Additional Information
There is no one single path to follow to become a music video producer.
Many in the field say it helps to have training in film studies, experience
in music and some business knowledge.
It's probably a good idea to take a few business courses to help you with
the finances and paperwork you'll be dealing with as a producer.
But not all producers say that formal education is required. "When I became
a producer I had four years of college, which I don't really think I needed,"
says Gabriel Napora, a music video producer. "I had two years of business
management and two years of television production in school, and then I did
a four-month unpaid practicum and it just kind of went from there."
However, some training from a film school is a good way to find out how
films work and what's involved in making them -- essential skills for a producer.
It's also a good way to meet people and make contacts in the industry. Napora
says it helps to be good with numbers, a people person and creative. Also,
having some degree of technical knowledge is important.
If you're just starting out as a producer or director, you can try getting
an unpaid internship with a production company. But if you're not a student,
you might be in for an uphill climb.
"A lot of times, the way that tax law is written regarding interns and
having people work for you, they have to be an enrolled student somewhere
or have been a student in the past year," says Amy E.
Meeting people is helpful if you want to work in the music video industry.
Start by volunteering and making phone calls to production companies. Contact
a smaller production company that does music videos. Ask the people working
there how they got started and see if you might be able to volunteer.