Responsibilities of an Assistant Director
– Track daily progress against filming production schedule
– Arrange logistics for the production
– Prepare daily call sheets
– Check cast and crew
– Maintain order and safety on set
– Calls set or frame to indicate readiness for filming
– Shares responsibility with the first assistant director or director to call action
– May call cut to save film or if the camera has run out of film
– Checks with the director after a take and may call for another take if needed
– Calls check the gate to confirm camera functionality and cleanliness
Distinction between Assistant Director and Assistant to the Film Director
– Assistant to the film director manages directors in all stages of production
– Assistant director focuses on logistical and managerial tasks
– Assistant to the film director involved in personnel management and creative aspects
– Assistant director responsible for daily operations on set
– Assistant to the film director involved in development, pre-production, and post-production
Assistant Directing as a Stepping Stone to Directing
– Historically, assistant directing was a stepping stone to directing
– Alfred Hitchcock and Akira Kurosawa started as assistant directors
– Assistant directing involved all aspects of filmmaking
– Transition into film directing is less common now
– Assistant directors often transition to theatre production management or producing roles
Sub-roles of an Assistant Director
– First assistant director has overall responsibilities and supervises the second AD
– First AD is responsible for keeping production on schedule and maintaining safety
– Second assistant director creates daily call sheets and serves as backstage manager
– Second second assistant director deals with increased workload in large productions
– Third assistant director works on set with the first AD and may supervise production assistants
Roll Sequence in Filming
– Director calls cut to end the action
– First AD checks with the director and concludes the roll
– Focus puller or camera assistant confirms the gate is clear
– AD announces moving on or next set up to cue all departments
– Third AD oversees any necessary resets for the next take
– Sound calls and clapping of the slate may be eliminated for mute shots
– Slate may be shown at the end of the take for expediency
– End board is announced for editing department to look for sync marks
– First AD immediately calls end board to prevent premature shutdown
– Clapper-board shown inverted on camera as visual cue for editors
Additional Information:
– Demographics in Assistant Director Roles:
– 9% of first assistant directors are women in top grossing American films
– 33.6% of second assistant directors are women in top grossing American films
– 31.9% of second second assistant directors are women in top grossing American films
– Second unit director is responsible for directing specific sequences
– IMDB Glossary provides definitions for film industry terms
– DGA Rates and CreativeSkillset.org offer information on assistant director roles
– BECTU.org provides UK pact rates for assistant directors
– USC Annenberg School study explores inclusion in the director’s chair Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistant_director
The role of an assistant director on a film includes tracking daily progress against the filming production schedule, arranging logistics, preparing daily call sheets, checking cast and crew, and maintaining order on the set. They also have to take care of the health and safety of the crew. The role of an assistant to the film director is often confused with assistant director but the responsibilities are entirely different. The assistant to the film director manages all of the directors in development, pre-production, while on set, through post-production and is often involved in both personnel management as well as creative aspects of the production process.
Historically, assistant directing was a stepping stone to directing work; Alfred Hitchcock was an AD, as well as Akira Kurosawa. This was when the role was more general and encompassed all aspects of filmmaking such as set design and script editing. This transition into film directing is no longer common in feature films, as the role has focused into a more logistical and managerial position. It is more common now for an assistant director to transition to a theatre production management or producer role than to directing, with contemporary exceptions such as James McTeigue.
