Media Roles
Choosing Roles for a Media Product
Different media products need different combinations of roles. A product only uses the roles its content and production process require, so identify the product first, then choose the people.
Similar names, different responsibilities
Some titles are easy to mix up, so describe the actual job. A web designer shapes how a site's pages look and how visitors move around them; a web developer builds the working code behind the site, including forms and other interactive features. A script writer writes dialogue and action for a screen production; a copy writer writes promotional or informational text. An editor in publishing selects and improves content for a publication; a video editor chooses and arranges footage after filming.
| Role | What they do | Often confused with |
|---|---|---|
| Web designer | Shapes page appearance and how visitors move around | Web developer, who builds forms and interactive features in code |
| Script writer | Creates a screenplay or script | Copy writer, who writes text for promotion or information |
| Editor in publishing | Shapes and checks published content | Video editor, who assembles recorded footage |
Product and scale decide the team
A printed programme for a school concert might need a photographer, copy writer, graphic designer and editor in publishing, but no camera operator or sound editor. A short animated film for a leisure centre could need a script writer, animator, director and sound editor, but no web developer.
The size of the production matters too. On a small project, one person may carry out more than one role, such as writing the script and operating the camera for a short charity film, but each responsibility is still distinct. A larger production can employ separate specialists for each job.
Practise this
OCR Creative iMedia · Job Roles in the Media Industry