Technical Directors

ANZSCO ID 212317

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
390
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
91%
Female Share
18%
Average age
42

Summary

Technical Directors control the quality of pictures and sound for television or radio programs by directing technical teams and planning and organising technical facilities.

Tasks

  • Assessing technical requirements of productions by studying scripts and discussing programme content, set locations and stage directions with the production team.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Film, Television, Radio and Stage Directors, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 91% of people employed as Technical Directors work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 25 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 47 hours per week in their main job. This is 3 hours more than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Information Media and Telecommunications
76.7%
2
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
6.2%
3
Arts and Recreation Services
2.6%
4
Construction
2.3%
5
Other industries
10.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

52.6% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

21.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

12.2% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

5.0% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

4.0% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

0.8% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

2.1% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

2.1% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Technical Directors All Jobs Average
NSW 52.6 31.6
VIC 21.2 25.6
QLD 12.2 20.0
SA 5.0 7.0
WA 4.0 10.8
TAS 0.8 2.0
NT 2.1 1.0
ACT 2.1 1.9


  • Around 90% of Technical Directors live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.

    New South Wales has a large share of employment relative to its population size.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
18%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Technical Directors is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 18% of the workforce. This is 30 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Technical Directors All Jobs Average
15-19 0.0 5.0
20-24 2.8 9.3
25-34 19.6 22.9
35-44 34.5 22.0
45-54 28.9 21.6
55-59 5.7 9.0
60-64 4.4 6.0
65 and Over 4.1 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Experience in the entertainment industry and proven ability is needed to work as a Technical Director. Some workers also have a university or Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification in screen production.

Visit

  • Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
  • ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Creative Arts and Culture VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Technical Directors All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 9.1 10.1
Bachelor degree 31.0 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 19.2 11.6
Certificate III/IV 16.8 21.1
Year 12 18.4 18.1
Year 11 2.7 4.8
Year 10 and below 2.7 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Film, Television, Radio and Stage Directors who have strong interpersonal skills, can communicate well with diverse audiences and who are organised and efficient.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 66%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 63%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 59%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 57%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 57%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 55%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 55%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 55%

    Management of personnel resources

    Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.

  • 55%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 54%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 54%

    Social perceptiveness

    Understanding why people react the way they do.

  • 52%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.

  • 52%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 50%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 50%

    Learning strategies

    Figuring out the best way to teach or learn something new.

  • 48%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 48%

    Persuasion

    Talking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.

  • 48%

    Systems evaluation

    Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.

  • 43%

    Serving others

    Looking for ways to help people.

  • 41%

    Negotiation

    Bringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 78%

    Communications and media

    Media production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.

  • 66%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 64%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 58%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

  • 57%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 57%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 57%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 56%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 53%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 42%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 39%

    Fine arts

    Compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.

  • 38%

    Sales and marketing

    Showing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

  • 36%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 35%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 27%

    Psychology

    Human behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.

  • 25%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 22%

    Geography

    Describing land, sea, and air, including their physical characteristics, locations, how they work together, and the location of plant, animal, and human life.

  • 20%

    Therapy and counselling

    Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.

  • 19%

    Economics and accounting

    Economics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.

  • 17%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 63%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 63%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 61%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 61%

    Written comprehension

    Read and understand written information.

  • 59%

    Deductive reasoning

    Use general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.

  • 55%

    Written expression

    Write in a way that people can understand.

  • 55%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 55%

    Visualization

    Imagine how something will look after it is moved around or changed.

  • 55%

    Colour discrimination

    Notice differences between colours, including shades of colour and brightness.

  • 54%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 54%

    Originality

    Come up with unusual or clever ideas, or creative ways to solve a problem.

  • 52%

    Speech clarity

    Speak clearly so others can understand you.

  • 52%

    Speech recognition

    Identify and understand the speech of another person.

  • 52%

    Brainstorming

    Come up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.

  • 52%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 50%

    Inductive reasoning

    Use lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.

  • 50%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 48%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 48%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Multitasking

    Do two or more things at the same time.


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 76%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 74%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 73%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 68%

    Thinking creatively

    Using your own ideas for developing, designing, or creating something new.

  • 68%

    Working with computers

    Using computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

  • 67%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 66%

    Negotiating and resolving conflicts

    Handling complaints and disagreements, and negotiating with people.

  • 66%

    Planning and prioritising work

    Deciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.

  • 63%

    Communicating with the public

    Giving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 62%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 61%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 60%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 59%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 57%

    Coordinating the work of a team

    Getting members of a group to work together to finish a task.

  • 56%

    Scheduling work and activities

    Working out the timing of events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

  • 53%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 52%

    Guiding and directing staff

    Guiding and directing staff, including setting and monitoring performance standards.

  • 50%

    Leading and encouraging a team

    Encouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

  • 50%

    Explaining things to people

    Helping people to understand and use information.

  • 47%

    Helping and caring for others

    Providing personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 57%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 57%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 57%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 29%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 24%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 86%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 76%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 74%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 71%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.

  • 71%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 67%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 93%

    Electronic mail

    Use electronic mail.

  • 91%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 91%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 86%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 85%

    Indoors, heat controlled

    Work indoors with access to heating or cooling.

  • 85%

    Telephone

    Talk on the telephone.

  • 84%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 81%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 78%

    Unstructured work

    Have freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.

  • 78%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 78%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 77%

    Impact of decisions

    Make decisions that have a large impact on other people.

  • 76%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 76%

    Lead or coordinate a team

    Lead others to do work activities.

  • 75%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 74%

    Contact with the public

    Work with customers or the public.

  • 73%

    Spend time sitting

    Spend time sitting at work.

  • 68%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 63%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 62%

    Competition

    Compete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 27-2012.05 - Technical Directors/Managers.


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