Business of the Arts: Apprenticeship offers entry into film industry

Every industry needs a ready workforce, and the film industry is no different, says Monty Dobson, board president for the Ozarks Film Foundry, an organization founded in 2022 to support film production in southwest Missouri.

In January, the Foundry’s production assistant workshop gained recognition through the Missouri Film Office as a certified apprenticeship.

That’s big, according to Dobson, because work as a production assistant can be an entryway into the film industry for people interested in that career path.

From a regional economic development perspective, the availability of certified apprentices can increase state tax incentives offered for local productions.

Missouri offers tax incentives for motion media production, with a cap of $16 million in 2025, according to the Missouri Film Office. That’s $8 million for film and $8 million for episodic productions, such as TV programs.

The state’s Motion Media Production Tax Credit program launched in 2024, and $12.4 million in production incentives were provided for 39 projects, according to the Missouri Film Office and the Business Opportunities Division of the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The agencies’ joint announcement broke down the projects, which comprised 15 narrative feature films, four documentary feature films, two narrative shorts, two documentary shorts, nine unscripted TV series, one scripted TV series pilot, one animated TV series, four commercials and one web series.

There is a 20% base credit with several possible percentage increases for a maximum of 42%. The credit applies to all wages and compensation with Missouri withholdings and all payments to vendors with physical addresses in the Show Me State.

Employing people who have gone through a state-certified apprenticeship course is one of the spend uplifts and can increase the tax credit by 5%. That’s a strong motivation for filmmakers to choose to shoot here, Dobson said.

As a bonus, it’s also another option for bolstering the local workforce with career training in an industry they may previously have associated mostly with Los Angeles and New York.

Entering an industry
The film industry grossed $8.56 billion in box office sales in the United States and Canada in 2024, according to Statista, and the global film and video market totaled $308.5 billion last year.

A production assistant job is a way to gain entry into the industry.

“Absolutely, positively, that’s a way to break in,” said filmmaker Shelly Gibson, who in November wrapped up local filming of independent feature film “Dust to Malibu,” in part with local production talent.

“It’s sort of like if you want to get into a big corporation you start in the mailroom,” she said. “You start as a production assistant, get yourself on a set, meet people, network and learn exactly what happens on a film set.”

Dobson said the Foundry’s production assistant workshop was most recently offered on Jan. 18 by Forrest Viola, assistant director and writer on multiple TV and film productions. The cost was $50, and a dozen participants attended, Dobson said.

Future workshops are in the works, he added.

The hands-on training program is designed to provide aspiring film professionals with the tools, skills and industry knowledge required to succeed on film and TV sets, according to a news release from the Foundry.

Local milestone
Dobson called the endorsement of the program a huge milestone in the effort to bolster the region’s attraction for the film industry – and by offering the course, he noted that the Foundry is investing in the next generation of film professionals.

“The program not only addresses the immediate need for trained production assistants but also fosters long-term career growth by connecting students with industry networks, offering mentorship and preparing them for various roles within the broader entertainment sector,” he said.

The goal, he said, is to build a robust local talent pool to establish southwest Missouri as a key player in the regional film industry.

Dobson said the ideal candidate for a production assistant job is someone who wants to begin building a career in the film industry.

“You don’t have to have gone to a film school or really have any experience in the film business,” he said. “That’s what the registered apprentice program and training is designed to do.”

A production assistant can do any number of jobs on a given day on a set, Dobson said, from moving equipment safely to facilitating communication among departments to fetching coffee.

“It’s a catch-all position,” he said. “What you do depends on the day and depends on the production.”

Gibson said from that perspective, a production assistant can observe every facet of a set.

“It’s a definite stepping-stone into the industry,” she said. “So much of it is just about being there and learning how to do it.”

While it’s possible to learn the principles behind production at film school, a real set is an essential laboratory, according to Gibson.

“If you don’t have the luxury of attending a film school – and we don’t have a plethora of film schools here – you can go onto a set as a PA and learn as much as you want to learn while you’re going to get coffee, rolling up cords or running a car from here to there,” she said.

Although he was trained on the job instead of through the Foundry’s apprenticeship program, Carter Shipman had the production assistant role during the filming of “Dust to Malibu.” Shipman, 17, is a senior at Central High School, but he said the experience helped him to gain admission to Loyola Marymount University, whose film school was named the nation’s fifth best by The Hollywood Reporter in 2024.

Shipman said he got a lot of experience on the set and moved up to the role of assistant camera operator by the end of filming. As production assistant, he said he performed a variety of tasks, like moving tables and chairs and setting up food every day, charging walkie-talkies at night and locking down sets to prevent accidental walk-ons.

“The very first day was super long and ran almost to 1 a.m.,” he said. “When I was driving home, I had the biggest smile on my face, because the experience just affirmed everything I thought I wanted to do with my life.”

Ultimately, Shipman said he would like to be a director and a writer, preferably as a combo. He said he highly recommends the production assistant route for others who want to dip a toe into filmmaking waters.

Welcoming an industry
Dobson said the Ozarks Film Foundry is a resource for filmmakers who seek to work in the region and take advantage of Missouri’s tax incentives.

“One of the things that we do at the Film Foundry is work with local filmmakers, help connect them up with training, information and other talent who can help them get their films made and produced locally,” he said.

The office is also a resource for filmmakers coming into the region from the outside.

“Our goal is to see local and regional filmmakers doing as many films as they can alongside national and international productions that come,” he said.

Dobson said the Ozarks Film Foundry would be hosting its inaugural Ozarks Indie TV Fest Sept. 19-20 in Springfield. The festival is a space for creators working in television to showcase their work and connect with the industry, according to Dobson.

According to a news release, the festival aims to provide a platform for creators to share their stories, connect with industry professionals and push the boundaries of television.

It will include competitions for TV pilot scripts, TV shorts and pilot episodes, plus a pitch competition for new TV series concepts.

“This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing original voices that challenge the traditional studio streamer system, foster bold storytelling and aims to redefine production and distribution to the television industry,” the release states.

“Despite the changes and challenges in Hollywood, demand for fresh, original stories in television remains,” Dobson said.