Film and television are booming industries, but it can be difficult to break into them. Emerson’s Writing for Film and Television MFA can help you gain the skills and connections needed for a successful career in the industry. During the program, you’ll build your portfolio, gain relevant experience, and network within the industry. Through these valuable experiences, you can go on to pursue any number of positions in the film or television field. Today we are highlighting the top 5 careers that students from our Writing for Film and Television program might go on to pursue.
What is Writing for Film and Television?
Emerson’s Writing for Film and Television MFA is a low-residency graduate program. This means that most of the coursework is fully online, except for one week each semester. At the start of each semester, students attend a week-long in-person residency. During the residency week, students take master classes, participate in workshops, and meet their peers and faculty. Each semester the residency takes place on our Boston or Los Angeles campus.
Each year, an award-winning film or television professional is named the Semel Chair and teaches master classes during residency week. Previous Semel Chairs include Adele Lim, writer of Crazy Rich Asians and Raya and the Last Dragon, and Susanna Fogel, writer of Booksmart.
Between residency weeks and semester coursework, students in the Writing for Film and Television program graduate fully prepared for successful careers.
1. Executive Producer
Our Writing for Film and Television MFA prepares students for any number of careers in the film and TV industry. One great career choice is as an executive producer.
The Executive Producer is responsible for procuring the funding necessary to make a film or television series possible. Sometimes an executive producer funds the project themselves, but often times they work with a financing company or studio to gain the funding.
Once they have procured funding, the executive producer manages the use of those funds. For example, most executive producers are in charge of hiring a producer and casting the talent for the project.
A final responsibility of the executive producer is to communicate between the financiers and producers of the project. If the people funding a film have a certain vision for the project, the executive producer will ensure that the producers are executing that vision on set.
In order to be a successful executive producer, you need to have a strong grasp of business and finance. Because the executive producer is the highest position on a film or show, you also need industry experience to work up to the role. The average salary for executive producers in the US is about $100,000 per year.
In the Writing for Film and Television program, students gain the skills and network necessary to become executive producers. With coursework about the business side of film and television, students have the basic business skills needed to be executive producers. Additionally, students network with their peers, professors, and the Semel Chair during residency, which helps them following graduation. With a growing professional network and business know-how from classes, students from the Writing for Film and Television program are well-equipped to pursue executive producer careers.
2. Film Producer
Film Producers oversee a film’s production process from start to finish. They often work with directors and writers to develop an idea for the film, polish a script, and procure talent for the film. Once filming starts, the producer delegates tasks to those on set to ensure that all the details are in order. If actors or crew have questions day-to-day, the producer is their point person.
Because a film producer is the main leader on set day to day, they need strong communication and leadership skills. They also need experience with filmmaking and production. Often, film producers initially help produce small independent films and work their way up to producing larger, higher-budget films. On average, film producers in the US make about $70,000 per year.
If you enjoy taking a large vision and breaking it into manageable pieces, you might make a great film producer. With the workshops, courses, and networking opportunities through the Writing for Film and Television MFA, you will be well-equipped to enter the industry and pursue this career.
3. Showrunner
A Showrunner is a role exclusive to television and streaming series. The responsibilities of showrunners are often similar to those of a film producer. For example, the showrunner will hire writers for a show, head the writing room, oversee casting, and run production.
In order to be a skilled showrunner, you’ll need a creative eye and experience with production and writing. Showrunners make the final creative decisions on shows, so they need to have a strong grasp of writing, editing, and production processes to make a show shine.
Throughout Emerson’s Writing for Film and Television program, students gain experience writing and workshopping a wide variety of media. As part of the program’s portfolio requirements, each student writes a pilot episode and television spec script. Students also gain experience with workshopping others’ screenwriting, which is a valuable experience for a showrunner. With all of these experiences, graduates from the Writing for Film and Television program have the skills and knowledge to be successful showrunners.
4. Screenwriter
Screenwriters may write screenplays or television scripts. Sometimes, screenwriters will write a fresh script for a television or film production company. If a producer has a specific idea for a film, then a writer might help put that idea into a screenplay. Similarly, a writer might be contracted to write an episode or season for a show. Other times, a writer might create a screenplay independently then pitch their work to a film or television organization. The salary of a screenwriter will vary depending on the company and contract, but on average they make about $61,000 per year.
Because writing is competitive in the film and television world, writers with a solid network, training, and experience may be more likely to break through. Centered around writing professional-grade scripts, screenplays, show bibles, and more, the Writing for Film and Television program is a great way to prepare for a career as a screenwriter. Plus, with Emerson’s vast network of alumni, you’ll have plenty of networking opportunities.
5. Film Editor
Film Editors are visual storytellers who help make the final film after shooting is done. They edit the raw footage from the set and help produce the final product. Some skills film editors may need for the job include sound editing, picture editing, visual effects, special effects, music editing, and more. Like many jobs in the film and television industry, you may need to gain some hands-on experience to work your way to a higher film editor position. In Massachusetts, the average film editor makes $64,000 per year.
Students from the Writing for Film and Television program are in a unique position to pursue film editing. With training on how to build narratives through writing and editing, alumni from the program can apply those storytelling skills to visual editing.
We hope that this blog helped you envision yourself as a future professional in the film and television world. With the high-caliber training and networking opportunities available through Emerson’s Writing for Film and Television program, you will be well prepared for a bright career. For more information about the program, schedule a call with one of our admissions counselors. To hear about a current student’s experience in the program, check out this blog featuring Noelle Haynes.
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