This sector covers the people who make what we watch — from big-budget films and TV dramas shot in Ireland, to home-grown animation studios making shows for RTÉ, BBC, Netflix and Disney+. Ireland is a hub for animation and visual effects, backed by strong stakeholder supports and government tax credits. Roles range from on-set crew to animators, VFX artists, production administrators, and the people who manage a production’s finances.
Examples of jobs in this sector
Creates character and motion animation for TV, film, or games.
Possible Pathway Higher/Further Education or the Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet /National Talent Academies traineeship, alongside a strong showreel.
Builds visual effects and digital shots for film and TV.
Possible Pathway Third-level Education or the Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet /National Talent Academies traineeship — a personal showreel matters as much as qualifications.
The classic first job on an Irish film or TV set, supporting the production office and crew.
Possible Pathway Work Experience — often starts with a work placement or contacting a local production company directly.
Technical on-set roles, often learned on the job.
Possible Pathway A Further Education production course or learning on the job as a crew trainee.
Finds, secures, and manages filming locations, working closely with the director and production designer, and negotiating access and permits.
Possible Pathway No fixed route — usually built up through production coordination or location assistant work, then reputation and industry contacts.
Records high-quality live sound on set, in sync with the camera.
Possible Pathway Work Experience via a Sound Trainee role, or Further Education in sound engineering.
Manages a production’s budget and finances. Entry point: Accounts Trainee or Cashier.
Possible Pathway A finance/accounting qualification, entering via an Accounts Trainee or Cashier role.
Possible Pathways into this sector
- Look at Higher Education options
Think about a course related to one of these areas. Many universities offer these, for eg: BSc (Hons) in Creative Broadcast and Film Production, at TUS Limerick. - Look at Further Education options
Many FE colleges all over the country offer courses in subjects like film production, documentary, visual effects and post-production. For example, Carlow Institute of Further Education offers a certificate in Film Post Production and Special Effects. The National Talent Academy for Animation also runs lots of courses and traineeships for new entrants. Consider a tertiary degree by looking at what’s on offer through The National Tertiary Office. - Think about work experience
The Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet /National Talent Academies’ Graduate Traineeship (with Screen Ireland) places graduates in studios like Cartoon Saloon, Lighthouse Studios, and Jam Media. TG4 run many different training schemes and opportunities for work experience for anyone with fluent Irish. - Transferable Skills / Local Experience
Start making short films with friends or for school projects! Look at what you can do with Young Irish Film Makers or Fresh Film, or attending Cork’s First Cut Youth Film Festival.
Free Online Tools to Practise With
- DaVinci Resolve free, industry-standard video editing
- Blender free 3D animation/VFX
- CapCut free mobile video editing
- Audacity free sound editing
Skills Worth Developing
- Creativity & storytelling
- Teamwork
- Being organised & reliable
- Attention to detail
- Staying calm under pressure
- Basic tech/software skills
Resources & Further Reading
- The Irish Film Institute (IFI) run a Careers in Screen event every year and has activities for schools running throughout the year.
- Careers in Screen Website from Screen Ireland offering an overview of all the careers in the screen sector
- Skills Competency Frameworks for the Screen Industry [Screen Ireland]
- Gorm Media Talent development programme for people from diverse backgrounds
- Young Irish Film Makers Network for young filmmakers and animators with events – special day-long careers event on November 1st
- Fresh Film supports young filmmakers through education, production, and international programmes, culminating in the Fresh International Film Festival and Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards.
- Animation Dingle Festival Young Animator of the Year Award
- Cinemagic Film Festival Film festival for young people across Northern Ireland
- Into Film Northern Ireland – offers an array of resources and work experience programmes
- First Cut Youth Film Festival Youth film festival in Cork
- Emerging Filmmakers– Productions, training and mentorship for young filmmakers.
- TG4 Find pathways into the industry as Gaeilge & Training opportunities at TG4. TG4 has a series of YouTube videos of people talking about their career.
- RTÉ Internship & RTÉ JumpStart JumpStart is a weeklong programme for young people interested in media in Dublin (August) and Cork (September). Students can contact Diversity@rte.ie with any queries or to find out more about RTÉs activities and events.
- National Youth Film and Animation Network
- Minding Creative Minds Providing support, including mentorships for those working in the creative sector
- Film Freeway Submission platform for film festivals
- ARDÁN National Talent Academy Film & Television
- Cork Film Centre
- Film Ireland Get into Film: News, Reviews, Events and Articles
- Film Mayo
- Irish Film and Television Network
- Screen Producers Ireland
- Women in Film and Television Ireland
- WRAP Fund Developing a sustainable Film, Television, Games and Animation sector in the West of Ireland region.
