Video Producer Reporter Jobs

Video producer reporter job trends

What entry qualifications and training do you need?

School, college and training

You don’t need any formal qualifications to become a video producer reporter – it’s your video skills, willingness to learn and desire to get ahead in a journalism/publishing career that count.

Employers may want to see you have a degree in media, public relations, sales, marketing or the arts. As you are working so much at telling a persuasive story through video, it will help if you have GCSEs and A-levels or the equivalent including English and maths (you will need to keep track of the figures when reporting on your PR successes to clients).

It will also help if you show practical experience of using graphics and video software, and an aptitude for picking up new software quickly.

Apprenticeships

It’s possible to get into the industry through a digital journalism apprenticeship, or other apprenticeships relating to journalism, publishing or video production. You’ll typically get structured training while you work and earn, and industry-recognised qualifications. There are many apprenticeships available, and not all of them need you to have qualifications to apply.

While at school or college, speak to your careers advisor about useful training and/or courses for you to take and find out more about the types of career routes available.

Career progression

With time and experience you could become a video editor or video director or specialise as a video journalist. In a large department, you could become a head of video. You could also become self-employed and set up your own video production agency.

What experience do you need for video producer reporter jobs?

Work experience

It can help you decide if this is the right career for you if you have previously done work experience in a journalism or video production environment.

Examples of relevant work experience include:

• Work shadowing (even if it’s just for a day)
• Work placements in a company
• Year-long industry placements on a sandwich degree course

Volunteering and extra-curricular activities

Volunteering is a useful way to build up practical work experience if you haven’t received any video production work yet. Ask video production agencies in your area if you can undertake work experience with them.

Aim to build up your skills and knowledge with the following tools, activities and media:

• Using social media to boost a brand or story
• Operating a DSLR camera
• Using Adobe Photoshop
• Using Adobe Premier
• Using After-Effects
• Researching Final Cut Pro X
• Creating short videos and uploading them to YouTube
• Creating short videos to enter amateur video and short film competitions.

What life and work skills do you need to make a great video producer, reporter or journalist?

Useful skills to highlight and develop in this career include:

• Self-belief skills – it takes self-confidence and an ability to learn from trial and error to get to grips with new video editing technology
• Amazing communication skills, both written and verbal – your videos need to tell a high-impact story, combining words, pictures and sound. Can you communicate on all three levels?
• Good problem solving skills and an ability to think in a creative way – how can you make your video stories stand out, get shared and get lots of views?
• Good organisation skills – you may need to handle multiple aspects of video production, from identifying hot news stories worth of video treatment to using post-production editing software
• Teamworking skills – you’ll often be working as part of a video editorial team, all reporting into the video editor (or head of video). You will need to collaborate with producers, journalists and editors to produce eye-popping, must-see content.
• Self-management skills – with training, you may be expected to take the initiative and hold responsibility for video projects from start to finish, ensuring they are delivered on time

Vocational qualifications and work experience will help you build these skills over time.

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What does a video producer reporter do?

Example day-to-day job responsibilities include:

• Researching, planning and developing video stories
• Sourcing third party assets to supplement stories
• Writing video scripts, headlines and main content
• Using your writing skills to communicate story, character and context through on-screen text
• Using standard video editing industry software like Adobe Premier, After-Effects, Final Cut Pro X and Photoshop
• Editing and implementing motion graphic templates (including colouring and mixing)
• Understanding and developing brand and content presence on social media (this may include updating a publication’s YouTube and Twitter accounts)
• Researching and booking in filming, shooting and editing
• Filming (often using DSLR cameras)
• Delivering content to often-tight deadlines.

Your first steps into video producer reporter jobs

Video producer reporter jobs are advertised under different job titles. When you’re looking on job boards, look for the following types of job if you’re just starting out:

• Junior video producer
• Video researcher and journalist
• Digital journalism apprenticeship
• Junior camera operator and editor
• Junior video editor
• Multimedia journalist

All these types of job can be a good match for your skills.

Useful organisations and links

• Find an Apprenticeship
• Professional Publishers Association
• Chartered Institute of Journalists