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Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere

How to become a Video Producer

Also called: Video creator, Video editor

Films videos and turns them into finished pieces.

Main tasks

Workers in this job say university is common. From job tag's survey of people in each job, who could give several answers. It shows what workers see as common, not how many workers hold each level.

How to become one

No particular education or qualification is required for video production for clients, but in many cases people graduate from a film or media school and join a video production company. Many gain experience there and then set up on their own. Recently some people build up video-making experience while still students and go straight on to become professionals. However, if you go independent or freelance, wide connections with people in the industry are as important as video skills for getting work. You need to communicate well with clients, advertising agencies and others, understand what the client wants, have the technical skill to meet their expectations, and the responsibility to finish by the deadline. A feel for current trends, passion for making videos and the patience to keep working until you are satisfied are also important. Videos in foreign languages are increasing, but translation is usually outsourced, so language skills are not necessarily needed for the production itself. To become fully established, years of experience are not enough: your sensibility and style need to be recognised by clients and the industry, so that you get a steady stream of orders and can win jobs on good terms. To earn advertising income on some video-sharing sites, you must pass a review based on total watch time and number of viewers. Companies have also appeared that support video creators with technical help and equipment, find them work, and help them become popular on video-sharing sites.

Ways in

Pay · Job openings · AI and this job

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Video Producer?

No particular education or qualification is required for video production for clients, but in many cases people graduate from a film or media school and join a video production company. Many gain experience there and then set up on their own. Recently some people build up video-making experience while still students and go straight on to become professionals. However, if you go independent or freelance, wide connections with people in the industry are as important as video skills for getting work. You need to communicate well with clients, advertising agencies and others, understand what the client wants, have the technical skill to meet their expectations, and the responsibility to finish by the deadline. A feel for current trends, passion for making videos and the patience to keep working until you are satisfied are also important. Videos in foreign languages are increasing, but translation is usually outsourced, so language skills are not necessarily needed for the production itself. To become fully established, years of experience are not enough: your sensibility and style need to be recognised by clients and the industry, so that you get a steady stream of orders and can win jobs on good terms. To earn advertising income on some video-sharing sites, you must pass a review based on total watch time and number of viewers. Companies have also appeared that support video creators with technical help and equipment, find them work, and help them become popular on video-sharing sites.

How much does a Video Producer earn in Japan?

Average annual income in the private sector, bonus included, is ¥5,833,100 (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare). The figure is for the wage survey group Specialist professionals not classified elsewhere, which covers several jobs.

Do you need a degree to become a Video Producer?

Usually. In this job's census occupation group, 67% of workers are university graduates.

Will AI change the work of a Video Producer?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 解説系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_description_7_01.xlsx）ver.7.01 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

独立行政法人労働政策研究・研修機構（JILPT）作成 職業情報データベース 簡易版数値系ダウンロードデータ（IPD_DL_numeric_7_00.xlsx）ver.7.00 職業情報提供サイト（job tag）より2026年10月4日にダウンロード（https://shigoto.mhlw.go.jp/User/download）を加工して作成

Sources: JILPT Occupational Information Database download data via job tag (解説系 ver.7.01 and 簡易版数値系 ver.7.00, downloaded 4 October 2026), processed by Peernovo; MHLW, Basic Survey on Wage Structure 2025; Statistics Bureau of Japan, 2020 Population Census; MEXT, School Basic Survey 2025; MHLW, Employment Referrals for General Workers (Hello Work statistics). Figures processed by Peernovo. English job names, translations and the matching of jobs to statistical groups, schools and degree fields by Peernovo.

Updated 4 October 2026