There are 5 things I’ve learned from working as a programmer in the aviation MRO industry and in the construction building of studio sets in the movie industry. Both offered exciting work and also the chance to work with some amazing people. Both industries can sometimes be very hard work.
The difference between the two are these things:
The movie industry was centered around custom designs. They were ‘one off’ projects, where we would build the set, and then tear it down. You would never build the same set again. While in the aviation MRO industry, I am working on program developments for engine parts that will run for decades to come. The work is more sustaining, and thus, to me, more fulfilling. Sure, the sets live forever in the form of film, but the impact of the program repairs in aviation seem more important.
The movie industry had great money, but the boom and bust nature of the industry was offputting. You certainly had to ‘know’ the right people to make sure you would be extended an offer to be on the show. You had to be ‘in’ with a crew that would take you from show to show. Some people didn’t get that status, and had to float from crew to crew, sometimes only getting work when things were behind schedule and extra hands were needed. At Delta, job security is well known as a company pridepoint. They take care of their people, regardless of workloads, and that helps to grow personally as well as professionally.
The movie industry had sharp and real deadlines. When the actors were scheduled to be on set, the set HAD to be made and ready to go. There were no pushing it back due to inconveniences on the construction build. It simply had to be finished, by any means. While at Delta, the deadlines for new programs can be more ephemeral. There are many different projects going on and production is always running on machines that you are trying to develop at. Months can go by where you start and then stop on a project due to other priorities getting in front of it. Things can move somewhat slowly in the aviation industry, and you can certainly feel the difference.
Processes are well established at delta. The shops, the layouts, the processes, they have been battle tested and honed in on over decades. Inthe movies, you are constantly moving to a new location, new studio, new crew of people to work with, new art department. All these things causes chaos as projects ensued.
How are they similar? There are similarities as well. Both jobs have people that do the bare minimum, or have positions of management that do not know how to manage a project.
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