Television Jobs: Who's on Set?
Find out about the different jobs available in television.
Get Inspired
Have you ever been watching your favorite television program and wondered who it takes to bring it to the screen? Producing a television show requires the efforts of many different types of people. If you're creative and enjoy collaboration, there's a wide range of different roles where you can put your artistic skills to work in the television industry.
For inspiration, check out the annual Emmy Awards broadcast. The ceremony reveals the range of jobs behind the making of a TV show. The Television Academy recognizes all those jobs, so whatever television career you choose, you'll have a chance to earn a statuette for excellence in television.
Careers in Television
Creative types can apply their skills in many different areas of the television industry. The following jobs may appeal to students interested in interior design, film editing, performance arts, fashion design, and photography.
Production Designer and Art Director
- Designs sets and oversees construction
- Researches architectural styles
- Maintains a budget
- Applies skills in interior design, visual art, and landscape design
- Consults with directors
Editor
- Chooses and edits film or video footage
- Synchronizes footage with sound
- Works with editing software and digital equipment
- Assembles footage that indicates a story's progression
- Applies skills in communications, visual art, and information technology
Casting Director
- Reads scripts
- Scouts out actors
- Gauges whether an actor can take direction and express the range of emotions needed for a character
- Negotiates actors' contracts with their agents
- Applies financial and business skills
Costume Designer
- Reads scripts to get familiar with plot and its time period
- Researches clothing and materials
- Presents sketches and photos to director
- Creates or locates costumes, accessories, and props
- Applies knowledge of historical and cultural aspects to designs
Cinematographer
- Composes and frames every shot
- Determines the best lighting and camera angles for each scene
- Chooses and maintains equipment such as lenses and filters
- Shoots film or video footage
- Works closely with the director
More Jobs in Television
Of course, it takes many other people to produce a television show. Consider these broadcast jobs where you can put your artistic skills to work:
- Animator
- Camera operator
- Director of photography
- Documentarian
- Lighting designer or director
- Music director
- Performer (e.g., actor, announcer, host, narrator, voice-over artist)
- Sound editor or mixer
- Special and visual effects artist
- Writer