We surveyed 1,200 film directors to better understand the work environment and required skills of a typical film director. Here are the results.

How much intelligence is required as a film director?

Low

High

Working as a film director typically requires higher levels of intelligence when compared with the average career. This means that film directors are required to actively learn new things related to their discipline and solve complex problems.

Can I learn to become a film director?

Intrinsic Talent

Acquired Talent

A career as a film director typically depends predominantly on qualities you can gain through experience, with a small aspect of skills you are born with.

Is it easy to get a job as a film director?

Easy

Hard

It’s typically quite difficult to find a job as a film director. If you’re curious about the numbers, check out the job market for film directors.

Info

Do film directors work full-time or part-time?

32% of film directors work in full-time roles while 68% work part-time.

Is being a film director stressful?

Low

High

Stress is not uncommon amongst film directors, with daily work sometimes being quite demanding.

Is being organized important as a film director?

Low

High

Organization is not considered a particuarly important part of being a film director.

How competitive is the workplace for film directors?

Low

High

Film directors tend to see lots of competition in the workplace, with desire to get ahead of co-workers being common.

Does being a film director require frequent time pressure to complete tasks?

Low

High

Film directors will have to sometimes face time pressure on the job.

Are film directors allowed to express themselves creatively?

Low

High

Creativity is intrinsic to being a film director, and a highly valuable part of the career.

Do film directors have control over the direction of their work?

Low

High

Film directors have high flexibility in the direction of their work, allowing them a lot of freedom in how they accomplish their goals.

Is being a film director physically demanding?

Low

High

Being a film director may occasionally require demanding physical activity, which may make it not a suitable career choice for everyone.

Are film directors exposed to a wide variety of work?

Low

High

The workload of a film director changes frequently, with their day-to-day rarely being the same.

Does being a film director require attention to detail?

Low

High

As in many careers, attention to detail is quite helpful for film directors.

Does being a good film director require compassion and empathy?

Low

High

Being compassionate and empathetic is considered helpful to those looking to pursue careers as film directors.