The results from an independent survey of UK TV and film directors – conducted by CREATe, the Centre for Regulation of the Creative Economy based at the University of Glasgow, and commissioned by Directors UK, have been released.
They confirm a number of stark findings regarding a lack of sustainable employment practices, fair contracts and equitable pay structures as well as revealing the impact of the poor working practices directors face.
Directors work, on average, just 27 weeks of the year.
78% of directors feel that their income is unstable.
32% of directors undertake non-paid creative work, such as developing new ideas or writing scripts, showing that a significant part of their working time is dedicated to invisible, unpaid labour.
39% of directors report that the value of residuals and royalties has decreased – a particular challenge being the change in how directors are compensated for the use of their work in a digital market.
When directors are in work, 56% report working 41-60 hours a week with 31% exceeding 60 hours and some even noting 17-hour work days.
Directors interviewed for the survey shared their experiences:
The findings of this survey confirm that directing is a financially precarious profession for the majority of those who work in it. Beyond this, the survey also highlights the human cost of pursuing a career as a director.
The precarity of work, the long and often unpaid hours, and the poor working practices that directors face, exacerbate systemic inequalities in the industry, and have dire consequences on the inclusivity and diversity of the profession. With lead researchers Dr Amy Thomas and Dr Arthur Ehlinger sharing that “compared with other creative industries we have surveyed, directors are among the least inclusive and diverse. For example, only 31% of directors are women, 6% of directors have a disability, and more than half come from a socio-economic background with the highest levels of privilege. This tells us that people without financial safety nets, or who require any kind of flexibility for project-based work, cannot sustain themselves in an industry where irregular income is pervasive.”
The survey concludes by stating: “while the industry is undergoing important changes, addressing the working conditions of directors offers a valuable opportunity to strengthen the sector’s resilience. By ensuring fairer contracts, equitable pay structures, and sustainable employment practices, the audiovisual industry can not only support its creative workforce but also position itself for long-term growth and competitiveness.”
You can read highlights and a summary of the findings in The Director’s Cut: Unpacking Earnings, Contracts and Working Practices.
You can read the full report, UK Screen Directors (2025): A survey of earnings and contracts, here.
Have Your Say
Anonymous
15.02.25
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we didn’t have to hear anymore broadcast “war / horror stories”. Is that day coming anytime soon? Is that day a speck on the horizon? Or is it just a mirage? To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson… when networks & production companies fear freelance directors, there is liberty, when freelance directors fear networks & production companies, there is tyranny. I’m sure most of freelance directors feel we have zero negotiating chips. This is exploited massively by production companies. A number of years ago, a BBC production manager threatened me, saying that if I didn’t accept a low weekly rate, another director would be hired. I was a freelancer and the job was for a commissioned film that I’d written the treatment for – so my idea. She wasn’t even in a position to make that threat as a production manager, but she still did, and looked triumphant when I acquiesced. It’s all about divide & conquer. And most production companies deal in the currency of fear. They thrive off our financial insecurity and desperation for work. It suits them. We’re just pawns in their game. The “power” dynamic between indies and freelance directors is so out of a balance, it’s ridiculous. A number of years ago, I decided to pitch a treatment to two indies at the same time. One simply assumed that I would go with them – that it was theirs. When I decided against that indie and informed the exec of this, he couldn’t believe it – almost choking with outrage. Didn’t I know my place? So we are expected to be constant supplicants, prostrating ourselves in front of the almighty production companies. And since I’d broken some unwritten rule (the rules are always written by the indies or broadcasters), I knew that I could never approach that indie again until the exec had moved on. I know Directors UK are doing their very best for us. You, and others like The Film And TV Charity, are undertaking a lot of very admirable work treating the symptoms of this highly exploitative industry. But what we really need is to discover a cure. So, the focus is on the secondary issues (like pushing up pay rates and mental health) rather than the primary cause: it’s the Wild West and even the sheriff & his deputies are utterly corrupt. During this current major industry crisis, at the start of it in early 2023, there seemed to be signs that indies, broadcasters & commissioners would all come together to help. But that didn’t happen. In fact, it’s predictably brought out the worst “dog-eat-dog” qualities of the industry that were already pretty entrenched – so even lower pay and even longer work hours followed. Just imagine if the crisis brought out the best of this industry – that’s almost laughable to imagine. As the crisis rumbles on, horrifying figures of suicidal idealisation (from the recent Film & TV Charity poll: 30% of freelancers in the industry have had suicidal thoughts in the last year – this is close to a national scandal – but will the BBC report this?), and chronic unemployment emerge. Most directors do not have private means. A report a few years ago revealed that, generally, those with a regular income and secure career, are happier, even if they may earn less than freelancers whose income fluctuates wildly. We face an inability to plan ahead – to even book a holiday in 9 months time. When I hear of friends outside of the industry booking holidays months in advance, I realise I’m just not able to do that – either because I don’t know if I’ll have the £ or if I’ll be working (and therefore unable to take anytime off). Directors UK have explained with eloquence & in detail why you can’t become a union. But it does strike me that we really do need some kind of union with sharp fangs. It’s like the very foundations of the industry need to be demolished and then built up from scratch in a far more equally balanced, enlightened manner, otherwise it will always be “the Wild West”.
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