In a ‘silver stream’ era film students are in demand, SU professors said

UPDATED: Sept. 10, 2019 at 9:40 p.m.

Syracuse University film professors have often said they are envious of the opportunities students have entering the modern-day entertainment industry, and with good reason. Freshmen just starting their journey as an SU film student, whether in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications or College of Arts and Sciences, will hear this sentiment constantly repeated over the next four years.

Despite the persistence of this opinion, it can still be quite hard to find hope in pursuing a film degree because, as a film student, it’s common to face a wide variety of skeptics demeaning the validity of a film degree and this career path.

The most obvious reason that the industry right now is so exciting and opportunistic is the astounding demand for original content. The landscape of the film industry permanently changed with the introduction of streaming services. There’s a growing number of media corporations seeking to create their own streaming platforms to capitalize on the success of those that came before.

Television, radio and film professor of practice, Barbara Jones said the number of distribution outlets has grown exponentially in recent years — including from platforms like traditional broadcasting, cable and over-the-top media services like Netflix — and the need for content is there. For SU students and recent alumni, she said there are plenty of paths to success.

All of these new services aim to populate their libraries with unique voices and original content for which they are constantly turning to young, up-and-coming filmmakers. Through 2019, Netflix is projected to spend $14 billion on their original content with Hulu, Amazon Prime, Showtime and even CBS All Access following in their footsteps.

Television, radio and film associate professor Keith Giglio said in virtually every aspect of the entertainment industry, there is a demand for employment.

“The entertainment business is thriving with so many ancillary employment opportunities. It’s the age of the silver stream — and all that content needs creators, writers, directors, producers, agents, managers, development people,” Giglio said.

Michael Schoonmaker, the chair for the television, radio and film department, said in this era of entertainment, both traditional forms of consumption like TV and film content and newer ones like binge-watching shows through Netflix and Apple are coming together.

“The unique aspect of this particular Golden Age of Entertainment is the simultaneity of its recognizable and not-so- recognizable elements coming together. It’s a wild, wild west for those interested in this field, for sure,” Schoonmaker said.

Alongside this growth in streaming content, the Hollywood system continues to flourish, as does the indie film scene, as independent production companies like A24, Blumhouse and Neon continue to find economic and critical success. They do this through the work of new filmmakers who churn out movies at an alarming rate.

The demand for original content and film may be what jumps out at people when examining the opportunistic nature of the modern industry landscape. But the most important reason to explain why right now is a fantastic time to study film is that there are more people capable of creating their own content.

Anyone can enter the film scene if they have a phone, and while at first glance that might seem to detract from the value of film school, it merely enhances what one can do with such an education. While SU doesn’t allow bringing its cameras home for the summer, it doesn’t mean filming, learning and improving has to stop.

Famous directors such as Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Quentin Tarantino have asserted a better alternative to film school: simply picking up a camera and filming. And in this era, every student has a camera right in their pocket.

So, freshman film students, use your film degree wisely and take advantage of this unique time in history: Practice as much as you can, study hard, work hard and most importantly, never stop filming.