Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Director (Film & TV)

🎯 Role Definition

The Director (Film & TV) leads the creative realization of a motion picture, episode, or series by translating scripts into visual storytelling, shaping performances, and guiding technical craft across pre-production, production, and post-production. This role requires a strong creative voice, proven directing credits for film or television, expert collaboration with producers, department heads and talent, and the ability to manage complex budgets, schedules and stakeholder expectations for network, studio or streaming platform releases.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Senior Assistant Director (1st AD / 2nd AD) with directing experience
Episodic Television Director or Commercial Director transitioning to film or higher-budget episodic work
Producer or Writer-Director with feature short and festival credits

Advancement To:

Executive Producer / Showrunner on series
Head of Film/TV Creative for a studio or production company
Creative Director / Chief Content Officer at a network or streaming service

Lateral Moves:

Showrunner (for writers turned directors)
Creative Producer or Executive Producer roles
Director of Content Development or Development Executive

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Conceive, articulate and execute the overall creative vision for a film, limited series or episodic television program, ensuring tone, pacing, performance and visual language align with the script, producers' objectives and platform requirements.
Interpret scripts and lead creative script development sessions (notes, rewrites, table reads) with writers, showrunners and producers to strengthen story structure, character arcs and episode/film continuity.
Direct rehearsals and performances, provide clear actionable notes to actors, coach emotional beats, blocking and delivery to achieve performances that serve the material and the audience.
Collaborate with casting directors and producers to cast principal and supporting roles, conducting auditions, chemistry reads and final approvals; advise on stand-ins and background casting strategy.
Lead pre-production planning with department heads—cinematography, production design, wardrobe, hair/makeup, VFX, stunt coordinators and locations—to translate creative intent into practical production plans and shot lists.
Create and approve shot lists, storyboards and previs in collaboration with director of photography and VFX supervisors to ensure visual continuity, camera language and coverage satisfy creative intent and post-production needs.
Oversee production scheduling and coverage strategy working with producers and 1st AD to manage shooting days, minimize overtime, and adapt to location or talent constraints while maintaining creative integrity.
Manage and approve creative budgets in partnership with producers and production accountants; prioritize spend areas that most impact creative outcomes and make tactical decisions to keep production within financial targets.
Ensure compliance with guild, union and regulatory requirements (DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and local production laws), and collaborate with legal and production teams to resolve contractual and clearance issues related to talent, locations and music.
Direct technical execution on set—blocking, camera movement, lighting relationships and production design integration—while maintaining a safe, efficient and collaborative set environment.
Partner with editors, post-production supervisors, VFX producers and composers to shepherd editorial cuts, sound design, color grading and visual effects through to final delivery; give constructive creative notes and sign off on final picture and sound.
Advocate for and manage the creative relationship with the studio, network or streaming platform stakeholders; present dailies, rough cuts and marketing materials, and incorporate branding or note requests while protecting creative quality.
Drive creative problem solving when unexpected production challenges occur (weather, location changes, cast availability), quickly re-blocking scenes or re-prioritizing coverage to maintain narrative coherence.
Oversee or participate in marketing and publicity efforts as required—providing interviews, festival presentations, press screenings and collaborating with marketing teams on trailer and key-art creative direction.
Mentor and develop assistant directors, second unit directors, AD crews, and emerging directors; create opportunities for staff and support inclusive hiring practices to grow diverse creative talent pipelines.
Direct second unit and stunt sequences when required, coordinating with stunt coordinators and VFX teams to ensure safety protocols and cohesive visual style between units.
Maintain continuity and quality control across multiple episodes or sequels, ensuring narrative and aesthetic consistency across directors and departments.
Lead creative coverage and camera strategy for complex sequences (action, night shoots, large crowd scenes) balancing safety, logistics and cinematic ambition while protecting the production schedule.
Negotiate creative approvals and sign-offs with producers and financiers on key creative elements including final cut, soundtrack, opening titles and end credits, where contractual.
Evaluate and approve deliverables and technical specifications for distribution (DCP, broadcast masters, streaming encodes, closed captions and QC reports) in coordination with post supervisors and delivery managers.
Manage talent and crew relationships diplomatically, resolving disputes, giving performance feedback and fostering a collaborative atmosphere on set and in post.
Champion sustainability and safety practices on set (COVID protocols historically, environmental sustainability, hazardous material handling, stunt safety), working with production managers to implement best practices.

