For many Emerson College students, finding a job after graduating will prove to be a daunting task in the current bleak economy. Soon, film students may find it to be even tougher.
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue recently released a report breaking down the financial benefits and drawbacks of tax credits given to filmmakers within the state. The report found that the programs did not create revenue and actually cost more money in the end.
As budgets become tighter and more jobs are lost, states are finding it increasingly difficult to fund expensive programs which are meant to lure filmmakers to shoot movies in their states, ideally creating revenue.
Connor Muldoon, 25, a Fenway resident and amateur filmmaker, is alarmed by these cuts.
“The film industry is tight as it is. People are saving money…and not going to movies. Without the states support, there’s not a lot of hope for unknown names to become successful.”
Muldoon, who creates short documentaries regarding urban lifestyles, has taken up two different jobs in order to support his filmmaking.
Emerson College students already face difficulties when graduating: according to onlinecollege.org, students who major in fine arts including film and theater face an unemployment rate of 16.2%.
Cassie DeNicola, a junior film production major at Emerson, isn’t overly optimistic.
“You go into film and theater majors knowing that job opportunities are already hard to come by,” she said. “[Film production] is something you go into for passion. Cutting these programs isn’t making it easier.”
Of course, job opportunities are rare across the board. Although a few industries are growing, a majority are not. As the economy continues to suffer from a lack of confidence, graduates of all majors are finding it harder to land a stable job.
“It’s not easy being a college student,” said DeNicola. “Dropping programs like these hurts, even if it is not a benefit for the state.”
But Emerson students are resilient. As DeNicola stated, most of the majors the school offers are the kind of major you go into because you have a passion for that field, not because you hope to make money.
Although cutting programs which encourage filmmakers may make finding a job more difficult for film and theater majors, it won’t deter many from attending Emerson. Regardless of how the job market looks, Emerson students will pursue their passions.
This Arizona Capitol Times article breaks down tax incentive history, state by state.