A film and theater degree teaches you such a great amount of information
regarding the direction, production and management of theater shows, television
shows and movies that there is a wide berth when it comes to the earning
potential for the careers available.
Many of the most popular actors in any of the media outlets have film
and theater degrees and can command top dollar for their performances.
Of course, these careers are few and the numbers of graduates with these
degrees are much greater. Other careers are more behind the scenes, but
are just as important because the show would never go on without them.
Producer (Theater or Film)
The producer focuses on the business end of the lessons from the film
and theater degree program. This individual handles the financial aspects,
script choice, hires actors and handles development of new ideas for the
production.
They also coordinate with the other senior members of the production
to ensure that everything runs smoothly and stays within budget. When
you are located in an area that handles talent and produces big shows
and films regularly, you can command a producer’s salary of above
$60,000 per year to start.
You will have to show you have the skills to do the job and be able to
handle the stress. If you can do so, the sky is the limit in terms of
earning potential.
Visual Effects Artist
This is one behind the scenes career that is necessary to a great production.
Your film and theater degree will cover, in some part, visual effects
and their use in productions. In theater this is restricted to the things
you can have active on a stage with the stationary scenery and within
the realm of safety for the actors.
In film and television, visual effects artists show their full range.
This can include 3-D artistry, computer animation and simple stage set
up for episodic television shows. With such a range of careers it is not
surprising that the pay scale varies from $35,000 to over $80,000 per
year.
Film/Video Editor
Working strictly on television and movies, the film editor handles the
responsibility of choosing the best shot and acted scene and tossing the
rest. Tough decisions rest on these shoulders so there is usually a team
of editors who work together in this task. As a team oriented job that
has little involvement with the production outwardly, the pay scale has
little variation but some potential for increase. The starting salary
is about $38,000 and it tops off at around $60,000 per year.
