Your Guide to Careers in Media Production Management
Did you know that India is one of the fastest-growing media and entertainment (M&E) markets globally? According to PwC, this industry will see significant growth over the next five years. Despite the unforeseen economic slowdown, this industry remains largely unaffected. The wonderful thing about this domain is that it continues to perform despite economic downturns or sudden nosedives in the macro-economic environment.
The emergence and increasing popularity of OTT (Over-the-Top) services, online gaming, and digital advertising are the major contributors to this growth. Yes, you read that right. While it is perceived to be a part of the IT domain, the gaming sub-sector actually belongs to the entertainment industry.
When we look at the M&E domain as a whole, the industry provides employment (direct and indirect) to five million people in India alone.
And even if we were to look at sub-sectors in silos, the numbers are staggering.
- The Indian M&E industry is expected to post a CAGR of 5 percent till 2024.
- The Animation and VFX industry in India expected to grow at a CAGR of 16 percent till FY24 and reach Rs 184 billion (US$ 2.63 billion).
- India’s music industry is ranked 15th globally and is expected to enter into the top 10 by 2022.
- India has the largest youth population in the world, making it one of the hottest destinations for game development
- Currently valued at $890 million, the gaming field in India is expected to grow at a rate of 14.3% annually, with mobile games occupying 71% of the share.
- The global games market is anticipated to reach $196.0 billion by 2022 with a CAGR of +9.0%.
Have you ever wondered how a huge number of people and functions come together and work seamlessly to bring an idea for a film, song, series, advertisement, game, or video to life? Well, it is a combination of foresighted planning, efficient production, workforce management, and project administration that culminate into the final product that we consume as audiences. We refer to this specialized function as media production management.
The flood of OTT channels and the increasing popularity of a variety of online games (mobile and PC) means that there is a massive upsurge in the amount of content being created. Given the complexities involved in making original games, films or any other media assets, the demand for professionals to manage the production is at an all-time high.
Furthermore, most game projects involve multiple individuals or teams collaborating with each other on the different aspects of design, production and development. In most cases, these teams are operating in different geographies and working on a tight schedule in terms of turnaround time, which makes working efficiently and in a structured manner even more important.
Given the rate at which projects are initiated and completed, media businesses of various types and scales are in constant need of qualified professionals who can take care of the creative as well as managerial aspects of production. It requires a combination of efficiently managed remote teams, multiple stakeholders, diverse skillsets and complex processes to work in tandem for the production of any project.
Role of Media Production Management
Media production management has a massive role to play in the M&E industry. The potential losses that a business can suffer due to mismanagement of projects are unthinkable. Media houses, production companies, news channels, animation and VFX studios, game development companies, radio channels, game production companies, ad agencies, and digital media production agencies need specialists who can streamline and supervise the entire lifecycle of a project. These specialists are called media production managers.
Typically, media production management professionals are responsible for:
- Planning the project on paper
- Hiring the right people for the project
- Getting the right production technology on board
- Budgeting and financing
- Allocating funds for various processes
- Scheduling the project
- Filming and recording
- Outsourcing work to third-party teams
- Coordinating with the various teams involved
- Managing remote workers and teams
- Ensuring the smooth completion of the project
In short, media production managers oversee all the critical aspects of a project, from initiation to completion. Their job also involves generating reports during or at the end of a project. So, apart from the creative aspects that go into the making of any project, efficient production management is also essential to all kinds of audio-visual productions.
ENROLL IN SEAMEDU’S POST GRADUATEDIPLOMA IN MEDIA PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT
Career Opportunities in the Media Production Industry
For those who wish to enter the domain in a managerial role, the opportunities are manifold and rewarding. Here’s a list of careers you can explore in production management:
- Media Production Manager
- Media Strategist
- Media Planning Manager
- Channel Head
- Assistant Production Manager
- Marketing Manager
- Game Production Manager
- Marketing Analyst
- Business Development Manager
- Digital Media Analyst
- QA Manager
- Production Coordinator
- Department Production Manager
- Show Production Manager
- Resource Manager
- Project Manager
- Customer Support Manager
- Unit Production Manager
How Can You Make a Career in Media Production Management?
As mentioned above, it is an excellent time for young professionals to enter this industry and make their mark as production managers. As is the case with any other profession, you need a combination of formal training, industry exposure, practical experience, and a specific set of skills to build yourself a rewarding career in media production management, too.
While you will find hundreds of B-schools out there that have impressive business management and business administration programs, not many will give you the choice to specialize in media production management.
About Seamedu’s PGDM in Media Production Management
Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism has recently launched a first-of-its-kind PGDM in Media Production Management.
The two-year program is broken down into four semesters and is designed to cover all the key areas of media production management, including:
- Management Principles
- Marketing Management
- Accounting
- Economics
- Finance and Budgeting
- Media Aesthetics
- Operations Management
- International Business
- Media Law and Ethics
- Workforce Management
- Visual Media Production
- Corporate Communication
- Media Technology
- Game Production Management
- VFX Pipeline Management
- News Media Production Management
- Media Entrepreneurship
This AICTE-approved course has been designed by industry experts to cater to the media domain’s need for capable managers. It focuses on the essential aspects of production management and enables students to helm a wide range of creative projects with efficiency.
While it provides students with a strong foundation at the conceptual level with theoretical or classroom learnings, the program also comprises of practical training with components like:
- Guest lectures by industry experts
- Seminars and webinars
- Workshops and practical assignments
- Live industry projects (hands-on training)
- Industry visits (to production houses and media companies)
- Internships (at the end of each semester)
Rated as one of the top media education colleges in India, Seamedu is known for its strong industry connections, unparalleled infrastructure, experienced teaching faculty, and vibrant learning environment. With this media production management course, the institute is taking the next step in creating skilled managers for the media industry.
What is also interesting to note is that since the program trains you in the basics of business management, you can explore careers in other industries, too.
The influx of OTT platforms, the steady popularity of films and music, and the expanding market for online games (thanks to the presence of development centres like Microsoft, Nvidia, UbiSoft, Electronic Arts, Disney, and Sony) has created excellent opportunities for production professionals in the entertainment industry.
Are you ready to become the production managers of tomorrow?
