Directors UK to lobby broadcasters on pay

Peter Kosminsky

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Directors' pay is the first item on the agenda of the new Directors UK organisation, which launches this week.

As the first single body to represent the 3,500 directors working across film, television and new media, Directors UK hopes to have a powerful voice among broadcasters to address issues such as fees, rights, status, working and creative conditions.

Speaking to Broadcast for its first online interview, director and Directors UK board member Peter Kosminsky, said: "Directors only have themselves to blame, but we have been pitifully poorly reflected over the years. We've been represented by three different organisations and our creative rights within broadcasting have really suffered as a result."

Negotiations with broadcasters have already begun, with pay singled out as a priority. "It's dire that pay has remained stationary for 15 years. It's a criminal in-equity that needs to be addressed," said Kosminsky.

He added that rights and status were next on the agenda. "Programmes are suffering because directors are being marginalised in the creative process. Directors don't have corporate responsibilities, loyalties to a management system or overwhelming budgetary concerns. Their concern is artistic. There's a natural defensiveness on the part of broadcasters who tend to see directors as likely to rock the boat. Our objective is simple: to put directors back at the centre of programme-making."

Kosminsky said the plan was to improve the status of directors whether in pre-production and development, on set or working with writers. "We hope to move towards a minimum terms agreement - [a level] beneath which directors are never asked to fall in terms of their creative rights."

Directors UK, which launches on Thursday (12 June), is headed by president Paul Greengrass, with Charles Sturridge as chairman.

On the D:UK agenda
Achieve radical improvements in UK directors' status, working and creative conditions, rights and fees

Form close working relationships with international directors' organisations

Continue to enhance rights collection in co-operation with other collecting societies

Increase income to members through full and fair exploitation of directors' rights as authors

Become recognised advocates of excellence for the craft of direction.