The difficulty for filmmakers varies between big-budget movie productions and small-scale TV projects. The mark of a true director is an eye for both mediums.
Famous filmmakers like Tim Burton have had successful careers helming motion pictures and have seamlessly transitioned to the small screen. Elite directors have dominated both spaces with award recognition, ratings, and critical praise.
Quentin Tarantino
With movies like Pulp Fiction, Django Unchained, and Reservoir Dogs in his catalog, all of the films Quentin Tarantino directed are critically acclaimed and hold fresh critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes. His storytelling track record carries over to his foray into television.
Tarantino has directed ten films in the last thirty years and exhibits the same hesitance with television. Focusing on quality over quantity, the director has helmed four projects for TV. His work on CSI: Crime Scene Investigation was recognized with a Primetime Emmy nomination.
Rian Johnson
Rian Johnson has had success helming small and grand projects in Hollywood. With blockbusters like Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi and small-scale pictures like Looper under his belt, Johnson has become a reliable leader in TV productions.
Rian Johnson’s most popular TV directing credits are from his time spent on the series Breaking Bad. Johnson directed three episodes of the popular drama. His contribution to the last season helped catapult the “Ozymandias” episode to the top of the viewers’ favorite moments. According to IMDb.com, the episode is considered the most popular chapter of the series, currently holding a perfect score of 10.0.
Tim Burton
Tim Burton’s signature gothic visuals allowed his silver screen work to stand out. In addition to classic films such as Beetlejuice and Batman, the director has turned his hand to television.
Netflix’s Wednesday is Burton’s introduction to TV. According to Deadline, the Addams Family project has been in development hell since 2010, and when the IP fell into Netflix’s lap, Burton was selected to helm four episodes. The series yielded 341.2 million streamed hours worldwide and held the title for the biggest week for any English language series on Netflix.
James Gunn
Filmmaker James Gunn has never been loyal to a specific medium and has had a zigzag career path with television and movies. The director was entrusted with directing the Guardians of the Galaxy series and The Suicide Squad sequel/soft reboot, as well as their respective TV shows.
Following his work on The Suicide Squad, Gunn created a spin-off series, Peacemaker, for the HBO Max streaming service. Gunn directed five episodes in Season 1, and his season finale smashed records and held HBO Max’s highest single-day viewership for an original episode. Gunn’s crossover luck continued when he drew inspiration from the Star Wars Holiday Special and directed Disney+’s The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. According to the tracking platform TV Time, Gunn’s special was the most streamed film during the week of its release.
Jordan Peele
Director Jordan Peele won an Academy Award for his pen in Get Out. The award should come as no surprise as he was a five time Emmy nominated writer for his work on Key & Peele. Since his critically acclaimed directorial debut, Peele has split his time between films and television.
The switch to TV was a seamless transition for the director because of his origins tied to the box. Peele wore many hats while serving as a writer and producer on his sketch comedy show. The renaissance man has written and produced content for outstanding series that drew Emmy recognition, like Lovecraft Country. In addition, he’s also lent his pen to The Last O.G., Weird City, and The Twilight Zone.
Lee Daniels
Lee Daniels has had a successful career behind the lens. After becoming the first Black producer to solely produce an Academy Award-winning film with Monster’s Ball, Daniels went on to direct Precious and received nominations for Best Picture and Best Director. Lee Daniels has since taken his talents to the smaller screen.
Daniels created Fox’s Empire, a musical drama that showcases the drama between family members as they fight for control of an entertainment company. The show was a ratings giant and ranked top five during its first two seasons bringing in an average of about 16 million viewers in 2015.
Ava DuVernay
Ava DuVernay’s recognition in the mainstream began after she directed 2014’s Oscar-nominated film Selma. Since then, DuVernay has traveled towards the TV-related fork in the road to direct small-scale productions which she has received numerous accolades.
Two years after Selma, Ava DuVernay directed 13th, a documentary highlighting America’s history of racial inequality with its prison system. The documentary was trailed by an Academy Award nomination and won a Primetime Emmy. DuVernay maintained momentum when she directed When They See Us, a project that received eleven Primetime Emmy nominations, including Best Directing.
David Fincher
Three-time Academy Award nominee David Fincher is regarded as one of Tinseltown’s top movie directors. Throughout Fincher’s thirty-eight-year career, he’s lent his eye to various television projects.
Fincher cut his teeth as a music video director, collaborating with a list of legends, including Michael Jackson and Madonna. Fincher occasionally returns to his roots to direct music videos for artists like Justin Timberlake and Jay-Z. In addition to music videos, Fincher’s work on Netflix’s Mindhunter has garnered a 96% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and is a fan-favorite on the streaming platform. The director received an Emmy Award for his direction in another Netflix hit series, House of Cards.
Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is the highest-grossing filmmaker of all-time, raking $10.6 billion in ticket sales. Spielberg got his start in TV, and after the massive success of Jaws, he returned to his roots on the tube.
In 1985, Spielberg traded in his Oscar nominations for Emmy recognition when he created the anthology series Amazing Stories. The television program amassed twelve Emmy nominations and took home five trophies. One of the Emmy nominations praised Spielberg’s direction in “The Mission” episode starring Kevin Costner and Kiefer Sutherland.
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese is a decorated filmmaker and has been nominated by the Academy for approximately 25% of his credited feature film projects. The Oscar-winning director’s flair has successfully translated to television.
The Academy Award winner has garnered Emmy Award nominations for his directing in Boardwalk Empire, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, A Letter to Elia, and No Direction Home: Bob Dylan. Scorsese’s managed to capture the scope he’s brought to his films, shows, and documentaries: some of his documentaries even have been given limited releases in theaters.