#First assistant director how to
#First assistant director movie

He finds the best way to keep everything moving smoothly on set is though humor, high energy and uniting everyone as a group, persuading people to do things on the schedule and timeline needed to complete the job.Īdam’s father, Basil Somner, worked for MGM Studios in England, and through him, Adam got a job as a runner/production assistant at age 17. As a 1 st AD, Adam Somner is trusted by the industry’s top directors to anticipate their needs, motivate the crew, figure out the schedule, and drive the entire production forward to finish each day on time.

#First assistant director movie

The job of the assistant director is to work in concert with the director and the DP to get everything done on a movie set.

#First assistant director how to

ProductionBase How To Become.The Cinematography Podcast Episode 125: Adam Somner If you are ready for the next step in your career, why not take a look at the latest First Assistant Director vacancies on our jobs board? You can view our latest vacancies here. However, as the role connects the Director to the Production Office, career advancement can be pursued towards either the former and the latter if desired. However, for someone looking to start their career in the film industry with their main interest being directing, a film-making, photography or performing arts-related education can be beneficial.Īs a role involving many organisational responsibilities, many skilled 1 st ADs stay in the same position throughout most of their careers, aiming at big-budget productions. There is no formal qualification requirement for this role, being mostly experience-based. Most 1 st ADs start their career as Runners or Trainees, before undertaking the directorial path progressing to Third and then Second Assistant Director, and only then they are able to be promoted to 1 st AD. This job requires significant experience in film production. How to get to work as a First Assistant Director Long working days are the norm and First ADs need to keep focused and attentive to even the smallest details throughout the shoot. This job can be very demanding in terms of both effort and working hours. In terms of people skills, 1 st ADs must be exceptional communicators and negotiators, being able to deal effectively with everyone involved in a film production. Multi-tasking is needed to address all the different aspects of a production for which they are responsible, as well as being able to prioritise them. This involves making sure that every cast and crew member is on standby and ready during shoots, driving forward the team to ensure that deadlines are respected, control discipline on set and prepare the so-called “call sheet”, which includes all the details for each day’s shoot, such as locations, time schedule, cast, scenes etc.įinally, 1 st ADs are responsible for health and safety on set, and are supposed to make sure that any possible hazard or risk is either avoided or minimised as much as possible.īeing the go-to person for logistics on set, a First Assistant Director must combine exceptional planning and organisational skills with the capacity to manage crisis situations and solve problems, even and especially while under pressure and within a tight schedule. For the rest of pre-production, Firsts oversee and check that all the necessary duties and tasks to prepare and organise shoots have been carried out.ĭuring production, it is their responsibility to make sure everything runs smoothly and on time. First Assistant Directors (1 st ADs) act as the intermediary between the Director and the cast and crew, but they are also responsible for coordinating the whole production activity and providing the production office with regular updates from the shoot.Īfter going through the script, together with the Director, the First Assistant Director is in charge of creating the filming schedule, which has to take into account the availability of cast and crew involved, script coverage, budget and all other details of the production, making the 1 st AD a key person in any production.