Directors Census

Introduction

The Directors Census was conducted between October and December of 2024, with a total of 208 directors participating.

On this public page, you’ll find The Key Findings from the Directors Census.

For deeper insights, you can also access the exclusive full report—including all detailed results, financial data, and in-depth analysis on director profiles, pitch experiences, the correlation between experience and earnings, and more. Exclusive to DRCT members, official supporters, and select affiliated partners.

Scope and Relevance:

This survey offers a valuable and representative snapshot of the current directing landscape in Germany—with a particular focus on local directors (directors who reside in the country and work within its market). The demographic makeup of the 208 participating directors closely reflects this core segment of the industry, especially in terms of gender distribution and other key characteristics.

While roughly 1,600 directors are actively pursuing work in the Germany market, represented by production companies, agents, or self-marketed, we identify about 380 directors as 'local directors'—the group who were specifically invited to participate in this census. With 208 responses, the survey captures a significant portion of this community, making its insights both relevant and meaningful.

1. The Key Findings

What the Numbers Reveal

The Directors Census 2024 shows an industry in motion. The Pitch Standard 2.0 system has begun to shift the pitch culture, and directors across all levels are calling for fairness, sustainability, and change. This isn't just a snapshot—it's a signal.

At the same time, the data exposes stark and persistent imbalances. Male directors continue to dominate in income, seniority, and exclusive representation, while female and multiply marginalized³ directors face structural barriers to advancement and long-term stability. And while the PCS has improved fairness in pitching, deeper inequalities in access, opportunity, and support persist.

Still, one thing is clear: directors are ready for change. Across experience levels and backgrounds, there is growing demand for fairer pay, stronger protections, and a more inclusive industry.

The following key findings unpack this reality—one layer at a time.

1. State of the Director

Demographics

The Directors Census was conducted between October and December 2024, with 208 directors participating. Among them, 75.2% of all DRCT members took part.

Most participants classified themselves as directors.
However, some selected different roles:

The median age of a participating director working on the German market is 40-49 years old.

Gender Distribution

In total 26.4% of all respondents belong to marginalised² or multiply marginalised³ groups. This includes all female directors.

Current Market Conditions

"Not enough jobs and too many directors competing for them."

participating director

61.6% of directors, reported a decline in work activity over the past year. The remaining 38.4% reported stable or positive work conditions.

A similarly high share, 58,7% of surveyed directors are uncertain about their long-term prospects as commercial directors, citing declining income, a shrinking market, and a growing sense of being replaceable.

Over 70% report existential anxiety, with female and multiply-marginalised³ directors disproportionately affected - among those who feel these fears very strongly, 35.1% are women, despite women making up only 18.8% of the overall sample.

2. Pitching & PCS

"I don't pitch if they don't want to pay the fee. Otherwise what's the point."

participating director

Progress Toward Fairness

The introduction of the PCS pitch fee system—launched in 2024 as part of Pitch Standard 2.0 by DRCT and the Produktionsallianz—has led to significant improvements in fairness and compensation. More than half of all directors report positive experiences, and unpaid pitching has declined noticeably.

Many respondents feel that pitches have regained value and are now conducted with greater focus and intent. While some expressed concern that the Pitch Cost Share (PCS) model—which includes fees for both production and directing—might reduce opportunities, the survey reveals no concrete evidence to support this.

Instead, directors pointed to broader economic pressures—such as war, inflation, shrinking budgets, and a general decline in board flow—as the primary causes of reduced workloads.

However, barriers persist for freelance, marginalised, and less-experienced directors, as they are less likely to receive support or be invited to pitch. While the PCS System professionalized the process, inequalities in access, visibility, and resources remain—making enforcement and continued reform essential.

Key numbers:

• 54.3% report good experiences with the Pitch Standard 2.0
• Only 13.5% pitched without compensation in 2024
• More projects used chemistry calls or single-source bids—also reducing unpaid work
• 24.5% have not yet pitched on the German market, at the time of the survey -- half of them lack any form or representation.

