Occupation

Producers and Directors

Human Advantage 78%

Significant human skills needed

AI Automation Risk Low Risk
2.3 / 10

This occupation requires complex human judgment, social interaction, and creative problem-solving that are difficult to automate.

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.

Also Known As: Animation Director, Animation Producer, Art Framing Manager, Artistic Director, Broadcast News Producer, Broadcast Producer, Casting Director, Commercial Director +52 more

Video

Core Tasks

  1. Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.
  2. Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.
  3. Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.
  4. Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.
  5. Review film, recordings, or rehearsals to ensure conformance to production and broadcast standards.
  6. Study and research scripts to determine how they should be directed.
  7. Supervise and coordinate the work of camera, lighting, design, and sound crew members.
  8. Confer with technical directors, managers, crew members, and writers to discuss details of production, such as photography, script, music, sets, and costumes.
  9. Perform management activities, such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, and marketing.
  10. Consult with writers, producers, or actors about script changes or "workshop" scripts, through rehearsal with writers and actors to create final drafts.
  11. Identify and approve equipment and elements required for productions, such as scenery, lights, props, costumes, choreography, and music.
  12. Establish pace of programs and sequences of scenes according to time requirements and cast and set accessibility.
  13. Conduct meetings with staff to discuss production progress and to ensure production objectives are attained.
  14. Compile scripts, program notes, and other material related to productions.
  15. Resolve personnel problems that arise during the production process by acting as liaisons between dissenting parties when necessary.
  16. Coordinate the activities of writers, directors, managers, and other personnel throughout the production process.
  17. Obtain rights to scripts or to such items as existing video footage.

Supplemental Tasks (10)

  1. Write and submit proposals to bid on contracts for projects.
  2. Compose and edit scripts or provide screenwriters with story outlines from which scripts can be written.
  3. Cut and edit film or tape to integrate component parts into desired sequences.
  4. Write and edit news stories from information collected by reporters and other sources.
  5. Choose settings and locations for films and determine how scenes will be shot in these settings.
  6. Review film daily to check on work in progress and to plan for future filming.
  7. Negotiate with parties, including independent producers and the distributors and broadcasters who will be handling completed productions.
  8. Perform administrative duties, such as preparing operational reports, distributing rehearsal call sheets and script copies, and arranging for rehearsal quarters.
  9. Develop marketing plans for finished products, collaborating with sales associates to supervise product distribution.
  10. Arrange financing for productions.

Education & Training

Job Zone 4 Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
Education: Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Experience: A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Education Level Distribution

Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.

Bachelor's Degree
57%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)
15%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
13%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)
11%
Some College Courses
5%
Master's Degree
0%

Technology & Tools

Hot Technologies

  • Adobe Acrobat
  • Adobe After Effects
  • Adobe Creative Cloud software
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Adobe InDesign
  • Adobe Photoshop
  • Atlassian Confluence
  • Atlassian JIRA
  • Canva
  • Cascading style sheets CSS
  • Drupal
  • Extensible markup language XML
  • Facebook
  • Google Analytics
  • Google Docs
  • Google Workspace software
  • Hypertext markup language HTML
  • JavaScript
  • Microsoft Access
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Project
  • Microsoft Teams
  • Microsoft Visio
  • Microsoft Windows
  • Microsoft Word
  • PHP
  • Slack
  • TikTok
  • WordPress
  • Zoom

Software (76)

  • AP ENPS
  • Adobe ActionScript
  • Adobe Audition
  • Adobe Dreamweaver
  • Adobe Premiere Pro
  • Airtable
  • Apple Final Cut Pro
  • Asana
  • Avid Digidesign Pro Tools
  • Avid Technology Media Composer
  • Avid Technology NewsCutter
  • Avid Technology Pro Tools
  • Avid Technology iNEWS
  • Blogging software
  • Broadcast Electronics AudioVAULT FleX
  • Chyron CAMIO
  • Content management systems CMS
  • Eko
  • Email software
  • FaceTime
  • Google Ads
  • Google Drive
  • Google Gmail
  • Graphics creation software
  • Grass Valley EDIUS
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Live streaming software
  • MAGIX Software Sound Forge
  • Magix Vegas Pro
  • Microsoft Publisher
  • Pinterest
  • Project management software
  • Ross Video Xpression
  • Screencastify
  • Scripting software
  • Snapchat
  • Social media sites
  • Twitter
  • Video editing software
  • Web content management system CMS software
  • WideOrbit
  • YouTube

Tools & Equipment (22)

  • Apple iMacs
  • Apple iPads
  • Dell Notebooks
  • Digital video cameras
  • Electronic news gathering ENG cameras
  • Grass Valley Ignite Automated Production System
  • Laptop computers
  • Lens finders
  • Multi-line telephone systems
  • Multimedia editing equipment
  • Newsroom digital audio workstations
  • Notebook computers
  • Personal computers
  • Robotic cameras
  • Sound mixing equipment
  • Studio lighting systems
  • Tablet computers
  • Teleprompters
  • Vectorscopes
  • Video editing equipment
  • Video switchers
  • Waveform monitors

Where This Career Leads

Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.

Media Production & Broadcasting Advanced Manufacturing

Zone 2
Zone 4
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