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What Are the Different Types of Film Industry Jobs?

G. Wiesen
G. Wiesen

Different film industry jobs are often based on the stage of production in which someone wants to work. The pre-production stage begins with a screenwriter creating the screenplay for a film, the producers and director meeting to establish the overall direction for a film, the hiring of actors and other crew members, location scouting, and the creation of sets and props. Production of a film includes the actual making of the movie and involves crew members working in departments such as camera operation, lighting, sound recording, and hair and makeup. There are also a number of film industry jobs largely involved in post-production, such as film editing, special effects, sound editing, and score composition.

Due to the scope and size of many film productions, there are many different film industry jobs involved in many different aspects of making a movie. Pre-production usually begins with a screenwriter creating the screenplay for a movie, based on original ideas or a contract from a studio. Producers are typically involved with a great deal of the production process, beginning with pre-production, and oversee the filming schedule, budget, and hiring process for major elements of a production. The director of a film also usually joins a movie during pre-production and works to coordinate various elements throughout the entire process. Other pre-production film industry jobs include set designers, pre-visualization artists at special effects companies, costumers, and prop makers.

Cameramen can work in studios or on shoots at remote locations.
Cameramen can work in studios or on shoots at remote locations.

Film industry jobs involved in the actual production of a movie often carry over from pre-production, though certain crew members are more involved with production. Lighting designers and riggers are involved in lighting a set or location, while camera operators and crew handle the specific duties of using cameras to capture a scene. Sound recording usually begins on set, and microphone operators capture sound from a production. There are also film industry jobs for those interested in hair and makeup, usually beginning with designs in pre-production and realizing those designs during production. Actors and actresses also do the majority of their work during the production phase of a film.

Directors should have firm knowledge of all areas of film production.
Directors should have firm knowledge of all areas of film production.

During post-production, after a film has been shot but prior to release, there are also a number of film industry jobs available. Work on special effects for a movie can begin during pre-production, but often escalate in scale during post-production. The score, or musical soundtrack, for a film is also typically written and recorded after a movie has been filmed. Editing of both audio and video for a movie occurs during post-production, and there are film industry jobs for editors in both mediums. This process can include recording new audio to be used in the movie, as well as taking the raw film itself and creating the completed movie.

Discussion Comments

MrsPramm

@Fa5t3r - I think every film industry job market is fairly competitive. You can't just walk into a job with makeup or cameras or special effects because everyone wants to work with the movies. So everyone who ever did a degree in digital design is going to be hoping for the same job.

Most people I know who want to work in the film industry start out by working on independent short films and work their way up.

Fa5t3r

@Mor - There are probably almost as many failed screenwriters in Hollywood as there are actors, so it's not an entirely unique idea to want to get into film like that. Most jobs in the film industry are pretty creative when it comes down to it, though. You're just being creative about a different aspect of the production.

I have a friend who wants to work on the music in soundtracks one day and he always looked on it as the best job you could possibly have in the movies. I'm not sure everyone would agree with him, but then that's a good thing. We need different people with different priorities, or everyone would be trying to be actors.

Mor

I have always wanted to be a screenwriter for television. Particularly now that there is so much wonderful television happening in the world. I know most people watch a good show and want to be an actor, but I've always felt like the true creative force behind characters and plots has to be the person who wrote them in the first place.

And it seems like it would be much more collaborative than most writing or media jobs. There is never a single name in the writing credits. There are usually multiple people acknowledged and that might not even be getting into the folk who help with world building and so forth.

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    • Cameramen can work in studios or on shoots at remote locations.
      By: DeshaCAM
      Cameramen can work in studios or on shoots at remote locations.
    • Directors should have firm knowledge of all areas of film production.
      By: chaoss
      Directors should have firm knowledge of all areas of film production.
    • Some film industry jobs, such as lighting designers, are involved in both pre-production and the actual filming.
      By: Sergey Lavrentev
      Some film industry jobs, such as lighting designers, are involved in both pre-production and the actual filming.
    • Early film editors had to physically splice sections of film together, however today the process is mostly digital.
      By: Joseph Becker
      Early film editors had to physically splice sections of film together, however today the process is mostly digital.
    • Musicians can work in the film industry by providing background music for movies.
      By: Aikon
      Musicians can work in the film industry by providing background music for movies.
    • Theater owners are part of the film industry.
      By: Iuliia KOVALOVA
      Theater owners are part of the film industry.
    • A makeup artist is often part of film crew.
      By: Chris Tefme
      A makeup artist is often part of film crew.
    • Pre-production usually begins with a screenwriter creating the screenplay for a movie.
      By: LoloStock
      Pre-production usually begins with a screenwriter creating the screenplay for a movie.