Your Film Industry Career Options

You don’t have to be an actor, you know?
Suppose it’s not your truest passion and you’re not amazing at it, but you still love the film industry. You can do so many things tied to being an actor.

Here are a few other options you can always consider!

Scriptwriter
It would be beyond fun to actually write the actor’s lines and make audiences and millions of people laugh! Scriptwriters get to watch actors preform their written masterpiece and get the satisfaction of being a large contributor to the film industry. (Plus, they make a minimum of $32,290 and for big-name writers, $5,000,000 a year isn’t unheard of!)

Director
Admit it, you’ve considered this at least once in your lifetime! A director is in charge of assembling the film crew and guiding the look, sound and overall feel of the film. If power and being a leader is something you are naturally good at, consider this! But remember, it takes a while to build your name as a director.

Gaffer
When I first heard of this one, I believe I said “a what?” Turns out, the Gaffer is the head electrician on set, and is responsible for the lighting an making sure it suits the mood of the scene. And believe it or not, a gaffer is incredibly important for a movie, show, or theatrical presentation to look the way it should and be successful. How awkward would it be to watch a scene that is set in the daytime and have the set be pitch black? The gaffer is the go-to-assistant and is called the “best boy” and they can make $50,000-$70,000 a year, but the best gaffers can make hundreds of thousands.

Makeup artist
Putting pounds of makeup on actors is extremely fun, and males or females can do the job! If costumes and makeup interest you, give this a go! You can start being a makeup artist, right when you finish high school. All it takes is finishing a makeup artistry school.

Special Effects Technician
Love computer graphics and video editing? Consider this- special effects technicians meet with the director and other members of the crew in the early stages of pre-production to determine the desired look of the effects. Whether it’s a car blowing up and creating an explosion, or creating an underwater scene, special effects technicians are in charge of it all.

More Ideas!
Interested in production? Be a electrician, model prop builder, best boy lighting, rigger/light operator, gaffer or a production assistant.
Interested in special effects? Be a makeup fabricator, visual effects artist, or special effects technician.
Interested in writing? Be a scriptwriter for t.v. series, web series, movies, commercials, or short films.
Interested in makeup? Be a fashion & beauty makeup artist, makeup artist, wigmaker, key makeup artist, or makeup special effects fabricator.
Interested in art direction? Be a art director, wardrobe stylist, or set dresser!