TheDirectorsUKConference2015:Round-upReport

On Saturday 10 October Directors UK held its first ever Conference. This was an opportunity for members to come together with the Board and Directors UK staff to discuss the strategic priorities for the organisation, including campaigns, training, member services and a number of other issues.

We’ve written a summary of the day’s discussions below which cover the main topics. If you would like to talk to us about any of the issues raised then please do get in touch at [email protected] or in the comments below. We’ve tried to include as many of the discussion points as possible in a way that makes sense for those that weren’t there.

Beryl introduction

Introduction

The day began with Directors UK Chair, Beryl Richards discussing how she first became involved with Directors UK, which started with attending a TV Drama Directors’ open meeting a few years ago and realising that the frustrations she was experiencing were shared by many of the other directors there. She found that getting more involved in Directors UK helped to alleviate the sense of isolation that you feel as a director. From there she helped form the Women Directors’ campaign group which, in 2014, produced the first research report on the underrepresentation of women directors in British TV. The report was very well received and she has spoken around the world about its findings. She stresses the value of getting involved to help solve issues that you care about, not just to complain about your frustrations but commit to addressing the problems and finding solutions.

Pay

The first session of the day was on the topic of directors’ pay.

Key areas of discussion:

• Directors UK Pay Survey

• Ali Bailey, Head of Campaigns, shared some of the results of the recent Pay Survey. We received over 300 submissions, but this is still only representative of a fraction of the members we know are working. We need more members to submit their pay information (anonymously) in larger numbers so that we can make the strongest possible case for increasing directors’ pay. We have split the findings of the survey down into genres and have passed the results to the relevant committees who will then consider how best to tackle the issues in their specific genres – there will be open meetings for Drama, Factual and Multi-camera directors to discuss the best way(s) forward.

• The Multi-camera Rate Card

• Steve Smith outlined the work the Entertainment and Multi-camera group have done already on pay, they have been the most organised genre group and have already had a number of meetings where they shared a wealth of pay information which allowed them to come up with a minimum rate that multi-camera directors should be paid. Since the rate card was published on the Directors UK website there has been a definite upwards trend in the rates directors are being paid. Steve and Andrew Chowns have also been active in communicating the rate to key people in the industry (i.e. talent managers, production managers etc.) and they are now following up with the companies who are resistant to the rate. Steve believes this demonstrates that when members come together, tackle the lack of transparency, and work as a group who won't accept less than the rate, you will see an increase in rates.

• The recent Coronation Street/ITV Studios negotiations

• Andrew Chowns gave members an update on one approach to improving directors’ pay, “collective bargaining”. We have been negotiating with ITV Studios on behalf of Coronation Street directors and have secured a substantial pay rise for them, Andrew commented on the solidarity and bravery of the directors involved, it wouldn’t have been a success without their commitment.

Questions from the audience:

• Do you feel other “behind the camera” professions are working in this way? [i.e. using a rate card-type approach]

• Steve Smith says, absolutely, this is how all the technical groups work, they're clear about what the rate is and how many hours that covers. 

• How do you work with fixed budgets? There's no more money so how do you get a rate increase?

• Steve Smith says it's important to start the dialogue with broadcasters, there is a sense of resistance but getting in the room and getting this on the agenda is the start. Andrew says it's none of the broadcasters business to tell an indie what rate they should be paying to people, independent producers should be standing up to the broadcasters, if you're just passive you'll have “a very painful existence”. Andrew says if indies and broadcasters are conspiring to set director rates then that indicates price fixing may be occurring, if that's the case then we will investigate that and take action. Geoff Posner says there will always be someone who is cheaper. Piers Haggard says that we need to trigger a cultural shift, director's pay needs to become more of a priority. Steve says they have to keep on repeating and repeating and repeating that “their rate is their rate is their rate” so that it begins to sink in.

