location managertodirector of photography
A location manager already meets 30% of what the director of photography role asks for. The move turns on 13 required skills not yet in the profile.
30%
72.8/ 100
1 Share of the director of photography role’s weighted skill requirement already met by the location manager 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 this move works
A director of photography role treats 8 of its required skills as things a location manager already does. These are the ones it depends on most.
- analyse a script
- cinematography
- consult with production director
- film production process
- finish project within budget
- lighting techniques
What stands in the way is 13 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 8 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 a location manager background worth leading with.
- already held work with pre-production team communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held cinematography arts and humanities
- already held consult with production director communication, collaboration and creativity
- already held lighting techniques arts and humanities
- already held film production process arts and humanities
- already held finish project within budget management skills
All 8 carried skills, including the 8 the director of photography role treats as required.
Table 3 · What you would need to learn
The 30 missing skills fall into 7 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.
- required, not held adapt designers’ work to the performance venue required
- required, not held adapt to type of media required
- required, not held design lighting required
- required, not held ensure visual quality of the set required
- required, not held watch scenes required
- required, not held work with motion picture editing team required
- required, not held develop creative ideas required
- required, not held translate artistic concepts to technical designs 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 work with playwrights optional
- optional, not held attend rehearsals optional
- required, not held supervise camera crew required
- required, not held follow work schedule required
- required, not held supervise sound production required
- optional, not held hire human resources optional
- required, not held audiovisual equipment required
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
- required, not held study media sources required
- optional, not held read scripts optional
- optional, not held operate a camera optional
- optional, not held select camera apertures optional
- optional, not held set up cameras 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 designers’ work to the performance venue skill · sector specific
- 02 adapt to type of media skill · sector specific
- 03 audiovisual equipment knowledge · sector specific
Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.
Appendix · The rest of the record
All 8 skills that carry over
- already held analyse a script skill
- already held cinematography knowledge
- already held consult with production director 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 work with pre-production team skill
The 1 learning area not shown above
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
17 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 read scripts 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 work with playwrights optional
- optional, not held attend rehearsals optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
18 held skills the director of photography role does not ask for
- not needed by the target role analyse logistic needs skill
- not needed by the target role apply organisational techniques skill
- not needed by the target role arrange permits skill
- not needed by the target role familiarise with personal directing styles skill
- not needed by the target role make film shooting schedule skill
- not needed by the target role make photographic storyboards skill
- not needed by the target role manage consumables stock skill
- not needed by the target role manage contracts skill
- not needed by the target role manage location logistics skill
- not needed by the target role negotiate price skill
- not needed by the target role plan health and safety procedures skill
- not needed by the target role prepare road directions skill
- not needed by the target role report analysis results skill
- not needed by the target role search for a suitable filming location skill
- not needed by the target role supervise site maintenance skill
- not needed by the target role work with the camera crew skill
- not needed by the target role work with the director of photography skill
- not needed by the target role work with the lighting crew skill
5 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice
Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.
- required, not held audiovisual equipment required
- optional, not held ICT software specifications optional
- optional, not held file-based workflow optional
- optional, not held multimedia systems optional
- optional, not held photographic processing techniques optional
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.