Art director to director of photography
An art director already meets 52% of what the director of photography role asks for. The move turns on 8 required skills not yet in the profile.
54.1/ 100
1 How much of what a director of photography is expected to do is already part of an art director’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the director of photography role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.
Why this move works
A director of photography role treats 13 of its required skills as things an art director already does. You would walk in with these on day one.
- adapt designers’ work to the performance venue
- analyse a script
- audiovisual equipment
- cinematography
- develop creative ideas
- ensure visual quality of the set
What stands in the way is 8 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.
Table 2 · What you already bring
Of the 16 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A director of photography role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of an art director background worth leading with.
- already held work with pre-production team communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held work with playwrights communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held work with motion picture editing team communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held read scripts information skills
- already held cinematography arts and humanities
- already held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue communication, collaboration and creativity
All 16 carried skills, including the 13 the director of photography role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you may need to learn
The 22 missing skills fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.
- still to learn adapt to type of media required
- still to learn consult with production director required
- still to learn design lighting required
- still to learn watch scenes required
- optional, not held adapt a script optional
- optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
- optional, not held liaise with event sponsors optional
- optional, not held supervise script preparation optional
- optional, not held attend rehearsals optional
- still to learn supervise camera crew required
- still to learn follow work schedule required
- still to learn supervise sound production required
- optional, not held hire human resources optional
- still to learn study media sources required
- optional, not held operate a camera optional
- optional, not held select camera apertures optional
- optional, not held set up cameras optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
- optional, not held edit recorded sound optional
- optional, not held perform video editing optional
1 further area in the appendix
Table 4 · Where to start
The 3 entries a director of photography role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.
- 01 adapt to type of media practise this
- 02 consult with production director practise this
- 03 design lighting practise this
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 16 skills that carry over
- already held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue skill
- already held analyse a script skill
- already held audiovisual equipment knowledge
- already held cinematography knowledge
- already held develop creative ideas skill
- already held ensure visual quality of the set skill
- already held film production process knowledge
- already held finish project within budget skill
- already held lighting techniques knowledge
- already held photography knowledge
- already held translate artistic concepts to technical designs skill
- already held work with motion picture editing team skill
- already held work with pre-production team skill
- already held multimedia systems knowledge
- already held read scripts skill
- already held work with playwrights skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
14 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held adapt a script optional
- optional, not held edit digital moving images optional
- optional, not held edit recorded sound optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held hire human resources optional
- optional, not held liaise with event sponsors optional
- optional, not held operate a camera optional
- optional, not held perform video editing optional
- optional, not held select camera apertures optional
- optional, not held set up cameras optional
- optional, not held supervise script preparation optional
- optional, not held attend rehearsals optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
66 held skills the director of photography role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role advertising techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role analyse the need for technical resources skill
- not needed by the target role approve advertising campaign skill
- not needed by the target role assemble an artistic team skill
- not needed by the target role assess each stage of the creative process skill
- not needed by the target role business strategy concepts knowledge
- not needed by the target role carry out auditions skill
- not needed by the target role carry out interviews to select artistic team members skill
- not needed by the target role check material resources skill
- not needed by the target role computer equipment knowledge
- not needed by the target role consult with motion picture producer skill
- not needed by the target role contact talent agents skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate advertising campaigns skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate artistic production skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate technical teams in artistic productions skill
- not needed by the target role coordinate with creative departments skill
- not needed by the target role create new concepts skill
- not needed by the target role create production schedules skill
- not needed by the target role create solutions to problems skill
- not needed by the target role cue a performance skill
- not needed by the target role cultural projects knowledge
- not needed by the target role define artistic vision skill
- not needed by the target role design principles knowledge
- not needed by the target role determine visual concepts skill
- not needed by the target role develop design concept skill
- not needed by the target role develop professional network skill
- not needed by the target role digital marketing techniques knowledge
- not needed by the target role direct an artistic team skill
- not needed by the target role discover acting talent skill
- not needed by the target role estimate duration of work skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate advertising campaign skill
- not needed by the target role evaluate art quality skill
- not needed by the target role familiarise with personal directing styles skill
- not needed by the target role follow time cues skill
- not needed by the target role graphic design knowledge
- not needed by the target role health and safety regulations knowledge
- not needed by the target role history of fashion knowledge
- not needed by the target role keep up with trends skill
- not needed by the target role lead cast and crew skill
- not needed by the target role liaise with cultural partners skill
26 further entries not listed here
3 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
Common questions about this move
Can an art director become a director of photography?
Yes, and it is a moderate move. An art director already covers 52% of what a director of photography is expected to do: 16 skills carry over, 13 of which the director of photography role treats as required.
What skills does an art director need to become a director of photography?
8 required skills are missing, plus 14 optional ones. They fall into 7 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is adapt to type of media.
How hard is the move from art director to director of photography?
Its learning distance is 54.1 out of 100, which is the moderate band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.
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.