Comments:

• Delyth Thomas commented on the grips campaign that was run last year [grips refusing to work for less than a specific day rate], they were very organised, managed complete solidarity and they were successful. This year 1st ADs are doing the same thing, and it is also successful and very organised.
• An audience member commented that on Doctors, the rate has been the same for years and years (no accommodation, no food allowance, no transport). Same with Father Brown. Shows are becoming very successful internationally but none of that money seems to be injected back into the programmes.
• Geoff Posner commented that the BBC daytime budgets are different [lower] compared with evening budgets. The BBC try to pay him lower rates for very complex daytime programmes, such as covering a cathedral service that was on air for 3 hours! He commented, it's not like you do "daytime" directing.
• Steve Smith noted that the issue of expenses should be focused on, it is going under the radar how inconsistent it is [often not paid at all]. 
• Paul Unwin commented on the gender pay gap that was highlighted through the Pay Survey results, if we focus on addressing that then it could give us a foothold to address everything else.
• Audience member question about the rate card approach; should it be tiered with less experienced directors asking for lower rates and more experienced directors asking for higher rates? Menhaj Huda says that this is a problem, then the broadcasters will always go with the cheaper option.

Creative Rights

Many directors have told us their creative rights and working conditions have changed. In some cases going so far as abusive practice or treatment.

Are things actually getting worse? Should we establish a new Directors UK Freelance Charter to improve your working experience? Should we operate a ‘black list’ of employers? Should we celebrate good practice? How do we protect each other? How should we support fair opportunities for all directors?

Key areas of discussion:

• Beryl Richards began by talking about how we run our campaigns, some issues are appropriate for a public-facing campaign and some aren't. Working conditions is one issue that is perhaps better suited for a public campaign. We are all aware there is a lot of terrible behaviour out there, it is particularly bad in factual, people in drama are slightly more protected as they have agents. All of these issues speak to the status of the director, people can’t quite be bothered to deal with all the things they should. Beryl described a job she finished last year for which she has only just had the contract through! Directors are vulnerable because they are freelancers, a lot of the issues they face just aren’t even visible to employers, the women’s campaign highlighted this e.g. when they went in to see broadcasters and indies at a high level, they live in a world of full-time employment, and are completely unaware of the reality of freelance life. One company they saw had a great equalities policy but didn’t apply it to the freelancers they employed! Calling out bullying and harassment can have such a big negative impact on the careers of freelancers - it is often seen as “just a personality clash”. The way directors work will soon become the norm, i.e. self-employed, but the laws are not set up for that at all. Directors have been working like this for decades so can be at the vanguard of helping enshrine basic rights for freelancers in law.
  

• Creative Rights Agreement

• 63% of the audience knew about the Creative Rights Agreement, Paul Unwin talked about the background to that agreement. This is a document worth reading and discussing [you can read more about it here], however the board have been wondering whether the agreement is worth the paper it’s printed on, it’s often ignored and not everyone knows about it. He gave the example of having recently worked on Casualty, a well-run show with lots of nice people who consistently ignored loads of the agreement. Do directors need to look at a new or different way of positioning themselves to solve some of the long existing points of frustration?
• Andrew Chowns explained how we are trying to extend the creative rights to cover ITV, we are currently three years into negotiations, it’s very difficult to do. In the future we also want to extend it to the indies which could involve tens of individual negotiations. Andrew said that people reporting breaches of the agreement to him has really dropped off recently from a couple a month to hardly anything. People need to feel confident about reporting abuses. He felt that a lot of these things are fundamental rights that shouldn't even require negotiation!
• Paul Unwin said we should be far clearer about what we will not accept in terms of abuses in working practises, bullying, etc. The issues around creative rights are perhaps slightly trickier to address/solve.
• Delyth Thomas commented that she didn’t think it should be up to the individual to stand up when these issues occur as they’re as a result of systemic failure.

Comments:

• An audience member commented that EastEnders has suffered with late scripts, because he is very experienced he knows lots of the other directors and the heads of departments on the show. They all got together and formed a representative group who sought a meeting with the producers in which they asked to regain the time lost due to late scripts, they went in with a positive view, i.e. that they needed more time to do their best work. They got there in the end, but it took over a year to achieve, throughout the negotiations they tried to keep things as positive and collaborative as possible.
  
