CAREER GUIDE africa digital

media institute

GETTING
STARTED IN
FILM & TELEVISION
NO ART PASSES
OUR CONSCIENCE
IN THE WAY FILM
DOES, AND GOES
DIRECTLY TO OUR
FEELINGS, DEEP
DOWN INTO THE
DARK ROOMS
OF OUR SOULS
Ingmar Bergman
Swedish Director, Writer, Producer
CONTENTS
4 A Career in Film & TV Production

10 What’s Next?

12 Get Inspired

14 About ADMI
A CAREER IN
FILM & TELEVISION
The global film industry shows healthy projections for the coming years,
as the global box office revenue is forecast to increase from $US 38 billion
in 2016 to nearly US$ 50 billion in 2020. – Statista (2017). This does not
take into account the overwhelming growth in entertainment and education
content demand being driven by the digital migration worldwide.

Today, there are hundreds of entertainment careers, many of which can

be quite lucrative and fulfilling. But you should know what you’re looking
for before you start looking. This guide will provide you with some career
profiles of some of the more popular film and television career choices.

Besides film and television production companies, job opportunities can

be found across a range sectors including corporate business, charities,
universities, marketing, advertising and other creative industries.

Many professionals work as self-employed freelancers, working on client

projects as opposed to full-time employment.

Your software will be

FINAL CUT PRO

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As a film maker you SPEND YOUR DAY...
• Organizing and stringing together raw footage into a continuous whole
according to scripts or the instructions of directors and producers.
• Reviewing assembled films or edited videotapes on screens or monitors
to determine if corrections are necessary.
• Trimming film segments to specified lengths and reassembling
segments in sequences that present stories with maximum effect.
• Determining the specific audio and visual effects and music necessary
to complete films.
• Setting up and operating computer editing systems, electronic titling
systems, video switching equipment, and digital video effects units to
produce a final product.

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CAREER OPTIONS
Executive Producer
As an executive producer, you will not necessarily be involved in the
technical aspects of the filmmaking process. You may have a financial or
creative role in making sure that the project goes into production.
There may be several Executive Producers on a film with different
responsibilities. In development, as the Executive Producer, you will be
required to secure the rights to a story and develop the screenplay. You
then hand over to the lead Producer, but you will not get involved in the
actual production of the film. In production, as the Executive Producer
you will act as a mentor to the Producer. You will also supervise the
production for the financiers.

Editor
As the Editor, you will work closely with the Director, deciding how to
maximize the potential of the screenplay. To ensure that the story flows
effortlessly from beginning to end, you will be required to guarantee each
shot is carefully chosen and edited into a series of scenes, which are in
turn assembled to create the finished film.
Because scenes are shot and edited out of sequence, you may work on
scenes from the end of the film before those at the beginning, and must
therefore be able to maintain a good sense of how the story is unfolding.
You will select the best takes and edit them together to create scenes. In
some cases, an improvised line or an actor’s interpretation of their role
may create some on-screen magic that can be developed into a new and
exciting scene.
During the post production period, you, the, Editor and the Director work
closely together, refining the assembly edit into the ‘director’s cut’, which
must be approved by the producers, until they achieve picture lock or ‘fine
cut’ (when the Director and/or Executive Producer give final approval of
the picture edit).

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Casting Director
Have you ever watched an actor playing a small role in a film or TV show
and had a feeling that they would soon be famous? This is the role of a
casting director, being able to understand the skills of an actor and match
them with an appropriate role.
In pre-production, as the Casting Director, you will work with both the
Director and the Producer to assemble the perfect cast for the film. As
a result, you must have in-depth and up-to-date knowledge of new and
existing acting talent.
You will be responsible for matching the ideal actor to each role, based
on a number of factors, such as the actor’s experience, ability, reputation,
availability and box office appeal. You will also work closely with Production
Accountants to prepare the casting budget.
As a Casting Director, you will need a vast knowledge of a huge range of
actors and an extensive understanding of their abilities, as well as a thorough
appreciation of changing trends within the film industry. This requires a
strong instinct for acting talent and great dedication and commitment.

