Career Opportunities And Challenges In The Film, Television, And Screen Production Industry Essay.

Recent Changes in the Industry

Question:

Discuss about the Career Analysis Of Film and Television Industry.

The film, television, and screen offer more than entertainment. They inform, inspire and act as a part of the culture. This field offers jobs to many people and create their career path. The glamour and creativity of this industry attract people with a variety of skills. Although working in this industry is not always easy and glamorous as it seems. Different types of challenges may face the emerging practitioner and requires him to develop certain skills to be able to compete and create the desired success he wishes to gain. This essay discusses the industry discipline and the recent changes that took place. It will also highlight the practitioners’ career specifications within the industry. Finally, it introduces the opportunities and problems faced by emerging practitioners.

The TV and screen film production witnessed multiple changes as a result of the variety of media channels that the audience can choose to view. TV channels are no more attractive to the audience who prefer the online space. Today, the screen production offers great career opportunities for creative, problem solver and social people (Auckland University of Technology, 2016). Many film producers developed competencies in the drama television production to be able to diversify their work and sustain their business (Screen Sector Leadership Group, 2017). In order to reduce the risk associated with the film production, producers tend to take important actions according to Screen Australia (2015b), as follows:

• Cinema on demand: It provides direct contact with the audiences, as it enables anyone to ask for screening a participating film at the cinema. Cinema-on-demand services act as a mediator. Similarly, the tickets on demand that could be purchased on-line.
• Event screenings: Assist in making the cinema a premium experience for its visitors. The distributor can add more services as allowing questions and answers to the film makers.  
• Primary release to transactional video on demand: Is considered a strategy for some film producers to raise their profile outside the cinema through targeting the online audience, and utilizing social media channels. This way is used to maximize the market impact.

Film production attracts different types of people to collaborate on a single project. The work is tasking, stressing and frustrating and it includes difficulties in earning money. It is difficult to find work and stay employed in the film industry. People may stay unemployed between projects. The filmmakers suggest that wages should not be the motivator for work in this occupation (Royster & Vilorio, 2013). As an innovative industry, challenges do exist and should be avoided to ensure the stability of a work (Sergi, 2012). Actions should be taken to keep growing in the film and screen industry.

The career pattern of people working in the film, TV and screen production reveals a diversity of work type. Unlike stable, permanent jobs, the TV and screen industry workers are employed as freelancers, service providers, individual contractors, crew, and directors. Income fluctuates year to year and work is not guaranteed (Mayer, 2017). It is a portfolio career, the junior level faces a lot of competition, but the multi skilled graduate is highly advantages when entering the workplace. For example, the advertising agencies usually contract production houses to make a huge budget commercials and utilize the best directors (Auckland University of Technology, 2016). There are some personal qualities of people who want to join the film and television industry, including the common sense, showing initiatives, resilient, able to learn new skills, communication skills, ability to manage stressful behaviors, and take risks (Brunel University of London, 2012). According to Screen Australia (2015a), there is no right way to enter the film and television industry, it is important to gather information related to the industry. Also, taking training courses and degree is important. Finding work experience, mentorship will help in getting a better chance to be employed. To keep informed about new developments in the industry is very important to find the best opportunity. Networking is considered an effective way to get involved, as state agencies, associations and festivals. 

Career Specifications within the Industry

The real world examples reveal the importance of formulating a plan to sustain a successful career. According to the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (2017), we can consider the experience of "Jinx Godfrey", an editor. She has participated in Man on Wire, Project, but before this she has started as an assistant editor in a commercial editing company. She began with editing TV commercials and documentaries. Learning was her key to success, as she found that editing documentaries very rewarding. To sustain her career, she could figure out the kind of films she wanted to edit, followed the client directions, established good relationships and she could choose the best work to do.

Although, the film and television industry is a highly attractive industry, and people can get their dream jobs within it, but it requires special skills to help in sustaining the career.

Emerging practitioners have to take the opportunities offered by the industry and manage the expected problems. Working in the film and television industry teach workers how to work within a team and utilize the opportunity to bring their vision to life on screen (Griffith University, 2015). The opportunities and problems are stated as follows:

• By developing the workers' advanced skills, they will be ready to contribute in the film and television industry as practitioners and the creators (Elsley, 2016)
• The digital technology underpins the most forms of screen media, the emerging practitioner will learn how to deal with diversity of forms, resources and techniques. Also, he will be able to fit himself in the chosen field (Griffith University, 2015). The digital technology provides opportunities for production and distribution. Although their capabilities for career evolving are still limited.
• Digital technology creates opportunities for both production and distribution, but its effectiveness for career progression and relationship to professional employment are still evolving (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2015).
• Access to resources, including time, equipment, finance and formal education are necessary to exist altogether to build a successful career (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2015).

• Challenges of the film distribution could be represented in the audience attitude, as they pay for the whole experience not only the film. Also, audience expect content on demand at the low or no cost (Screen Australia, 2015b).
• The career path is nonlinear or predictable, the screen production does not offer a standard definition for the emerging screen practitioner (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2015).
• The emerging practitioner had to proof himself through practice rather than the formal education (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2015).
• Following the graduation, the emerging practitioner faces the challenge of balancing between the day job with guaranteed income and the need to prove himself (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2015).
• The emerging practitioner may move overseas if he is talented to gain a better chance to progress in his career (Mayer, 2016)

The emerging practitioner faces considerable amount of problems, especially in the screen production. The industry is dynamic and uncertain in terms of investments, customer demand and outcomes (Rossiter & Alcaraz, 2017). There is no stable hierarchy or clearly defined job description that clarify the opportunities and challenges of the career success.

Conclusion

Film production attracts different types of people to collaborate on a single project. The industry is dynamic and uncertain in terms of investments, customer demand and outcomes. As it is difficult to find work and stay employed in the film industry, it requires special skills to help in sustaining the career. Emerging practitioners have to take the opportunities offered by the industry and manage the expected problems. There is no stable hierarchy or clearly defined job description that clarify the opportunities and challenges of the career success.

References

Auckland University of Technology. (2016). A future in TV & screen production. New Zealand.

British Academy of Film and Television Arts. (2017). Succeding in the film, television, and games industry. UK.

Brunel University of London. (2012). Industry insight - Media. UK.

Elsley, B. (2016). Making TV more diverse. UK: Creative Skillset.

Griffith University. (2015). Career options: Film & screen media. Australia.

Mayer, V. (2016). The production of extras in a precarious creative economy. In M. Curtin, & K. Sanson, Precarious Creativity (pp. 5-73). University of California Press.

Mayer, V. (2017). The place of treme in the film economy: Love and labor for Hollywood south. In Almost Hollywood, Nearly New Orleans (pp. 69-95). University of California Press.

Rossiter, C., & Alcaraz, C. (2015). Emerging visions: Career pathways in the Australian screen production industry. Australia: Metro Screen Pty Ltd.

Rossiter, C., & Alcaraz, C. (2017, Nov. 30). Emerging visions: career success factors in Australian screen production. Retrieved from Aspera: https://www.aspera.org.au/research/emerging-visions-career-success-factors-in-australian-screen-production/

Royster, S., & Vilorio, D. (2013). From script to screen. USA.

Screen Australia. (2015a). Info guide: Getting started film, TV, online and interactive. Australia.

Screen Australia. (2015b). Issues in feature film distribution. Australia.

Screen Sector Leadership Group. (2017). Report to culture, tourism, Europe and external relations committee. Scotland.

Sergi, G. (2012). Studios and spaces of production in the digital era: Global challenges and local opportunities for the screen industry. The university of Nottingham.