• Paul Unwin said the industry needs to consider directors in a different way, if there are late scripts etc. it costs an incredible amount of money, the knock-on effects are huge, directors help solve these problems. Could we replace the creative rights agreement with a more assertive statement about what a director is and what they require to do their job properly. Aim to reclaim status as the people who will fix the problems, fix the show. Reconfigure how producers see the director in the process, directors fulfil a key industrial function, although an audience member said he felt that the entire industry would have to change to properly recognise and respond this.
• An audience member talked about factual; the role of the director has effectively been turned into that of a cheap cameraman, he feels like he has put actual specialised cameramen out of work but also as a result he’s not really doing directing. In some situations self-shooting is fine [read our articles for and against the practice here] but often the decision isn't made because of suitability but is because of finances. The role of the self-shooter means his input as a director has been eroded, it isn't seen as creative and isn’t involved in edit.
• Menhaj Huda thought we should have a standardised Directors UK contract used across the entire industry, however Andrew Chowns commented that there is currently a standard PACT contact that is widely ignored by PACT members so it would be difficult to achieve.
• Steve Smith said he has increasingly noticed that talent managers don’t understand what directors do, he thinks there should be regular dialogue with executives to show how directors can solve their problems, and so they can use directors’ talents to the fullest.
• Geoff Posner pointed out the growing gulf between the decision-makers and people who actual make the TV. The people making the decisions have never worked in production so don’t actually know what anyone does!
• Steve says in a meeting with the BBC about training he stressed that the training of production managers (and other similar roles) should have directors involved so people are shown what a director does.
• Bill Anderson said directors are senior management and should be treated as such.
• Audience member says the hardest thing is creating a collective voice, there are loads of members who aren’t here. Everyone feels isolated and is desperate for work. Unfortunately it is very hard to create that loud, single, persuasive voice.
• There was a discussion around the engagement of members, it was felt that perhaps people are afraid to speak out, they have waited so long for their break they don’t want to jeopardise that.
• More audience comment on how directors are seen; they are seen as children who need minding, not as senior management. Directors save the day, fix the problems, what we do is not minor.
• There was a question around Directors UK organising their own awards ceremony, Andrew comments it is a massive commitment of resources. There is a problem with the lack of directors being recognised in awards which we have tackled in other ways [you can read about our RTS Director Award campaign here].
• Andrew ended by outlining what a freelancer’s charter might mean: fundamental rights that we could then try to enshrine in law.

Question Time

Lunch was followed by a Question Time-style free-for-all, giving attendees the chance to ask the Board and Senior Management team any question they wanted to. Piers Haggard moderated a panel that included Beryl Richards, Andrew Chowns, Delyth Thomas and Steve Smith. 

Questions from the audience:

• Ideas to increase engagement in the regions

• More regional events was a key suggestion from several people in the room.
• Others suggested live-streaming the Q&As to regional cinemas or getting directors to visit other parts of the UK. Andrew Chowns explained that there are technical and logistical problems with delivering this, but it’s definitely something we’ll look into.
• Beryl Richards and another audience member raised the possibility of hosting simple regional screenings with a more business-like discussion scheduled afterwards.

• Communications

• Member asked if we could make more of the opportunity to communicate with members when we post out distribution payments. Andrew Chowns was sceptical that this would be more effective than our current email communications.
• Steve Smith asked whether members feel they can get in touch with Directors UK easily enough, not just the office but Board members as well. The idea of private Facebook message boards was raised, particularly if sponsored by Directors UK.
• Victoria Morris explained that we would eventually like to bring those discussions to the Directors UK website, but we understand that members already have their own social networks in place.
• Delyth Thomas ask if there could be some kind of forum for directors to vent their frustrations, similar to Shit People Say to Women Directors. Andrew Chowns emphasised the need for Directors UK to appear professional. We are responsible for anything that is officially Directors UK-branded. Having fought long and hard to be the professional body for directors, we must protect that reputation. But as Ali Bailey acknowledged these emotive first hand experiences are useful for campaigning purposes but they need to be gathered and utilised in the right way.

