Industry Jobs | First Assistant Director

As one of the premier studio production companies in New York, Broadway Stages works to meet the growing needs of the film and TV industry while also focusing on the needs of our community. We provide the industry with a soundstage or location where they shoot their scenes, but they also need a skilled and experienced workforce. In this series, we look at the various jobs that make a production come to life. We hope it provides insight and encourages you to consider a career in the film and TV industry. This week, we look at the role of a 1st AD.

What is a 1st AD?

In our last Industry Jobs post, we looked at the role of the line producer, a leadership role that is key to a film’s planning and budget. This week, we look at another leadership role, one that is integral to a film’s planning, scheduling, and management activities — the first assistant director, commonly known as the 1st AD. Whereas the line producer is concerned with planning, scheduling and logistics primarily from a budgetary perspective, the 1st AD plays a key role in not only the planning, scheduling, and logistics, but also is responsible for making sure everything works as planned on the set, leaving the director to take care of creative concerns.  According to MasterClass, “While the director handles all creative decisions, the monumental job of coordinating and wrangling the cast and crew falls to the first assistant director.” The 1st AD is the key communication link between the director and the cast and crew and is involved in the pre-production and production stages of a film. Let’s look at the 1st AD’s responsibilities.

What Does a 1st AD Do?

In the pre-production stage, the 1st AD creates storyboards and works with the line producer and others to break the down the script in great detail related to the shooting schedule, to include locations, times, talent needed, etc. In the production stage, they work with the second assistant director (2nd AD) to create the daily call sheet, the key organizational document to keep cast and crew on schedule. The call sheet contains important information, such as arrival times, contact information, scenes to be shot, locations, talent, and other important items included in the day’s schedule that the 1st AD will need to ensure is implemented. Read more about call sheets on Backstage. The 1st AD is also responsible for the crucial communication that signals that filming is to start, or “calling the roll.” Masterclass explains, “Calling the roll is when the 1st AD cues the various department heads (including camera operator, key grip, and sound mixer) to prepare for filming to start.” Other responsibilities during the production stage include serving as the line of communication between the director and the cast and crew, managing any on-set conflicts that arise, and, crucially, ensuring set safety.

How do I become a 1st AD?

The 1st AD role requires knowledge of the many departments and functions related to a film production, as well as strong planning, organization, coordination, multi-tasking, and communication skills. A knowledge of health and safety requirements is also important. There is no formal education required for this job, however, film courses can be helpful to learn about filmmaking. As with other on-set leadership roles, on-the-job experience working in a variety of on-set roles can help the prospective 1st AD gain experience while working up to the role.

Read more about the 1st AD role and the skills and training needed at MasterClass, StudioBinder, and Backstage. Learn about film and TV industry jobs, training, and more in the Broadway Stages’ Industry Resource Guide. Our guide provides information about industry-focused job posting sites; links to general recruiting sites; education and training programs; and state, city, and borough industry information.