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Video Production Majors
Video Production Majors
Find out about the types of jobs you could pursue as a major in video production. Read on to learn more about career options along with salary and education information.
What Careers Are Available With a Video Production Degree?
A bachelor's degree in video production is not limited to the production of video or film. A career in this field will require you to be proficient in direction and production in front and behind the camera. This proficiency needs to come with nuts and bolts training in film and video editing. If you look at the greats in the film industry, many of them created their films from an original or adapted script they wrote.
Majors in video production often get a degree in film studies or communications that trains them to work in the film industry by offering classes like: scriptwriting, video directing and camera operations. Receiving such degrees open the doors to careers such as producers, directors, screenwriters and film and video editors. See the table below for some job facts on these three careers options.
<table border="1"><tr><th> </th><th> Producers and Directors </th><th> Film and Video Editors </th><th> Screenwriters</th></tr>
<tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Bachelor's </td><td>Bachelor's </td><td> Bachelor's</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Education Field of Study</b></td><td> Film or cinema </td><td> Film or broadcasting </td><td> Film or Communications</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Key Responsibilities</b></td><td> Set moods with lighting and sound, direct actors and oversee the editing of film </td><td> Edit video and film and possibly operate cameras </td><td> Write scripts</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Job Growth (2020-2030)*</b></td><td> 24% </td><td> 33% </td><td> 9% for all writers and authors</td></tr>
<tr><td><b>Median Salary (2020)*</b></td><td> $76,400 </td><td> $67,250 </td><td> $67,120 for all writers and authors</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i>
</p><h3 id="section---HowCanIMajorInVideoProduction">How Can I Major in Video Production?</h3><p>If you are interested in a career in video production, an undergraduate degree program may be the right place to start. Many colleges and universities offer video production, film studies or communications bachelor's degree programs with a concentration in video production. You can earn either a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Fine Arts.
</p><p>Many video production programs focus on writing, producing and directing television content. Some programs instead focus on creating movies on film. Either video production slant combines technical, art and business elements. If you are unsure what medium you want to concentrate on, you may want to choose a broader program that includes both video and film production and may also cover alternate media formats such as radio and the Web. General video production courses cover:
</p><ul><li>Scriptwriting
</li><li>Video directing
</li><li>Camera operations
</li><li>Lighting and sound for film and video
</li><li>Video editing
</li><li>Animation
</li><li>Digital video technology
</li></ul><h3 id="section---HowCanIPrepare">How Can I Prepare?</h3><p>Some video production degree programs require you to submit a portfolio of your work for review before you can be accepted. Others may require the successful completion of introductory video production courses. Taking theater, media arts and computer courses in high school may help prepare you for these admission requirements and prerequisites.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatJobsCouldIDo">What Jobs Could I Do?</h3><p>While taking video production courses, you'll learn to set moods with lighting and sound, use a video camera, direct actors and edit video to make a coherent story. Your career could focus on just one of these skills--for example, you could become a screenwriter or a video editor--or you could become a producer or director and create and manage entire video projects.
</p><p>If you like working inside a studio, you may want to work as a video producer in television and produce live broadcasts, recorded television shows, music videos or commercials. You could also work for a publishing company, creating documentary and educational videos. Or you can produce corporate marketing video clips for the Internet.
</p><p>As a field producer, you can work anywhere a video project takes you. For example, if you work for a news organization, you may find yourself producing video in exciting urban or outdoors locations.
</p><h3 id="section---WhatAreSomeRelatedAlternativeCareers">What Are Some Related Alternative Careers?</h3><p>Many related alternatives could have something to do with the entertainment industry. Some directors and producers also work as actors, singers and dancers. None of these jobs will require a degree but attending an acting, singing or dancing school may be helpful. Broadcast technicians will require a bachelor's to start. You could be working with sound boards or digital sound equipment on a movie, television, video or live news broadcast. Another related writing career could include working for a public relations firm where you would create scripts for commercials, or presentations for a sales agent, or pamphlets for a product. At least a bachelor's degree is necessary for these writing professions.</p>
