Director

The director oversees the artistic production of a film or TV series. He or she decides how to tell the story in each scene, directs the actors and the technical crew during filming, and then supervises the editing and sound until the final version is complete.

What does a director do?

In preparation, he revises the screenplay, creates a shot-by-shot storyboard, selects the sets with the crew, and chooses the actors with the casting director. He also assembles his team of department heads: cinematography, sound, set design, costumes, and editing.

On set, he sets up each scene, directs the actors, decides on the framing with the cinematographer, and approves the takes. After filming, he works with the editor on the film’s structure, then oversees sound editing, mixing, color grading, and the music. Finally, he oversees the film’s release: preview screenings, festivals, and press events.

Film director or stage director: What's the difference?

In film and television, the term “director” is used. In theater and opera, the term “stage director” is used, and the profession falls under a different code in France Travail’s occupational classification system. The term “stage director” is also used in everyday language to refer to film.

Nor is the director the producer, who raises the funds and bears the financial risk. He is, however, one of the film’s authors:Article L113-7 of the Intellectual Property Code presumes him to be a co-author of the work, along with the screenwriter, the adapter, the dialogue writer, and the composer of the original music.

Who does the director work with?

He works with the screenwriter in the early stages, with the producer throughout the project, and with all the department heads. On set, his right-hand person is the first assistant director, who organizes the shooting schedule and keeps the day running smoothly, and the script supervisor, who ensures continuity.

He is also in constant communication with the production manager: every staging decision comes with a cost, and together they make it happen.

What skills do you need to become a film director?

You need a vision: knowing what you want to tell and how to show it. This requires a solid understanding of cinema, mastery of the language of images—framing, lighting, movement, editing—and a genuine understanding of how actors work.

The job also requires leading a team of several dozen people under time and budget pressures, making quick decisions, and standing by them. Finally, a director must know how to persuade producers, investors, and actors well before the first day of filming.

How much does a director earn?

For a feature film, the director’s minimum wage is €3,015.27 gross per week for a contract of less than five months. Royalties are added to this amount, since the director is also the film’s author.

The minimum wage is set byArticle 52 of Title II of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for Film Production (IDCC 3097) and bythe amendment of January 23, 2024, which also specifies the calculation method for contracts of at least five months. The amounts listed in Appendix III are taken fromthe amendment of March 26, 2025, and apply only to films with a limited budget. Royalties, on the other hand, are governed by the contract: the law requires a share proportional to the film’s box office receipts (Article L131-4 of the Intellectual Property Code).

These are minimum figures, and work is irregular, varying from one project to the next. For all production-related occupations (ROME code L1304), France Travail reported 70 job openings over a 12-month period for 3,690 job seekers in the first quarter of 2026, and 92% of hires were for fixed-term contracts lasting less than one month. The television industry is governed by other collective bargaining agreements, each with its own pay scales.

What kind of education do you need to become a film director?

No specific degree s are required, but film school remains the most direct path: there, you learn the technical aspects, shoot your first films, and meet the crew members you’ll work with later on. Many directors also gain experience as assistants, make short films, or write screenplays before making their first feature film.

At ESRA, the ESRA Cinema program is a three-year course of study leading to a state-recognized “ degree ” degree at the Bac+3 level, with more than 700 hours of instruction per year and at least two productions per year, which are screened before a jury. In the third year, three specializations lead to film directing: feature films, television series, and broadcast. The DHEC Screenwriting and Directing program extends this track over two years, leading to a state-accredited “ degree ” degree at the Bac+5 level, featuring workshops in directing actors and films produced by students in the DHEC Production program.

What career opportunities and prospects are there?

Filmmakers work in feature films, television drama and streaming platforms, documentaries, commercials, music videos, and live television. Feature films remain a major career path: the CNC approved 290 films in 2025, including 228 French-produced films.

Career paths are rarely linear. Carine Tardieu, who studied at ESRA, began her career as an assistant director and screenwriter before directing short films starting in 2003 and her first feature film in 2007; she won the César Award for Best Film in 2026 for *L’Attachement*. Jean-François Richet won the César Award for Best Director in 2009 for *Mesrine*, and Éric Toledano won the César Award chosen by high school students in 2020 for *Hors normes*, which he co-directed with Olivier Nakache.

Sources: Légifrance, collective bargaining agreement IDCC 3097, and the Intellectual Property Code; France Travail, ROME code L1304; CNC, 2025 Film Production Observatory; César Academy. Verified on September 24, 2026.

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