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How the Industry Actually Works

The people, the process and the departments, map by map: how a film is made, paid for and sold, what each department does, and where the entry-level jobs are.

Making afeature filmScreenwritingScriptdevelopmentScript to screen:players and dealsFinancinga feature filmDirecting:the shootPost-productionSales, distribution,marketing, exhibitionStarting a career:production or notCastingAssistantdirectorsProductionofficeLightingdepartmentArtdepartmentCostumedepartmentThe role ofthe producerThe role ofthe editorTHE MFJF CAREER MAPS · CLOCKWISE FROM THE WRITER TO THE AUDIENCE · EVERY POINT IS A MAP
The hub is the whole process; the first ring is the life of a film, clockwise; the outer ring is the crew departments on the shoot, the producer beside the money and the editor beside post; the left is where you come in.
Starting a career:production or notMaking a feature filmScreenwritingScriptdevelopmentScript to screen:players and dealsThe role ofthe producerFinancinga feature filmDirecting:the shootCastingAssistantdirectorsProductionofficeLightingdepartmentArtdepartmentCostumedepartmentPost-productionThe role ofthe editorSales, distribution,marketing, exhibition
Top to bottom: the way in, the whole process, then the life of a film from the writer to the audience; the producer branches off the deals, the crew departments off the shoot, the editor off post.

Each map opens on screen for PRO members, with an A3 print version to download. Drawn from MFJF’s own courses and careers guides.

The Seventeen, in Order

Who works where: every department and every kind of film company, and everyone in them →

  1. The life of a film

    Making a feature film

    The people, the process and the departments

    Map 1 of 17·Open the map →
  2. The life of a film

    Financing a feature film

    The people, the process and the pieces

    Map 2 of 17·Open the map →
  3. The life of a film

    From script to screen

    The main players, the deals and the process

    Map 3 of 17·Open the map →
  4. The life of a film

    The script development process

    From first read to green light

    Map 4 of 17·Open the map →
  5. A role

    Screenwriting, from idea to screen

    The career of a script writer

    Map 5 of 17·Open the map →
  6. A role

    Directing a feature film

    The job, the people and how directors get made

    Map 6 of 17·Open the map →
  7. A department

    The assistant directors' department

    The people and the day

    Map 7 of 17·Open the map →
  8. A department

    The production office

    The switchboard of the film

    Map 8 of 17·Open the map →
  9. A department

    The art department

    The people and the process

    Map 9 of 17·Open the map →
  10. A department

    The costume department

    The people and the process

    Map 10 of 17·Open the map →
  11. A department

    The lighting department

    The people and the process

    Map 11 of 17·Open the map →
  12. A department

    Casting

    The people and the process

    Map 12 of 17·Open the map →
  13. The life of a film

    Post-production

    From rushes to deliverables, the rooms and the people

    Map 13 of 17·Open the map →
  14. The life of a film

    Sales, distribution, marketing and exhibition

    How a film reaches an audience

    Map 14 of 17·Open the map →
  15. Starting out

    Starting a career in film

    The two pathways, production and non-production

    Map 15 of 17·Open the map →
  16. A role

    The role of the producer

    The job across a film, the credits, and how producers get made

    Map 16 of 17·Open the map →
  17. A role

    The role of the editor

    The film made for the third time

    Map 17 of 17·Open the map →
You are not doing this alone

You have your own personal career mentor

That is us, the MFJF team. Book an MFJF Mentor Session with us every month: we guide you through this journey and answer all your questions, from which job is yours to your CV and your next application.

Book my MFJF Mentor Session

Where next

Your recommended next steps

Picked for this page. Signed in, they follow your stage and the roles your answers point to. See your whole MFJF journey, step by step →

  1. My MFJF JourneyOne page for everything MFJF has built, in the order you need it.
  2. My Reading ListThe books, blogs and bodies you have saved, in one place.
  3. Career Matcher - find your perfect career!Eight questions, then three roles with the reasons.
  4. MFJF FoundationsTwo-hour Stage 1 courses, one for every entry-level area.
  5. Get on the HotListPut yourself in front of productions looking for crew.
  6. Join MFJF DayPlayersDay work on productions for crew with the credits and the skills.
  7. Find your role in the career plannersEvery entry-level job by department, with a three-stage planner for each.
  8. Read the career guidesWhat each job is, the day, the way in and the pay: one guide for every role.
  9. See how it all fits on the career maps17 maps of how films get made: the people, the process and the departments.
  10. Who works whereEvery department on a shoot and every kind of film company: who is in each and what they do.
  11. Industry EssentialsThe books, industry bodies, websites and blogs worth knowing, department by department.
  12. Read the MFJF Survival GuidesStraight answers to what everyone starting out asks: how long it takes, what you get paid, and what to do every day.
  13. MFJF Academy workshopsLive sessions with people who do the job, and the monthly career clinic.
  14. Build your CV with the CV BuilderThe industry's format, built from your profile and your current CV.

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