Press Release

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. 

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, here.  

Andy Harrower, Directors UK CEO said: “The best television is made when everyone in a production team works well together. These principles underpin the director’s role as one of the key creative leads on a production, ensuring that their craft is respected and understood. By setting a standard of working practices that everyone agrees to, directors and producers can make great television, together.”

Zai Bennett, Chief Creative Officer & CEO BBC Studios Productions, said: “Directors are a vital part of the team that help us to deliver our fantastic productions. I am really pleased that we have agreed these new engagement guidelines and that across the industry we are committing to best practice.”

Julian Bellamy, MD ITV Studios, said: "Best practice is at the heart of ITV Studios and we are delighted to be part of, and support these new guidelines. Great television is the result of great collaboration, and these guiding principles create a mutually respectful working environment for all. We look forward to working with Directors UK and their members, with the guidelines at the heart of each engagement." 

Max Rumney, Deputy CEO and Director of Business Affairs, Pact, said: “Pact has always promoted engagement between its members and those who collaborate with them to create innovative and engaging programmes and films. We welcome these guidelines which sit alongside our other forms of industry dialogue and agreements.”

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.

About Directors UK
Directors UK is the professional association of UK screen directors. It is a membership organisation representing the creative, economic and contractual interests of over 8,000 members – the majority of working TV and film directors in the UK. Directors UK negotiates rights deals and collects and distributes royalties to its members. It also campaigns and lobbies on its members’ behalf and provides a range of services including legal advice, events and career development. Directors UK works closely with fellow organisations around the world to represent directors’ rights and concerns, promotes excellence in the craft of direction and champions change to the current landscape to create an equal opportunity industry for all.

About BBC Studios
BBC Studios is the main commercial arm of BBC Commercial Ltd and generated revenues of £1.8 billion in the last year and profits of over £200 million for a third consecutive year. Able to take an idea seamlessly from thought to screen and beyond, the business is built on two operating areas: the Content Studio, which produces, invests and distributes TV and audio globally and Media & Streaming, with BBC branded channels, services including UKTV, bbc.com and BritBox International and joint ventures in the UK and internationally. The business made more than 2,800 hours of award-winning British programmes last year for a wide range of UK and global broadcasters and platforms. Its content is internationally recognised across a broad range of genres and specialisms, and includes world-famous brands like Strictly Come Dancing/Dancing with the Stars, the Planet series, Bluey and Doctor Who.

About ITV Studios
ITV Studios is a creator, producer and distributor of world-leading programmes that people can’t get enough of. We connect millions of people every day and shape and reflect the world they live in, we are More Than TV.

ITV Studios is home to some of the best creative minds, crafting over 6,700 hours of original programming across 60 production labels. Our global footprint spans 13 countries including the UK, US, Australia, France, Germany, The Nordics, Italy and the Netherlands and our global distribution business sells our catalogue of 90,000+ hours to broadcasters and platforms around the world. 

ITV Studios has 150+ owned and operated channels in the social space delivering over 10bn views in 2024, as well as 20 FAST channels on 100+ channel feeds globally. It launched a new label, Zoo 55 dedicated to expanding its digital and gaming activity, in January 2025.

ITV Studios is part of ITV PLC, which includes the UK’s largest commercial broadcaster ITV and the ad-funded, free streaming home for ITV, ITVX.

About Pact
Pact is the UK screen sector trade body for independent production and distribution companies. Our mission is to help make the UK’s independent production sector the most successful in the world. Since 1991, our work has helped transform the sector from a cottage industry into a British success story which employs thousands of people and is worth billions to the UK economy.