Advocacy
Engagement Guidelines
In 2025, we launched the Directors Engagement Guidelines.
These guidelines lay out how production companies work with directors across all genres of production.
An essential tool for any director about to start on a job, download your copy here.
The guidelines were developed and agreed by the Directors and Producers Forum, made up of Directors UK, Pact (Producers Allliance for Cinema and Television) members, BBC Studios and ITV Studios.
They reflect the essential creative nature of the role of a principal director, and demonstrate best practice. If you’re being brought on to a project, use these guidelines for a reference point of the agreed practises when working with UK broadcasters.
THE PRINCIPLES
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:
- Effective communication at an early stage is vital.
- The Director has a right to consultation.
- The Director’s creative role is to be respected.
- Prep time is vital.
- Health and Safety and Safeguarding are paramount.
- Producers and Directors must comply with policies addressing respectful working conditions.
- The Director has a right to the appropriate credit.
- Producers and Directors will collaborate to deliver sustainability on production.
- Producers and Directors will work together to deliver the production’s commitment to Diversity and Inclusion and production training.
Further detail about the principles can be found in the full guidelines.
Read the full guidelines
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. ”
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 is made up of senior representatives and members of Directors UK and representatives of UK studios and production companies. It discusses matters raised by forum members and affords 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. Connecting producers and directors allows a collaborative approach to dealing with these challenges, and provides more transparency over the way producers and directors aim to continue making innovative, entertaining and artistic content.