TAFE courses provide the fast track to a career in film and TV

Here’s how to kick off your career in Australia’s booming film and TV production industry.

Film and television qualifications are opening doors to a range of roles previously unheard of by those aspiring to work in the showbiz and entertainment sector.

TAFE NSW media arts team leader Kerry Furlong says while most people enrol in a media-related qualification with dreams of becoming a movie star, by the time they graduate they have hopes of an entirely different career.

“I call it the corridor effect,” he says.

“You just don’t know the opportunities that are available until you go down the hole and only then can you see the doors that are open to you.

“You take a low-level TAFE course and you are exposed to a whole variety of jobs.

“Then, as you go along (progress with study), you can specialise more so you find out about even more roles.

Many careers exist to work behind the camera in the entertainment sector.

“Many people work their way up on-the-job (without qualifications) but that is very slow.

“The fast track is to come to TAFE and learn the actual jobs the right way.’’

While the entertainment sector has struggled in the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic, experts say demand for workers is still high.

In NSW alone, more than a dozen entertainment industry-related qualifications fall under the NSW Skills List, indicating the skills they provide are in high demand.

Furlong recommends a Certificate IV in Screen and Media is the best starting point for those new to the industry.

Graduates can then progress to more specialised diploma and advanced diploma qualifications, he says.

“Then you can either get a job doing what you love or you can go to uni and learn (higher level skills) to be the boss at what you love,’’ he says.

UniSA film and television program director Dr Josh McCarthy says that work opportunities remained strong in post-production areas, such as editing, visual effects and publicity, in the initial stages of the pandemic.

Jack McLaughlin completed a screen and media course at TAFE NSW and has found work at Channel 9.

That work slowed following a COVID-induced halt on filming but pre-production roles, including script writing, casting and budgeting, are now ramping up as the industry seeks to return to normal.

McCarthy expects both areas of production work to rebound strongly, particularly at a local level.

“The fact there’s still so many COVID cases in Europe and the US is going to draw more productions to COVID-safe places so we will see a big increase in opportunities, not just here in South Australia but in all of Australia,’’ he says.

“There’s a lot more opportunities now than there was 10 years ago.

“We’ve got a really healthy film and TV industry.’’

Brothers James, Paul and Jack McLaughlin completed various screen and media courses at TAFE NSW and have now all found work at Channel 9.

Jack, 21, undertook a Certificate IV in Screen and Media and is employed as a floor technician while also learning to work in the control room.

“There’s so many career routes I could take with this role and the people I work with have taught me so much,’’ he says.

Originally published as TAFE courses provide the fast track to a career in film and TV