However, entertainment and filmmaking are famous for being cutthroat industries. There is heavy competition for very few jobs, and it can be very daunting for those who are looking for a break.
There are many jobs you can seek out in the film industry, producing, directing, acting, audio, editing, camera operation, makeup, set construction, script work, working the floor, costume.
Each area has hundreds of titles within it for a large scale production, and hundreds of people can be working on a singular project. However, with so many trying to get in it can be a real challenge.
That being said, if you are looking for a job that will be easy on the hours, and that won’t be too strenuous, filmmaking is not the career for you.
Film work is long hours, long weeks, and a lot of trips. If you enjoy travel and teamwork, the film industry is for you, but a lot of the hours can be very long and there are occasions when you will likely be home for long periods of time.
However, you will make a higher salary than you would in a 9-5 job, and it is easier to climb the ladder as the film industry is all about networking, which is an automatic part of the job when you are on any film set.
It has its pros and cons, it is all down to what you seek in your career.
How many jobs are there in the film industry?
In the United States the film and television industry supports around 2.1 million jobs, which equals a total wage paid out as $4 billion. When considering how many jobs there are available in a single film, it is wise to look at Hollywood.
In Hollywood the average number of crew credits from 1994 to 2013 was 588. Generally you will have 3 or more writers, 7 producers, 55 or more people in art, 32 plus people in sound, 55 or more in the camera and electrical department, and 156 or more in visual effects. As well as other areas as well.
These numbers are for a live action movie, when it is animated it is different, but for live action movies there are an average 500 people working on a single project. This means that there are many jobs available in this industry, considering that worldwide there has been an average of 2,577 films made per year. This means that each year there are 1,288,500 jobs in the film industry alone across the world. This does not even include television.
Of course, many jobs in the film industry are already taken and there is much competition to get into the film industry. It can be just as hard to get a role in a film crew as it can be to get a casting role, and most of the time you need to start at an entry level position as a runner, even if you have the qualifications for a bigger role.
So while there are actually plenty of jobs available in the film industry, securing one amongst the competition can be quite the challenge.
What is the highest paying job in the film industry?
Hollywood, celeb news, the mass media and everything that gives you a sneak peek into the film industry would have you under the impression that everyone in the industry has money spilling out of their pockets.
However, we are sorry to say, it is not true. According to the SAG (Screen Actors Guild) the average income for actors is often $5,000 a year, so this would tell you, a majority of actors actually have day jobs as well, a primary source of income that will support them in their film career.
So while actors are often thought of as those who hold the most money, they are not. This can leave you wondering who actually holds all the money then? Well, the three highest paying roles in film are; the executive producer, the director, and the screenwriter.
The executive producer controls the whole project, everything that everyone else does is under their control, but it is a role that takes a lot of hard work and a lot of ladders climbed.
They may start off making small movies, or they may start off as runners or production assistants. But, the average annual salary for a film producer is $109,860. This is not counting those Hollywood fat cats though.
When it comes down to the roles with the biggest incomes, the ones that craft the project make the biggest bucks, the producer controlling the product, the director controlling the visuals, and the screenwriter who made the story.
