Film Industry Statistics and Career Info
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Film Industry Statistics
Film Industry Career Outlook
The film industry is big business. Even so, there has been speculation about how increased ticket prices, faster turn-around times for new movies being released on DVD and new technology could negatively impact the bottom line for movie theaters and, by extension, the film industry.
Although it's true that theater admissions have declined in recent years, 2006 actually ended a 3-year downward trend as admissions increased 3.3% over the previous year (see chart below). Revenue from ticket sales increased by 5.5%, making 2006 a $9.49 billion year. And the total number of movies released in 2006 (a healthy 607) marked an 11% increase over the number of 2005 releases.*
Additionally, the latest published data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the film industry provided 157,000 jobs for actors, directors and producers in 2004, and this number is expected to grow between 9-17% by 2014. In any case, it seems clear that despite yearly fluctuations in box office numbers, Hollywood isn't going anywhere anytime soon. That's good news for people hoping to start careers in the film industry.
Film Industry Salaries
Predicting your future earning potential in the film industry is tricky. There are several factors to consider. What will your job title be? What projects will you work on? How long will they take? What kind of budgets will they have? Will you have a lot of down-time between projects, or will you work steadily? In addition to these factors, your salary may also depend on how well you network and how well-known you become.
The following table gives some general information about salaries for directors and producers:**
Job Title Yearly Income of Middle 50% Director – Stage, Motion Picture, TV $22,778 – 34,733 Producer $37,772 – 52,161
Some jobs pay more and others pay less. You'll take some jobs for the credit rather than the money. In other words, you shouldn't enter the film industry because of the promise of a big salary. There are no guarantees. However, working in a job that challenges and excites you is a reward in itself. And with determination and luck, you can achieve the financial rewards as well.
School Spotlight
Enroll in a film or video production program at an Art Institute near you. With locations nationwide, you may not have to travel far to benefit from an education at one of these well-known art schools. Request information from the campus of your choice:
Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Los Angeles - Santa Monica, Miami, Nashville, New England, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Vancouver - Burnaby or Washington DC
*US Theatrical Market Statistics report from Motion Picture Association of America.
**HR data as reported by Salary.com.
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