Which institutions are involved in the film industry?

The film industry incorporates technological and commercial institutions that are involved in filmmaking. These institutions in filmmaking include studios, production companies, and crews.

What is the global growth of the film industry?

With worldwide box office revenue has grown consistently for years and amounting to more than $42 billion in 2019 , the global film industry shows healthy projections for the future.

Is the United States the wealthiest film industry in the world?

Yes, the United States was the largest filmed entertainment market in 2018, with $32.23 billion in revenue. China was second place, with revenue of over 15.82 billion, followed by Japan, the United Kingdom, and Germany.

Which is the most expensive movie ever made?

The most expensive movie ever made is 2011's "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides," with reportedly $376.5 million after-tax credits. The movie was filmed in England at the historic royal naval college in Greenwich and Pinewood Studios, where the production used the vast majority of the sound stages.

Film Resume Examples & Writing Tips

If you are passionate about bringing life to stories through the silver screen, don't hesitate to get started in the film industry.

While the COVID-19 pandemic could have been a significant setback for the industry, the entertainment field managed to stay stable with the PVoD releases on streaming platforms like HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

To create a resume for a film career, use the following guide.

Looking for Cover Letter ideas? See our sample for Film Cover Letter

Film Job Titles

Film Cover Letter Examples

Current Trends in the Film Industry

There are many exciting trends in this industry. The most important is the move from a theater exhibition to a home theater model. Services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, for example, have already changed the way we consume movies, spending more than $20 billion on original content, changing the financial landscape of studios, and upending old notions of theater-only release standards.

There are also technological evolutions. One impacting the film industry is Virtual Reality (VR). This technology, which fully immerses a viewer in a story, already had a global economic impact of $29.5 billion by 2020 and is expected to grow more in the future.

The industry is also witnessing a cultural breakthrough focusing on relevant social issues, including diversity acceptance and celebration of LGBTQ and race issues, highlighting political unrest, and fostering unity across different populations.

The film industry is an ever-growing industry paying over $181 billion in wages annually to 2.5 million people in the U.S. alone and will continue to grow.

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Salary and Employment Outlook for Film Jobs

The average salary in film varies distinctly. To create a movie from scratch, individuals or teams with different roles and responsibilities are involved, and their salaries differ according to the duty they perform. Take a deeper look below at how the wages of other film jobs vary.

Creative film jobs

With more internet-only platforms, the number of shows produced is increasing. This is great for creative jobs in the film industry, like video editors and camera operators. The largest employers of these creative jobs are motion picture and video industries, radio and television broadcasting, self-employed workers, professionals, scientific, technical services, and the government.

Job Outlook 2020–2028

Video Editor

Due to the increased demand for special effects and overall content, the overall employment of video editors is projected to grow at a rate of 18% from 2019-2029.

Job outlook

18%

Average hourly wage (2019)

$29.76 per hour

Videographer

Out of nearly 51,000 jobs held by television, video, and motion picture videographers and video editors, more than 26,000 jobs are owned by videographers.

Job outlook

Average hourly wage (2019)

$18.51 per hour

Animator

From 2019-2029, the employment of animators is projected to grow 4% due to increased demand for visual effects and animation in movies, video games, and television.

Job outlook

Average hourly wage (2019)

$37.36 per hour

Source: Film and Video Editors and Camera Operators: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S Bureau of Labor of Statistics)

Source: Videographer: Payscale

Source: Special Effects Artists and Animators: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S Bureau of Labor of Statistics)

Film management jobs

A producer or a program manager does management in film. They are responsible for tasks including developing the budget of a project and overseeing all the business decisions. They work alongside crew members and play an important role in bringing projects from conception to realization.

Job Outlook 2020–2029

Producer

The employment of producers is expected to grow 4% from 2019 to 2029.

Job outlook

Average hourly wage (2019)

$36.73 per hour

Program Manager

The Project Management Institute predicts the need for 88 million individuals in project management-oriented roles over the next six years.

