Unit 4, 2.1 - 2.5

Unit 4, 2.1 - "Describe effective time management skills needed to plan workload."

Knowing how to manage your time effectively is a skill that is invaluable when it comes down to planning your workload.

Time management skills that would be needed for planning a workload can range from a number of things, but most importantly, to ensure a smooth-running plan, it is all about learning, and carrying out, the following:

1) Being aware of what needs to be completed.

2) Setting out a plan of what you are going to do when/where, etc.

3) Going through your plan, one by one, and completing the tasks (remembering to keep note of what you have done and what is left to finish.)

Unit 4, 2.2 - "Describe how to specify and agree timescales, budgets and resources."


Working out what the project at hand is of first importance before agreeing timescales, budgets and resources. Once you are aware of the project, then, you are able to fulfill the rest of the criteria needed.

Ask yourself these questions:

Timescale - How long will it take for you to complete the task, and when does it need to be completed?

Budgets - Do I need anything for the task, and, if so, how much will it cost?

Resources - What will you need to complete the task?

One important task I had to carry out as an apprentice for my appointed company was to get a Digibeta copy of our film, along with a selection of photographic stills stored on some-kind of portable hard drive.

Firstly, I identified the timescale I had to do this in. The package had to be in Germany by the end of the week, and I was asked to do this task on Tuesday night, to begin on Wednesday morning, so it was of utmost importance.

Secondly, I noted that the stills for the film also needed to be transported with the Digibeta copy, so, once I tried to copy the photos to a DVD and that didn't work, I instead used a 4GB USB to store them on. This meant that I went over my estimated budget of £10 for the storage of the photos, but in certain situations like this one, it was needed.

For the second part of the budget (sending the tape and the stills) I estimated around £50 in total for the shipping of the package.

Lastly, for the resources part of the task, I needed someone to be able to send the package to Germany for it to be delivered the next day. Here, I noted that the best place in order to complete my task would be the post office, and so the package was sent through Royal Mail for a next day delivery.

Unit 4, 2.3 - "Explain how to construct a simple project plan."

Constructing a project plan is easy to do once you know how. There are certain criteria that should be followed to determine a simple-to-follow plan, but also one that is effective.

To explain how to set up a project plan, the example I am going to give is all about sourcing, and gaining, the information needed to set up your companies website. This was a task I was set to do at my company, and one that was pretty important for the re-design and launch of our website.

1) Understanding the brief you have been tasked seems to be obvious, but a lot of the time we don't listen or read the brief at hand. For this example, I needed to fish out photographs free-of-copyright that could be used on the site for specific in-development features.

2) Like effectively managing your workload, constructing a simple project plan is no different - you need to be aware of what needs to be completed, the timescale that the project given to you has been set for completion, if there are budgets, and what are the resources that are required from you or anyone else. The more information you are aware of, the easier it will be to complete the task in the end. I had to ask what sort of photos I needed to get for each film, as all of them dealt with different themes and I couldn't find a picture of a rabbit and stick it with a horror film - it would be totally irrelevant and would defeat the purpose of what we were trying to portray for that particular film.

3) Once you are aware of all these details, it is time to make yourself a physical version of your project plan, so you have something to go back and forth to. You can use Word, Excel, or any other program that will enable you to build tables - whatever works for you, really, as long as you have some kind of reference for your project.

4) List out the requirements from you, your timescale, budgets (if any) and resources. Having an electronic version of your project plan will definitely help in the long-run. As you go along, you can update this in accordance to how much you have achieved so far. 

5) Finally, on the project plan, add any other key issues that you need to. I jotted down the kinds of photos I needed for a particular film, so I wouldn't forget. I also got a few reference images to help me out (ones that were copyrighted) and added a number of free stock image sites to look at.

And there you have it, a quick guide that clearly demonstrates how to make a simple project plan. It is best to remember that, when viewing a plan such as this, it works in a more effective way than a list - with just a little bit more thought gone into it!

2.4 "Explain the use of a contingency plan"

A contingency plan is (in other words) a pre-prepared plan that would have been instigated in case something goes wrong on in a certain situation. This can span from something as simple as a particular person not being able to come into work, or a missing production card on a shoot of a film.

The use of a contingency plan  and to have one in place, is important because it is never a 100% bet that everything will run smoothly, whatever the situation is. Though it is only in particular circumstances where a contingency plan would have to be used, there is nothing wrong with setting one up for the off-chance that something doesn't go according to the original plan. 

2.5 "Explain the importance of storing work, using version control and observing file naming conventions." 


It is important, when storing work, to use version control (basically the changes that have been made on your computer, whether that is the history or downloading a massive software package) and observing file naming conventions.

