Career Retraining for Motion Picture and Video Professionals Opens Doors Beyond Hollywood

Working in film and television may seem like a glamorous profession, but this already competitive industry faces shrinking payroll projections over the coming decade. In fact, film and television professions ranked among the top five categories of layoffs in early 2009. As a global recession impacts advertising rates and film budgets, many entertainment industry workers seek help from career retraining programs to transition into other kinds of jobs.

The recent strike by professional writers forced many entertainment professionals to put their creative skills to work in different kinds of industries. While some designers and producers enjoyed a temporary change of pace, other professionals used their experience to make permanent career moves. According to government analysts, they may soon be joined by additional waves of job seekers forced out of Hollywood and New York by the recession in today's economy. Despite tax incentives for U.S. based productions, many studios and networks produce media on cheaper budgets, often using overseas locations and facilities to save money.

Common Job Skills of Entertainment Workers

• Strong communication skills
• Organizational and leadership skills
• Tolerance for unusual hours and working conditions

Career Opportunities

Presentation counts for a lot in today's marketplace. Therefore, a variety of industries seek to recruit professionals with polished communications skills. Some former film and video producers segue to similar jobs creating in-house media for training and sales programs. Other entertainment professionals use their experience on the set to manage other types of teams, in sales organizations, in hospitality settings, and in retail organizations.

New Economy Careers for Motion Picture and Video Professionals

• Corporate communications
• Internet/new media production
• Retail merchandising

Benefits of Career Retraining

Family members of entertainment professionals often lament the industry's approach to health care and retirement benefits, especially for "below-the-line" workers. With unions under pressure to cut benefits and trim rosters, career retraining can help creative professionals find meaningful jobs with employers who cover crucial medical expenses while paying employees for time away from work. Current writers, producers, and set assistants who find time to enroll in online degree programs stand the best chance of developing marketable job skills that can provide long-term security and stability, especially in today's market.

Sources:
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Mass Layoffs Summary
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Motion Picture and Video Professionals
Huffington Post, "No Job = No Layoff," by Adam Baer
LA Weekly, "Warner Brothers Announces 800 Layoffs," by Nikki Finke
The Hollywood Reporter, "Layoffs Mount, But Media Hardly Worst Off," by Paul Bond