Question 1

What does a First Assistant Director do on a film set?

Billy Greenfield · Accepted Answer

The formal answer is that the 1st Assistant Director breaks down the script and schedules the shooting of the movie, television show, commercial, or whatever else you might be filming, and then runs the set on the filming days.
He or she is responsible for running the A.D. team and making sure the project is shot in the most efficient manner, and that all the elements that are in front of the camera and all of the crew and equipment show up where they’re supposed to be on any particular department.
Also, the 1st A.D. runs the shots for the Director, and many times may cue Actors or Background Actors, as well as any stunts or vehicles or gags in the shots. The A.D. Department is also responsible for managing the Actors’, Extras’, Stunt Players’ and any special equipment’s contracts and paperwork, as well as getting the cast members and Extras ready and guiding them through their day’s work, and getting them their next work day’s schedule.
The informal answer is that you are responsible for taking the scheduling function off the Director and Producer’s plate, and all the other departments so they may focus on being creative. You figure out how to get done what the Director wants in the time the Producer gives you. Many times that involves creating timelines and tracking them shot-by-shot to ensure you make your day.
You and your department are also responsible for scheduling some elements of prep, like fittings and scouts, and running the production meeting and any concept or tone meetings with the Director and Showrunners.

Question 2

How much do First Assistant Directors make?

Billy Greenfield · Accepted Answer

Non-Union 1st A.D.s make whatever you can negotiate and what your experience level is, but usually, it runs about $300-$700 a day for a non-union movie and about $500-$1,000 a day for a non-union commercial. I’ve worked for as low as $150 or $200 a day. If you want to get into the Director’s Guild and use non-union days to do it, the money isn’t as important. It’s more important to get the days and the credit.
Union shows depend; the lower budget new media shows are negotiable and usually pay about $400 a day, plus you may be able to get a kit rental of $25-50 a week and a few other deal points. Union Low-Budget movies depend on the budget of the movie but you make between minimum wage on an ultra-low budget movie up to about $500 a day.
A full union show pays about $5,000 a week for a feature or television show. Union commercials pay about $1,200-$1,500 a day depending on the size of the commercial.

Question 3

How do you become an Assistant Director?

Alison Stolpa · Accepted Answer

Generally speaking, these are the steps to become an Assistant Director:

Attend film school and learn the roles of the film crew
Seek out Production Assistant gigs
Ask a 1st AD if you can 2nd AD for them
Build experience on set as a 2nd AD
Reach out to your network about 1st AD gigs
Maintain your relationships and keep a good attitude

Question 4

What skills does a 1st Assistant Director need?

Tony Kountz · Accepted Answer

You must be organized, be able to problem-solve, and do it quickly. You need a good sense of time. Knowing how long it takes to do something and how long you have to achieve it are critical. (This comes mainly with experience.)
For me, the most important skill is to be a good listener. You will learn a lot about your crew by listening to them. How they work, their strengths, their mood, their concerns.
The wants and needs of the Director and Producers are obviously important to be heard. By listening to everyone you can take the best ideas and get the best results. By listening you can head off problems and safety concerns before they happen.

Question 5

What makes a good Assistant Director?

Tony Kountz · Accepted Answer

I mentioned above some of those attributes. Being organized and good at scheduling. Listening. Also, being attentive to detail. Having a good clear voice helps. You cannot be shy in this job. As a 1st AD, you are the conduit through which all communication flows. You need to be a good communicator.

Question 6

Do 1st Assistant Directors need to go to film school?

Rudy Van Zyl · Accepted Answer

No. I didn’t go to film school. There are certain jobs on a set that you can’t really go to film school for. I think in film school they do have an exercise where they have you be the 1st AD when you’re making a short—like everybody gets to play every role—and I think everybody hates that.
I fell into it because I came up as a PA and saw the different departments. For me, it was between being a DP and a 1st AD. But I’m red/green colorblind, so I can’t see the color spectrum, and being a DP wasn’t possible for me. So it was something that just happened because of being on set and finding all these different departments.
I like it because you’re right in the middle of it. You have a lot of control over what happens. You control everything, actually. You’re in charge of everybody’s safety. You’re in charge of the schedule. You run the set. You play a big part in the production and you get to work with everybody on the production. You know everybody and get to work with them all.
It’s a job that really gets you in there and you don’t have to go to film school for it. I just learned on set by watching and then picking the department I wanted to go into.
You can go to film school for it. I think people do. But you kind of have to learn on the job, you know? Then once you start, it’s like everything else. It’s a little bumpy at first, but then you get the hang of it.
I also joined the Director’s Guild. That’s one of the few things that is still out there where you can get a pension, good health insurance, and residuals, which is the gift that keeps on giving. If you work on a really big show or a really big movie like Titanic, you’re probably making a few hundred thousand dollars in just residuals over the next 20 years. That shows up twice a year in the mailbox. We call it mailbox money. It’s amazing.

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