Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Producer and Director
What producer and directors actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a producer and director?
Call time on set. From there, the day usually includes develop projects, raise funding, and hire cast and crew. Long, irregular hours during production.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a producer and director working full time.
- Call time on set.
- Block the first scene.
- Shoot scenes.
- Review the schedule.
- Shoot more scenes.
- Watch dailies.
- Plan tomorrow.
Where producer and directors work
Producers and directors work on sets, stages, studios and offices.
Hours and schedule
Long, irregular hours during production.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Develop projects
- Raise funding
- Hire cast and crew
- Manage budgets
- Direct actors
- Oversee filming
- Supervise editing
Tools you’ll use every day
- Scheduling software
- Budget software
- Cameras
- Editing software
- Script software
- Monitors
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Creative leadership
- Exciting projects
- High earning potential
- Collaborative
What’s hard
- Very competitive
- Long hours
- Unstable work
- Budget pressure
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I love telling stories
- I can lead creative teams
- I make quick decisions
- I can handle long hours
- I can handle rejection
- I like collaboration
Not sure? Take the free Producer and Director fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Follow set safety rules
- Plan stunts with experts
- Manage crew fatigue
- Follow location permits