InfoGuides: Film and Video Studies: Find Career Information

Local Organizations

Women in Film and Video
Women in Film & Video (WIFV) is dedicated to advancing the career development and achievement for professionals working in all areas of screen-based media and related disciplines. You don't have to be a woman to join, but its members are dedicated to supporting women in the industry by promoting equal opportunities.
Television, Internet, and Video Association (TIVA) of DC
The Television, Internet and Video Association of DC (TIVA-DC), a local not-for-profit (501(c)(3)) organization was formed to serve the needs of the growing greater DC production community, including Maryland and Virginia. Focused on the burgeoning local market, TIVA offers an entrée into a world of career opportunities, new-industry technology seminars, educational outreach, mentoring and award ceremonies.
Virginia Production Alliance
The Virgina Production Alliance sponsors professional development and networking events for filmmaking professionals and is committed to providing assistance to those working to establish professional film-related careers and businesses.
Viginia Screenwriters Forum
For more than 25 years, the Virginia Screenwriters Forum has helped to bring writers together to share their love and knowledge of screenwriting by offering support and constructive feedback to members’ scripts in progress.
Virginia Film Office
Maryland Film Office
DC Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment

Film Career Databases and Periodicals

Occupational Outlook Handbook This link opens in a new window
A nationally recognized source of career information designed to provide valuable assistance to individuals making decisions about their future work lives. Type "directing and producing" into the searchbox to get median pay, job descriptions, and outlook for careers in film.
Firsthand This link opens in a new window
Find career and job information, including: rankings and profiles for top employers, universities and internship programs; industry and profession overviews; job and internship postings; and career advice through various articles, blogs and videos. Type your career into the search box, such as "Film Director" to get specific results.

Learn about your career with the following trade publications, journals, and publications in the library:

Keep up to date on industry news with the following free online publications:

Film Career Books

Here are several books on the film industry/careers you can read ONLINE through the library:

Film Talk by Wheeler Winston Dixon
ISBN: 0813541476
Publication Date: 2007-07-11
Film Talk is an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking from the 1940s to the present. In eleven intimate and revealing interviews, contemporary film directors speak frankly about their work-their successes and their disappointments, their personal aspirations, struggles, relationships, and the politics that affect the industry.
Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry by Eve Light Honthaner
ISBN: 9781138910928
Publication Date: 2017-08-22
Hollywood Drive: What it Takes to Break in, Hang in & Make it in the Entertainment Industry is the essential guide to starting and succeeding at a career in film and TV.
Jump*cut: How to Jumpstart Your Career as a Film Editor by Diana Friedberg; Lori Jane Coleman
ISBN: 1138691356
Publication Date: 2016-11-17
In JUMP*CUT, leading film/TV editors and industry veterans Lori Jane Coleman ACE and Diana Friedberg ACE offer editing techniques, insider tips and unwritten rules that contribute to making a great production.
Writing for the Screen by Anna Weinstein (Editor)
ISBN: 1138945129
Publication Date: 2017-02-24
Writing for the Screen is a collection of essays and interviews exploring the business of screenwriting. This highly accessible guide to working in film and television includes perspectives from industry insiders on topics such as breaking in; pitching; developing and nurturing business relationships; juggling multiple projects; and more.
A Companion to Motion Pictures and Public Value by Mette Hjort (Editor); Ted Nannicelli (Editor)
Publication Date: 2022-01-31
A singular collection of original essays exploring the varied intersections of motion pictures and public value A Companion to Motion Pictures and Public Value presents a cross-disciplinary investigation of the past, present, and possible future contributions of the moving image to the public good.
Making the Cut at Pixar by Bill Kinder; Bobbie OSteen
Publication Date: 2022-05-01
Join industry insiders Bill Kinder and Bobbie O'Steen as they guide readers on a journey through every stage of production on an animated film, from storyboards to virtual cameras and final animation.
Film Editing by Julie Lambden
Publication Date: 2021-12-30
Film editing is part of the long process of formulating, acquiring and presenting the images and sounds that make a film. The film editor makes decisions about the arrangement of the visual and aural material that they receive in the cutting room, not for their own satisfaction but to stimulate the participation of the cinema and television viewer.