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• Television/film/video producer: Salary and conditions

Television/film/video producer: Salary and conditions

• Range of typical starting salaries: £15,000 - £25,000.
• Range of salaries with experience: £30,000 - £75,000 (all salary data collected Nov 2008).
• Experienced staff can earn more by freelancing: £900 - £1,300 a week for a typical 16-week project.
• Salaries vary enormously depending on the size of the company and the size and scale of the project.
• Salaried, permanent jobs with companies are becoming fewer, which may lead to financial insecurity.
• Work involves regular unsocial hours at weekends and in the evenings. Long hours and time spent in meetings or on location are the norm.
• The working environment may vary: producers may be based in an office or studio or on location.
• Self-employment and freelance work are common and work is frequently offered on a contract basis. The freelance nature of the work may cause some employment insecurity.
• Career breaks may create difficulties because of the competitive nature of the industry and the need to network and keep up to date with industry changes.
• The ratio of male to female producers is becoming more equal.
• A great many of the jobs are in London, as many post-production and facilities houses are based in Soho. Outside the capital, most production companies are in large cities such as Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Work on location may be anywhere in the country.
• You need to be highly motivated to succeed and able to take pressure as this is a job with the potential for an enormous amount of stress. Flexibility and mobility are extremely important, as is the ability to handle a high level of financial responsibility.
• Travel during the working day is frequent. Absence from home at night is also common.
• Overseas work or travel may sometimes be necessary.

AGCAS

Written by Gemma Palmer, University of Derby

Last updated:

December 2008

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