Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 25, 2009. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The film industry is booming! The first half of 2009 was Germany’s most successful cinema half-year in five years. The growing industry provides not only entertainment, but also exciting career opportunities. Whether behind the camera, in editing or directing, the areas of work are extremely varied. It is quite often the dream of many young people to start a career in this field. However, many are often unclear about which specific professional fields the film industry offers and which training programs are available for them.
It Does Not Always Have to Be Acting Training
Not everyone has the talent to be an actor. Yet although this classic profession occupies a key position, it is only one of many ways to gain a foothold in the film industry. Broadly speaking, the industry encompasses three orientations. A distinction is made between organizational, creative and technical orientations, with fluid transitions between the three.
Organizational Talent Required
The organizational focus encompasses all activities concerned with planning and conceiving a film. Economic aspects as well as PR and marketing also play a prominent role here. These include, for example, the professions of producer and production manager. The producer is responsible, among other things, for acquiring sponsors, casting actors, selecting screenwriters and determining production costs. One level below the producer is the production manager, who handles the financial details of film projects. This includes the entire organizational and logistical planning as well as engaging the camera crews.
Would You Prefer Something Artistic?
Those who choose an artistic direction may consider careers such as screenwriter or director. Whether feature films or documentaries, creative minds are needed to write screenplays and develop stories. Their work is highly text-based and forms the foundation of every film production. The director, by contrast, is responsible for the shoot on location. The task is to interpret the screenplay and translate it into moving images and sound. The director instructs the actors and is ultimately responsible for the film’s artistic design.
Only for Technicians
On the technical side, alongside classic professions such as camera operator, editor, lighting technician or audio technician, new career opportunities have increasingly developed over recent years, especially in what is known as post-production. Popular genres such as science fiction or classic action films now require computer-animated special effects and 3D animation that are incorporated afterward. These make it possible for explosions or spaceships gliding through space to appear realistic. Programming these effects requires extensive knowledge in areas such as 3D modeling, visual effects and compositing. This is associated with the profession of special-effects designer.
Broad Basic Training and Practical Relevance Are Essential
“Anyone interested in a career in the film industry should be determined, creative and willing to experiment. An interest in film and television and the urge to translate one’s own ideas technically into moving images and sound are also an important foundation,” explains Götz Hannemann, Marketing Director at SAE Institute, an international educational institution in the fields of audio, digital film & animation, web design & development, and game design. “Alongside the games industry, the film industry is one of the big players in the entertainment sector and is constantly looking for young talent. I see particularly good career opportunities in technology-heavy areas. Specialists in computer-animated special effects are rare and desperately sought after.”
Interested people should inquire about training programs that initially provide the broadest possible grounding in both theory and practice. The industry is highly individual and often lacks specialized training options. A good foundation is therefore important for succeeding on the job and later acquiring specific specialist knowledge “on the job.” Since the professional field overlaps with other disciplines such as audio/sound and the web, prospective students should also take care to choose a training institution that covers as many multimedia disciplines as possible. This makes it possible to achieve synergies and train as an all-rounder.
Alongside universities of applied sciences and universities, there are also numerous specialized institutions offering qualifications tailored specifically to the film industry. A worldwide leader in this field is SAE Institute. It offers film and animation training programs at a total of seven locations in Germany. The “Digital Film & Animation Program” prepares students for a career in the professional film industry. It teaches theoretical and practical fundamentals to give students an understanding of the possibilities and developments in the film industry. Training with tools and modern equipment also enables them to implement specific film projects independently.
