video artist
Key facts
Bring stories and visions to life through moving images! As a video artist, you’ll blend technical skill with creative expression to produce compelling visuals for a variety of media.
Video artists are skilled professionals who use both analogue and digital techniques to craft engaging video content. Your daily work might involve conceptualizing video projects, filming footage, editing raw materials, adding special effects and animation, and ensuring the final product aligns with the client’s or project’s vision. You’ll often work with films, videos, images, and computer software to achieve desired aesthetic and technical outcomes.
- • Conceptualizing and planning video projects, including storyboarding and scripting.
- • Capturing footage using cameras and other recording equipment.
- • Editing video footage, incorporating special effects, animation, and sound design.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Legal, social and cultural professionals — 186 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Italy.
Longest-running shortage: Italy, 2 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could video artist fit you?
Answer three quick questions. This is not a full assessment — it is a teaser to help you decide whether to compare your profile.
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Future Outlook for video artist
The outlook for video artist reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could video artist change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could video artist change as AI adoption grows?
Several task areas may shift toward AI-assisted workflows, so reskilling becomes more important.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions
- prepare personal work environment
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- contextualise artistic work
- provide multimedia content
- create animated narratives
Tasks most exposed to automation
- gather reference materials for artwork
- manage online content
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Arts, Entertainment, & Design
A typical day as a video artist
09 09:00 · Morning adapt artistic plan to location
10 10:30 · Mid-morning contextualise artistic work
12 12:00 · Midday convert into animated object
14 14:00 · Afternoon create animated narratives
15 15:30 · Late afternoon create moving images
17 17:00 · Wrap-up create special effects
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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adobe creative suite
The set of software applications that are used to create visual content for personal or business use. Examples of items that can be generated are flyers, brochures, books, websites and videos.
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art history
The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.
- computer graphics
- digital media
- intellectual property law
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create digital images
Create and process two-dimensional and three-dimensional digital images depicting animated objects or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modelling programs.
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create special effects
Create special visual effects as required by the script, mixing chemicals and fabricating specific parts out of a wide variety of materials.
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edit digital moving images
Use specialised software to edit video images for use in an artistic production.
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convert into animated object
Convert real objects into visual animation elements, using animation techniques such as optical scanning.
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mix live images
Follow different video streams of a live event and mix them together using specialised equipment and software.
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create moving images
Create and develop two-dimensional and three-dimensional images in motion and animations.
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create animated narratives
Develop animated narrative sequences and story lines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
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develop an artistic framework
Develop a specific framework for research, creation and completion of artistic work.
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adapt artistic plan to location
Adjust plans to other locations with regards to the artistic concept.
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define artistic approach
Define your own artistic approach by analysing your previous work and your expertise, identifying the components of your creative signature, and starting from these explorations to describe your artistic vision.
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develop animations
Design and develop visual animations using creativity and computer skills. Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, colour, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
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tune a projector
Focus and tune a projector.
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set up cameras
Put cameras in place and prepare them for use.
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prepare personal work environment
Correct settings or positions for your working instruments and adjust them before starting operations.
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maintain audiovisual equipment
Perform routine maintenance tasks on audiovisual equipment as well as minor repairs, such as replacing parts and calibrating the instruments, on equipment used in processing sound and images.
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contextualise artistic work
Identify influences and situate your work within a specific trend which may be of an artistic, aesthetic, or philosophical natures. Analyse the evolution of artistic trends, consult experts in the field, attend events, etc.
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collaborate with a technical staff in artistic productions
Coordinate your artistic activities with others who specialise in the technical side of the project. Inform the technical staff of your plans and methods and obtain feedback on feasibility, cost, procedures and other relevant information. Be able to understand the vocabulary and the practises about technical issues
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manage online content
Ensure the website content is up to date, organised, attractive and meets the target audience needs, the requirements of the company and international standards by checking the links, setting the publishing time framework and order.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Scan to continue on mobileGrowth Pathways & Similar Roles
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Where does video artist fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of projects do video artists typically work on?
- Video artists contribute to a wide range of projects, including film and television productions, commercials, music videos, online content, art installations, and corporate videos. The specific focus depends on the artist’s specialization and the needs of their clients.
- What skills are most important for a video artist to develop?
- Beyond technical proficiency in video editing software, strong storytelling abilities, a keen eye for visual composition, and the ability to adapt to different creative briefs are crucial. Understanding colour theory, sound design principles, and animation techniques are also highly valuable.
- Is it common for video artists to work freelance, or is employment the standard?
- While freelance opportunities exist, video artists are primarily employed by production companies, film studios, advertising agencies, or directly by businesses needing video content. This role is most commonly found in an employment setting.
- Video Artist — is there a shortage in Europe?
- No. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a surplus was reported in 11 of the 12 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Greece and 7 more. One country reported a shortage. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Video Artist — what does it pay in the United States?
- $99,800 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $47,530 to $133,480. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.