The Interactive Media Industry Organisational Structures and Job Roles Research: Skillset.org

Introduction The Interactive Media Industry consists of many different areas of organisation, and many different job roles within those. From administration to the creative process, this presentation will brush the surface of each area and give some examples of the kind of job roles found in them.

Organisational Areas Managerial Managing a department in the industry is vitally important. Managers ensure the smooth running of an interactive media studio. Depending on their position (Studio Manager, Project Manager, etc.) a manager can have several responsibilities. Examples… Studio Manager: Oversees the work and liaising with other departments within the company. It may also first involve actually setting up the studio and recruiting staff. Project Manager: Plans, schedules and co-ordinates interactive media development projects, ensuring they run smoothly, on time and within budget. Account Manager: Develops, maintains and improves relationships with existing clients, ensuring their needs are met, and obtaining repeat business from them.

Organisational Areas Creative The creative aspect of any form of interactive media is important. They define the look and overall ‘feel’ of the piece of media, and are what draw in and entice the customer. Some roles depend on others to progress in their work. Examples… Concept Artist: These artists initially visuals what a piece of media/art will look like when finished. 3D Model/Graphic Artist: These artists need the concept art to work off of, to create something that, for example, the animators could use. Animator: Animators require the Models or Graphics to animate the most common styles of animation, which in turn require concept art. The members of the creative area of the interactive media industry rely on each other.

Organisational Areas Technical The technical team are some of the most important people in the production of an interactive product. They allow the audience to change the media in some way thanks to programing and coding, and without the equipment that records, renders or creates, there would be no product. Examples… Action Scripter/Programmer: Programmers have various roles and specialisms including AI (artificial intelligence), game engine development, user interface, tools development, and physics. Render Wrangler: Render Wranglers supervise the rendering process which can involve monitoring anything from a few computers to a major render farm of, perhaps, a thousand machines.

Organisational Areas Editorial Editors make changes to several different stages of production to make sure they are the best they can be. This can be anything from changing a script to deciding which scenes make it into a movie or T.V show. Examples… Editor: Editors check the technical standards, as well as the emerging sense of story and the actor‘s performances. Because scenes are shot and edited out of sequence, Editors may work on scenes from the end of the film before those at the beginning. Script Editor: Script Editors do not offer solutions, but instead use their analytical skills to help Screenwriters identify problems, explain the potential consequences of Screenwriter‘s choices, and help develop screenplays. Titles Designer: Titles Designers usually start work near the end of the editing process, when they meet with the Director and Editor to discuss the themes and ideas in the film that will influence the creation of the opening titles, graphic captions within the film, the end cards and end roller.

Organisational Areas Marketing The Marketing department help advertise the media product that has been developed. Examples… Market Research Interviewer: These people gather information on people's attitudes and opinions by asking them questions from pre-prepared surveys. Public Relations Officer: The role of a public relations officer can range from planning PR campaigns and strategies, monitoring the public and media's perception of their client and arranging events like press launches, news conferences, exhibitions, open days and sponsorship. Advertising Copywriter: Copywriters produce the written words or ‘copy’ for advertisements. This could be anything from slogans and text for printed ads and leaflets, to radio jingles and scripts for TV commercials.

Organisational Areas Legal Laws are important in the production of an interactive media product, the most important being copyright and trademarks. A person can be sued for using someone else’s piece of media in their own without permission. Examples… Lawyers: Lawyers make sure everything done during the development of the product is legal and not infringing copyright or trademark, and will defend the developers if they are taken to court over their product.

Organisational Areas Financial It is important to regulate a budget when producing an interactive media product. If it is spent inefficiently the development could fail. They make sure both sides of a transactions involving money meet their side of a deal. Examples… Financial Controllers: Financial Controllers are responsible for controlling accounting, taxation and financial analysis for all the company's areas of operation, which may encompass development, production and distribution. Financial Controllers may also be required to supervise the activities of one or more full-time Assistants.

Organisational Areas Administration Administrators assist several different areas of pre-production, most prominently the team in charge of funding. They make sure everything in the area they are overseeing runs smoothly. Examples… Fund Administrator: The Fund Administrator will assist the fund team in all aspects of the grant giving function. Development Administrator: The development administrator will provide secretarial and administrative support to the development team and act as a first point of contact for partners, stakeholders and the public.