However: Only 55.3% of all directors report getting all the treatment support they need from production companies during a pitch. 14.9% say they receive no pitch support at all. Directors without representation, women, and marginalised groups are most affected to receive less support during pitches.

3. Income & Social Security

In the census, directors were asked to indicate their annual income by selecting from predefined income brackets (see full report).

Wide Range, Clear Imbalances

• Most directors fall within the middle-income brackets, but a significant 37.3% are in the low-income range—with women and marginalised² individuals particularly overrepresented. In contrast, around 25% of directors fall into the higher-income tier. See the full report for detailed financial insights.
• Shooting Day Fee rates vary widely, with around 30% of directors earning below what is commonly considered a standard industry rate (see full report). This is most common among directors with little to no formal representation.
• Higher income levels correlate strongly with exclusive representation by production companies—reaching up to 200% the income of the average participating director. This underscores the importance of structural affiliation for financial stability. In contrast, freelance directors without any representation earn approximately 33% less than the average participating director.
• TWF payouts also reflect structural inequality: non-marginalised male directors receive, on average, approximately 60% more than their marginalised² peers.
• Social security coverage is limited: Only 38% have disability insurance, and around 50% have no private pension, underscoring the freelance precarity that defines much of the profession.

4. The Gender Gap

Persistent and Structural

• Male directors, both marginalised² and non-marginalised³, earn more on average than their FLINTA* peers — both across the industry and within marginalised groups
• Women earn about a 33% less per year than men by median
• Women and non-binary directors are twice as likely to fall below the commonly expected industry threshold for shooting day fee earnings (see full report)
• Exclusive representation—a key factor in higher earnings—is overwhelmingly held by male directors, who make up 91.8% of all exclusively repped directors

Correlation of Experience & Income

• At the entry level, women and men report similar day rates—indicating equal valuation per shoot. However, male newcomer directors report more than double the annual income of their female counterparts, suggesting that men are given more directing opportunities early on
• As careers progress, the gap widens: by the 10-year mark, men earn significantly more per year than women, and their day rates also begin to diverge noticeably—highlighting a growing imbalance in both opportunity and pay
• Women are entirely absent in senior career tiers (20+ years), where men dominate high-income brackets
• This absence of women at senior levels highlights serious retention and progression issues—a structural drop-off that disproportionately affects marginalised talent across the board

5. Representation & Diversity

"As a multiply marginalised woman, it's typically been harder to get equal opportunities in the 'boys club' nature of the commercial industry."

participating director (quote adjusted to preserve anonymity)

Awareness Without Follow-Through

• 26.4% of respondents identify as marginalised² and multiply marginalised³
• Despite forming over a quarter of the director pool, marginalised and multiply marginalised directors remain largely absent from the highest income and experience brackets, pointing to systemic obstacles in long-term career advancement and retention
• Marginalised and multiply marginalised directors are more likely to be represented by agents, but rarely have exclusive production company deals—a structural factor limiting financial growth and visibility
• Their underrepresentation in higher income tiers and absence from long-term career tracks underscores systemic inequality in access, long-term inclusion, and advancement. The findings call for proactive structural reforms—not just in hiring, but in mentorship, advancement, and support systems—to prevent the silent attrition of marginalised voices in commercial directing
• Only 15.9% of all directors consistently aim for diversity in crew hiring - about half of whom are marginalised themselves. Among those who rarely or never do, over 90% are male, and few are marginalised, revealing a clear divide in inclusion awareness

6. Representation & Exclusivity

Representation by Production Company

Exclusive representation is overwhelmingly held by male directors, who make up 91.8% of all exclusively repped directors. The remaining 8,2% are female directors.

Representation by Directors Agent

Representation by Directors Agent

Representation of Marginalised Directors

63.6% of marginalised² respondents reported being represented by an agent, compared to 54.0% of non-marginalised male directors. Only 9.1% reported having either full or partial exclusivity with a production company.

No Representation

A total of 29,33% of all participating directors on the German market are not repped by anyone, neither an agent, nor a production company.

Income & Representation

The Median Income of directors depends heavily on their representation status.

