Director’s Engagement Guidelines

A new set of guidelines has been agreed, laying out how production companies work with directors across all genres of production.  

The Directors and Producers Forum has agreed the guidelines to ensure the director’s role is clear and respected.  

Reflecting the essential creative nature of the role of a principal director, the guidelines demonstrate best practice.  

The guidelines will be used as a reference point by directors working for UK broadcasters to ensure they are being treated in a manner that reflects the agreed practices.   

About the guidelines

Developed and agreed by representatives from the Directors UK membership, Pact members, BBC Studios and ITV Studios, the guidelines set out nine key principles.   

These principles provide a baseline of good practice for how directors and producers can work together.  

They are:  

  1.  Effective communication at an early stage is vital.  

  2.  The Director has a right to consultation.  

  3.  The Director’s creative role is to be respected.  

  4.  Prep time is vital.  

  5.  Health and Safety and Safeguarding are paramount.  

  6.  Producers and Directors must comply with policies addressing respectful working conditions.  

  7.  The Director has a right to the appropriate credit.  

  8.  Producers and Directors will collaborate to deliver sustainability on production.  

  9.  Producers and Directors will work together to deliver the production’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion and production training.  

You can read the guidelines in full, with further detail about the principles, here.    

The guidelines are intended to reflect current practice, and will be reviewed by the Directors and Producers Forum periodically.   

About the Directors and Producers Forum 

Directors UK, Pact, BBC Studios and ITV Studios established a joint forum for producers and directors in December 2023, which meets at least bi-annually, with working groups held throughout the year. The Directors and Producers Forum comprises of senior representatives and members of Directors UK and representatives of UK studios and production companies. It discusses matters raised by forum members as well as afford an opportunity for producers to brief on proposed industry developments, production matters and the status of sector initiatives such as diversity and inclusion, environmentally sustainable production and skills training.  

UK production faces a number of challenges at present with high inflation; increased costs of production; and changes in the consumption of programmes by audiences. Liaison between producers and directors allows a collaborative approach to dealing with such challenges and provides more transparency over the way producers and directors seek to continue making innovative, entertaining and artistic content.  

The Forum replaced previous less structured liaison between directors and producers.  

You can read the engagement guidelines in full here.