A New Kind of Entertainment Professional
The entertainment industry is changing. In every sector, traditional funding models are shifting, distribution channels are diverging, methods of production are evolving. For some, it calls what they thought they knew into question. But for graduates of VFS's Entertainment Business Management program, it means opportunity.
At VFS, you get a strong grounding in the business practices of many entertainment disciplines, but also learn how to make the most of this knowledge to uncover new avenues of doing business in a fast-shifting entertainment landscape.
Through a tightly integrated curriculum covering film, TV, games, music, and convergent entertainment, you apply the latest new media and tried-and-tested techniques to produce successful properties and flourish in your career.
A Different Kind of Professional
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The Essentials of Business
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A Focus on Entertainment
A Different Kind of Professional
Entertainment Business Management is about who you are and the professional you could be. At VFS, Results Matter, and for our programs, "the results" are our graduates, their work, and their successful careers. What qualities lead to a successful Entertainment Business Management student and graduate?
Savvy
You strive to gain the experience and knowledge to make the smartest business decisions, find and identify the most exciting creative properties, and communicate with the people in the industry on their level.
Results-Oriented
At VFS, Results Matter. You embody those simple words: you're driven to do more than just "get it done" or "get it made" - you're ready to make it a success.
Socially Responsible
You're a different breed of professional. It's not always about the bottom line. It's about having a purpose - taking a position you believe in and fully appreciating the power of entertainment.
Entrepreneurial
You don't wait for opportunities to come to you. You have a vision and you're ready to lead - to create opportunities for yourself and for the talent that surrounds you.
The Essentials of Business
In Entertainment Business Management, you experience a thorough study of the fundamentals of business. At VFS, you become versed in 5 disciplines that all businesspeople must know to survive and thrive in the entertainment industry and beyond.
Business & Entertainment Property Development
You will learn to evaluate the creative properties at the heart of your business, negotiate contracts, deal with copyright and intellectual property, manage the constantly-moving technology of commerce, and plan a successful business. Entertainment Business Management is about confidently navigating the tricky waters of entertainment.
Production Management
Entertainment properties get bought and sold - but how do they get made? You'll delve into the artistic, technological, and logistical realities of entertainment production for films, games, music videos, television pilots, new media projects, and other properties. You'll learn a wide range of invaluable project management skills - skills that are assets in any entertainment venture.
Audience Building
Developing a great entertainment company or product isn't everything - it's about reaching the right audience and effectively positioning yourself in a crowded marketplace. At VFS, you'll learn strategies of successful entertainment marketing, from viral campaigns to event promotion.
Funding & Distribution
When you're the one holding the purse strings, it's crucial to know what to do. In Entertainment Business Management, you'll learn how productions are budgeted and scheduled, and many other core concepts - from the basics of accounting to creating funding opportunities for new entertainment properties in a lightning-fast global marketplace.
Leadership
The entertainment arts are about people. It's an intense, high-stakes environment driven by collaboration, so you need to know how to work with, manage, and lead other creative, driven professionals and make the most of their talent and expertise. You'll also gain a greater understanding of yourself - your strengths and style, what you can offer to the entertainment world, and how you can define a "brand" for yourself that best positions you in the marketplace.
A Focus on Entertainment
The entertainment industry has much in common with the rest of the business world, but it also has many fundamental differences. At VFS, your education is experienced through the lens of five main entertainment sectors, each with its own demands, challenges, and rewards.
Film & Animation
Succeeding in film requires knowing the entire process: from development, through production, all the way to distribution. Getting any film made and to market means dealing with private investors, studios, and funding bodies, staffing and budgeting, navigating the complex systems for getting a film in front of audiences, and much more.
Television
What makes network TV different from cable? How does one negotiate a world of broadcasters? What does it take to get a pilot made, or a season on the air? What does a producer need to know about regulatory bodies like the FCC and the CRTC? What are the challenges facing the television industry in the age of the internet? In Entertainment Business Management, you learn the ins and outs of television, as a medium and as a business.
Video Games
Commercial video games have been around since the 1970s, but the industry is still maturing. It's one of the most exciting areas of entertainment, and it's driven by market forces and production demands that you won't find in other sectors. From budget mobile games to AAA titles, at VFS, you gain an understanding of the development and publishing sides of games.
Music
At VFS, you will explore the many facets of the music business. How labels work (both independents and majors), A&R, managing artists, licensing, distribution, marketing, concert booking, audience building in a digital age - these are just a few of the countless considerations for the music industry professional.
Convergence
The attention of today's audiences is divided and sponsors and investors want entertainment properties to "be everywhere". So how do you capture as much of the market as possible? We call it Convergence. At VFS, you have the unique opportunity to explore the fast-expanding world of cross-platform content and discover how to orchestrate its strategy and development to reach an incredibly wide audience.
Throughout your year at VFS, you take an active role in many exciting, ambitious projects. Find out what you will achieve in Entertainment Business Management.