Many people choose the movies they watch based on the recommendations of their friends or family. However, have you ever questioned why people give movie recommendations? Simply enjoying a movie and watching it carefully and suggesting someone watch it are two completely different things.
A career as a film critic might be the right one for you if you love watching movies, enjoy writing and have excellent analytical skills. You should think about the job of a movie critic and what it takes to become one before deciding whether or not it’s the right career for you.
In this article, we shall go over the duties of a film critic, the education qualifications, and where you can work. Read on!
What Does A Film Critic Do?
If you want to pursue a career as a film critic, you must know the roles and responsibilities that you will have to carry out. The routine tasks you would have to perform in this position are:
- Watch movies in all genres, frequently multiple times.
- Take notes on the dialogue, music, plot, and influences.
- Examine the technical aspects, such as the lighting, editing, and camera angles.
- The reviews must be submitted by deadlines.
- Establish connections with producers, agents, and distributors of movies.
- Watch movies and go to press conferences, previews, and film festivals.
- Investigate archive materials regarding movies and filmmakers, and interview actors, production workers, and filmmakers.
- Update your knowledge of critical theories.
Job Roles As A Film Critic
Understanding how to succeed in your career as a film critic and actually doing so are two different things. Becoming acquainted with the various job prospects will enable you to apply for jobs appropriately. The following are some of the main options you have:
- Film Director: The duties of a film director include reading and editing scripts, managing the cast and crew, and supervising the creation of the finished product. In the end, you’ll collaborate with the actors and other crew members to make sure the movie follows your artistic vision for the finished product.
- Broadcast Presenter: As a Broadcast Presenter, you’ll introduce a program, host (or co-host), link together segments, introduce and interview guests, and engage the audience. The precise nature of the job may change depending on the topic of a program, such as whether it covers news, weather, sport, music, or lifestyle.
- Film Editor: Film editors put together clips from commercials, television programs, documentaries, and feature films to create a seamless final product. They play with the plot, music, sound, and graphics to make the overall narrative flow smoothly and be entertaining as a whole.
- Production Designer: A film, television, or theatre production’s visual concept is the responsibility of the production designer. Working closely with the director and producer, they choose a design aesthetic for the graphics, sets, locations, camera angles, props, lighting, and costumes.
- Location Manager: To ensure that all services and crews arrive at the locations as directly, safely, and quickly as possible, distribute maps and directions to locations, also known as movement orders. provide all crew members and services with pertinent support information. Organize daily schedules with the assistant director.
Career Path To Become A Film Critic
Path 1:
To pursue a career as a Film Critic it is ideal that you complete your 10+2 in the Arts stream and focus more on the language. This will help you to improve your writing and speaking abilities if you want to become a Film Critic. You can choose any other stream as well. A bachelor’s degree either in Cinematography, Film Studies, Journalism, Communications, or another related field, should increase your chances of landing a job in this industry.
Salary In Different Stages Of A Film Critic
Experience | Salary |
Entry | ₹4,69,374 |
Average | ₹6,22,428 |
Senior | ₹7,67,716 |
Skills Required To Become A Film Critic
Being a film critic doesn’t mean that you talk about the negative aspects of a film or the things you didn’t like in the film as a viewer. You have to have a thorough understanding of the good and bad aspects of the film.
The job description of a film critic includes giving readers an analysis of the film and comparing the storyline and plot to other films in the same genre. For this, you need excellent verbal as well as written communication skills. You must also have knowledge about the different elements and styles of filming. You should have an overall understanding of the film industry and be able to analyze all the elements of a film such as acting, direction, cinematography, story, script, etc.
Is Film Critic A Good Career Option?
To be a film critic, it is essential for you to be a movie buff. More importantly, you should have the zest in you to share your opinions about films with the audience. Many people decide to watch a film based on what the reviews say. The audience appreciates it if you honestly speak about the good and bad aspects of the movie.
The entertainment industry has many opportunities for you to start working and build your career as a film critic with good pay. Working under someone and gaining experience in how to write or record reviews will prove to be an invaluable experience for you. Most film critics have their own YouTube channel where they post videos about their opinions of different films. This is an excellent way to become an entrepreneur.
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Industries Hiring Film Critics
To start your career as a film critic, you can work at the following places.