Conventions are usually there for a purpose, as, when storing your work, there are certain key words that can be remembered, and version control can keep track of these.

I've come across the problem in and outside of work where I have saved a document someone had sent to me, without finding the correct file it needed to go into, or changing the title of the document. At a later stage, when trying to search for this document, it was impossible because I couldn't remember what I had saved it under, and where. You can't rely on Windows XP's search engine to find a document for you - you should know where you placed it to save yourself, and others, a lot of valuable time.

It's best to be over-organised than under-organised and noting what file naming conventions are makes it so much easier for you or anyone else to look for a particular document.

Unit 4, 1.4 "The impact of different behaviours and conduct in the workplace."

Unit 4, 1.4 - "Explain the impact of different behaviours and conduct in the workplace."


Whether you notice it or not, the way you carry yourself at work, and the mood that you are in, can have an impact on the people surrounding you.

If you are slumped over in your chair, grimacing as you type away, well, it is pretty obvious then that you are not in a good mood.

If you come into the office with a bright face and a positive attitude, it's easy for everyone to lock onto this mentality.  

Generally, it is nice to work in an office environment, or any kind of working environment, where it is at least a little bit pleasant. 

Having a nice atmosphere in the office improves your mood and everyone else's mood, and ultimately, the way that you conduct yourself in the workplace and the way that you perform your daily tasks. 


(Next section reprinted from Unit 5)

The impact of different behaviours and conducts in the workplace can have a knock back affect on everyone. We try to avoid bringing our down-and-out moods into the workplace, but sometimes it is unavoidable and many conflicts can arise from this. 

Note for this example I’m going to change the names of the people involved in the situation.

Recently, I came across Martin, who was dissatisfied with the service he was receiving from another colleague, Sarah, working on the film we were shooting.

The colleague in question had family issues and couldn’t return to work for a few weeks, and she was the only person who could deal with Martin’s problems. I told Martin I would do my best to contact Sarah (sending her emails/ringing her up), but that is all I could do.

I went about trying to get in contact with Sarah, and found, when I rung her up, I caught her at a really bad time. Doing so put me in a bad position (this could be looked upon as being ‘unprofessional’) but this was the only way that I could resolve the situation – by getting in contact with her

When I spoke to Martin, I informed him that I spoke to Sarah and that she would be in by the end of the week, (though it wasn’t 100% certain this was going to happen).

I completely understood Martin’s situation, but since this was something that was out of my hands and I couldn’t deal with personally, I had to give him as many contact numbers and emails as possible for people that possibly might have been able to help. 

In the end, I managed to get in contact with one of our companies contacts who then took on board Martin’s case and tried to resolve it the best they could.

Situations like these, I’ve found, arise a lot when working in a production company. Particularly when people are away and you are the only one to deal with their request, knowing that you can’t deal with it personally is aggravating sometimes. You want to help out the person in need as best as you can, but when you don’t have the information or the means to do so, then it is practically impossible.

Unit 4, 1.2 "Describe challenging behaviours & issues in the workplace" and 1.3, "Explain the role of the key people to inform in relation to these examples."

Unit 4, 1.2 - "Describe challenging behaviours and issues in the workplace" and 1.3 - "Explain the role of the key people to inform in relation to these examples."


Life isn't plain sailing. If it was, we wouldn't be able to form ourselves as 'proper' human beings (to an extent anyway). Certain things we come across in life, whether they are negative or positive, can make us better people for it, so of course, in the workplace, you're going to face difficult hurdles you'll have to overcome.


One prime example of a challenging event that may come to light during a working day is the infamous rude person on the phone. This can happen in mostly any office-based job you have, and to try and communicate with someone via the phone who isn't being very nice, well, we all know that is a difficult task to carry out.


Other examples of challenges and issues you may come across can be double booked meetings (where you have booked one meeting at the same as the other) or mixing up a delivery time and date.


When either of those issues arise, you will usually have to speak to someone, particularly when it comes to something as important as a delivery.


Let's go with the delivery scenario, here. I have had this problem before at work, where I have had to change the time of a delivery because there will be no one in the office, or that whatever package is getting delivered has to be couriered ASAP.


Depending on who this is going to effect, you need to make sure that you are in constant contact with this person. A good example is when we were shooting our film, the production office was based in the North (way outside of London), so a lot of packages would be delivered to our London office where I worked.


If something was sent to me and I had to get it couriered to a London address, I would have to be in frequent contact with the Production Manager and Production Coordinator; possibly the Line Manager on occasions. They would need to know, if that were through phoning or emailing, whether the job had been done, and if complications would arise to stop me from carrying out the task.


