First Assistant Director / Photo Credit: Premium Beat
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR (1ST
AD) IN MOTION PICTURE PRODUCTION… (In the Entertainment industry. First Assistant Director)
Bruce
Bisbey…please follow me at: https://dumbdogproductionsllc.blogspot.com or https://www.facebook.com/DumbDogProductionsLLC/ thank you.
First Assistant Director in Motion Picture Production
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 director is often confused with assistant
director but the responsibilities are entirely different. The assistant to the
director manages all of the directors in development, pre-production, while on
set, through post-production and is often involved in both personal management
as well as creative aspects of the production process. Historically, assistant
to director was a stepping stone to directing work; Alfred Hitchcock was an AD,
as was James McTeigue. This transition into film directing is no longer common
in feature films. It is more common now for an assistant to the director to
transition to a production management or producer role than to directing.
The first assistant director is responsible to the
director, and is chiefly concerned with facilitating a smooth workflow on set
and serving the needs of the director. This person begins work during
pre-production and is typically handpicked by the director. In some instances,
the assistant director may also be assigned the responsibilities of the unit
production manager.
Duties
Once under contract with the employer, the first
assistant director works closely with the director and unit production manager
to organize the pre-production tasks. This includes contacting and hiring crew,
renting or purchasing equipment, breaking down the script, and preparing a
shooting schedule. In cooperation with the UPM, the first AD must take into
account the production budget, crew and cast availability, location
limitations, and the time necessary to achieve each shot. The second assistant
director may aid him or her, where the production requires additional
directorial staff.
When production begins, the first assistant director
is primarily concerned with tending to the specific needs of the director, but
also has a significant number of additional duties. He or she will prepare “day
out of day” schedules and call sheets for the cast and crew, and ensure the
documents are distributed to all relevant talent and staff. On set, the first
AD will direct background action as assigned by the director and supervise
crew. Typically, this means overseeing the set production assistants tasked
with wrangling extras or holding back traffic at outdoor locations. Supervision
of the cast and crew on set also falls under this person’s purview. When a
second AD is on set, he or she is delegated the task of wrangling cast. If the
first AD has been delegated the duties of a UPM, he or she may be expected to
secure contracts and releases from the talent.
Skills & Education
A formal education is not a standard requirement, but
a college degree in film and television production grants invaluable
experience. The first AD must be familiar with camera operation and the
techniques of framing an attractive shot, sound recording, and lighting. He or
she must also understand the business and logistical concerns of production. A
degree will provide the necessary technical training as well as an
understanding of the production process from a managerial perspective, which
will help in supervising crew. Additional courses or training in acting and
directing is also beneficial; the first assistant director must be capable of
coaching actors through a scene with regard to emotion, blocking, and the
delivery of lines.
What to Expect
Those working under the title of first assistant
director can become members of the Directors Guild of America, the organization
that represents directors, assistant directors, and associate directors.
Membership is not required to work in the film and television industry, but is
necessary to work on productions that are signatories of the DGA and operate
under a collective bargaining agreement with the guild. This includes most
major production companies and film/television studios. Experience as second AD
is expected before you move up in the ranks to first AD. To break into the
directorial staff, you should have experience in the camera department (camera
operator, camera assistant), and starting out as a production assistant is
recommended.
Sources, References & Credits: Google, Wikipedia, Wikihow, WikiBooks,
Pinterest, IMDB, Linked In, Indie Wire, Film Making Stuff, Hiive, Film Daily, New
York Film Academy, The Balance, The Numbers, Film Maker, TV Guide Magazine, Media
Match, Quora, Creative Skill Set, Investopedia, Variety, No Film School, Daily
Variety, The Film Agency, Best Sample Resume, How Stuff Works, Career Trend,
Producer's Code of Credits, Truity, Production Hub, Producers Guild of America,
Film Connection, Variety, Wolf Crow, Get In Media,
THIS ARTICLE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. THE INFORMATION IS
PROVIDED "AS IS" AND BRUCE BISBEY MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED
REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF PERFORMANCE,
MERCHANTABILITY, AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, REGARDING THIS
INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY OR
TIMELINESS OF THIS INFORMATION. YOUR USE OF THIS INFORMATION IS AT YOUR OWN
RISK. YOU ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY AND RISK OF LOSS RESULTING FROM THE USE OF
THIS INFORMATION. BRUCE BISBEY WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, SPECIAL,
INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES
WHATSOEVER, WHETHER IN AN ACTION BASED UPON A STATUTE, CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING,
WITHOUT LIMITATION NEGLIGENCE) OR OTHERWISE, RELATING TO THE USE OF THIS
INFORMATION.
First Assistant Director / Photo Credit: Premium Beat
No comments:
Post a Comment