• Directors with exclusive representation by a single production company have a median income roughly twice as high as the overall median across all directors.
• By contrast, fully freelance directors without any agent or production company representation earn just two-thirds of the overall median income, illustrating the steep financial impact of lacking structural support.
• Having an agent, even without exclusivity, significantly improves income stability—freelancers with agents earn notably more than those without any representation.

Comparative Median Annual Income

The reference point is the median income of fully freelance directors who are represented by an agent, as this group reflects the overall median average. Directors without any form of representation earn just 66% of that benchmark, while those with exclusive agreements with production companies show a clear income increase.

7. Newcomers & Outlook

• 10.6% of participating directors are newcomers, the majority of whom are women
• 40.9% of newcomers lack any form of representation (agent or production company), well above the 29% average, leaving them structurally more exposed
• 23% receive insufficient pitch support from production companies (vs. 15% average)
• Information gaps are above average: e.g. 55% of newcomers are unaware of the TWF.

However

• Despite uncertain conditions, a higher-than-average share report income growth—a promising sign. Newcomers make up 21.6% of cases, more than double their share of the overall group (10.6%)
• Also, pitch experiences are mostly positive (59%), and fewer feel excluded from pitches than the average

These findings show a mixed picture: newcomers face structural challenges in access and support, but they are not the most disadvantaged group. Many show signs of early-career momentum. The greater barriers appear to emerge later—especially for women and marginalised directors—as income gaps widen and career progression stalls.

8. Priorities for the Future

Members clearly are ready for change: identifying DRCT's strategic focus (in order of stated priority):

#1 Boosting Local Talent: We’re not just talking about supporting the local creative scene—we want to actively shape it, together with decision-makers across the industry. DRCTs “Boosting Local Talent” campaign is a call to action: to unite and build a sustainable future for Germany’s creative landscape. Initial discussions with industry stakeholders are already underway. For our local commercial directors, “Boosting Local Talent” means greater visibility and equal opportunity in pitches. DRCT is committed to ensuring they have the space to show what they’re capable of. We outlined concrete proposals for this in our urgent letter published in March of this year.

#2 Establishing a Standard Directors' Contract: Currently, 70% of directors work without a formal Director's Contract for their projects. We want to change that. DRCT is in the process of drafting a standard agreement that can serve as a reliable foundation going forward.

#3 Pitch Standard 2.0:

• Establish legal backing for the PCS
• Further reform of the pitch process toward greater pitch transparency and fairness
• Expansion of the PCS pitch fee model beyond Germany
• Establish a DRCT award to feature local talent

#4 Improve social security and career sustainability for all directors

In addition to these goals, DRCT remains committed to advocating for newcomers, ensuring they have the access, support, and visibility needed to build sustainable careers. We will also continue to actively highlight gender inequality and push for long-term structural change—so that inclusion is not just about entry, but about real advancement and retention across all stages of a directing career.

Clarification of Terms

1. Average
   Whenever we refer to the 'average', we mean the overall survey average. Usually abbreviated as "o.s. average."
2. Marginalised
   In the context of this census, "marginalised" refers to individuals who are FLINTA*, underrepresented, and/or affected by systemic barriers. These may relate to gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or other aspects of identity. (FLINTA* is an acronym used in German-speaking contexts to include women, lesbians, intersex, non-binary, trans, and agender people.)
3. Multiply marginalised
   means two or more of the mentioned categories apply.
4. Fully freelance
   This term refers to a director's representation status with a production company. Fully freelance means the director is **not under an exclusive contract with any production house and operates independently on the German market. This status does not exclude having representation through an agent.
5. Average & Median income brackets
   In the census, directors were asked to indicate their annual income by selecting from predefined income brackets.
   Average annual income was calculated using the top value of each selected income bracket, meaning the numbers always reflect the average "up to" amount chosen by respondents.
   Median annual income is the midpoint of all reported incomes: half of the directors earn more, and half earn less. Unlike the average, it isn't affected by extremely high or low values, making it a more accurate reflection of what most directors typically earn.