Great Alternative Careers in the Film Making Industry

The film making industry is chock-a-block with success stories of immensely talented people rising from poverty, getting a lucky break and rising miles above the rest to make millions. Although these stories are popular (films are made about them, too!), they are actually quite uncommon if you look at the grand scheme of things and the number of people working in the industry. A lot of the successful people have studied their craft at eminent institutes and honed their skills carefully over the years. 

The film making industry is huge in India with somewhere between 1500 and 2000 films produced every year in 20 different languages with gross box office realisations of about $2.1 billion. This sector is expected to grow. Even the Prime Minister’s ‘Make in India’ campaign has acknowledged this with M&E (Media and Entertainment) as one of the key sectors for the initiative.

An example of this growth can be shown through the evolution of regional cinema – especially the Marathi film industry that showed a 40–45 % growth in 2015 alone (reaching an estimated 1.5 billion rupees in revenue).

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The film industry today is still a strange paradox as despite these positives, it is still not looked at as a mainstream profession and remains a mysterious albeit glamorous world. And this non-mainstream industry plays host to unconventional jobs that, believe it or not, can offer what most vanilla jobs can: money, excitement, challenge, creative fulfilment, growth, and stability.


Why Go to Film School?

Film making does not mean making movies for the big screen but actually covers motion pictures, advertising and television, too. While the principles of making films for the three media might be the same, a good film school will teach you the finer variances and different business aspects you need to know for each.

Making a film is not easy nor can it be an individual effort. Movies require a host of people to see them completed. It takes directors, actors, script writers, producers, editors, gaffers and a whole host of film personnel to make a single big budget movie. A movie on a smaller scale would still require similar jobs to be carried out with crew members often carrying out more than one role. A director could also act in the movie or edit it, for example.

Film school can really give you boost in such scenarios where you are required to carry out more than one role in the making of a movie and give you a better understanding of what is required from every member of the film crew.

Film making is an art and as with any art form, it is necessary to receive guidance from more experienced artists. Studying film making at an accredited film school ensures you receive the guidance you need from industry professionals to hone your skills. Apart from giving you the freedom to experiment in a controlled environment, a film course gives you the opportunity to build contacts in the industry through professors, alumni of the college and guest lecturers.

Seamedu’s filmmaking degree courses in Bengaluru, Chandigarh and Pune are the most comprehensive courses you can start off with, allowing you to specialize in a particular subject later.


Offbeat Jobs and Careers in the Film Industry

The common job roles that people aspire to fulfil after a film making course are:

  • Director
  • Editor
  • Cinematographer

But we have drawn up a couple of other interesting opportunities in the film industry that are not so common but still very lucrative.


1. Film Researcher

This role is quite detail oriented. A film researcher collects, verifies and prepares information to be used in films or in television programs. This role can often diversify into the production aspects of a film as well (depending on budgets and scale of a project). A film researcher also contributes ideas for a project. Researchers often have to delve into archival footage – so if you love history and old films, this job might be for you!


2. Film Distributor

A Film Distributor acts as the connection between producers and exhibitors i.e., movie theatres and television channels. Distributors need to have a strong marketing background and need to think creatively to promote movies for release. This is a diverse role that varies from project to project.


3. Studio Chief

Once you have made your mark and plenty of money in the film industry, you could always consider setting up your own studio. How cool does that sound, eh? It would require plenty of finances and business acumen, so we don’t really recommend this for someone fresh out of college. It is a great thing to aspire towards, though!


4. Film Critic

While everyone is a critic, taking up film criticism as a profession isn’t easy. However, if you love films and journalism and have a flair for putting an unbiased opinion in a witty fashion, this could be the right profession for you. At Seamedu, we host sessions by film experts so our students can learn how things work in the industry. Read our interesting article on how professional film critics manage to keep their behavioural bias aside while doing their job.


5. Film School Teacher

That’s right. If you enjoy making films but also developing new talent, this could be an ideal way to mix the two together. It is a great way to share your knowledge and expertise. Our experienced faculty members (Professor Samar Nakhate, for instance), are all multifaceted professionals who have been involved in various film projects and love sharing their wisdom with young students today.

Apart from these five offbeat opportunities, you could also explore the following unconventional roles in the film industry (depending on your interest and skillset):

  • Film Production Accountant
  • On-set Medical Officer
  • Choreographer
  • Film Attorney or Lawyer
  • Film Insurance Advisor
  • Crowd Management Specialist
  • Professional Caterer

So if you know that a job in the film industry is the only path for you, we suggest you pursue it with passion and don’t let negative commentary hold you back.

You can also checkout our detailed career guide to know how you can pursue a successful career in film making.

If you are looking for film making courses in India, Seamedu’s Department of Film making offers a variety of courses ranging from certificate and diploma courses to full-blown degree courses in film making.

Feel free to contact us in case of any queries!

References:

https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/in/Documents/technology-media-telecommunications/in-tmt-indywood-film-festival-noexp.pdf

Author Avatar

Written by: Arun Gupta

Last updated: 15-03-2024

Arun completed his post-graduation at FTII with motion picture photography as his specialization. With more than two decades of industry experience as a Cinematographer and as a Producer he has more than 300 projects like television commercials, television shows, Music videos, corporate films, Short films and documentaries to his credit.

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