Freelance Video Journalist

A freelance and contract creative job at Made in Leeds TV in Leeds, United Kingdom
Posted 10 November 2015, 5.16am est

Freelance Video Journalists

Made in Leeds, part of the UK’s largest Local TV network – Made Television, is looking for keen and multi-skilled Freelance Video Journalists. The right candidates will form part of a Freelance Pool, complementing the existing news staffing structure and covering a multitude of topics that matter to the people of Leeds. Made Television can be found on Freeview, Virgin Media, and Sky in cities across the UK.

Salary: Competitive day rate, dependent on experience.

The Role

Freelance Video Journalists (VJs) will be confident, self-shooting and self-editing reporters, with a flair for original storytelling and a passion for local news. As is the case with our staff team of Video Journalists – freelancers will be expected to be capable of turning their hand to any story, whether it’s crime and court reporting, local politics, grassroots sport or softer items. A Freelance VJ could be conducting short interviews or getting shots for “News in Brief” items in the programme, or (commonly) filming and editing full TV news reports (Packages) under very tight time constraints.

Day-to-day a Freelance VJ typically:

Arrives in the office for 10am to consult the News Diary and speak to the Editor about the shoot/s he or she is on that day (unless asked to come in for an earlier shoot). Prepares for and gets to the shoot – preferably driving using a company pool car or your own vehicle (with fuel expenses returned). Carries out the shoot, getting relevant shots, sequences and interviews to bring the piece together in the edit. The VJ is the only member of staff on the shoot, so is fully responsible for correct camera use, sound quality, etc. as well as the journalistic integrity of the story. Returns to the office and edits together the necessary piece – whether it be a full news report or “News in Brief” shots and clips. Delivers the necessary shots to our industry partners, including the BBC, as well as uploading them to the internal archive.

Required Skills* -BJTC, NCTJ or equivalent accredited journalist with relevant newsroom experience. -Strong knowledge of media law, the court process, and the Ofcom Broadcasting Code. -Basic knowledge of the Leeds news patch, key communities and major agenda items. -Proven camera and production skills. Ability to edit quickly and with precision to produce a quality, editorially sound item.

Preferred Skills: Varied experience in a broadcast (preferably television) newsroom. Ability to shoot on JVC 650 ProHD or equivalent cameras. Ability to edit using the Adobe Creative Cloud – namely Adobe Premiere Pro.

*Please do not apply if you cannot deliver all of the “required” skills above.