Stage director vs motion picture director

The differences between stage 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 stage director and a motion picture director. Additionally, a stage director has an average salary of $51,404, which is higher than the $46,603 average annual salary of a motion picture director.

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

Stage director vs motion picture director overview

	Stage Director	Motion Picture Director
Yearly salary	$51,404	$46,603
Hourly rate	$24.71	$22.41
Growth rate	8%	8%
Number of jobs	4,770	4,887
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age	40	40
Years of experience	4	4

Stage director vs motion picture director salary

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

	Stage Director	Motion Picture Director
Average salary	$51,404	$46,603
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $106,000	Between $22,000 And $98,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between stage director and motion picture director education

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

	Stage Director	Motion Picture Director
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common major	Music	Photography
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Stage director vs motion picture director demographics

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

	Stage Director	Motion Picture Director
Average age	40	40
Gender ratio	Male, 54.1% Female, 45.9%	Male, 56.4% Female, 43.6%
Race ratio	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%	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 stage director and motion picture director duties and responsibilities

Stage director example responsibilities.

Direct and manage production of plays in company's annual Shakespeare festival.
Collaborate with design team to come up with costumes, set pieces and overall look of the shows.
Supervise an assistant drama director and counselors in training.
Supervise an assistant drama director and counselors in training.

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.

Stage director vs motion picture director skills

Common stage director skills

Musical Theatre, 35%
Performance Schedules, 25%
Drama, 16%
NYC, 6%
Costumes, 6%
PowerPoint, 6%

Common motion picture director skills

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

Stage Director vs. similar jobs

Stage Director related careers

Stage Director related jobs

What similar roles do

Director responsibilities

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Stage Director
Stage Director vs Motion Picture Director

Updated January 8, 2025

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