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Unscripted TV Departments

Development department:

  • Comes up with ideas for TV programs and pitches them to commissioners, who are employed by broadcasters

  • Roles:

    • Development assistant producer

    • Development producer

    • Development researcher

    • Personal assistant

Production management department:

  • Manages all the logistics of making a program, and balances the creative vision with financial and time constraints

  • Roles:

    • Line producer

    • Logger

    • Production coordinator

    • Production executive

    • Production manager

    • Production assistant

    • Script supervisor

Talent management department:

  • Recruits people to work in editorial or production roles, and knows who's who in the unscripted TV industry

  • Roles:

    • Receptionist

    • Talent assistant

    • Talent manager

Sound department:

  • Creates the sound and processes the program audio, whether capturing sound on location or mixing during a live transmission

  • Roles:

    • Grams operator

    • Sound assistant

    • Sound guarantee

    • Sound recordist

    • Sound supervisor

Engineering department:

  • Installs operates and maintains the equipment used to broadcast television programs

  • Roles:

    • Technical manager

    • Vision guarantee

    • Vision supervisor

    • OB rigger

Editorial department:

  • Responsible for the story content of the program holds the creative vision and makes it happen

  • Roles:

    • Archive producer

    • Assistant producer

    • Casting producer

    • Celebrity producer

    • Digital producer

    • Director

    • Edit producer

    • Executive Producer

    • Games producer

    • Multi-camera director

    • Producer

    • Producer director

    • Question producer

    • Researcher

    • Runner

    • Series director

    • Series producer

    • Vision mixer

    • VT editor

Craft department:

  • Creates the look of the program by designing the set, the costume, hair, and make-up

  • Roles:

    • Art department assistant

    • Art department runner

    • Art director

    • Costume assistant

    • Costume designer

    • Costume supervisor

    • Hair and make-up artist

    • Hair and make-up assistant

    • Hair and make-up designer

    • Production buyer

    • Production designer

Technical department:

  • Includes the camera and lighting departments, installs the power, captures the action

  • Roles:

    • Autocue operator

    • Camera assistant

    • Camera operator

    • Camera supervisor

    • Data wrangler

    • Digital imaging technician

    • Gaffer

    • Grip

    • Jib operator

    • Kit room assistant

    • Lighting console operator

    • Lighting director

    • Spark

Floor or location department:

  • Manages and coordinates the activities in the studio and location-based productions

  • Roles:

    • Floor assistant

    • Floor manager

    • Floor runner

    • Scene hand

Studio management department:

  • Runs the studio from which TV shows are recorded or broadcast

  • Roles:

    • Studio assistant

    • Studio coordinator

    • Studio manager

Entry-level jobs in Unscripted TV:

  • Personal assistant

  • Logger

  • Receptionist

  • Runner

  • Art department runner

  • Costume assistant

  • Hair and make-up assistant

  • Camera assistant

  • Kit room assistant

  • Sound assistant

  • Floor runner

  • Studio assistant

Unscripted TV Departments

Development department:

  • Comes up with ideas for TV programs and pitches them to commissioners, who are employed by broadcasters

  • Roles:

    • Development assistant producer

    • Development producer

    • Development researcher

    • Personal assistant

Production management department:

  • Manages all the logistics of making a program, and balances the creative vision with financial and time constraints

  • Roles:

    • Line producer

    • Logger

    • Production coordinator

    • Production executive

    • Production manager

    • Production assistant

    • Script supervisor

Talent management department:

  • Recruits people to work in editorial or production roles, and knows who's who in the unscripted TV industry

  • Roles:

    • Receptionist

    • Talent assistant

    • Talent manager

Sound department:

  • Creates the sound and processes the program audio, whether capturing sound on location or mixing during a live transmission

  • Roles:

    • Grams operator

    • Sound assistant

    • Sound guarantee

    • Sound recordist

    • Sound supervisor

Engineering department:

  • Installs operates and maintains the equipment used to broadcast television programs

  • Roles:

    • Technical manager

    • Vision guarantee

    • Vision supervisor

    • OB rigger

Editorial department:

  • Responsible for the story content of the program holds the creative vision and makes it happen

  • Roles:

    • Archive producer

    • Assistant producer

    • Casting producer

    • Celebrity producer

    • Digital producer

    • Director

    • Edit producer

    • Executive Producer

    • Games producer

    • Multi-camera director

    • Producer

    • Producer director

    • Question producer

    • Researcher

    • Runner

    • Series director

    • Series producer

    • Vision mixer

    • VT editor

Craft department:

  • Creates the look of the program by designing the set, the costume, hair, and make-up

  • Roles:

    • Art department assistant

    • Art department runner

    • Art director

    • Costume assistant

    • Costume designer

    • Costume supervisor

    • Hair and make-up artist

    • Hair and make-up assistant

    • Hair and make-up designer

    • Production buyer

    • Production designer

Technical department:

  • Includes the camera and lighting departments, installs the power, captures the action

  • Roles:

    • Autocue operator

    • Camera assistant

    • Camera operator

    • Camera supervisor

    • Data wrangler

    • Digital imaging technician

    • Gaffer

    • Grip

    • Jib operator

    • Kit room assistant

    • Lighting console operator

    • Lighting director

    • Spark

Floor or location department:

  • Manages and coordinates the activities in the studio and location-based productions

  • Roles:

    • Floor assistant

    • Floor manager

    • Floor runner

    • Scene hand

Studio management department:

  • Runs the studio from which TV shows are recorded or broadcast

  • Roles:

    • Studio assistant

    • Studio coordinator

    • Studio manager

Entry-level jobs in Unscripted TV:

  • Personal assistant

  • Logger

  • Receptionist

  • Runner

  • Art department runner

  • Costume assistant

  • Hair and make-up assistant

  • Camera assistant

  • Kit room assistant

  • Sound assistant

  • Floor runner

  • Studio assistant

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