Film & TV Production includes the occupations related to creating the product of a Movie, TV Show or TV Movie, Music Video, Online Video content, Documentaries, etc. Those work in the pre-production, production and post-production process...
* Keen competition is expected for the more glamorous, high-paying jobs—writers, actors, producers, and directors—but better job prospects are expected for multimedia artists and animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming and computer-generated imaging.
* Although many films are shot on location, employment is centered in several major cities, particularly New York and Los Angeles.
* Many workers have formal training, but experience, talent, creativity, and professionalism are the factors that are most important in getting many jobs in this industry.
Goods and services. The U.S. motion picture industry produces much of the world’s feature films and most of its recorded television programs. The industry is dominated by several large studios, based mostly in Hollywood. However, with the increasing popularity and worldwide availability of cable television, digital video recorders, computer graphics and editing software, and the Internet, many small and medium-sized independent filmmaking companies have sprung up to fill the growing demand.
Industry organization. In addition to producing feature films and filmed television programs, the industry produces made-for-television movies, music videos, and commercials. Establishments engaged primarily in operating motion picture theaters and exhibiting motion pictures or videos at film festivals also are included in th...
Read More
Formal training can be a great asset to workers in filmmaking and television production, but experience, talent, creativity, and professionalism usually are the most important factors in getting a job. Many entry-level workers start out by working on documentary, business, educational, industrial, or government films or in the music video industry. This kind of experience can lead to more advanced jobs.
In addition to colleges and technical schools, many independent centers offer training programs on various aspects of filmmaking, such as screenwriting, film editing, directing, and acting. For example, the American Film Institute offers training in directing, production, cinematography, screenwriting, editing, and production design.
Promotion opportunities for many jobs are extremely limited because...
Read More
In 2006, there were about 357,000 wage and salary jobs in the motion picture and video industries. Most of the workers were in motion picture and video production. They are involved in casting, acting, directing, editing, film processing, and motion picture and videotape reproduction. Ten percent of people in the film industry were self-employed, selling their services to anyone who needs them and often working on productions for many different companies during the year.
Although six major studios produce most of the motion pictures released in the United States, many small companies are used as contractors throughout the process. Most motion picture and video establishments employ fewer than 5 workers.
The majority of jobs in the motion picture and video industry are in establishments with 50 or mo...
Read More
Keen competition is expected for the more glamorous, high-paying jobs—writers, actors, producers, and directors—but better job prospects are expected for multimedia artists and animators and others skilled in digital filming and computer-generated imaging. Small or independent filmmakers may provide the best job prospects for beginners.
Wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow 11 percent between 2006 and 2016, about as fast as growth projected for wage and salary employment in all industries combined. Job growth will result from the explosive increase in demand for programming needed to fill the rising number of cable and satellite television channels, both in the United States and abroad. Also, more films will be needed to meet in-home demand for videos, DVDs, and films over the Internet. Responding to an increasingly fragmented audience will create many opportunities to develop films. The international market for U.S.-made films is expected to continue growing as more countries and foreign individuals acquire the ability to view our movies. As the industry registers employment growth, many more job openings wi...
Read More
Opportunities will be better in some occupations than in others. Computer specialists, multimedia artists and animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming, editing, and computer-generated imaging should have the best job prospects. There also will be opportunities for broadcast and sound engineering technicians and other specialists, such as gaffers and set construction workers. In contrast, keen competition can be expected for the more glamorous, high-paying jobs in the industry—writers, actors, producers, and directors—as many more people seek a fewer number of these jobs. Small or independent filmmakers may provide the best job prospects for beginners, because they are likely to grow more quickly as digital technology cuts production costs.
Industry earnings. Earnings of workers in the motion picture and video industries vary, depending on education and experience, type of work, union affiliation, and duration of employment. In 2006, median weekly earnings of wage and salary workers in the motion picture and video industries were $593, compared with $568 for wage and salary workers in all industries combined.
On the basis of a union contract negotiated in July 2005, motion picture and television actors who are members of the Screen Actors Guild earn a minimum daily rate of $759, or $2,634 for a 5-day week. They also receive additional compensation for reruns. Annual earnings for many actors are low, however, because employment is intermittent. Many actors supplement their incomes from acting with earnings from other jobs outside the industry. Some es...
Read More
The length of the credits at the end of most feature films and television programs gives an idea of the variety of workers involved in producing and distributing films. The motion picture industry employs workers in every major occupational group. Professional and related occupations account for about 4 in 10 salaried jobs in the industry. Approximately 3 in 10 salaried workers hold jobs in service occupations.
Jobs in the industry can be broadly classified according to the three phases of filmmaking: Preproduction, production, and postproduction. Preproduction is the planning phase, which includes budgeting, casting, finding the right location, set and costume design and construction, and scheduling. Production is the actual making of the film. The number of people involved in the production phase can vary from a...
Read More
