Is there any money in the Media/Television production business? (bachelor's, degree)

[Raymond Stereo]

I'm about to earn my A.A degree this Spring, and plan on transferring to a senior college in the Fall. Here in NYC (or anywhere for that matter) I'm limited seeing as I don't have any experience or resume to be able to apply to the "big" Film/TV colleges like NYU and School of Visual Arts. The only three senior CUNY's which offer anything in the realm of Media/TV production are City (Film & Video; very selective program), Hunter (Film or Media Studies) and Brooklyn (Television & Radio; college is VERY far from me though).

I've previously had a knack for video editing/production and the world of TV overall, but upon taking an intro to Video Technology course last year, I found that I really liked this stuff.

One thing is liking, the other however, is how that field really is. I'm at a crossroads right now, and want to make sure that whatever effort I put forward for a Bachelor's won't be in vain (as I've noticed from some of the sad stories I've read here on this board ). Don't get me wrong, I'm well aware that a Bachelor's will just get my foot in the door at most (or be worth as much as a doorstep......hope not), but I'd still like to get an idea of what I might be getting into. Its either this, or Journalism (the only other thing I'm remotely interested in)

Anyone here majored/majoring in this field, or know about it, that can tell me what to expect? Any help would be appreciated, thanks.

[StinaTado]

There is usually very little money in the creative side of anything until you get waaaaaaay up there, but I have several friends who work in the technical side of film/TV in the city and they do pretty well for themselves. They are gaffers, best boys, electricians, etc. and have a lot of work because most people want to do the creative stuff, not the dirty work. You have to know people because the unions are very insular, but once you're in, the work and pay are generally pretty good.

The hours can be brutal, but since it's usually freelance, you can work like a maniac for a month and make enough to take a full week or more off. Very few jobs work like that, and my friends work hard and party hard. I worked as a wardrobe supervisor on a film (I normally work in theater) and that's how I met all the career technicians, and it's not a lifestyle I could handle, but they love it.

[Raymond Stereo]

Thanks for the feedback!

I've also heard that, for this industry it isn't worth it to get a college degree, as it is mostly about who you know and what you have to offer. It'd really suck to slave away at this Media Studies degree only to find out that I could've done just as well without it.

[StinaTado]

If you don't have any connections, then you need to go to school to get them. Most decent schools require you to do internships which will give you practical experience and some connections. Unless you have a close family member/friend who can just bring you in at a low level, you almost definitely need further education.

The big question is what do you want to do? If you just want to point the camera, you might be able to squeeze by if you start working for free as a PA and learn what you can on the job. If you actually want to move to the creative side, school will help you build a reel, provide you with internships, and help you make connections.