Arts, Audio/Video Technology and Communications

This Career Cluster encompasses careers involved in

Designing, producing, exhibiting, performing, writing, and publishing multimedia content including visual and performing arts and design, journalism, and entertainment services.(1)

Career Pathways

Each Career Cluster has distinct Career Pathways, which are like work sub-areas.

In addition, each Career Pathway has a sample Plan of Study that details the courses a student might take, both during and after high school, to work in that sub-area.

This Career Cluster has the following Career Pathways:

Audio and Video Technology and Film

Broadly, individuals that work in the AV communications industry manufacture, sell, rent, design, install, integrate, operate and repair the equipment of audiovisual communications. They are involved in the presentation of sound, video and data to groups in such venues as corporate boardrooms, hotels, convention centers, classrooms, theme parks, stadiums and museums. The major activity sectors in the AV communications industry are distributive service firms (AV dealers, rental companies, consultants, designers, and related firms), manufacturers of AV presentations and communications products and large end-users.

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Printing Technology

The printing process has three stages - prepress, press and binding or post-press. Prepress workers prepare material for printing presses. They perform a variety of tasks involved with transforming text and pictures into finished pages and making printing plates of the pages. Desktop publishing poses new challenges for the printing industry. The printing industry is rapidly moving toward complete "digital imaging," by which customers' material received digitally is converted directly into printing plates. Other innovations in prepress work are digital color page makeup systems, electronic page layout systems and off-press color proofing systems. Printing press operators prepare, operate and maintain the printing presses in a pressroom. In most shops, press operators also perform preventive maintenance. Computers allow press operators to perform many of their tasks electronically. With this equipment, press operators monitor the printing process on a control panel or computer monitor, which allows them to adjust the press electronically.

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Visual Arts

Visual artists create art to communicate ideas, thoughts or feelings. They use a variety of methods - painting, sculpting or illustrating - and an assortment of materials, including oils, watercolors, acrylics, pastels, pencils, pen and ink, photography, plaster, clay and computers. Their works may be realistic, stylized or abstract and may depict objects, people, nature or events. Visual artists are generally categorized in two groups. Fine artists create art to satisfy their own need for self-expression. Illustrators and graphic designers, on the other hand, put their artistic skills at the service of commercial clients, such as major corporations; retail stores; and advertising, design and publishing firms.

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Performing Arts

A variety of businesses and groups involved in theatrical and musical performances are included in this pathway. Theatrical production companies, for example, coordinate all aspects of producing a play or theater event. Agents represent actors and assist them in finding jobs. Costume design management companies design costumes. Lighting and stage crews handle the technical aspects of productions. Also in this segment are dance studios, schools and halls, which provide places for professional and amateur dancers to practice, perform and learn. Performers of live musical entertainment include musical artists, dance bands, orchestras, jazz musicians and various modern bands. Orchestras range from major professional orchestras with million-dollar budgets to community orchestras often with part-time schedules.

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Journalism and Broadcasting

News analysts, reporters and correspondents gather information, prepare stories and make broadcasts that inform us about local, state, national and international events; present points of view on current issues; and report on the actions of public officials, corporate executives, special interest groups and others who exercise power. Broadcast and sound technicians install, test, repair, set up and operate the electronic equipment used to record and transmit radio and television programs, cable programs and motion pictures. Chief engineers, broadcast field supervisors and transmission engineers supervise the technicians who operate and maintain broadcasting equipment.

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Telecommunications

Telecommunications specialists focus on the interaction between computer and communications equipment. Telecommunications equipment is computerized and can communicate a variety of information, including data, graphics and video. The workers who set up and maintain this sophisticated equipment are telecommunications equipment technicians, installers and repairers.

Source(1): National Career Clusters™ site (original text and PDF's).