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In need of a title for my position
My employer asked me to come up with a title for my current position at my company. Since this has been my only TV job (although I have been here some time), and I’m not as familiar with the rest of the TV industry I’d appreciate your input.
I work for a TV station, with my primary skill set being in After Effects, but also doing a substantial amount of editing and camera work. My employer wants me to be in charge of creating graphics as needed, especially in terms of openings for shows as well. He also wants me to take charge of promos and commercials – both in producing and in doing the graphics for.
Is there a standard title that could apply to this position that you might be familiar with? This could be the completely wrong board; if so, mods please move this where it needs to go.
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6 Replies
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Hi Tim –
Here’s the breakdown of how we do it at my station –
I’m the Art Director – I do Opens (After Effects and Combustion), logo design, some editing (mostly builds for opens and other elements), shoot still photography for light boxes, web, signage, create complete on-air graphics packages when needed. I also am in charge of a small staff of News Graphics people (3 at last count). I also do 3D modeling and animation in 3D Studio Max, as well as set design for special projects.
Our Promotions Editor does just that – edits daily Promos, does some After Effects work, but mostly edits spots, versions some for web and radio. He also writes scripts.
Our Editors/Producers work in Commercial Production – they mainly do spot editing, script-writing, some client contact (production meetings) and editing of spots, with an occasional industrial thrown in.
Given that your work crosses into the Editor/Videographer realm, you might want to consider a hybrid title, such as Editor/Senior Animator (if there are enough others doing animation there that the title isn’t ludicrous). Editor/Motion Graphics Designer has a nice ring to it. The Videographer side of it is almost a gimme, since almost all of us who work in TV have done, or continue to do, camera work. I started out as a freelance writer/studio camera-man – I was good with software, and had been doing design work for years. The Art Director title came with the job, but at the time I was also doing daily News graphics, and whatever else needed doing (prompter, camera, etc.).
All said, it’s not what you’re called, but what you’re paid, and how satisfying the job is. Unless your organization has pay scales based on titles, it may not matter.
Joe Bourke
Art Director / WMUR-TV -
you get to make your own title? man have fun with it.
start with President/CEO and then try for the dude, dooder, el duderino, ect.
somethin will stick.
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Sheesh, you must work at a small station to do ALL those things yourself.
Thats amazing. Lets see. Ive been in Chicago at Fox and LA at CBS.
Art director is sort of old school. Creative director is more encompassing and current. In LA if you can ‘do it all’ so to speak your called a Generalist. NOT very glamorous at all! Thats my deal here.Anyway,maybe
Senior Preditor\graphics production designer.Senior Production Creative
Senior production manager
its a tough one, good luck. As far as a title goes, imho its nice to have. I have to assume you already are paid fairly for what you do, so the title is nice just for a resume or for networking with a business card.
I never wanted most art director positions because they spent too much time in meetings, so in LA for Example, I came up with the approved Title of Senior Designer\Animation Manager. Our art director did not know squat on how to use software, 2d or 3d very well. He basically just put people in places and acted as a traffic cop. I wanted to manage the animation workflow and software decisions, so it worked out for a while. I had the itch to be on my own here in LA pretty quick however.
Good luck.
SuperNova
Animation & Visual Effects
Scott Novasic
Los Angeles Ca
web:https://web.mac.com/finaleffects -
Thanks for the advice, guys. It is indeed a smaller place – probably a staff of 25. I was hired as a PA, and that hasn’t officially changed since I was hired. With hiring new PA’s, who actually do the work of PA’s, I thought it was time to change things a bit. It may just be more of a pride thing, since it really doesn’t do much beyond the resume and business cards. I like the CEO idea though…
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Yeah…
Art Director is a bit on the old school side, but I was given the title 15 years ago, when in the Broadcast industry, it still meant you were expected to do some work.
Other than my weekly production meeting, I never see the inside of a conference room, thank God! I’m below the radar on the “managers” screen, and above the fray in the food chain. I’m actually expected to put out more than my department cohorts, because I’ve got much more experience, and I actually work to stay up on the latest software and hardware developments, rather than surf the web or read a paper when the newscast is over.
But it’s a nice pithy title. Motion Graphics Designer/Graphic Artist/Digital Photographer/Editor/Set Designer/Monitor Wiper/Sound Designer wouldn’t fit on a business card anyway.
Joe Bourke
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Do you think you’d get away with “Lord of all that’s cool in Motion Graphics”?
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