How To Become an Ingest Operator

How To Become an Ingest Operator

What is an Ingest Operator?
An Ingest Operator is an individual who is responsible for managing, accessing and importing data ready for use by Editors.

What is the job?
The role of Ingest Operator involves ingesting a high volume of video rushes in a wide range of different formats from memory cards, cameras, hard drives and various online storage systems. Data ingestion is the process of accessing and importing media ready for immediate use, or for storage in a database for future use. It is their responsibility to transcode media into editable formats and the correct frame rates for the production. Overall, their role is to organise projects for Editors, which can involve setting up project files and syncing camera footage and audio. Their primary duty is to facilitate the timely ingest of media in preparation for edit.

The role requires a solid technical understanding and strong organisational skills. As well as the above duties, you may also be required to compile post-production paperwork and may be asked to assist the edit on certain projects. On top of this, you may be required to undertake other tasks such as general administrative duties.

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How To Become a Prop Master

How To Become a Prop Master

What is a Prop Master?
A Prop Master is part of a team of people who run the property department, which is responsible for making, storing and transporting the props used on a TV or film production.

What is the job?
The role of Prop Master usually begins a few weeks before shooting begins. As a team, or individually, they will work with Production Designers, Set Decorators, and Art Directors to decide which props are needed for each scene of a production. They will work through the location, genre, period and culture of the film to decide on the right props to use.

Following this, the Prop Master will carry out research and create a properties list which will detail the props that are to be hired, and the props that are to be created. For the properties that are going to be hired, the Prop Master will make a note of the locations of these props. Additionally, Prop Masters are also responsible for recruiting Carpenters, Artists and Prop Makers when props need to be made for a production.

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How To Become a Render Wrangler

How To Become a Render Wrangler

What is a Render Wrangler?
A Render Wrangler is responsible for monitoring and controlling the rendering process within the production of computer animation. They can work on animation and VFX projects from the pre-visualisation stage until the project is delivered for compositing.

What is the job?
The role of Render Wrangler involves controlling the rendering process for a few computers or sometimes hundreds of machines, depending on the environment you are working in. Render Wranglers monitor the computers to ensure that input and output of data across various file systems flows smoothly, as well as initiating data movement to allocate disk space in an efficient way.

As a Render Wrangler, you will have to communicate with various artists across different departments. When artists submit completed data for rendering, the render wrangler prioritises work and allocates machines. From here, they will monitor those machines to ensure that there are no technical or computer problems that could impact the success of the final output.

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How To Become a Stop Motion Animator

How To Become a Stop Motion Animator

What is a Stop Motion Animator?
A Stop Motion Animator is an individual who uses a filmmaking technique called Stop Motion, in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames.

What is the job?
The role of Stop Motion Animator involves using models, puppets or clay to create animated films, television commercials, and branded entertainment. They combine the art of photography with narrative skill, as well as the ability to manipulate lighting and calculate angles to create stop motion animation without digitally manipulation.

A Stop Motion Animator will build the animation by taking pictures of objects and scenes in different positions. When these pictures are put together, it appears as if the object is moving on its own within the scene. This unusual approach makes it a compelling kind of animation, quite different from a hand drawn cartoon or computer-generated animation, and the technique has been used in some of the most successful animation projects ever produced.

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How To Become an Art Department Co-ordinator

How To Become an Art Department Coordinator

What is an Art Department Co-ordinator?
Art Department Co-ordinators provide daily administration and budgeting for the Art Department. This department is responsible for creating the overall look of a feature film or television show, with responsibility for designing, building and decorating the sets used for the production.

What is the job?
The Art Department Co-ordinator is hired at a very early stage in the production. They begin by collaborating with the Production Manager, deciding the Art Department’s budget and maintaining a line of communication to ensure that all costs are kept under control. Their main task is ensuring productive collaboration between crew members among set decorating, prop making, production, location scouting and construction. They will report to the Art Director and the Production Designer.

In addition to this, the Art Department Co-ordinator is responsible for scheduling build, dress and strike, all transportation and travel, shipment of equipment, and construction. On top of this, they will also be required to download, copy and deliver the necessary photos of locations and sets to the Production Designer.

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How To Become an FX TD

How To Become an FX TD

What is an FX TD?
FX TDs are Effects Technical Directors. They create physics-based digital effects, such as smoke, water, explosions and fire. These digital effects are then used by animation artists in their shots.

What is the job?
It is the FX TD’s responsibility to make sure the physics-based digital effects that they create look believable and are also consistent with the style of animation, to ensure that they blend seamlessly with the other components of the film. FX TDs aim to meet the Director’s vision in terms of digital effects, using the resources available to them.

The role of FX TD is both an artistic and technical role. As an FX Technical Director, you are likely to be the one with the highest skill level working in your department. Therefore, it will be part of your role to offer guidance to more junior Artists, give face-to-face technical help to all Animation and Lighting Artists, as well as communicate with other departments and provide a positive attitude to the working environment.

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How To Become a Rigging TD

How To Become a Rigging Technical Director

What is a Rigging TD?
A Rigging TD (Technical Director) is responsible for creating digital skeletons for 3D computer-generated models. They work to program these digital skeletons so that they move in a realistic way, and this is then used by Animators as a basis for their character’s movements.

What is the job?
A Rigging TD will work closely with a Modeller, whose job will be to draw a 3D computer-generated model in a static pose. This is then passed on to the Rigging TD who will program this to move in a realistic way. The Rigging TD may also receive the facial shapes and expressions of characters and it is their responsibility to work out how this character moves when they perform different expressions such as smiling.

From here, Animators will test rigs and then provide feedback to the Rigging TD, who will complete any requested adjustments. This process will continue until both the Rigging TD and the Animators are happy with the final result.

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How To Become a Runner

What is a Runner?
For a lot of working film and television professionals, the first foray into the industry was in the entry-level position of ‘Runner’. Whilst it may not be the most glamorous of positions, the role offers an opportunity to gain an idea of the inner workings of a production, make contacts and ultimately get a foot on the ladder. It’s all too easy to dismiss the position of Runner as menial or degrading, yet it is the runners of today that will inevitably be making the television programmes and feature films of tomorrow.

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How To Become a First Assistant Director

How To Become a First Assistant Director

What is a First Assistant Director?

First Assistant Directors (1st ADs) act as the intermediary between the Director and the cast and crew, but they are also responsible for coordinating the whole production activity and providing the production office with regular updates from the shoot.

After going through the script, together with the Director, the First Assistant Director is in charge of creating the filming schedule, which has to take into account the availability of cast and crew involved, script coverage, budget and all other details of the production, making the 1st AD a key person in any production. For the rest of pre-production, Firsts oversee and check that all the necessary duties and tasks to prepare and organise shoots have been carried out.

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