What is a Director?

Example of a Director Job Interpret script, conduct rehearsals, and direct activities of cast and technical crew for stage, motion pictures, television, or radio programs.

Daily Life Of a Director

• Hold auditions for parts or negotiate contracts with actors determined suitable for specific roles, working in conjunction with producers.
• Create graphics for television broadcasts.
• Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
• Select plays or scripts for production and determine how material should be interpreted and performed.
• Collaborate with film and sound editors during the post-production process as films are edited and soundtracks are added.
• Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.

Director Needed Skills

Below is a list of the skills most Directors say are important on the job.

Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Coordination: Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.

Types of Directors

• Video Director
• Television Director (TV Director)
• Program Arranger
• Commercial Director
• Stage Manager

Is There Job Demand for Directors?

In the United States, there were 134,700 jobs for Producers and Directors in 2016.

New jobs are being produced at a rate of 12.2% which is lower than average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 16,500 new jobs for Directors by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 14,100 job openings in this field each year.

The states with the most job growth for Producers and Directors are New York, California, and Florida.

Watch out if you plan on working in Alaska, Maine, or Delaware. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.

Salary for Directors

The typical yearly salary for Producers and Directors is somewhere between $34,450 and $163,540. The median salary for this occupation is $71,680.

Below is a list of the median annual salaries for jobs of this type in different U.S. states.

Annual Mean Salary by State

State	Annual Mean Salary
New York	$115,610
California	$115,080
New Jersey	$92,180
District of Columbia	$89,390
Connecticut	$84,900
Georgia	$84,570
Maryland	$78,760
Illinois	$77,960
Pennsylvania	$76,050
New Mexico	$75,110
North Carolina	$73,980
Hawaii	$73,200
Minnesota	$73,110
Washington	$71,430
Florida	$70,630
Massachusetts	$70,480
Virginia	$69,750
Texas	$69,280
Colorado	$68,290
Oregon	$68,280
Utah	$67,800
Nevada	$67,190
Michigan	$65,910
Rhode Island	$65,660
Missouri	$65,560
Tennessee	$65,040
Arizona	$62,760
Alaska	$61,280
Ohio	$60,590
Kentucky	$60,530
New Hampshire	$59,830
Delaware	$59,680
Vermont	$58,760
Arkansas	$58,750
South Carolina	$57,200
Wisconsin	$57,110
Alabama	$57,040
Kansas	$56,680
Louisiana	$56,290
South Dakota	$55,930
Oklahoma	$55,670
Idaho	$55,600
Montana	$51,920
Nebraska	$51,620
Maine	$51,310
Indiana	$48,300
Iowa	$46,610
Wyoming	$45,930
Mississippi	$44,310
North Dakota	$42,570

Tools & Technologies Used by Directors

Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Directors:

• Microsoft Office
• Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Word
• Extensible markup language XML
• Hypertext markup language HTML

Becoming a Director

What education is needed to be a Director?

What work experience do I need to become a Director?

Who Employs Directors?

Other Jobs You May be Interested In

Those thinking about becoming Directors might also be interested in the following careers:

• Technical Directors/Managers

Career changers with experience as a Director sometimes find work in one of the following fields:

• Music Directors
• Sound Engineering Technicians

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics

College Factual

O*NET Online

Image Credit: Via Wikimedia Commons