A Trip Through Cinema Careers

January 23rd, 2008

When the Oscar buzz starts it’s usually the actors and directors who take top billing in the news. But the reality is that it takes a host of artists from different mediums and fields to make a feature film possible. Before you change the channel, check out these lesser known Oscar categories and what they involve.

Category: Sound Editing

From the screeching car chases of nominees like “Transformers” and “The Bourne Ultimatum” to the subtler orchestral turns and bustling kitchen ambiance of “Ratatouille,” sound editing plays a major part in making a feature film possible. It’s the sound editor’s job to select and supervise what kinds of music and effects are included in a movie and how they are interwoven. Unless you’re interested in the silent film era, sound editing is a must for any movie.

Category: Cinematography

While directors use their vision to translate a screenplay to the big screen, it’s up to the cinematographer to make these concepts into a reality. Cinematography may involve everything from conferring with the director on camera angles and shots, to selecting the type of film and camera lens used. It’s an involved profession, especially for films like “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” in which many scenes were filmed from the perspective of the paralyzed main character.

Category: Visual Effects

Whether it was creating polar bears who could talk and fight in “The Golden Compass,” or transforming actor Bill Nighy into the fearsome pirate Davy Jones in the “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” visual effects pros got a work-out this year. With its heavy reliance upon computer-generated imagery these days, those who work in the visual effect industry are generally trained in digital animation and its facets. However, related fields like model-making and animatronics still play a part in the creation of visual effects.

If you think you’d like to work in one of these film fields, it’s never too early to start researching. And remember, these categories and their related professions can be equally important in areas like television, music, and theatre.

**Image from “The Golden Compass” copyright of New Line Cinema.

– Genevieve M. Blaber

Entry Filed under: Careers,General,Pop culture & college