Producers and Directors

What the job really is

Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as interpretation of script, choice of actors or guests, set design, sound, special effects, and choreography.

At a glance

• Sector: Arts, Design & Media
• O*NET-SOC code: 27-2012
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
• Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
• Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
• Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
• Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
• Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
• Supervise and coordinate the work of camera, lighting, design, and sound crew members.
• Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
• Perform management activities, such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, and marketing.
• Consult with writers, producers, or actors about script changes or "workshop" scripts, through rehearsal with writers and actors to create final drafts.
• Identify and approve equipment and elements required for productions, such as scenery, lights, props, costumes, choreography, and music.
• Establish pace of programs and sequences of scenes according to time requirements and cast and set accessibility.

Tools and technology

Adobe Acrobat, Adobe After Effects, Adobe Creative Cloud software, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere Pro, Asana, Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian JIRA, Canva, Cascading style sheets CSS

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Media Technical Directors/Managers
• Media Programming Directors
• Film and Video Editors
• Art Directors
• Talent Directors
• Broadcast Announcers and Radio Disc Jockeys
• Writers and Authors
• Music Directors and Composers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

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Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Producers and Directors — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.