The entertainment industry may be changing, but it’s still thriving: According to one economist, employment in the industry increased by 16.9 percent overall from 2001 to 2011. It’s a competitive field, but breaking in needn’t be an endless slog of unpaid internships and dead-end projects, however, as education is responding to the demand for trained, skilled entertainment workers. A Master’s Degree in Entertainment Management (MEIM) can help open the door to a wide swath of entertainment industry jobs.
Directing and Editing
To get into professional filmmaking, many people spend years at film school, take strings of unpaid film positions, or both. But an alternate, effective method could be an MEIM degree. For instance, one Master of Entertainment Industry Management, Sarah Whitelocke, recently won a competition at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Per an article released by Heinz College, Whitelocke “won Best Editor and had her group’s short film place second overall.” Aside from editing, Whitelocke also wrote and directed the team’s film. Beyond the festival, she had a pair of internships lined up, as well as another film project. She credited her early career success to the experience she gained in her master’s program.
Producing
Creating a TV show, film, or video game requires a team of people with extremely diverse skill sets–and producers need to know how to bring them all together. Luckily, certain MEIM classes cover the production process. Students can learn about pre-production (when the groundwork of a project is laid), production (when it’s filmed or created), and post-production (when editing, sound work, and everything else needed to put the finishing touches on a project occurs). An MEIM program may also give students a hands-on internship or capstone assignment designed to give them real experience producing a project.
Video Game Creation
Film and TV aren’t the only thriving entertainment sectors. More than ever, video games are a lucrative, worthwhile industry to explore. The right MEIM program can teach business skills necessary to survival in the gaming world, and courses may also cover the specifics of video game production. Additionally, storytelling and marketing skills earned through a MEIM degree can be of great use in the gaming industry.
Market Research
It’s a filmmaker’s job to make sure a movie looks good, and a video game designer’s job to make sure it’s fun–but somebody has to make sure the public actually wants specific movies and video games before they’re made, and make sure they reach audiences after. Market research covers that part. By teaching activities such as audience screening, testing, surveys, and tracking studies, a master’s degree in entertainment management can help degree earners break into market research.
Distribution
Distribution channels are changing quicker than ever. With new channels such as Amazon Instant and Netflix battling old models for control, knowing how to properly market and distribute a film can be an invaluable skill. An MEIM program can teach the business skills needed as a producer or executive working on the distribution of film projects. Some courses give a broad overview, while others focus on specific issues, such as intellectual property rights.
Though the job skills picked up by an MEIM degree are valuable, perhaps even more important are the internships and networking opportunities afforded by the right program. Certain curricula put as much emphasis on hands-on internships and networking opportunities as they do on in-class learning, helping students make the most of the opportunities brought by their MEIM degree.
