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Top 12 Movie Career Opportunities

When people think about job opportunities in film, they often think of actors and directors first. Many people wish they could become the next Rayn Reynolds or Stanley Kubrick. Although these jobs are the creative backbones of a project, they are a small part of the work.

It takes a large team to create a successful film and requires people with many different skills. There’s more than one way to enter the film industry and some jobs you may not expect.

So let’s look past the well-known occupations for a minute. These are 12 job opportunities in the film industry that work behind the scenes.

Cinematographer

The cinematographer of a film organizes the camera work and artistic visuals of the film. They work closely with the director to create their vision. A cinematographer is like the right-hand man of the director for the camera department.

Becoming a cinematographer requires knowledge of camera work and a creative vision. You must balance your ideas with the expectations of the director to create an inspired film. If you want a job like this, practice your filming techniques.

Set Designer

Every good film needs the appropriate atmosphere. This is where the set designer comes in. A set designer’s job is to take the production team’s ideas for a background and bring them to life.

Set designing is a very artistic field. You’ll work from sketches to create models that will eventually become the film’s set. People love when a movie has an immersive background, making this a great career for those interested in letting their creativity shine.

Costume Designer

Fashion designers have a pivotal role in making movies. Many films are set in worlds with fascinating designs, and the clothing they wear should give a certain feeling. This is where costume designers come in, ready to create and style outfits to bring concepts to life.

Clothing can tell a story of its own in the film, so costume designers must know their craft. If you enjoy fashion, consider a job as a costume designer.

Scriptwriter

Some films are adaptions of existing works while others are original. No matter the context, a good film needs a good scriptwriter. These are usually the people at the beginning of the filmmaking process who sell their ideas to a studio.

Scriptwriters not only create the story, but they also write the story in a way that translates to acting. Anyone who wants to be a scriptwriter needs to study the art of scriptwriting thoroughly.

Graffer

This is where filmmaking jobs get a bit more behind the scenes. A graffer - or Chief Lighting Technician - manages the lighting of the project. The mood of a scene depends on proper lighting and the graffer makes sure they work as intended.

Working as a graffer requires both an electrician’s knowledge and management skills to lead your team. If you’re skilled at directing a small team, it is an invaluable talent for the graffer position.

Prop Master

As you may expect, the prop master has full control over obtaining and placing props on set. When a house or office or even a desert needs objects, the prop master provides them.

Prop masters spend a long time searching and gathering materials for their props. They also work under the guidance of the director and cinematographer, to make their visions come to life. If you enjoy sorting the little details on the set, this may be the job for you.

Visual Effects Artist

A visual effects artist works closely with film editing to create striking effects in the movie. By combining real-life footage with computer-generated effects, a visual effects artist can bring wonder to any film.

Visual effects artists gain stable employment from companies that outsource their talent to different movies. Joining an effects crew will offer you the chance to work on many different types of films.

Film Editor

Film editors take all the work of everyone else and piece it together into a cohesive movie. The editing team mulls over the footage to pick out the best takes for the best presentation. Without the editors, there would be no film.

It takes more than editing work to become a good film editor. You’ll also need to practice your team skills and work on your patience (you might spend days piecing together a single 5-second clip). Handle that and you could be the next great film editor.

Composer

The composer creates the musical score for a film. Ambient music goes a long way to set the mood of a scene. After creating the music sheet, the composer will work with the hired musicians to bring the score to life.

This is a viable career for anyone with musical skills. Writing fresh, interesting music that tells a story is not an easy feat. You’ll need an experienced music background to go for this job.

Location Manager

Location managers help the film find and acquire locations for outside filming. The role of a location manager involves researching areas within your budget for rent and keeping people on schedule.

This position comes with a lot of pressure. You have to find the best location and manage the cast and crew around you to keep things rolling. If you’re good with organization and research, you can excel in this field.

Entertainment Lawyer

When it comes to intellectual property, entertainment lawyers ensure movies can run without a hitch. Entertainment lawyers help filmmakers sort the copyrights to their work, draft contracts for the staff, and assist in booking events.

Although you'll need a background in law for this position, most companies will pay a monthly fee to keep you on staff for future projects. This position offers stable pay for anyone willing to put in the work.

Runner

The last important asset to film production is the runner. Runners are the people in charge of the grunt work - setting up equipment, sorting papers, and assisting the director with small tasks.

Becoming a runner is how many people start in the film industry. It’s not glamorous work, but it keeps production running. This is the best starting point if you want to join the industry with little experience.

Conclusion

Those were just some of the many jobs available when creating a film. With the vast demand for innovative movies, new jobs present themselves constantly in the industry. If you know where to look, you may be surprised to find what career opportunities exists for a movie.

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