Television presenting

Television Presenting

A TV presenter introduces and hosts different shows or programs etc. Nowadays there are many celebrities that present shows rather them actual people who have gone to university or actually work in that field. Working as a presenter majority of the time means that you will need to be enthusiastic and fun unless you are presenting for news and current affairs for example. If you are presenting for news and current affairs this will not only mean you need to be a bit more serious but you will also need to have some sort of knowledge and understanding to be able to engage with show and to ask appropriate questions etc.

Working as a television presenter will mean you need to learn how to adapt to different working environments unless you are on a long term contract as you may always have to work in different work spaces.

As a television presenter you are expected to have good time managing as of course a show can not go on without a television presenter, therefore if there is no tv presenter there is no show. You also have to have really good communication skills as the presenter has to build some sort of bond with the audience. The presenter also has to make sure to dress appropriately for the show although there is normally someone who would take care of that. If the presenter does not have someone to dress them they have to dress accordingly to the show. For example if the presenter is presenting a music show she can dress ‘cool’ and fashionably whereas if she is presenting a political talk show for example she will have to dress smart and sophisticated.

News and current affairsSportMusic showstalk showschildren's entertainmentgame showsspecial interest programs such as travel or history.

What is freelance?

Freelancing means that you are self employed so you are not tied down to aSpecific company so therefore you will be working on many different projects with different companies. A freelancer is almost like a free agent. Freelancers can work either full time or part time depending on the project they are working on. They basically sell their services to different companies and sign a contract for the assignment they will be doing. Some freelancers can even work from home depending on the job role they have.

A photographer for example can work as many hours as they like for as many days they like just as long as they complete the assignment stated in the contract before the deadline. If the contract is breached, action will have to be taken and there will consequences that have to be faced.

Whereas someone like a TV presenter will not have that flexibility as they will have certain set hours they need to present, so they can not just choose when they wish to work as a photographer can.

The film and television industry has a a very high number of freelance working employees. Majority of the workers are freelance in the television industry, 91% of television employees are freelance workers. Likewise, the film industry have about 60% of freelance workers.

I think that these industries require and employee mostly freelance workers because it is not a very stable industry and they do not necessarily know when they will and won't have work. Therefore they need someone dependent and trustworthy. This may seem a bit hard for the actual employee but they also have their advantages

Television presenting whilst working for a company

Whilst working on a contract with a company for TV presenting it is unlikely you will be replaced until production is over which means your job will not be at risk unless you breach the contract. Audiences get familiar with one presenter on a show, so in turn you are guaranteed a secure job. Working for a company also gives you fixed hours which could be seen as a pro or a con. A good thing because it is more flexible but a bad thing because it is unorganised. When working in a company you are eligible for a pension and will look better on a CV as you have the companies reputation on your behalf.

Freelancing as a TV presenter

Freelancing as a TV presenter will allow you to present on a lot of different shows/programs on a short term contract which allows them to experience working for different companies and experience different genres of shows. It may be more difficult to find work as a freelancer because most people who hire presenter are companies that will be needed for long term contracts rather then short. As apposed to smaller companies freelancers will also generally receive less pay.

Pros and cons -Working as a freelance TV presenter means that you are not tied down to one company so for example if you had a short term contract working as a presenter and you do not like it then it will not be as much of an issue as the contract will be short and therefore the presenter will be able to leave once finished. -The average freelancer makes 45% more money then a worker so majority of people believe it is a risk to take.- It is also believed that 79% of freelancer are much happier then those who have a traditional job

-It may not be convenient for some people as freelancing is not secure and could be very unorganized so it may be a bit of a struggle for parents with young children etc.-It could be seen as very stressful becoming a freelancer and it also is a big risk to take because if you do not find work, you do not have a set wage and will simply earn no money. But the money you do earn will be yours to keep.

Health and safety management -Safe working practices & safety of work area: for example a freelance photographer will choose the location to do their work and therefore they will have to make sure that they choose a safe location and make sure they take precautions when doing so. A TV presenter on the other hand will not really need to do so as there will be someone else who will take care of this.

-Self discipline: freelancers have to make sure they have self discipline as this will prevent them from getting into hazardous situations.

-Stress management: Working as a freelancer can prove to be very stressful as there is a lot of pressure to find work and there is also a lot of pressure to make sure you meet the deadlines and specifications. As freelancing can be stressful you have to make sure you do everything to prevent yourself from being stressed such as medication, therapy and trying to keep calm at all times. Stress can cause problems with work such as not being able to meet deadlines which again will just cause more stress. Sometimes freelancing is not for everyone and as it can be stressful some people will decide to just stop freelancing.