Careers in Film

For most, the goal of working in the film industry is to be a part of a major blockbuster movie that scores of people will see. While this is achievable, the path to this final destination is difficult to travel. The film industry values experience, and experience comes through working on as many films as possible for the greatest exposure to the industry.

Learn it. Know it. Live it.
"The best way to attain the experience necessary to start climbing the movie ladder is to attend a film school,” says Bruce Sheridan, chair the Film & Video department at Columbia College in Chicago. "During their four years, students will experience all sides of a production, from the writing of a script to producing a final edit of a film. They will direct their own movie, and act as cameraman for a fellow student. This exposes the student to the different career paths available in the film industry and allows them to find the road that most fits their talents and interests.”

Never send a human to do a machine’s job.
By working as an intern at a production company, a person can get exposure to the entire filming process. Usually these positions are unpaid, and the work can be tedious and boring. But it will give a person the opportunity to meet professionals in the film industry and see firsthand how each position works within the film environment.

Do that voodoo that you do so well!
Production companies vary by their specialties. Some do "industrial” work, which are films used by companies for training or marketing. Some production companies only work on advertising, generating commercials and infomercials, while others produce documentaries.
Smaller production companies may also produce "independent” films financed by other work they perform for outside clients. These films have a smaller budget than the films one generally sees at the corner movie theater, and are usually presented in "art house” film theaters or at film festivals.

Show me the money!
Working with a production company as an intern may lead to other positions where one can gain experience in a specialty field of interest to them. The most common position would be production assistant, or "P.A.” The P.A. may be responsible for controlling the extras (actors who appear in the background without any lines) or getting water for others on the set. They also can watch others as they perform their jobs and gain insight into those positions of interest to them.

Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!
Larger production companies are required to hire union personnel and operate by union rules. This ensures the production companies that the workers are properly trained and experienced in their craft while ensuring the workers that they will be paid a fair wage and work in decent conditions.

Behind-the-camera workers in the film industry are covered by three unions: the Writer’s Guild for screenwriters, Director’s Guild for directors, assistant directors and production managers, and The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (usually shortened to "IATSE”) covers the remaining crafts.

Each union has rules and procedures for joining as well as initiation fees. Major studios will not hire anyone without a union card.

North by Northwest
There are many different directions to focus on when one decides to enter the film industry. Deciding which way to go depends on one’s talents and interests. Often, someone will start down one path and end up in something entirely different. It’s important to choose a path to start to gain experience. There are generally three different tracks to follow: creative, technical, and administrative.

Lights! Camera! Action!
The director leads the entire film production as well as the creative teams and the actors. It is the director’s vision for a story that is filmed, and all creative teams report to them. The set designer works with their set decorators to achieve the desired setting of the scene, while the costume designer enhances the actors’ appearances with the help of the wardrobe assistants and makeup artists. The sound designer looks for music and sound pieces to enhance the mood portrayed on screen and employs a sound recordist and boom operator to record the dialogue and sounds on the set. The editor compiles the scenes that have been shot into a complete and coherent story, while the composer creates a soundtrack to enhance the mood or action of the film. Special effects artists create characters, backgrounds, or actions that cannot be filmed in real life.

All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.
The director of photography, or cinematographer, leads the technical team. They are responsible for determining the best way to record the picture as well as the equipment and film to use. The cameramen handle the camera’s direction and focus. Gaffers, or chief electricians, light the scene for the most visual impact at the direction of the cinematographer. Grips move and set up equipment.

The Color of Money
The producer heads the administrative team and finds the funds to produce the film. The production manager works with the creative teams during the production process to assure that the film stays on the budget set by the producer. The assistant director is responsible for keeping the production running on schedule as well as keeping track of everyone’s hours for payroll and assuring that productions follow the work rules set by the unions that are working on it.

Do...or do not. There is no try.
It’s a tough field, and there are many options, but careers in film can be had. Find production companies in your area and ask if they have intern positions available for your experience level. Search through the many film schools, finding the right one for your style of film and that which will help you attain your goal of working in the film industry. Someday, you may end up like Alfred Hitchcock, who said, "For me, the cinema is not a slice of life, but a piece of cake.”

Editorial provided by Colin Magill Somers, Columbia College, Chicago.