- Publishing houses
- Media houses
- Print media (Newspapers, Magazines)
- Broadcast media (Television, Radio)
- Freelance
Top Recruiters For Film Critics In India
You can begin working independently if you’re looking for a job as a film critic in India by starting your own blog. Additionally, you can seek employment at various entertainment media companies or work as a freelancer.
Courses To Upskill As A Film Critic
You can choose between filmmaking and film criticism courses to broaden your film knowledge. In these courses, you will learn the fundamentals of filmmaking, cinematography, direction, and many other aspects of a movie that you must understand to pursue a successful career as a film critic.
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Qualifications To Become A Film Critic
To know more about how you can pursue a career as a film critic, take a look at the necessary qualifications.
Degrees In India
Undergraduate Courses
- Bachelor of Journalism
- Bachelor of Mass Communication
- Bachelor of Film Studies
- Bachelor of Arts (English)
Postgraduate Courses
Course Name | Duration |
MA Journalism | 2 years |
Masters in Mass Communication | 2 years |
M.A. English (Hons) | 2 years |
Degrees Abroad
Undergraduate Courses
- BA in Film Studies and Production
- Bachelor in International Film Making
- BA in Film Studies
- BA in Film Studies and English Literature
Postgraduate Courses
Course Name | Duration |
Film Studies, Programming and Curation – MA | 2 years |
Film Studies (MA) | 2 years |
MA – Research in Film and Television Studies | 2 years |
MPhil – Film and/or Television Studies | 9 months |
References
Here is some interesting information that will boost your knowledge and help you pursue a career as a film critic.
Popular Film Critics
- Anupama Chopra
- Baradwaj Rangan (The New Indian Express, The Hindu)
- C. S. Venkiteswaran (The Hindu)
- Rajeev Masand (CNN-IBN)
- Taran Adarsh
Types Of Film Criticism
- Amateur film criticism: This is a sort of subjective film analysis used by non-professional film reviewers who want to share their thoughts with other movie fans. Aspiring film critics might use a personal website or blog to post their own film evaluations and analyses. Though they may not receive as much traffic as professional newspapers, these sites still allow anyone with an opinion about a film to express it online via podcast, digital video, or a blog post.
- Journalistic movie criticism: The most well-known form of film criticism is journalistic movie criticism, which can be found in newspapers, journals, and online publications. Journalistic film critics concentrate on analyzing new releases and assigning a score to the picture’s quality based on predetermined criteria. Their reviews frequently include a synopsis of the film as well as a subjective breakdown.
- Academic movie criticism: Academic film criticism is more impartial than other types of film criticism since it focuses on in-depth critical examination. This kind of film critique is usually seen in scholarly journals or books. Academic film critics frequently have a background in cinema theory, film studies, or film history, which they utilize to analyze and evaluate the film’s subject matter, themes, emotional resonance, and other critical elements. Rather than presenting a synopsis or basic movie review, academic criticism tries to explore a film’s value, relationship to real-life events, and place within film history and its appropriate genre.
That’s all you need to know about what your career as a film critic would look like. We hope this blog helped you and answered all your questions about what a film critic does, where you can work, and what you need to study. Good luck!
FAQs
Is it hard to become a film critic?
It’s challenging to succeed as a well-known film critic. Many critics put in a lot of effort for years before seeing any compensation. In addition, many critics write movie reviews as a pastime because they adore movies. Passion is essential in film criticism because it requires a lot of time and effort and there is no guarantee of a steady income.
What degrees do film critics have?
A few film critics have a background in film studies, whereas others have a degree in journalism or communications. You may have an advantage if you study both fields as a major or minor.
Who is the best movie critic?
Ebert, according to Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times and Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times, “was without a doubt the country’s most well-known and influential film critic.”
Do you need a degree to be a film critic?
Although no prior education is required to work as a freelance film critic, it’s likely that you’ll need to have a sizable body of work on your resume. To get your work published, you can start off small by submitting your film reviews to local publications or other smaller companies that publish film reviews.
What are the benefits of being a film critic?
One of the advantages of being a movie critic is that it gives you the opportunity to influence other people’s viewing habits and opinions. As part of your job, you also get to attend intriguing events, meet celebrities, and see advance screenings.
What is the role of a film critic?
It is the job of film critics to watch movies, take notes, and analyze the acting, storyline, writing, directing, editing, and cinematography. They create a professional review using their writing and analytical abilities that can assist audiences in deciding whether or not to see the movie.