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Agent
As an agent, you will be required to find work for your clients,
cultivating relationships with industry decision-makers in order to
persuade them to take their clients on. Much of your time will be
spent establishing and maintaining relationships, using contacts to
source work. You must keep up-to-date with what’s happening in the
entertainment industry, especially what productions are in development.
You also will look for new artists to complement their existing roster.

Director
As a director, you will be responsible for the look and sound of a production
and its technical standards. You work closely with producers and/or writers,
enhancing, refining and realizing original ideas into finished programs.
As a director in television, you will act as a liaison between television
producers and technical crews. You will oversee all directing of live
broadcasts, filming programs, post-production editing and mixing. You will
be required to use management, organizational and creative skills to take
the vision for a production from the concept stage to a fully completed
project.
Directors experience a lot of pressure; therefore, you will have to be highly
organized and efficient. If you cannot organize the shots you need in time,
the production will fall way behind schedule making the production go
over budget.
On documentaries and factual programming, some directors shoot their
own material, interview contributors and edit these materials as well. They
may work with the support of only a Researcher/Associate Producer and an
Executive Producer, and with very small technical crews (camera, sound and
editing only). In these cases, directors must be more self-sufficient, often
taking on the dual role of producer and director.
On news or current affairs, directors direct multi-camera programs from
the gallery, under considerable time pressure to produce a smooth running
final product. They may need to change the running order at the last minute
to accommodate breaking news, and must be able to react quickly and
effectively in very stressful circumstances.

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Camera Operator
As camera operator, you will record the visual images that make up movies,
television shows, news broadcasts, music videos and televised news and
sporting events. You may also film live events like concerts and sports.
Camera Operators carry out the Director of Photography’s (DoP) and
Director’s instructions for shot composition and development. You will be
the first person to use the camera’s eyepiece to assess how all the elements
of performance, art direction, lighting, composition and camera movement
come together to create the cinematic experience.
You must make sure the camera and equipment are prepared for the required
set-ups and ready for any last-minute changes. As a camera operator, you
must be able to multi-task and to watch, listen and think on your feet while
carrying out complex technical tasks.

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WHAT’S NEXT?
What skills and experience do I need?

Creativity
You must be very creative, and able to generate ideas for stories,
backgrounds, music, and other elements involved in a film production.
Great filmmakers have terrific vision and can see the film from its
conception through to its final product. They never lose sight of the
ultimate goal.

Writing
Even if a director has never written a script in his life, he still needs to
understand how one is written. Screenplays have specific three-act
structures, and being able to recognize how a script adheres to this
structure is an important skill in filmmaking. Often, as a director you
will need to rewrite a script to put your own stamp on it, whether it is a
simple polish for dialogue or a complete overhaul to meet your creative
needs. Whatever the reason, doing this will be difficult without the ability
to write.

Communication
Making a film is virtually impossible to do on your own. At a minimum,
you have to manage actors, camera operators, sound technicians and
editors. The larger the film, the more moving parts you must manage.
Successfully navigating different workers -- each with his or her own
ideas, methods and egos -- requires strong communication skills. You
have to successfully convey your vision to each of them to ensure it ends
up reflected in the finished film.

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WHAT’S NEXT?
What skills and experience do I need?

Technical Expertise
It’s not uncommon for a creative person to have no interest in the
technical side of things. This does not work for a filmmaker. You do need
to know how to frame and light a shot and be able to recognize when
sound levels are off. If you don’t have the know-how to do these things,
the finished product will not be your complete vision.

Work experience
Like in all creative arts, starting your career in film production can be
challenging as there is strong competition for roles. Work experience,
whether paid or voluntary, is essential for building your resume and
portfolio, as well as increasing your networking opportunities. It’s never
too early to start; you can take on temporary and part-time jobs while
studying or during weekends and vacation periods.

