Media Technical Director and Manager

Also called: Broadcast Director, News Technical Director, Newscast Director, Operations Director, Operations Manager

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Media technical directors/managers coordinate activities of technical departments, such as taping, editing, engineering, and maintenance, to produce radio or television programs.

Switch between video sources in a studio or on multi-camera remotes, using equipment such as switchers, video slide projectors, and video effects generators.
Observe pictures through monitors and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition.
Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs.
Monitor broadcasts to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations.
Operate equipment to produce programs or broadcast live programs from remote locations.
Test equipment to ensure proper operation.
Train workers in use of equipment, such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights.
Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments.
Collaborate with promotions directors to produce on-air station promotions.
Confer with operations directors to formulate and maintain fair and attainable technical policies for programs.
Schedule use of studio and editing facilities for producers and engineering and maintenance staff.
Direct technical aspects of newscasts and other productions, checking and switching between video sources and taking responsibility for the on-air product, including camera shots and graphics.
Follow instructions from production managers and directors during productions, such as commands for camera cuts, effects, graphics, and takes.
Set up and execute video transitions and special effects, such as fades, dissolves, cuts, keys, and supers, using computers to manipulate pictures as necessary.
Discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators.

Work Context

Electronic Mail — 100% responded "Every day".
Contact With Others — 94% responded "Constant contact with others".
Time Pressure — 86% responded "Every day".
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 81% responded "Every day".
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 81% responded "Extremely important".
Telephone — 94% responded "Every day".
Work With Work Group or Team — 77% responded "Extremely important".

Frequency of Decision Making — 84% responded "Every day".

Face-to-Face Discussions — 80% responded "Every day".

Coordinate or Lead Others — 62% responded "Extremely important".

Freedom to Make Decisions — 53% responded "A lot of freedom".

Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 57% responded "Important results".

Structured versus Unstructured Work — 56% responded "A lot of freedom".

Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 55% responded "High responsibility".

Spend Time Sitting — 40% responded "More than half the time".

Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 44% responded "Very important".

Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 41% responded "Continually or almost continually".

Physical Proximity — 75% responded "Moderately close (at arm's length)".

Frequency of Conflict Situations — 41% responded "Once a month or more but not every week".

Deal With External Customers — 40% responded "Extremely important".

Letters and Memos — 34% responded "Once a week or more but not every day".

Level of Competition — 44% responded "Moderately competitive".

Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 51% responded "Once a month or more but not every week".

Work Activities

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment — Servicing, repairing, calibrating, regulating, fine-tuning, or testing machines, devices, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of electrical or electronic (not mechanical) principles.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material — Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates — Providing guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.

Training and Teaching Others — Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Controlling Machines and Processes — Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to operate machines or processes (not including computers or vehicles).

Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Coaching and Developing Others — Identifying the developmental needs of others and coaching, mentoring, or otherwise helping others to improve their knowledge or skills.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.

Developing and Building Teams — Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment — Providing documentation, detailed instructions, drawings, or specifications to tell others about how devices, parts, equipment, or structures are to be fabricated, constructed, assembled, modified, maintained, or used.

Detailed Work Activities

Direct productions or performances.
Inspect communications or broadcasting equipment.
Monitor broadcasting operations to ensure proper functioning.
Determine technical requirements of productions or projects.
Manage content of broadcasts or presentations.
Coordinate logistics for productions or events.

Communications and Media

Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.

Computers and Electronics

Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Coordination

Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Judgment and Decision Making

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Complex Problem Solving

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.

Time Management

Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Social Perceptiveness

Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Persuasion

Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Operation Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Learning Strategies

Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.

Quality Control Analysis

Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.

Systems Analysis

Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.

Systems Evaluation

Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.

Instructing

Teaching others how to do something.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Far Vision

The ability to see details at a distance.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Category Flexibility

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Originality

The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Fluency of Ideas

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

Visual Color Discrimination

The ability to match or detect differences between colors, including shades of color and brightness.

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Perceptual Speed

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Flexibility of Closure

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Time Sharing

The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Speed of Closure

The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

Achievement/Effort

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self Control

You might use software like this on the job:

Video creation and editing software

Adobe Systems Adobe AfterEffects
YouTube
The Associated Press ENPS
Apple Final Cut Pro
Side Effects Houdini
Avid Technology
Avid Technology Media Composer
Character generator software

Office suite software

Microsoft Office

Electronic mail software

Microsoft Outlook
MailChimp

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Media Technical Director and Manager

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