When looking for a job in television it can be helpful to know what jobs are available to go after. For most of us we learn this from taking a post secondary program in broadcasting and most likely act out these positions on a small scale. For those of us who are not quite sure who is doing what when you are watching the news or a live sporting event, I am going to detail what each of these people do.

During your basic show or sporting event there are many people that go into the making of it. I am going to focus on a live show from the time it goes on the air until it fades to black.

The crew consists of:
-Producer
-Director
-Production Assistant
-Technical Director
-Audio Technician
-Camera People
-Floor Director
-Graphics person
-Video Tape Operator(s)

1. The Producer: This is the person that is in charge of what is in the show, how it is arranged and basically who has the final say on what goes to air. The producer does most of their work before the show and especially in live news or sports, will be working right up until the show goes on the air. It is a job that is very stressful but at the same time very rewarding. A good producer knows what everyone else has to do and ideally lets them do it. The producer also deals with the talent and makes sure they are prepared and know everything that is going on.

In my experience the best producers are the ones who can remain calm and collected and they do not micro manage. They are still the boss but they put their faith in the crew to get the job done. A relaxed environment starts at the top and a good producer can set the stage.

Tomorrow I will focus on the director.