Screen Director
What the work is
Interprets, visualises and translates a screenplay or script by directing cast and crew to create a visual narrative in film, television, video or virtual production.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Collaborates with writers and producers to select scripts and develop concepts for productions
- Leads film and television teams from pre-production to completion, guiding the creative vision
- Hires heads of departments on a production and selects cast and crew alongside the Casting Director
- Directs actors and scenes, including camera shots, audio and lighting, to translate the screenplay into a visual narrative on screen
- Oversees post-production activities such as editing, audio and colour grading
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a short film shoot at a series of locations around a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene comes together after a long day and everyone on set feels it
- A tricky location problem gets solved and the shoot stays on schedule
- You watch the finished film with the whole crew and see your own small decisions on the screen
Hard days
- Rain on the day you had planned for sunshine, with a crew waiting for you to decide
- A creative disagreement between two people you both respect
- A long day that ends with tomorrow's call sheet still not written
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231436, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.