(Schedules and application periods are administered by the studios and are subject to change.)
Apple Studios Directors Program
The Apple Studios Directors Program is an initiative focused on expanding opportunities for mid-career Directors across the US. Their goal is to identify innovative visionaries with diverse points of view and give them a front row seat to Apple Studios productions and opportunities to network. Successful participants will be positioned to direct content for Apple TV+.
Disney Entertainment Television Directing Program
The Disney Entertainment Television (DET) Directing Program connects directors to opportunities on DET scripted primetime and daytime series, as well as unscripted/alternative series. Launched in 2001, the Program has evolved from a shadowing program to one that guarantees episodes and segments to first-time television directors. The program also provides participants on-set shadowing/immersion prior to directing; access and exposure to DET creative executives, producers, showrunners, and alumni; and mentorship and limited professional development.
NBCU LAUNCH TV Directors Program
The NBCU LAUNCH TV Directors Program is NBCU’s groundbreaking scripted directing program created with the goal to increase authentic storytelling by providing opportunities for experienced Directors who have distinct points of view that inform their creative vision. The program builds on the company’s success as the first episodic directing initiative in the entertainment industry to guarantee that participants will helm at least one episode in the same season that they shadow. Each participant shadows on up to two episodes of an NBCU scripted series before directing an in-season episode of the same series.
Netflix Series Director Development Program
The Series Director Development Program provides greater access to opportunities for up-and-coming Directors. The Program will offer a master class designed to teach the fundamental skills in episodic directing.
Paramount Directors Initiative
The two-year program matches the program’s directors with CBS Television Network, CBS Studios, Paramount Television Studios and Paramount Global drama and comedy series directors. The primary focus of the initiative is to provide access and opportunities to directors, with a focus on those from underrepresented groups.
Throughout the program, the directors will receive exposure to the Paramount Global network episodic directing process. In addition to getting a chance to observe the in-depth, technical aspects, participants develop relationships with showrunners, producers, network executives and other significant decision-makers.
Sony Pictures Television Elevate Directors Program
The Elevate Directors Program aims to identify and cultivate a strong pipeline of emerging directors who can work across Sony Pictures Television and the wider studio. The program is designed to immerse participants in the SPT ecosystem, build relationships with execu-tives, producers, and showrunners, and prepare them to step into directing opportunities on active productions.
WBD Access Directors Program
Formerly known as the Warner Bros. Television Directors Workshop, the 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery Access Directors Program provides Directors a pathway into the episodic television directing space through immersive hands-on training, mentorship and industry workshops.
