By NSHM | Sep 25, 2021

The Film & Television Career Prospects You Can Choose

Our film and television sectors have acquired great acknowledgement and regard in the previous few years. India’s media and entertainment industries are reported to be the fastest-growing in customer and advertising spend.

As per a report, the sector is predicted for a yearly growth rate of 10.75 per cent, making it to a Rs 4,12,656-crore industry by 2025.

The restoration to pre-pandemic levels of the Indian media and entertainment industry is going to be a mixed case. It would involve a comparatively shorter bounce-back time for digital and television (TV) sections while a more prolonged recovery time for print, films, outdoor, and radio.

It is being said that India’s (M&E) sector will  bounce back to a solid 27% growth by 2022. This clearly defines how film and television careers could be a prosperous choice for you.

Growth trends to be witnessed in the industry

 TV subscriptions will continue to spike up due to several people residing indoors due to the pandemic.

  • Films make up almost a sixth of the industry’s topline. It has been hit harshly due to the total lockdown. Going forward, experts hope that occupancies in theatres should upgrade with the vaccination rollout and a powerful content pipeline.
  • There will be more appetite for localised content, and more innovative business models will evolve.
  • Many M&E companies are embracing competitive cost rationalization initiatives and expediting monetization opportunities by integrating digital media into traditional businesses.
  • Digital has arisen as the medium of choice. The pandemic stimulated the adoption of over-the-top (OTT) platforms, online gaming, e-learning and online news platforms. This has indicated that the focus of advertisers has moved from traditional to digital media.

Career Opportunities in Film & Television

The contemporary and modern media space extends multiple job opportunities inspired by creative forces with innovative thinking.

With entertainment requirements across platforms, one can work across various positions, including content creator, mobile application developer, director, designer, digital influencer, or event technology expert.

Being essentially technology and skill-based, these jobs are precisely growth-oriented. Today, there is a burgeoning demand for contemporary media professionals who can leverage the best from the world of academia and the industry.

Technical Jobs

Cameraperson: This role involves shooting motion pictures and television shows. They are accountable for lighting, focus and various effects. You must know how to work with different types of equipment.

You can start with an entry-level camera operator and then work your way up to become Director of Photography.

DOPs’ read the screenplay and work with the director to discuss the look of a film. They research how to build the look through lighting and framing and what they will need in their kit and crew to deliver the desired outcomes.

Lighting and Sound Engineer: This role includes managing lighting and sound while a video is being recorded. You have to work with multiple lighting and sound effects to get perfect results.

Video Assist Operator:  Video assist operators (VAOs) use the pictures produced by the digital cameras and display them on monitors for the director to comprehend exactly what’s been shot.

VAOs utilize dedicated software for recording and prompt playback. It furnishes the VAO the capacity to simulate visual effects on set as filming is happening.

Creative Jobs

Director: Directors take complete charge of the creative concepts throughout the process, right from pre-production to the final edits of the film or a TV drama.

It is the role of a director to visualize the script. They operate with producers and casting directors to cast the actors and with the DOPs’ to improve the filming style.

Screenwriters: These are responsible for writing and developing screenplays by envisioning the setting and emotion on screen.

Screenwriters write either based on adapting an existing story into a script or an inventive idea.

Visual Effects(VFX) Artist:  VFX artists utilize a blend of technical and artistic abilities to bring alien landscapes, large crowd scenes or fire-breathing dragons to our screens.

The skill involves mixing computer-generated sequences with live-action footage to create scenes that cannot be recorded in real life.

Managerial Jobs

Producer: They are at the functional and creative heart of a film or TV. Producers are often the first to get involved while recognizing the creative opportunity and economic viability of production. They continue as the driving force throughout till distribution.

The producers have a responsibility for delivering a complete film.

Production Coordinator: Responsible for managing the production office; they organise the equipment, supplies and staff. Production coordinators also arrange work permits, travel, accommodation and visas for cast and crew. These coordinators are also liable for sharing shooting schedules, revisions, crew and cast lists and scripts.

Marketing Manager: Marketing managers set the film or the TV audience and design a campaign to bring it to their attention to stimulate their interest. While for cinema, this could be through billboards and a digital strategy, with TV, it could be through newsletters, social media and trailers.

Careers within the TV and film industry are spectacularly ambitious, and you’ll need determination, resilience and dedication to achieve laurels. An adequate degree, work experience as well as networking are the most efficient ways of opening possibilities for the right opportunities.

Film and television courses connect both technical as well as theoretical understanding. At the end of the day, your specialization helps you decide which direction to take after your degree.

Take advantage of opportunities during your film & television degree and explore the possibility of work experience in the showbiz industry!