Decent-paying jobs that use film skills?

C

ChocolatePudding

Hi everyone. My daughter has a bachelor's degree in film and of course, her dream is to make a living as a filmmaker. However she knows that it is a dream, something she will continue to work toward for years, and not something she can bank on right now.

But to pay the bills, she would ideally like a job that can still utilize her film degree, experience, and skills all the while giving her a decent salary. Do you guys have any idea what sort of more steady and reliable jobs she should be looking at that? She's dabbled in freelance videography but the work seems somewhat scarce here in San Diego. We are hoping to move to NYC this year, if that makes a difference.

Thanks for any opinions. :)
 
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Please don't mind if I just throw this out there. There maybe jobs in advertising, yes it's not really a direct link to being a working filmmaker. (what is really?) I'm kinda an odd case I've worked in online advertising for almost 12 years now in LA and my degree is "Photography and Cinema" Studies. Odds are in a big city you will end up doing something unrelated. Even at a production company or agency you will be answering phones, getting coffee and reading terrible scripts. The important thing is to at least pay your bills however you can.
 
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Maybe some of us are just dancing around what we really mean (directorik excluded) because it's definitely not what this father wants to hear: her degree is not a ticket to a steady, decent-paying job. It could help her get a job. But it's most likely useless apart from what she actually took out of the classes.
 
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directorik said:
We are not talking about willingness to work up the ladder.
ChocolatePudding specifically asked about reliable, steady jobs
with decent salary her daughter can get utilizing her film degree.

Of course we all know about about all the avenues to work up to.
That takes time and sacrifice and for many years will not be
reliable, steady or have a decent salary.

How can this young woman with a film degree pay the bills now
while working her way up the ladder? Does an internship at a local
or network news station pay a decent salary and is it steady and
reliable?
Click to expand...

How can she do it? I've been asking that question for many years. How about she gets a day job and, at night and on weekends, pursue her dream? Another alternative is to do commercials - ie, work for an advertising agency - and, on weekends and evenings, pursue her dream.
 
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That’s what I’m saying. Sacrifices will most likely need to be made.

There just aren’t any steady, reliable jobs that offer a decent
salary that utilize the skills of a film school graduate. I
suspect she will have to make do with low paying, unreliable,
transient jobs as she works her way up the ladder.

She will have to do unpaid internships at TV stations, work for
very little money as a wedding video assistant, be a PA on no
budget independent films, shoot music videos for no pay, work as a
waitress or bartender.

Pursuing the dream is NOT an evening and weekends thing. Earning a
little money to live on is an evening and weekends thing.
 
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Aspiring Mogul said:
This is depressing.
Click to expand...

May be, but it's also reality. I wrote something similar in another thread, but you must subordinate everything to the pursuit of the dream. As a musician I worked one full time job and two part-time jobs in addition to five nights a week of rehearsals and several hours a day of practice. No partying, no girlfriends, no social life, nothing except work and pursuit of the dream. It took six months before I could quit the full time job. All that was before I turned 20. A year later it was another full time job and another band. I was 26 before I was a full time musician - and worked harder than ever because it's a full time job and a part time job all rolled into one. It never stops, you are always working hard to stay there and attempt the next step.

Pursuit of the dream requires total, complete, ruthless dedication; and being talented helps. But most people don't want to work that hard.
 
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Aspiring Mogul said:
This is depressing.
Click to expand...

What’s depressing?

That it takes hard work and sacrifice to make your dreams come
true? That getting what you want out of a career isn’t simple and
easy?

When I was of college age (I dropped out of high school) I LOVED
pursuing the dream. Now that I’m an adult I still love the hard
work and dedication it takes to put together a project.

I’m going to be honest. Harsh, perhaps, but honest:

If anything I have said in this thread is depressing then making
movies for a career is not for you. A dedicated hobbyist who makes
movies in their spare time is what you need to consider.

And if any recent college grad finds anything I have said depressing...

Well if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.
 
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Alcove Audio said:
Pursuit of the dream requires total, complete, ruthless dedication; and being talented helps. But most people don't want to work that hard.
Click to expand...

I agree with that, and I don't mind the hard work. But I want the reward at the end of it, and, in media, the reward just may not be there.



directorik said:
If anything I have said in this thread is depressing then making
movies for a career is not for you. A dedicated hobbyist who makes
movies in their spare time is what you need to consider.
Click to expand...

I sometimes wonder if I should be a hobbyist - if making films means sacrificing income and financial security, all for the slim hope of one day being a George Lucas, then maybe it really isn't for me.
 
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Thanks for all the opinions and comments, everyone. I really appreciate it.

Just to clarify, I know that her film degree itself is not a ticket to any job in particular. I didn't really mean that when I asked the question...I was asking more if there were any steady jobs that used film skills/experience to at least a considerable extent, regardless of the degree or whatnot. Just something related to film production so that all her training and her passion for film could possibly be utilized professionally.

After reading all your posts, it sounds like starting her own videography business might be the best way to go. She has been thinking about doing that for a while, and she has already filmed one wedding and some school concerts professionally. Would you guys suggest that she specializes in weddings in particular? Is it more profitable to specialize that way? My son is a freelance writer and he knows that specialists in freelance writing make bigger bucks, but is that true of freelance videography businesses as well?

Also, what would you guys say are the 25% and 75% annual income levels of full-time wedding or event videographers? I know it really depends on the individual, how much effort and time they put into seeking clients and all that, but a rough ball park figure would still be nice to know.

As for her starting with low or no pay jobs, working her way up the ladder and all that...she's not sure if she wants to go that route. Her passion has always been for directing and writing movies, but she is the type who always wants to be in creative control over her work. That's why she is thinking of making indie movies on the side instead, submitting them to film fests, hoping to get noticed that way...and if she never truly gets "noticed" and never becomes the next George Lucas, I think she would still be happier making her own movies for the sheer joy of it than to try to build a career of it from the ground up, if that makes sense.

Anyway thanks again for all the replies. Looking forward to hearing more from all of you. :)
 
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You don't necessarily specialize in weddings - although that is one possible avenue - but more specializing in events such as you mentioned. BTW, recording video depositions for attorneys is another (boring but profitable) avenue to explore.

This comes more under the heading of starting a small business than videography. You become a generalist, taking anything that you can get until you become known for a specialty. As with most business endeavors - aside from the obvious needed skill sets for your business specialty - you need to do lots of marketing and networking plus the small business "skills" of keeping books, taxes, etc.
 
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In regards to the production of wedding videos, the proliferation of cell phone cameras may be detrimental to that business.

In regards to the larger question, that is a question only she can decide, and no amount of talking is going to take the place of life experience.
 
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If there is no job, create that job :P

She should know what she is good at.
Then target a market and tell them what she can do for her clients.
Go networking and create quality content.
Be visible (meet people), be believable (have a website with portfolio) and be wanted (make your clients very happy): that's the way to build a business.

It's hard work, but it's fun :)

I run a videoproductioncampany where I am both the CEO and the only fulltime employer ;)
It's my way to monetize my degree in AudioVisual Design and I like it :)
 
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