The film industry divides itself into five sectors:

• Development - the writing, packaging and financing of film ideas and scripts.
• Production - the process of setting up and shooting every scene in a film.
• Post Production - where all these shots are assembled, treated and mixed into a finished product.
• Distribution - the process of selling this product to audiences, via the cinemas, retailers and rental firms.
• Exhibition - the cinemas which screen the film for the general public.

There are literally hundereds of different jobs in the UK film industry, each one requiring a unique combination of specialist skills. The majority of these roles are found within the film production sector, and production crews are divided into standard departmental hierarchies. Each department has definite tasks and allotted objectives at particular stages in the production process.

The first decision that faces anyone wanting to work in film production is actually: which department do I want to work in?