City Announces "Made in NY Post Production Training Program"

Small Business Services


Inside SBSNews and ReportsContact Us

Press Releases
Publications & Reports
Required Notices

Press Releases

Publications & Reports

Required Notices


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 25, 2017

CITY ANNOUNCES "MADE IN NY POST PRODUCTION TRAINING PROGRAM," CONNECTING NEW YORKERS WITH CAREERS IN GROWING FILM INDUSTRY SECTOR

First-of-its-Kind Program Provides Unemployed or Underemployed New Yorkers with Skills and Experience to Meet Increasing Demand for Qualified Workers

New York – The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) today announced the first class of graduates from the Made in NY Post Production Training Program preparing New Yorkers for high-quality careers in New York's booming film and TV industry. The full-time, five-week intensive training course prepares unemployed and underemployed New Yorkers for entry-level positions in animation, editing, motion graphics, and visual effects. The program today graduated its first cohort of 17 participants; now, as part of the next phase of the program, they will enter paid, work-based learning placements with local post-production businesses working with film, television, commercial, and music video projects.

"Post production is a fast-growing sector of the larger film and television industry here in New York City, which continues to experience record-breaking growth," said Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment Commissioner Julie Menin. "We want to make sure that New Yorkers from all walks of life have the ability to access job opportunities in this exciting field. The Made in NY Post Production Training Program provides participants with specialized skills, and valuable work experience that will help them build promising careers."

"The entertainment industry has always been closely linked with New York City, and this program is creating opportunities for more people to succeed in this field," said Gregg Bishop, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services. "The City is breaking down barriers to support an entertainment industry that reflects the talents and diversity of all of our people. Through an industry-informed, tailored program, we are also supporting sustained growth in the entertainment industry."

The post-production industry in New York is currently experiencing a period of significant expansion. Since the New York State Post-Production Film Tax Credit was created in 2010, the state has become a national leader, with 20% of all U.S. post-production firms based here. A recent study from the Post NY Alliance, a trade group that advocates for the industry, found that employment in New York's post-production field grew by 35% from 2004 to 2015, supporting over 23,000 jobs and generating $1.87 billion in income. Over 40% of the jobs in this industry do not require a bachelor's degree, and over 90% of those offer on-the-job training.

This growth accompanies a boom period for the production industry. The number of episodic television shows shot in New York City hit an all-time high of 56 in the 2016-17 season, an eight percent increase over the previous year's all-time high. 311 feature film projects were shot in New York City last year. While the city welcomes production, a project need not have filmed here to benefit from the tax credit, but 75 percent of the post-production must be performed in New York State.

Building on the success of MOME's Made in NY Production Assistant Training Program, the Made in NY Post Production Training Program leverages the impressive growth in this sector to create meaningful learning and work experience for New Yorkers who might not otherwise have access to these jobs, and to open doors to well-paying careers. Participants go through a comprehensive curriculum offering an overview of the post-production industry- which refers to all the tasks performed to complete a project after the shooting is done, from editing raw footage to dubbing lines or creating sound effects to helping them translate existing skills, and providing professional development opportunities in the industry. Trainees then learn industry-specific software programs including Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects, Avid Media Composer, and The Foundry's Nuke software.

Upon completion of the five-week training, participants are connected to paid, work-based learning opportunities with local industry employers as part of the program. Trainees will receive $15 per hour for up to 280 hours of their work-based learning placements with a minimum of 30 hours worked per week. The city will provide 80% of the participants' wages for the first six months of their placement with local post production businesses as an added incentive for hiring participants in the program.

More information on the program and how to hire program graduates may be found at http://bwiny.org/post/hire.

About the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment
The Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment encompasses the key economic and creative sectors of film, TV, theater, music, advertising, publishing, digital content and real estate as it relates to these industries. In total, these sectors account for over 305,000 jobs, and an economic output of $104 billion. The office promotes New York City as a thriving center of creativity, issuing permits for productions filming on public property, and facilitating production throughout the five boroughs. It also oversees NYC Media, the largest municipal broadcasting entity in the country including five TV Stations and a radio station with a reach of 18 million households in a 50-mile radius.

About the Department of Small Business Services (SBS)
SBS helps unlock economic potential and create economic security for all New Yorkers by connecting New Yorkers to good jobs, creating stronger businesses, and building vibrant neighborhoods across the five boroughs. For more information on all SBS services, go to nyc.gov/sbs, call 311, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.