Career Overlap Transition record Edition 1 · ESCO v1.2.1
Table 1Transition record

video and motion picture directortoproduction designer

A video and motion picture director already meets 31% of what the production designer role asks for. The move turns on 11 required skills not yet in the profile.

From video and motion picture director
31%
Overlap1
To production designer
12 Skills carried over
11 Required, not held
69 Difficulty2
Career overlap Distant match

31%

Learning distance Substantial retraining

69/ 100

1 Share of the production designer role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the video and motion picture director profile. Required skills count in full, supplementary skills at 0.35. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs. 2 Combines what is missing with how specialised it is, so a gap of general skills scores easier than the same number of narrow ones.

Why

Why this move works

A production designer role treats 5 of its required skills as things a video and motion picture director already does. These are the ones it depends on most.

  • adapt designers’ work to the performance venue
  • analyse a script
  • create production schedules
  • film production process
  • manage budgets

What stands in the way is 11 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 12 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A production designer role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a video and motion picture director background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held assess production needs to plan a production schedule management skills
  • already held design lighting communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held create production schedules management skills
  • already held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held work with the director of photography communication, collaboration and creativity
  • already held ensure visual quality of the set communication, collaboration and creativity

All 12 carried skills, including the 5 the production designer role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you would need to learn

The 26 missing skills fall into 6 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered below in the order worth working in: the areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the supplementary ones.

Skill to acquire Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 10 supplementary
  • required, not held consult with production director required
  • required, not held develop design concept required
  • required, not held develop the look of a production required
  • required, not held provide input to collaborators to guide their work required
  • optional, not held design props optional
  • optional, not held develop a specific interior design optional
  • optional, not held make photographic storyboards optional
  • optional, not held make set construction drawings optional
  • optional, not held select costumes optional
  • optional, not held use storyboards optional
  • optional, not held work with the camera crew optional
  • optional, not held collaborate on costume and make-up for performances optional
  • optional, not held draw design sketches optional
  • optional, not held work with the lighting crew optional
02 information skills 3 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held analyse logistic needs required
  • required, not held conduct research on trends in design required
  • required, not held estimate duration of work required
  • optional, not held arrange permits optional
  • optional, not held search for a suitable filming location optional
03 management skills 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • required, not held supervise costume workers required
  • required, not held manage staff required
  • optional, not held make film shooting schedule optional
  • optional, not held recruit employees optional
04 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required
  • required, not held CAD software required
05 working with computers 1 required
  • required, not held use CAD software required
06 handling and moving 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held create set models optional
Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a production designer role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 12 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue skill
  • already held analyse a script skill
  • already held create production schedules skill
  • already held film production process knowledge
  • already held manage budgets skill
  • already held assess production needs to plan a production schedule skill
  • already held attend rehearsals skill
  • already held design lighting skill
  • already held ensure visual quality of the set skill
  • already held lighting techniques knowledge
  • already held photography knowledge
  • already held work with the director of photography skill
15 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to acquire Tier
  • optional, not held arrange permits optional
  • optional, not held create set models optional
  • optional, not held design props optional
  • optional, not held develop a specific interior design optional
  • optional, not held make film shooting schedule optional
  • optional, not held make photographic storyboards optional
  • optional, not held make set construction drawings optional
  • optional, not held search for a suitable filming location optional
  • optional, not held select costumes optional
  • optional, not held use storyboards optional
  • optional, not held work with the camera crew optional
  • optional, not held collaborate on costume and make-up for performances optional
  • optional, not held draw design sketches optional
  • optional, not held recruit employees optional
  • optional, not held work with the lighting crew optional
32 held skills the production designer role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role adapt a script skill
  • not needed by the target role adapt to type of media skill
  • not needed by the target role attend read-through skill
  • not needed by the target role audiovisual equipment knowledge
  • not needed by the target role carry out auditions skill
  • not needed by the target role cinematography knowledge
  • not needed by the target role coordinate rehearsals skill
  • not needed by the target role create rough cut skill
  • not needed by the target role develop creative ideas skill
  • not needed by the target role develop drama production process skill
  • not needed by the target role edit digital moving images skill
  • not needed by the target role edit recorded sound skill
  • not needed by the target role finish project within budget skill
  • not needed by the target role follow work schedule skill
  • not needed by the target role help set rehearsal schedule skill
  • not needed by the target role hire human resources skill
  • not needed by the target role lead cast and crew skill
  • not needed by the target role liaise with event sponsors skill
  • not needed by the target role operate a camera skill
  • not needed by the target role organise rehearsals skill
  • not needed by the target role perform video editing skill
  • not needed by the target role set up cameras skill
  • not needed by the target role study media sources skill
  • not needed by the target role study relationships between characters skill
  • not needed by the target role supervise camera crew skill
  • not needed by the target role supervise script preparation skill
  • not needed by the target role supervise sound production skill
  • not needed by the target role tell a story skill
  • not needed by the target role watch scenes skill
  • not needed by the target role work with motion picture editing team skill
  • not needed by the target role work with playwrights skill
  • not needed by the target role work with pre-production team skill
1 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to acquire Tier
  • required, not held CAD software required
Index

Other moves recorded from video and motion picture director

Full index of moves from video and motion picture director

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.