Skills
Producer and Director Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in producer and directors, and how to build and show them.
What skills do producer and directors need?
Producer and Directors need technical skills such as storytelling, directing actors, and budgeting, plus people skills like leadership and vision. They also use tools such as Scheduling software and Budget software.
Technical (hard) skills
- Storytelling
- Directing actors
- Budgeting
- Scheduling
- Editing
- Camera basics
People (soft) skills
- Leadership
- Vision
- Communication
- Decision-making
Tools, equipment and technology
- Scheduling software
- Budget software
- Cameras
- Editing software
- Script software
- Monitors
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how producer and directors put their skills to work:
- How to build a shot list for a scene
- How to direct an actor through a scene
- How to build a production budget
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Storytelling” and “Directing actors.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “leadership,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as Film degree near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our producer and director glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Producer and Director training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.