BBC Training "The perfect guide for anyone who wants to get on in this ever-changing and challenging media" Controller BBC Radio 5 Live "A rich repository of real, practical experience" Director - BBC Nations & Regions "An invaluable guide" Director - The Radio Academy This is a practical, how-to guide to producing and presenting radio to a professional standard. Packed with day-to-day advice that captures the essence and buzz of live broadcasting; from preparing your show before it goes out, last minute changes to running orders, deciding what to drop in over a track, how to sell a feature or promote a programme, setting up competitions, thinking fast in a phone in - this book will help you do all that and more. It covers network and commercial, music and talk radio skills and is particularly suited to the independent local or community radio. It features advice from professionals, covers industry-wide best practice with enough 'need-to-know' technical information to get you up and running.This edition has been updated throughout and has more than 500 weblinks to downloads and audio and video examples, as well as cross-references to the official National Occupational Standards for Radio Content.

"What Linda Stradling doesn't know about production management isn't worth knowing" The Documentary Filmmakers GroupPlaying a key role in helping producers to interpret and realise the directors' vision, production managers are responsible for all organisational aspects of TV and film production - from start to finish. Now this essential handbook tells you how it's done. Written by highly experienced production manager and specialist tutor, Linda Stradling, this is a complete guide to the profession. It includes details on self-organisation and the best systems to use, budgets, schedules and cost control, hiring and firing, contracts, insurance, setting up a shoot, dealing with contributors, acquiring copyright, people skills and ethics. So whether you're just starting out or want to improve your knowledge and skills, this is the book for you.

"Blows the lid on so many TV secrets" Tom Archer, Controller Factual, BBC "If every first-time producer read this before pitching a program, I guarantee a greater success rate" Gary Lico, President/CEO, CABLEready, USA In recent years there has been an explosion of broadcast and cable channels with a desperate need for original factual/reality programming to fill their schedules: documentaries, observational series, makeover formats, reality competitions. Yet television executives receive a daily avalanche of inappropriate pitches from pushy, badly prepared producers. Only 1 in 100 proposals are considered worth a second look, and most commissioners never read past the first paragraph. Greenlit explains how to develop, research, pitch and sell your idea for any type of factual or reality television show.It gives the inside track on: * What channel executives are really looking for in a pitch * The life stories of hit factual shows such as The Apprentice, Deadliest Catch and Strictly Come Dancing * Advice from channel commissioners, development producers and on-screen talent on both sides of the Atlantic * Eleven steps that will increase your chance of winning a commission In a rapidly expanding TV market, Greenlit is packed with resource lists, sample proposals, case studies and exercises designed to boost your skills and develop commission-winning proposals.