In the wake of the recent Academy Awards, this week’s career memes put the spotlight on filmmakers.
Filmmakers are essentially responsible for bringing a film from the development stage right through to completion. Generally, the term ‘filmmaker’ applies to the director or producer.
A filmmakers’ work hours can be long, hectic and inconsistent, and their tasks are varied: they may write a film script themselves, establish an estimated budget to make a film, as well as assess what’s required to make a film. Does equipment need to be rented? What about props? Can the film be shot in a studio?
Filmmakers will also typically hire the film staff, such as actors, editors, film scorers, makeup artists, and camera crew.
Once filming is under way, filmmakers oversee that process by managing the set, ensuring shots are taken properly, and that production remains within budget.
In post-production, filmmakers oversee the editing process and manage the release of the final film.
Skills a good filmmaker will possess are creativity, communication, leadership, attention to detail, good decision-making, and a solid understanding of the filmmaking process, from both the technical and creative perspectives.
Salary-wise, it’s nice work if you can get it: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that filmmakers working in the motion-picture and video industry earned an average annual salary of US$114,450 as of May 2012, according to GlobalPost.