• Reaching out to other kinds of directors

• Audience member reflected on the fact that some types of directors aren’t well represented in the Directors UK membership, including sports and commercials directors.
• Piers Haggard suggested that we could have more opportunities for these specific types of directors to meet each other.
• Another member pointed out that there’s a lot of similarities between all directors and so everything the organisation currently does is just as applicable to directors in these underrepresented areas.

• Membership cards

• A member suggested that there should be a Directors UK membership card, which would help to administer discounts and entry to events, but would also bring a sense of belonging.
• The idea was popular with members, with some suggesting that it would instil a sense of pride which might in turn inspire more people to get involved and attend events.
• Andrew Chowns highlighted the practicalities and cost of administering a scheme like this, balanced against the actual benefits it would bring. He also reemphasised the need to embrace increased digitalisation.

• Liability insurance

• Audience member raises issue of small print being slipped into BBC and other production company contracts, saying that the director is personally responsible for their own equipment in the event of theft or damage. Steve Smith and Andrew Chowns advise that members take this up with Donna Thomas, our Head of Legal Affairs.

• Working abroad

• Menhaj Huda asks whether British taxpayers should be subsidising films made by directors who aren’t British residents.
• Piers Haggard points out that while we are part of the EU we can’t differentiate between British residents and other European directors.
• Paul Unwin also raises the issue that taking action on this would raise problems for British directors working in the US.
• Subsidies issue also discussed. Beryl Richards explains that subsidies for non-British productions do help to build up crew in this country and bring in money, but it could be argued that directors are being overlooked here.
• Member suggests that we should be focussing instead on getting British directors working elsewhere in the EU. Piers Haggard explains that UK directors would need to learn different languages in order to take advantage of these opportunities.
• Another member asks if Directors UK could speed up the process of applying for iVISAs, or if the DGA could help. We said that this is something we would look into, but our understanding is that iVISAs are project-based and therefore we may not be able to act as agents in this regard. The US system is very strict and set by US Immigration, something which the DGA don’t have any say over.

• Loneliness and isolation

• Paul Unwin asks if we paint a picture of directing that’s too glossy, and not honest enough about the realities of being out of work and having missed a job. Can we do to reflect that other side of the industry?
• Piers Haggard says that we shouldn’t see other directors as competition, doing that allows problems to go unsolved and prevents people from seeking help.
• Menhaj Huda suggests a monthly surgery session to combat this.
• Andrew Chowns suggested that we could host low-key sessions geared around a specific topic, such as negotiation skills, as these tend to have better levels of attendance.

• Other business

• Members of panel reminded members to keep on submitting production company reviews to Employer Advisor, and to make a submission to the BBC Charter Review process.

Career Development and Training

All our working environments are changing. Directors of all kinds face new technologies, new methodologies and new opportunities, but funding for training and for the institutions that support it is under threat. This year Directors UK has created several of our own training initiatives geared to meet the needs of directors and in this session we presented what we’re currently doing, our plans for the future and asked about your own training needs.

Key areas of discussion:

• Training

• Victoria Morris, Head of Communications and Public Affairs, spoke about Directors UK’s training and development initiatives, building on our early experiments running workshops with the BBC, aimed at directors returning to work. We saw that these were popular but realised that we needed to offer training that would help directors at many different stages in their career.
• This has led to the High-End Drama Mentoring Scheme. Rather than leave training to broadcasters and production companies, we felt that we, as a frontline organisation, have a better idea of the training that is required. Our biggest challenge was bringing companies on board – many were worried about the cost and the response from cast and crew. But on a whole, the scheme has been a success, with some mentees working with a director as they set up a whole new production, and others being able to direct second unit.
• Our ultimate aim is that schemes of this type will lead to full time job opportunities. This has directly influenced our next two training projects.
• The BBC Continuing Drama Training Scheme, giving mentees the chance to work on either EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty or Holby City, came with job opportunities build in. If training goes well then directors are guaranteed a directing block within the following 9 months. This will be our training model going forward, with mentoring leading to “doing”.
• Our next scheme is the ITV Studios Continuing Drama Multi-Camera Directors’ Training Week. This will help to fill in what is becoming a future skills gap.
• In the pipeline: we will be working with Channel 4 to fulfil their diversity training pledge, and we hope to expand into other genres, including factual.