Job outlook

Average hourly wage (2019)

$64.01 per hour

Source: Producers and Directors: Occupational Outlook Handbook (U.S Bureau of Labor of Statistics)

Source: Program Manager: Payscale, Project Management Institute

6 of the Top Soft Skills Needed for Film Jobs

Making a film involves different stages of production. The process includes conceptualizing and writing a story idea in the development phase; researching, casting, and location scouting in the pre-production phase; shooting in the production phase; editing and arranging the footage in post-production; and sending the final product to theaters, DVD, or streaming services in the distribution phase. Every stage incorporates creative fields like editors, videographers, and animators, and management fields like producers and program managers.

Even though there are different sets of people working on other areas of the film to bring it to life, and each of them requiring different sets of skills, there are specific skills that every filmmaker should possess, irrespective of their role.

Here are the top six skills to become a successful filmmaker:

Technical knowledge
As a filmmaker, you must have a technical understanding of every piece of the filmmaking process; this includes camerawork, sound, special effects, lighting, design, post-production processes, and more. You need to understand different filmmaking tools and software like Final Draft, Movie Magic, and Adobe Creative Cloud used in various stages of film production. The idea is not to be an expert in every software, but familiar with almost every software.
Flexible creativity
The soul of a film lies in the creativity of the people producing that film. Whether you’re working as a producer, director, actor, or post-production coordinator, you need to visualize the story creatively to present it in the most appealing way to the audience. Flexible creativity means your creativity shouldn't just remain in the field of your specialization; you should be able to contribute your ideas in other areas of film.
Written and visual storytelling
Even if your job doesn't include script-writing or creating visuals, it's essential to understand the story you are trying to tell as a team. You need to understand, evaluate and analyze reports, including written scripts.
Effective communication
Being a filmmaker, working on set with countless other crew and cast members, you should communicate well with everyone to bring about a collective result. Without effective communication, you won’t be able to channel your ideas to different crew members. To work towards the common goal of bringing alive a story, you should be a good speaker and listener.
Building strong connections
Apart from your talents and experience, your stability in the film industry is determined by connections. Good collaborators are always helpful for your career. Therefore, make sure that you nurture your ability to build strong relationships.
Knowledge of the latest trends
The film industry is an evolving industry that goes through significant change every decade. As a filmmaker, you should be able to track those changes. You should be aware of the latest technological trends like 3D printing, autonomous drones, virtual reality, and cultural trends.

Educational Requirements for Film Jobs

Degree
Even though the film industry relies on creativity and experience, having a formal education will fill the gaps of attaining technical skills and understanding the history of filmmaking.

The minimum educational qualification is to earn an associate degree in filmmaking. This will introduce you to the basics of cinematography and production. Going for a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts, undergraduate degrees in film studies will equip you to become producers, screenwriters, lighting directors, and scenery supervisors, among other roles, as it covers more broad topics on film. Those who wish to know more about the world of cinema can go for a master's degree in film.

Vassar College, the University of Illinois at Chicago, the University of California-Los Angeles, and the University of California-Irvine are some of the best film schools to enroll yourself into and kick-start your filmmaking journey.
Certifications
Institutions like TISCH and the University of California-Los Angeles offer certificate programs to those aspiring to add a certification to their film education. You can also earn software-specific certifications from widely used software in the film industry like Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Apple Final Cut Pro X. Online platforms Udemy and Skillshare also offer courses in filmmaking where you can get certified.

Film Resume Examples by Experience Level

To create a unique resume that makes you stand out from the crowd, you need to know the art of writing a resume. To create a resume as unique as you, pay attention to specific details. For example, if you craft a resume that matches an entry-level job and you apply for a mid-level position, your resume will be immediately rejected.

Animator

Producer

Director

Mid-level

With a work experience of 11 years or more, you will have both skills and work experience to brag about. In this situation, you can use two resume formats.

At this level, you can use the chronological resume format. This is the point in your career where you might have worked in different places, and you can mention all of them in your resume. But you should make sure there are no gaps and that all previous roles match the position you are applying for. You don’t need outdated information or add the job working at a cafe if you apply for a director position.
The combination resume format balances your skills and experience. Unlike the chronological resume format, you don't have to worry about the gaps between the working years while using this format. In this way, you can give equal importance to both your skills and experience. In both cases, add an excellent professional summary at the top.