Job Description for the First Assistant Director (1st AD)

There are two parts to a “day in the life” of a 1st AD: preproduction and production. During the preproduction phase of a movie, the 1st AD’s main responsibility is breaking down the script to create a daily shooting schedule, which ultimately becomes the template for the daily call sheet on set. Other 1st AD responsibilities during preproduction include preparing the daily prep memo, organizing and managing location scouts, setting up department head meetings with the director, organizing and managing the key location survey, running the final production meeting, and working with the second assistant director (2nd AD) to create the daily call sheets.

During the production phase of a movie, the 1st AD’s main responsibility is running the film set for the director. This includes conducting safety meetings, organizing the blocking of every scene, keeping track of the time, communicating with the crew, directing the background performers (extras), controlling the pace and speed of the crew with the director of photography (DP), and generally keeping the set running smoothy and on time.

There are also different types of assistant directors on a film set that you should be aware of.

Observe and Learn: Finding a Way In

You just don’t walk onto a professional set and become a 1st AD. Like any other crew position in film, you need to spend years on sets learning everything you can about the craft of filmmaking. My recommendation is to do any job that gets you on a set. But the most common way in is to work first as a production assistant (PA), which usually means working for the Locations Department. Then you can slowly work your way up the AD ladder, starting as a trainee AD. This is necessary so you can learn as much as you can about the AD’s job.

Thinking about interning? Great idea. What I look for in my interns are people who listen, try their best, ask questions if they don’t know, and think ahead. What I don’t like to see from interns is attitude—people who think the job is beneath them or who think they know better than more experienced people. I also don’t like to see rudeness, especially to the general public when we’re shooting in their office, home environment, or in public places.

So much of ADing is about thinking logically: If this event were to happen, what would logically happen next? Good interns draw on their personal background knowledge and skills, and they adapt them to the film world.

My advice for interns is to show up early, go home late, listen to everyone, smile a lot, and take the job seriously. The film business is a “who you know” business. That means we check with other ADs when you apply for a job with us. If I’ve heard good or negative things about you from people I trust, I definitely take that into consideration.

Get Out and Be Seen: Getting Work

The film business is also an industry of “feast or famine.” This means that sometimes there’s very little work, and at other times you’ll be turning down work. Of course, this all depends on where you live and what kind of 1st AD experience you have.

As a 1st AD, one of the things you can do when you aren’t on a show is create script breakdowns for producers or production managers who need a preliminary schedule before they can budget a movie. If you’re a Directors Guild union member, keep the office updated and let them know each week that you’re available for work. And if you don’t have your own show, there are usually shows that need a 1st AD to run a second unit.

During the times when you aren’t working, it’s important to keep in contact with producers and production managers for future work. They need to know you’re available. It’s also important to stay in contact with other industry professionals to find out what’s going on in your area. Local film organizations are a great way to stay in contact. Also, go to as many industry events as you can—workshops, film festivals, and screenings.

Different Paths: Director and Assistant Director

If you want to be a director, working as an AD is a great way to learn the filmmaking process. You get to watch good directors work, and you also get to watch not very good directors work. The same thing goes for actors. However, a 1st AD is also a smart career objective in itself. The role of the 1st AD is highly respected in the industry, and if you want to make it your career, it can be financially rewarding as well.

Is the job right for you? Working as an AD can be challenging, because you’re essentially the middle person between the creative people (director, DP, production designer) and the money people (production managers, producers). And if you plan on having a long career as an AD, you must understand the politics of the business, and you also need to know how to successfully navigate between all parties—and stay sane at the same time.

Still, being an AD is extremely rewarding. Not only do you get to travel and meet many interesting people, but every day you get to work in a creative environment and help directors and producers realize their dreams of making a film. And they couldn’t do it without you!

The major difference between the skill set of a director and the skill set of an AD is this: Directors primarily use the right side of their brain (creative), and ADs primarily use the left side of their brain (logistical). But there are many similarities: Both jobs are about managing creative professionals; both involve serious time management; both are high stress; and both demand a good understanding of human behavior.

If you want to take the path of an AD to transition into being a director, there are many factors that will determine your success:

• How many years you’ve been an AD

• People you know who could give you a directing job

• Your portfolio of directing work

• Being in the right place at the right time

My advice is to get as much experience directing anything that you can. From commercials and documentaries to Web series and short films, get out and do the work. You have to get noticed. If you’re a 1st AD on a TV series, the producers could give you a chance at directing some inserts or even a second unit, which could lead to directing an entire episode of the show. That’s how many of us got the experience and then transitioned into directing drama.

A good 1st AD has a working knowledge of how a professional set is run, how each department operates, and how they all interconnect. A good 1st AD knows how to speak the basic film language. Like most things, you can only learn so much by reading or by watching. You need to get out there and do it. Learn on the job by ADing student films. If you want to be a filmmaker, get on a set—any set, in any position—so you can observe and learn.

Working With Each Other: Director and Assistant Director

If you have a team that works, you don’t want to break it up. That’s why many directors like to use the same AD every time. But this isn’t always possible, because ADs have to go from job to job to make a living, and directors sometimes don’t shoot a movie for several years as they go through the development and funding stages to get their films green lit.

To get hired, ADs go through the same interview process as every other department head on a movie. A producer or production manager will usually contact you and ask if you’re available to work, and if you’d like to interview for the AD position. You’ll receive a copy of the script and a time to go to an interview with the director and producer.

As an AD, you’ll have an extremely close relationship with the director on a film or TV show. You’ll know every detail of what he or she plans to do. It’s a relationship built on trust. The director needs to trust that you know how to schedule the movie or show properly, and you need to trust that the director can make the days that you’ve scheduled.

I’ve worked with directors who treated me as an equal partner, and I’ve also worked with directors who yell and scream and blame me for everything (especially if it’s their fault). But during my twenty-five-year career as a 1st AD, the majority of directors I’ve worked with have been wonderful, creative people who respect everyone on their crew. And that’s the way it should be.

PETER D. MARSHALL is a filmmaker and film directing coach from Vancouver, Canada. He has worked in the industry for over forty years as a director, television producer, first assistant director, and television series creative consultant. As a 1st AD, Marshall has worked on twelve features, including Dawn of the Dead, The Butterfly Effect, and Happy Gilmore; seventeen television movies; four pilots; seven television series; and over twenty commercials. He has also directed more than thirty episodes of television drama, for shows such as Wiseguy, 21 Jumpstreet, Neon Rider, The Black Stallion, and Largo Winch. Marshall has also written, directed, or produced over fifty hours of documentary and educational programs, and his documentaries and dramas have been nominated for or won fourteen international film awards.

Peter D. Marshall