Careers in Film Making – Top 5 Avenues for Film Making Students

In one of our recent articles titled The End Credits: 5 Indispensable People & Their Roles in Film Making, we touched upon some of the lesser-known-yet-indispensable roles that people play in producing a film.

Whether you are a film making student or an aspirant or just a movie buff, it is important to know the key roles that people play in a film or video production project. Have you started thinking about what role you would like to take up after completing your graduation in film making? The industry is full of opportunities.

If you intend to enter the mind-boggling world of films and television, here is a quick lowdown on 5 of the most promising avenues that you can consider.

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5 Excellent Career Avenues in Film Making


#1 Director

As the captain of the ship, the director is at the helm of a film project and is in charge of its creative, dramatic and artistic aspects. A director’s job involves supervising and heading all aspects of the film, from creative to technical ones. Directors take the final call on almost every aspect of filmmaking in the pre-production, production, and post-production of movies. From Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino to Rajkumar Hirani and Zoya Akhtar, the best and most-loved directors are the ones who are proficient at their craft of film making and can translate their vision to on-screen magic using a variety of techniques. The directors also get to choose their crew (more often than not), so it is up to them to ask the producer for specialists for the various jobs that need to be fulfilled while a film is being made.

Fun fact: Jaws and Titanic, two of the biggest films of last century, were touted to be major disasters since the directors (Steven Spielberg and James Cameron) couldn’t manage shooting in the given budgets and time!


#2 Assistant Director

Before you become a director, you would have to serve as an assistant to the director on one or more film projects. An AD’s job typically involves the following responsibilities:

  • Getting the production crew together
  • Calling meetings and hosting discussions between production teams
  • Preparing the publicity material
  • Making and maintaining call sheets for actors
  • Managing the entire shoot on locations and sets
  • Coordinating the postproduction process

Fun fact: Did you know that Ranveer Singh, Kunal Kapoor, Vikram Bhatt, Emraan Hashmi, Siddharth Malhotra, Mohit Suri, Nikhil Advani, Ayan Mukerji, Vikramaditya Motwane, Abhishek Chaubey, and Rajkumar Gupta all began their careers as assistant directors?


#3 Scriptwriter

One of the most important parts of any film project is the screenwriter or scriptwriter who heads the writing department. The screenwriter’s job is to create the script from scratch, develop it over a period of time with the director and producer, refine it by creating multiple versions until the director is creatively satisfied, garnish it with specific guidelines for the shoot (camera angles, scenes, shots, and lighting). The scriptwriter could either write an original script or adapt someone else’s story. In fact, writers are also in charge of conducting extensive research on the subject chosen. Today, several production houses hire their own set of writers, guaranteeing them employment as well as the chance to come up with ideas and truly set on the path to writing path-breaking films.


#4 Casting Director

A profile that has come into the spotlight in India ever since Mukesh Chhabra got famous (thank you, Anurag Kashyap), the casting director’s perception has changed drastically in our society. A casting director essentially conducts auditions and shortlists actors for various parts in films, television shows, and ad commercials. Casting directors are of paramount importance since they know the requirements of the script/story and work closely with the director and his/her team to zero-in on the right people for the right roles. They also liaise with talent management agencies, watch demo reels, review photos and negotiate contracts with actors and their managers.

Top casting directors in India: Shanoo Sharma, Mukesh Chhabra, Shruti Mahajan, Atul Mongia, Nandini Shrikent, Honey Trehan, Vicky Sidana


#5 Cinematographer

The cinematographer, just like the scriptwriter, is the unsung hero of every film. Cinematographers are expected to be adept at using lighting, cameras and settings to create a specific mood or effect depending on what the director wants or what the film’s script (or a particular shot) demands. Cinematographers work in symphony with the film’s director, cameramen, Ads, and photography team to capture the story on the lens as creatively as possible.

Watch the insightful Cinematographers’ Roundtable

Interested in any of the aforementioned film making careers? Take a look at Seamedu’s all-encompassing degree course in film making, available in Pune, Mumbai and Bengaluru.


Have more questions about how can you pursue a successful career in film making? Go through our comprehensive career guide and all your questions will be answered.

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Written by: Arun Gupta

Last updated: 12-03-2024

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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