The European Audiovisual Observatory has released a new report covering the 2015–2024 period, analyzing career data from nearly 39,000 film and TV/SVOD writers and directors across Europe.
The findings reveal a serious lack of career continuity in the theatrical film sector. According to the report, 43% of film writers and 41% of directors who were active in 2015 never worked on another film or TV project after that year.
In contrast, TV and SVOD show significantly greater stability. Around 85% of TV/SVOD writers and 91% of directors active in 2015 continued working in subsequent years.
Between 2015 and 2024, almost half of all theatrical films released each year were directed by debut filmmakers, highlighting the sector’s high turnover rate. Although Europe produces more feature films overall, nearly two-thirds of writing jobs were generated by TV and SVOD productions.
On average, writers worked on 1.5 theatrical films, compared with 3.3 TV/SVOD productions or seasons, underscoring the higher level of repeat employment in television and streaming.
Movement between film and TV remains limited. Only 11% of writers and directors worked regularly across both sectors, indicating strong professional specialization.
The report also confirms the continued strength of Europe’s auteur cinema tradition: 63% of film directors worked exclusively on films they had also written.
Overall, the study highlights a sharp contrast between the two ecosystems, portraying European cinema as high-risk and low in sustainability, while TV and SVOD offer more stable yet less permeable employment structures.