Another example of a challenging behaviour and issue that has arisen in my work is something I have reprinted from Unit 5. 


(Note for this example I’m going to change the names of the people involved in the situation.)

Recently, I came across Martin, who was dissatisfied with the service he was receiving from another colleague, Sarah, working on the film we were shooting.

The colleague in question had family issues and couldn’t return to work for a few weeks, and she was the only person who could deal with Martin’s problems. I told Martin I would do my best to contact Sarah (sending her emails/ringing her up), but that is all I could do.

I went about trying to get in contact with Sarah, and found, when I rung her up, I caught her at a really bad time. Doing so put me in a bad position (this could be looked upon as being ‘unprofessional’) but this was the only way that I could resolve the situation – by getting in contact with her

When I spoke to Martin, I informed him that I spoke to Sarah and that she would be in by the end of the week, (though it wasn’t 100% certain this was going to happen).

I completely understood Martin’s situation, but since this was something that was out of my hands and I couldn’t deal with personally, I had to give him as many contact numbers and emails as possible for people that possibly might have been able to help. 

In the end, I managed to get in contact with one of our companies contacts who then took on board Martin’s case and tried to resolve it the best they could.

Situations like these, I’ve found, arise a lot when working in a production company. Particularly when people are away and you are the only one to deal with their request, knowing that you can’t deal with it personally is aggravating sometimes. You want to help out the person in need as best as you can, but when you don’t have the information or the means to do so, then it is practically impossible.

All the issues that we face at work, or life in general, can either be self-inflicted ones (due to harmless mistakes and misunderstandings), or being at the receiving end of someone else's problems that you have to try and fix out. It's impossible not to face tasks in the work place, as there will always be something that crops up that will put us in a situation where we are faced with challenging behaviours issues. And, when these complications do arise, we need to be aware of the people that we need to inform about these situations. 

Unit 4, 1.1 - "Describe and compare the cultures of different Creative Media workplaces."

Unit 4, 1.1 "Describe and compare the cultures of different Creative Media workplaces."

Wherever you work, the environment that you work in will always be different from the previous job placement.

In our college group, though a lot of us do similar, general administration tasks, our working environments are a lot different. Some of us work for big companies, while others, like myself, have been placed with smaller, more independent companies.

In their own words, some of the group have talked about their company and what they do, their role within the company, and the kind of environment they work in.

Apprentice: Ellie

Work placement: Webra, a multimedia company who concentrate mostly on web design, and 2D/3D animation.

Role: Production assistant to the managing director. This also involves general administration and various other creative tasks.

Dress code: Dress code can vary in the office. The general dress code is smart-casual but if I have to attend important meetings with the producer, then smart clothes are appropriate. I think everyone generally comes to the office looking presentable which is appropriate if clients want to pop into the office unexpectedly.

Time off:  I would usually email the producer to ask for it off, with plenty of notice. I can work another day to work the time back if we do not want to actually take our holiday pay at that time which I think is a great. Also, our offices close for 2 weeks over christmas which is part of our holiday pay. I believe I get 16 days holiday over the year.

Language: Swearing is something that generally isn't done in the office. No-one seems to swear very much.

Office atmosphere: Everyone is very respectful and polite to each other. It's a very calm and creative atmosphere as 3 out of the 5 people in the workplace are under 21. This creates a great buzz in the office and the only time there is conflict is when we are bouncing off each other for creative ideas!

I've never been asked to dress in a smart-casual way, so I know that we don't have a dress code! I usually wear what I would wear out on any day to the office (jeans, t-shirt, that kind of thing). It isn't required of me to go with a smart-casual look as I don't attend meetings that our producers/director does.

Regarding time off, Ellie has to email the producer, whereas I can ask for time off in all sorts of communication mediums (face-to-face, email, phone, etc.). I don't have to give too much notice, but enough is usually better as many things can crop up for my colleagues (which did happen, causing me to have to wait until I could take my second week off). I have the same amount of annual leave as Ellie does, clocking in at 17 days.

Swearing is something that does play apart in our office, so again, that is a difference from our working environments. Though, I personally don't swear that much in the office, (I have an odd slip here and there, but usually, especially when there is someone in the office I don't know, I'll be respectful enough as I know I can go off on one when it comes to language), there is the option to swear, but obviously not go overboard with it (which I tend to do!).

There is a sort-of young vibe in our office, too. A lot more relaxed then other office-related environments are, but out of the four of us, I am definitely the youngest one here! (Everyone else is 30+)

Apprentice: Jemel

Work placement: I work for Live Nation Entertainment, the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: Ticketmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Front Line Management Group and Live Nation Network.

Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five ecommerce sites, with over 26 million monthly unique visitors.

Role: I work under the ecommerce department as a Junior designer, I work on a variety of live projects internal and external from festival & ticketing websites, concert passes, promotional material for web and print and much more.

Dress code: When it comes to dress code there isn’t one just as long as you look presentable that’s all that counts, some colleagues have roles that require them to meet clients often so they tend to dress smart most of the time.

Time off: We have an online system (whosoff.com) we log into to request and book time off which has to be approved by your manager. Can’t speak for every employee but my manager seems to be pretty flexible but during busy times you may have to compromise understandably. If you fall ill unexpectedly or for any other unforeseen reason you can’t make it to work you are expected to contact your manager immediately.

Language: I hardly swear myself and I have only heard one swear word my duration here so far coming from a frustrated colleague.

Office atmosphere: My workplace covers 2 floors over at my office in Leicester square and another 2 floors at our office based in Argyll Street, which I visited to meet the boss, Paul Latham. We have offices all over the world but based on the two I have been to I would describe the atmosphere as friendly, easy going but fast paced and hard working.

Jemel works for a very big company, even I've heard of. Because of this, Livenation seems to be a lot more organised and strict than Steel Mill Pictures.

Whereas I would probably be working on my own, and once in a blue-moon working side-by-side with someone in the office on a particular task that requires more than one person, Jemel is constantly working with his colleagues on a specific brief, as that is required in his job as a designer.

Jemel points out that sometimes his colleagues have on-the-go meetings, so they are always looking smart. Most of the time, when someone is around in the office, they will have a meeting at some point during the day, but as far as I can remember, I don't think I have ever seen anyone I work with wearing a suit for any of those meetings, just normal, casual clothes.

When requesting time off, Jemel and his colleagues have to sign into a website to do that,  because there are a lot of employees, but for me, as I mentioned, I would ask my employees through different means of communication.

Out of all the apprentices that have given feedback on the culture of their environment, Jemel's company seems to be waving the flag the highest when it comes to a no-no on swearing, completely different from where I work.

Our office atmosphere, when it comes to being easy going and friendly, is true to my company. Depending on the period of time, though, there may be a slump where nothing much is going on, or when everything is all happening at once and it is full steam ahead on the busy train.

Apprentice: Charlotte (Lottie)

Work placement: I work for a film production company called Pistachio Pictures. We produce features and short films. We're involved in the pre-production, production, and post-production process, even more so when we direct film. The company consists of two producers (one of whom is a director), and myself. Occasionally, we will hire externally when we're involved in a project.

Role: My role in the company is a production/personal assistant.


Dress code: In regards to the dress code, we actually don’t have one, but I think it’s just general knowledge that you don’t show up looking unprofessional and everyone in our office does dress ‘fashionably’ so it’s not an issue. Personally I wear professional office clothing because we do have meetings that can be arranged on the day, so it’s just a given that you turn up wearing something respectable.

Time off: When asking for time off, it’s not really an issue. If any of us are feeling unwell or something comes up where we can only give a short notice, we’re fine with that, and can work always around it. With booking holidays we’re pretty flexible and understand that sometimes people need a break! We’re pretty easy going with time off, unless it’s an extremely busy period, but most of the time we can foresee this and you just don’t book off time then.

Language: I personally do not swear so that has never been an issue for me. When it comes to other people swearing in the work place, they tend not to do it and you really don’t hear it much unless something is really getting to them.

Office atmosphere: We are all respectful towards each other and we do get on and because there is only the three of us there has been no issues that have arisen, but if any do, it's easy to communicate and work through them because for now we are still a small company.


Pistachio Pictures sounds very similar to my place of work, just because they are a small company, and Lottie's role as a production/personal assistant is the kind of job I have been doing for the past 8 months.

While we have that in common, there are a few differences between our two respective companies.

Dress code wise, as Lottie goes to meetings, it makes sense for her to wear office-type clothes, whereas I am not in the same position and mostly in the office all day, with the exception of making runs around London.

The way our booked leave works is quite similar to Lottie's. If something important is happening, it is best not to book your holiday (which is what I did when we were shooting our feature film in July/August). Sometimes time off can't be given to you, and as I have mentioned, things do crop up, but when I asked for a day off a few days before the family event I had to go to, everyone was fine with it.

Language is a completely different scenario from my work place. If something is really getting to someone in the office, they will swear, but then again, if it isn't, and they're just making a joke, swearing will probably take place.

