Top film school students seeking a career in the film and television industry have a wide array of top film schools from which to choose. There are many departments involved in the development of a film project from its conception to its screening or airing.

Graduates of top film schools may find themselves working in the preparation stages of a film project. The initial stages of a film may include specific production design to achieve an overall feel to reflect a project’s mood, or visual elements of set and costume design to convincingly set the piece in a specific time and place. Students of film will benefit from studying how these effects were accomplished in previous works, and in some cases learning how new technology can help recreate the appropriate atmosphere for a period or mood.

Some graduates of top film schools with an artistic flair may find themselves aiding the preparation of a film project by drawing storyboards. These are references to help effectively communicate the desired composition of frame of a shot. A degree or diploma from a top film school will support a graduate’s application to work in a film production office at all stages of the project. Working as a production assistant (P.A.) or personal assistant for a producer, director or cast member can serve as an excellent introduction to the business side of film as carried out in production offices. A position as a P.A. can also acquaint the graduate with the etiquette and nature of work that’s involved with shooting in studios and on locations.

Some graduates of top film schools will find themselves working onset in studios and locations, as opposed to pre-production or post-production. There are a variety of departments which are crucial to a successful shoot, which combine both artistic and technical expertise. These range from the camera department where the cinematographer chooses the appropriate camera settings, filters and lenses for the desired effect, to other departments such as the grip department which constructs dolly tracks to accommodate the shots as well as placing flags to control the amount of light on the subjects, among many other tasks. Of course, the director may provide creative input to every department. There are artistic and practical aspects of other departments as well. For example, a property master may favor a specific brand of product to feature in a shot because of its connotations, but he or she has to know if it has been cleared for use by the legal department.

Depending on the level of production, many workers in film are members of guilds or unions and benefit from working under a collective bargaining agreement. These agreements can provide for considerable overtime premiums, benefits and contributions for retirement plans, which can significantly offset the somewhat seasonal nature of the business that’s experienced by some cast and crew members.

And when the shooting of the film is wrapped, there’s still significant work to be done in post-production. This provides work opportunities for top film school graduates to be employed as editors, Foley artists, and music editors as well as in the process of sound looping to replace unsatisfactory dialogue.

Whether a student wishes for a career in feature film, television or corporate videos, a diploma or degree from a top film school will be an excellent asset.