Under both of its distribution schemes, Directors UK administers payments to the principal director of a programme or film. However, increasingly some types of programme contain more than one director credit making it difficult to identify which is the principal credit. The Distribution Committee of Directors UK have devised guidelines for Directors UK staff to aid them in identifying who the principal director is in these instances.

Order of identification:

1. Director, Directed by, Producer/Director or Produced & Directed by, Written and Directed By
2. Filmed and Directed by (where only one director is credited); or Camera and Director (again, where only one director is credited).
3. Series Director; Where there is a credit as Series Director the following will apply:
   i. Where a single director is credited on an episode in the series, this director will be identified as being the Principal Director of that programme.
   ii. Where several directors are credited on an episode, alongside a Series Director, the Series Director will be identified as being the Principal Director.
4. Location/Item Director or Studio Director (whoever directed the greater part of the programme).
5. Animation Director

Revisited Director (eg Grand Designs Revisited)
Payment will be split 50:50 between originating and revisiting directors unless the directors concerned agree a different division and submit details in writing to Directors UK.

Producer Credit
Where there is only a credit for Producer and/or Series Producer (i.e. no director credit) payment will not be allocated under the UK Distribution Scheme. We are aware that the absence of a Director credit usually means that the Producer (or Series Producer) performed both functions. However, an individual Producer is not an author under UK Copyright legislation and, therefore, not entitled to payment under our UK Distribution Scheme. It is important that members check their credits and contract carefully.

Disputes
In the event of there being a dispute between directors as to how payment for a production should be shared, no payments will be issued until all of the directors concerned have resolved the dispute and advised Directors UK in writing as to how payments should be divided.

If you have any queries with regards to the above please contact Marc Abbs at registration@directors.uk.com