From the three work places profiled, though my office environment shares a fair few similarites with Ellie, Jemel and Lottie's offices, there are a fair few differences that would make our working days different!

You can see that the smaller the company, the more relaxed atmosphere it seems to be. Ellie has a half-way point where it is very friendly, but work needs to be done, and you have to be mindful of your language. Jemel's company is all go-go-go, though there is room for conversing on a relaxed level, and Lottie's office, because of there being so little people there, is very chilled out. .

Unit 4, 3.1 "Explain what is meant by continuous professional development."

Unit 4, 3.1 - "Explain what is meant by continuous professional development."

Developing professionally in your work place is vital. When you start a job, especially one that you have had no experience prior to, it is expected of you to learn about the job you have been hired for, and that comes with getting your hands stuck into all the work that comes with it.  

To explain what continuous professional development is, I'll give you an example:

Say that someone beings work as an Admin Assistant. At the start of this job, you will be given the basics of work - emailing, taking messages, scanning, faxing, printing and so forth. All of those tasks will become day-to-day necessities throughout the job. 

As time goes by and you have taken on these roles, other opportunities to have more tasks in your work day will pop up. These tasks will usually be more responsible and trustworthy - using the company card, handling the petty cash, etc. 

Improving in your job equals more opportunities, and ultimately, more money. If you are trusted in your job by your colleagues, then there will be a lot more room for improvement and experience. 

So, all in all, that is what continuous development is. You are constantly improving upon your performance at work - starting from the bottom, and making your way to the top via constantly learning new tasks; new skills. 

Unit 4, 3.2 "Create and justify a personal development plan" and 3.3, "Describe opportunites for training and development and explain the relevance of those choices."

Unit 4, 3.2 - "Create and justify a personal development plan" and 3.3, "Describe opportunites for training and development and explain the relevance of those choices."

It is everyone’s pipe dream – to be able to write for a living -, even people that don’t really have an interest in writing, there are some who have daydreamed about being a best selling author.

I don’t want that to be a pipe dream for me. I want it to be a reality. To be able to earn money from writing (doing something you love and making a living off) is, for anyone, the ultimate dream realised.

For this unit, I have been asked to ‘Create and justify a personal development plan’, and, really, there is nothing else I want to do but write.

So, in terms of creating a plan for myself when it comes to writing, I have got a couple of ideas of what I am going to do:

JOB EXPERIENCE

Everything relies on experience, really. When it comes to writing, not only is having your personal experiences good as you can write from a place you know, getting on-the-job experience is invaluable.

Shadowing over writers, and having experience working in an environment where everyone is writing, is, as I have just said, something that you really can’t buy.

Something I have been looking into is interning at magazines. Now, a lot of internships, as I have found, aren’t paid, but as I said – experience is invaluable. Meeting people who write and who have contacts in that industry would help anyone out in the long run. It’s not about what you know; it’s about who you know.


I have sent in queries to a number of art/fashion magazines including Lula, Dazed and Confused and iD, in hope that I would have the opportunity to intern at either magazine. I managed to get an interview with JUKE, who have, in turn, offered me the opportunity to intern with them when I get the spare time, something I am going to follow up come the new year. 

COURSES

Writing courses is something I have explored (and courses in general), but, what I have learnt over the years of doing many courses, is that while some of them can give you good and useful experience, others have the tendency of teaching you things you already know.

Still, it is a useful way to meet other budding writers and experienced, industry writers who can give you advice, too. 


Courses that I have found range from the BBC's Drama Academy (which is for those that have had at least an episode of something either on the radio/online/television broadcasted) to the Royal Court's Young Writers' Programme. 


COMPETITIONS


One thing that a lot of writers do, to help build their writing portfolio and add to their experience, is enter writing competitions. I myself have done the exact same thing, but, at the beginning of next year, I am definitely going to concentrate more on entering writing competitions, as it gave me a goal to aim towards and a deadline, too (which is something all freelancers will have to work against at some point in their life).


Writing competitions that I have discovered include the Writers-Magazine monthly competition and the Writers-Forum magazine, the latter being a place that I had a letter of mine published a few years ago. Both of these magazines also offer a cash prize if your work is selected for their upcoming issue. 

I also recently entered the Eastenders: E20 search for new writers for the next season of the online spin-off show of the BBC's flagship soap, Eastenders.

WRITE, WRITE, WRITE

You can’t be a writer without writing, it goes without saying.  People that have a remote interest in writing go about it in different ways. Some may write everyday, even if they don't like what they are writing. Others may only write when an idea pops into their head.

Either way, all writing is good writing. As long as you are putting pen-to-paper, or fingers-to-keyboard, then you are making progress.