Your work. Your records.
Producer and Director Workplace Records Guide
Producers and directors may be accountable for a finished production while budgets, casting and delivery decisions are shared. A workplace timeline should distinguish your creative direction from approvals and resource choices controlled by another person.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Creative authority
List which production choices belonged to you and which needed a separate approval.
Revision timing
Record when a scene or delivery requirement changed relative to the scheduled production work.
Workday sequence
Distinguish preparation, rehearsal, recording and review periods in your own timeline.
Start with the work you actually do
Produce or direct stage, television, radio, video, or film productions for entertainment, information, or instruction. Responsible for creative decisions, such as interpretation of script, choice of actors or guests, set design, sound, special effects, and choreography.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Producers and Directors (27-2012.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- Plan details such as framing, composition, camera movement, sound, and actor movement for each shot or scene.Source task 22515 · updated 08/2022
- Communicate to actors the approach, characterization, and movement needed for each scene in such a way that rehearsals and takes are minimized.Source task 22516 · updated 08/2022
- Direct live broadcasts, films and recordings, or non-broadcast programming for public entertainment or education.Source task 22517 · updated 08/2022
- Research production topics using the internet, video archives, and other informational sources.Source task 22522 · updated 08/2022
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Producers and Directors (SOC 27-2012). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $22.01 | $30.45 | $38.94 | $63,340 |
| Alaska | $21.65 | $25.99 | $33.81 | $54,060 |
| Arizona | $23.87 | $32.36 | $50.64 | $67,320 |
| Arkansas | $12.98 | $18.66 | $26.05 | $38,820 |
| Connecticut | $30.30 | $42.43 | $66.75 | $88,260 |
| Delaware | $28.67 | $34.93 | $76.21 | $72,650 |
| Florida | $29.98 | $38.42 | $52.73 | $79,920 |
| Georgia | $31.03 | $38.44 | $60.47 | $79,950 |
| Hawaii | $23.86 | $31.82 | $39.78 | $66,190 |
| Idaho | $22.85 | $29.40 | $37.30 | $61,150 |
| Indiana | $20.14 | $28.79 | $38.70 | $59,870 |
| Iowa | $20.66 | $28.15 | $36.37 | $58,550 |
| Kansas | $19.33 | $29.14 | $37.85 | $60,600 |
| Kentucky | $21.96 | $26.23 | $35.98 | $54,550 |
| Louisiana | $21.99 | $30.25 | $52.31 | $62,920 |
| Maine | $23.54 | $34.29 | $60.97 | $71,320 |
| Michigan | $23.99 | $31.60 | $45.48 | $65,720 |
| Minnesota | $25.72 | $36.71 | $48.22 | $76,360 |
| Mississippi | $19.89 | $23.13 | $30.33 | $48,100 |
| Missouri | $23.42 | $31.95 | $49.73 | $66,460 |
| Montana | $19.27 | $25.28 | $37.01 | $52,580 |
| Nebraska | $21.29 | $25.28 | $36.87 | $52,580 |
| New Hampshire | $21.90 | $29.60 | $38.85 | $61,560 |
| New Mexico | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| New York | $38.32 | $51.71 | $81.37 | $107,550 |
| North Carolina | $19.34 | $30.62 | $42.52 | $63,700 |
| North Dakota | $20.63 | $27.82 | $36.35 | $57,870 |
| Ohio | $25.28 | $33.34 | $44.76 | $69,350 |
| Oklahoma | $21.92 | $29.61 | $42.79 | $61,600 |
| Pennsylvania | $26.46 | $36.28 | $48.21 | $75,460 |
| Rhode Island | $27.91 | $40.51 | $47.55 | $84,250 |
| South Dakota | $22.75 | $28.97 | $34.91 | $60,260 |
| Tennessee | $23.87 | $35.11 | $47.70 | $73,020 |
| Texas | $23.57 | $34.48 | $47.64 | $71,710 |
| Utah | $24.04 | $36.71 | $56.98 | $76,350 |
| Vermont | $22.61 | $26.76 | $39.64 | $55,660 |
| Virginia | $22.86 | $31.69 | $44.80 | $65,900 |
| West Virginia | $19.06 | $22.43 | $36.31 | $46,660 |
| Wisconsin | $23.60 | $31.92 | $44.43 | $66,390 |
| Wyoming | $20.30 | $29.05 | $35.54 | $60,420 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Identify the production brief
Record the format, assigned role and delivery expectation at the project's start. Note revisions to scenes, framing or production purpose when they were approved. Keep an initial concept separate from the version ultimately authorized for production.
Trace decisions across the crew
Describe a direction you gave, the feedback received and who could resolve a disagreement. If a rehearsal or recording ran long, note changes in scope, available personnel or equipment. Avoid assigning a cause you did not directly observe.
Protect unpublished material
Do not export scripts, raw footage, performer records or unreleased recordings for a personal employment file. Use permitted personnel messages and your own work-time records. Identify a production version and its custodian without distributing the material itself.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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