• Directors UK Academy

• Tom Roberts explains that his career as a factual director has meant that he’s involved in training every day, as it’s an essential part of having a crew that works as a cohesive unit. It’s important to train new directors, and a lot of the training that exists has an emphasis on creating new talent. But after you’ve made that first film you’re on your own. Training for the future hasn’t been fully thought through.
• Technology is changing so fast and directors need to be kept up to date. There’s an obsession with compliance and directors are expected to follow this with. Directors are also expected to be versatile and work in many different genres and styles.
• Mid-career training is key to keeping directors up-to-date with all these things and more. Directors UK should be involved in this, making use of our collective experience.
• Therefore, we are considering setting up a Directors UK Academy. We would look to work with Creative Skillset and other funding sources.
• Directors don’t work 49 weeks a year, so can’t we make use of our members’ time and experience to improve our collective skills base?
• The main consideration with the plan for an Academy would be the considerable cost involved in setting it up. We would have to consider whether we would charge students.
• A vote was conducted to gauge support for a Directors UK Academy, with 73% agreeing that Directors UK should use significant funds to deliver training for directors.

Comments:

• Mentoring scheme feedback

• Two of the mentees from the High-End Drama Mentoring Scheme were in attendance and spoke to the audience about their experiences.
• Seeing how directors approached and solved problems on set gave them the confidence to do the same.
• Younger-skewed dramas like Misfits and Skins aren’t there anymore so people don’t know where to put young directors. There’s no ladder up to the high-end jobs, and the same group of directors are very busy moving around the projects of that level.
• They emphasised the fact that mentoring allowed them to concentrate on story and how best to communicate that, as well as the technical nuts and bolts of using certain equipment.
• Audience member who has trained others says that training works best when you can do skills training, then mentoring, then help to guide the mentee afterwards. Then you can have confidence in someone’s abilities. 

• Training feedback

• Particular praise for the BBC Continuing Drama Training Scheme and the promise of a job, but members reiterate the need to expand these to high, low and mid-end TV.

• Training ideas

• Perhaps we could implement a scheme to allow directors to share their equipment and show members how to use it, in exchange for similar training on something they don’t know how to use.
• ‘Wedding token’ system, allowing members to choose what to spend their training tokens on.
• Cross-genre training to help directors transition into other areas of interest.
• Steve Smith explains that it’s not always about Directors UK spending lots of money - it's about partnerships. We should be spending as much money as possible on people rather than resources. Production companies and broadcasters are making huge profits and directors aren’t get paid much: surely we should be able to use that to get them to help fund things like this.

• Training needs

• Steve Smith asks if there is a disconnect between what we feel we need in the way of training and what commissioners and execs think we need.
• Andrew Chowns agrees. In his position as Chair of the Creative Skillset Television Council he found that broadcasters think directors needed training in things like data protection and health and safety. They’ve fought to change that impression and the Creative Skillset Workforce Survey revealed how wrong it was.
• There was some discussion of the fact that directors are expected to become multi-skilled, but that there is a danger that this will cause the role to be diluted further.
• Menhaj Huda says that more directors need to become execs, bringing a programme-making experience to that level of management.
• Charles Sturridge suggests that directors need to be trained to take charge of an entire production; attaching writers, producers etc. to your project, rather than the other way round.

This is just a summary of the main points of discussion throughout the day. If you have any thoughts on these issues or would like to raise anything else with us, please let us know at [email protected], or leave a comment below.