The Rewards of a Video Production Education

by Paul D. Rosevear

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While a love of film and television often inspires people to pursue a life in the limelight, the lure and excitement of getting behind the camera is just as powerful -- for students with the right ingredients for success. If you thrive in an environment that demands strict scheduling and deadlines, is exciting yet unpredictable, and above all else requires a constant outpouring of knowledge and creativity, the rewards of a

video production

career are yours for the taking.

Formal video production training at a place like the Connecticut School of Broadcasting is a tremendous asset to anyone looking to begin a video production career. Fortunately for the aspiring video production student, there are a multitude of ways to obtain an education and background in the field. Full-blown university degree programs, course-by-course studio programs, and numerous associate's degree or certificate opportunities are available in essentially every city in the country. However, a foundation of technical knowledge is only the start to positioning yourself to enter the world of video production -- real world experience, in the form of internships, apprenticeships, and on-the-job assistant work is equally critical. Luckily most schools integrate these hands-on components into their video production programs.

Video production careers are subdivided into three phases -- preproduction, production, and postproduction. Very often workers are involved in all three, but sometimes they fall into a specialization. Preproduction entails much of the planning, budgeting, casting, and technical preparations for shooting. Production is the actual shooting of the film or show, and postproduction involves taking all the pieces of footage and sound and editing them together to form one cohesive unit. A video production school will generally address all of these topics and upon graduation it's up to the student to decide what his or her focus will be.

While job opportunity for video production careers is plentiful, so is competition. The most technically savvy professionals -- ones that can work in digital mediums, with computer-generated imaging, and using the latest editing software -- will have the best prospects. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that video production opportunities in the industry will grow 17 percent between 2004 and 20014, which is faster than the 14 percent average for other careers.

The road to a video production job begins with a top-notch video production education like that offered at Connecticut School of Broadcasting, so begin your journey with the training and tools to set you apart from the pack. The competition will be stiff, and the education will be demanding, but the rewards of a video production career are limitless if you've got the passion and the drive.