Drama director vs motion picture director

The differences between drama directors and motion picture directors can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a drama director and a motion picture director. Additionally, a drama director has an average salary of $54,078, which is higher than the $46,603 average annual salary of a motion picture director.

The top three skills for a drama director include musical theatre, technical theatre and literature. The most important skills for a motion picture director are motion graphics, animation, and photography.

Drama director vs motion picture director overview

	Drama Director	Motion Picture Director
Yearly salary	$54,078	$46,603
Hourly rate	$26.00	$22.41
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	9,793	4,887
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Drama director vs motion picture director salary

Drama directors and motion picture directors have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Drama Director	Motion Picture Director
Average salary	$54,078	$46,603
Salary range	Between $27,000 And $107,000	Between $22,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between drama director and motion picture director education

There are a few differences between a drama director and a motion picture director in terms of educational background:

	Drama Director	Motion Picture Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Theatre	Photography
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Stanford University

Drama director vs motion picture director demographics

Here are the differences between drama directors' and motion picture directors' demographics:

	Drama Director	Motion Picture Director
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 33.3% Female, 66.7%	Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.5% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 14.7% Asian, 6.4% White, 65.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	14%	14%

Differences between drama director and motion picture director duties and responsibilities

Drama director example responsibilities.

Achieve staff competence with 4 staff members, encouraging the growth and development of one staff member into a leadership position.
Direct high school musicals and chorus.
Make props, sets and costumes, audition and choose children for speaking/singing/dancing roles.
Develop scripts, direct cast, organize set design, choreograph dance numbers and create costumes.
Develop and implement leadership training and discipleship program for student leaders.
Help develop, implement, and maintain the goals and objectives of the student IEP.

Motion picture director example responsibilities.

Manage vendor relationships to provide critical oversight and ensure high quality standards.
Hand make animation assets to reflect the bands brand and image.
Assist with evaluation and preparation of production cost estimates and distribution of finalize documentaries by internet etc.
Craft titles and descriptions base on SEO analytics.

Drama director vs motion picture director skills

Common drama director skills

Musical Theatre, 23%
Technical Theatre, 18%
Literature, 16%
Costumes, 7%
Easter, 7%
Drama Program, 6%

Common motion picture director skills

Motion Graphics, 47%
Animation, 36%
Photography, 17%

Drama Director vs. similar jobs

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Director responsibilities

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Drama Director
Drama Director vs Motion Picture Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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