What is a Director?
Directors are responsible for the overall production of a live or taped show. They supervise the crew, direct talent during taping, and oversee the editing process during the post-production of taped programs. Communication skills are very important for this leadership position. Mathematical skills are necessary to create production budgets and to calculate show times to fit specific broadcast requirements. A basic understanding of science is necessary to understand television technology. Directors use their creativity and technical skills to produce quality programs that appeal to viewers.
Real People Profile
| Name: | Craig Ness |
| Workplace: | South Carolina ETV |
| Education: | B.A. in journalism, University of South Carolina, 1987 |
| Favorite Subject(s) in School: |
Television & radio production, astronomy |
| First Real Job: | I worked at C&S Bank before starting an internship at SCETV in 1988. I was hired on the studio crew in September 1988. |
| Dream Job: | Produce and direct documentaries. |
| Interests: | Spending time with my family, sailing, and exercising–cycling, etc., also eating Mexican food |
Real People Q&A
Advice for students interested in my job:
Try to spend some time with some professionals in the business to make sure that this is the field that you would like to get in to. Spend some time working as an intern to get more familiar with what the job is and any other potential positions that you may have an interest in.
What subjects in school will students need to do my job?
English, speech, vocabulary, mathematics, and of course, the required broadcast courses to help prepare for the job.
What I like most about my job?
There are several things that I like about my job but my favorite is the production process. That is creating and putting together television programs. Some of the other things that I like are working and meeting so many different people and all of the travel that I have had in the past.
What is the biggest challenge in my job?
One of the biggest challenges in my job is juggling multiple projects and working with fewer resources than we have had in the past.
How do you get a job like mine?
Do what I did. Try an internship. I knew back in high school that I was interested, so made arrangements to do a limited internship while I was in high school, and then again after I left my brief career in banking. My internship at SCETV gave me sufficient training to get a job. At the onset of my internship at ETV, I had the mindset that I wanted to learn enough to land a job at ETV or at another station. My goal was to learn enough to get my foot in the door. Fortunately for me during my internship a position came open and I was hired. It has been an enjoyable 15 years.