Secondary Functions

Attend and support development meetings with writers, producers and network/studio executives to shape future episodes, seasons, spin-offs or feature projects.
Contribute to long-term creative strategy for a series or slate, advising producers on tone, director selection, and season arcs that align with audience and platform goals.
Support trailer and promotional asset approval, providing creative input to marketing teams to ensure promotional materials reflect the film/series tone and key selling points.
Provide post-mortem feedback and production reports to studio and production departments, documenting lessons learned and recommendations for future productions.
Collaborate with legal and clearance teams on rights, music licensing and archival footage approvals, advising on creative alternatives when licensing constraints arise.
Recommend and help recruit department heads and creative collaborators for future projects based on working relationships and prior performance.
Participate in film festival programming meetings, premiere logistics and Q&A sessions to help position the work in critical and industry contexts.
Advise on international production considerations—co-productions, tax incentives, and location logistics—to optimize creative and financial outcomes.
Support content accessibility objectives by reviewing subtitle and captioning workflows and ensuring creative intent is preserved across localized versions.
Contribute to the studio or production company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives by recommending diverse casting and crew hiring practices.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Directing craft: strong command of shot composition, blocking, pacing, and cinematic language for both film and episodic television.
Camera & lens knowledge: practical experience specifying lenses, camera systems, formats (ARRI, RED, Alexa), and camera workflows for desired visual aesthetics.
Editing & post-production workflow: familiarity with editorial assembly, Avid/Premiere/Resolve workflows, temp scoring, sound mixing, visual effects pipelines and color grading processes.
Budgeting & scheduling: ability to read and collaborate on production budgets and shooting schedules; experience with cost mitigation and schedule optimization strategies.
Union & legal compliance: working knowledge of DGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE rules and typical studio/network contractual provisions.
Location production: experience managing shooting across soundstages, on-location shoots, permits, and local authorities; knowledge of location scouting and logistics.
VFX & previs collaboration: experience integrating VFX planning, plate shoots and previs into production schedules; ability to provide VFX creative direction.
Stunts & safety protocols: knowledge of stunt coordination, wirework, pyrotechnics and safety plans; ability to review stunt rehearsal and approval processes.
Sound & music direction: experience working with composers, supervising temp tracks, spotting sessions and selecting music that supports narrative beats.
Technical delivery formats: understanding of final delivery specs for theatrical DCP, broadcast masters, and OTT platform delivery packages.

Soft Skills

Creative leadership: inspire cast and crew, provide decisive creative direction and maintain morale under high-pressure production schedules.
Communication: clear, diplomatic communicator with producers, actors, department heads and studio executives; adept at presenting and defending creative choices.
Collaboration: fosters cross-departmental teamwork and builds consensus while protecting the creative integrity of the project.
Problem solving: pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to on-set issues and post-production complications.
Time management: strong prioritization skills to balance creative notes, production constraints and stakeholder deadlines.
Negotiation: tactful negotiator with experience reconciling creative demands and budgetary limitations.
Emotional intelligence: sensitive actor-director rapport, conflict resolution skills and the ability to provide constructive feedback.
Adaptability: comfortable directing across formats (single-camera, multi-camera, limited series, feature) and pivoting quickly to changing production realities.
Mentorship: commitment to developing emerging talent and fostering an inclusive, respectful set culture.
Attention to detail: rigorous oversight of continuity, coverage completeness and technical deliverables to ensure final quality.

Combined list of in-demand skills (extracted from real openings and optimized for search): Directing, Cinematography collaboration, Script development, Casting direction, Production budgeting, Scheduling & logistics, VFX supervision, Post-production oversight, Union/Guild compliance (DGA/SAG-AFTRA), Stunt and safety coordination, Music supervision, Editorial collaboration (Avid/Premiere/Resolve), Location management, Talent relations, Creative leadership.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Film Production, Cinema Studies, Theatre, or related field, OR equivalent professional directing experience and credits.

Preferred Education:

MFA in Directing, Film Production, or equivalent conservatory training; attendance at recognized film schools (USC, NYU, AFI, UCLA) or equivalent industry mentorship programs.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Film Production / Directing
Cinematography
Screenwriting / Dramatic Writing
Theatre / Performance Studies
Media Studies / Communications

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

8–15+ years in film and/or television production with progressive directing or first/second unit directing credits. Multiple produced credits for episodic broadcast or streaming platforms highly preferred.

Preferred:

Prior directing credits on network television, premium cable or major streaming platforms; festival-recognized feature film credits.
Demonstrated experience managing budgets of mid-to-high production value, working with studios or major production companies and navigating unionized productions.
Proven track record of delivering projects to technical delivery specs and working collaboratively with post-production teams to final picture and sound.