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Get Inspired
judy kibinge
Judy Kibinge is an award-winning Kenyan filmmaker, writer and producer. Her film is
known as depicting social taboos, violence in developing countries, and romantic comedy.
Her film Something Necessary was screened at the 2013 Toronto International Film
Festival, which is about a woman’s struggle of living in Kenya after the elections unrest
in 2007. This movie does not only focus on the character’s mental states but also helps
the world to realize the collapsed situation of Kenya, which started from colonization. She
is also known for her documentary film called Coming of Age which she won an award
at the Africa Movie Academy Awards in 2009 for Best Short Documentary category. In
addition to that, one of her significant films called Dangerous Affair won an award at the
Zanzibar Film Festival.[1] Her film often provides real life problems as oppose to fantasy
and magical imaginations. However real life problems she focuses on have a wide range.
Her movies can be about personal issues between a couple which audience can easily
be related to, and also they can be about social problems occurring in Africa such as
colonialism, war, and hunger. As being known for documentary movies, her film style
usually contains many establishing shots, which depict the entire city and people who live
there, rather than keep focusing on one person’s life. In addition to that, she is a founding
member of Kwani Trust, which is an African magazine based in Kenya.

Judy Kibinge began her career at McCann Erickson Kenya for eight years, where she
was responsible for numerous award-winning adverts. She was the first black Creative
Director at the company in Kenya. She moved on from McCann Erickson in October 1999
to pursue her career in Film industry. She has written and directed a short film for MNET,
and she also produced corporate documentaries for IPPF, Monsanto, and Technoserve.
She is also known for establishing DocuBox, which is a documentary film fund for African
filmmakers to help them produce and distribute their film.

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Stephen Spielberg
Undoubtedly one of the most influential film personalities in the history of film, Steven
Spielberg is perhaps Hollywood’s best-known director and one of the wealthiest
filmmakers in the world. Spielberg has countless big-grossing, critically acclaimed
credits to his name, as producer, director and writer.

Spielberg’s films have explored primeval fears, as in Jaws (1975), or expressed childlike
wonder at the marvels of this world and beyond, as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(1977) and E.T. (1982). He has also tackled literary adaptations, such as The Color Purple
(1985) and Empire of the Sun (1987). And audiences around the world were riveted by
the continuing adventures of his daredevil hero Indiana Jones in such films as Raiders
of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). Imaginative
fantasy is dominant in Spielberg’s Peter Pan-inspired Hook (1991), while Jurassic Park
(1993) and its sequel The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997) rely on traditional action and
monster-horror sequences. (Source: IMDB)

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ABOUT ADMI LEARN-AND-WORK
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, the Africa
Digital Media Institute (ADMI) is
MODEL
Eastern Africa’s premier creative ADMI’s learn-and-work model requires students
arts, media and technology training to rigorously engage with and contribute to
institution. With students, faculty and industry throughout their academic experience.
staff from over 10 countries, ADMI As a student at ADMI, you will be able to
offers world-class training in Film & TV participate in Industry events which will enable
Production, Software Engineering & you to gain industry exposure and connect
Design, Animation, Music Production, what you’re learning in class to industry trends,
Sound Engineering, Graphic & Digital while also building your professional networks.
Design, Photography, Multimedia and
Digital Marketing. ADMI provides an Our Work Placement program will further
innovative platform through which the enable you to use the skills you learn in class
next generation of digital professionals to produce professional products for the
and creative entrepreneurs get the school’s employer partners. You will be held
training, mentorship and platform to high professional standards in terms of your
they need to turn their passion into attitude, behavior and work quality. By the time
a profession. you complete your final term of coursework,
you will have completed several client briefs,
equipping you with invaluable experience in
animation and an impressive portfolio to boot.

FILM & TELEVISION

AT ADMI
At ADMI’s flagship Film department, we teach students the
magical art of storytelling, equipping them with the skills to
inspire and move audiences through diverse cinematic tools.
From the outset, students are immersed in all aspects of the
creative journey, from ideation and creative writing through
to scriptwriting, production, directing, cinematography,
sound and post-production editing.

While providing a sound basis in theory, ADMI balances

practical experience with a comprehensive acquisition
of core skills. Graduates are technically and aesthetically
proficient in all areas of film and television production
and, through project-based collaborations, will develop a
diverse portfolio, ranging from comedies and music videos
to documentaries and commercials.

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 TO GET STARTED IN
fiLM & TELEVISION AT ADMI

CLICK HERE

www.admi.ac.ke @admiafrica [email protected]

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P.O.Box 35447 - 00100
Nairobi, Kenya

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