Televsion Programming Production and Syndication

Information compiled by the GradSchools.com team - last updated December 2010

If you are media savvy and interested in the process by which your favorite show goes from an idea in a writer’s notebook to a Collectors’ Edition DVD Box Set on your media shelf, there are ample opportunities for you in this sub-industry. There are around 500 American companies responsible for the production and distribution of TV shows, commercials and related products like videos or DVDs, with a combined annual revenue of $13 billion.

While most of these companies are small and privately held, and a wealth of opportunities are available, the broadcast and cable industry in general remains very highly concentrated. The 50 largest companies, which include several major media giants like NBC Universal and Sony Pictures Television, dominate, accounting for 80 percent of industry revenue.

Jobs in this industry can be classified according to the four phases involved in the creation of a TV program or other product: development, pre-production, production, and post-production. Producers develop a concept or pilot episode and pitch it to various potential backers, or simply develop shows within the large studio that already owns the product. If you are a writer, this is where you’d want to start. In pre-production, you might find a role as a screenwriter, art director, illustrator, scenic designer, model maker, carpenter, electrician, costume designer, or makeup artist. These are the essential roles of the planning phase, where a show is budgeted, casted, physically designed and scheduled.

If you feel that you have more of a director’s eye, you’ll seek a job in production, possibly as a cinematographer, camera operator, gaffer, sound tech, or animator. Be prepared for many hours of seemingly mundane tasks, from running errands to helping set up props, when you’re first breaking into production as a production assistant or stagehand. The final phase is post-production, where music, and special effects are added, and the film or production is edited. If you fancy yourself a jack-of-all-trades, or simply have to have your hands in everything, directors, producers and production managers work across all areas of production.

If you have the itch to write, produce, or direct, by all means go for it. However, know that these are the highest-paying jobs in production and therefore the most intensely fought over. Your chances at landing a job as an animator or editor are much better, especially if you have any sort of proficiency in digital filming or computer generated design. It is recommended that beginners search for jobs at smaller companies. Not only is competition less overwhelming at these independent filmmakers, but you will have much more personal access to all different members of the production team, which will expose you to a variety of opportunities and individuals.

As you might expect, this industry is centered primarily in New York or Los Angeles, so consider that you’ll likely to have to move to pursue your career. You do not, however, need to spend your time and money on formal training. If you have the talent, you can make it in this business if you have a professional demeanor and are willing to work your way up and gain experience and connections. Despite the general economic downturn, the Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment in program production and distribution to increase approximately 10 percent between 2006 and 2016.