It is half past four, the light is going, and there are still two shots left on the call sheet. The first assistant director talks to the director for thirty seconds, they drop one shot and combine two others, and she calls the crew to the next set-up before anyone has time to discuss it. The day finishes on time. The first assistant director, or 1st AD, is the person who runs the set and keeps the shoot moving.

What a first assistant director does

Despite the name, the 1st AD is not a trainee director. It is a production role. The 1st AD joins in pre-production, breaks the script down into scenes, cast, locations and other needs, and builds the shooting schedule. That schedule decides in which order the film is shot, which is almost never the order of the story. It is built around locations, actor availability, daylight and cost, and the line producer uses it for the budget.

During the shoot the 1st AD runs the floor. They call the crew to order, announce rehearsals and takes, keep track of time and decide with the director when to move on. They also lead on safety, holding safety briefings before risky scenes. The second assistant director handles the paperwork and the cast, so the 1st AD can stay on set.

Responsibilities

  • Break down the script and build the shooting schedule
  • Lead the technical recce, the visit to locations with the heads of department
  • Plan each shooting day with the director and heads of department
  • Run the set, call rehearsals and takes, and keep the day on schedule
  • Keep the set safe, with briefings and risk assessments
  • Update the schedule when weather, illness or locations change
  • Agree the next day's call sheet with the 2nd AD and production office

How the role touches the budget

Through time. The 1st AD does not hold budget lines, but the schedule they build decides how many shooting days the film needs, and days are the largest cost driver on a shoot. Every hour of overtime and every extra day comes from how the set is run. The 1st AD and the line producer work closely in prep, because a change to the schedule almost always changes the budget.

How people become first assistant directors

The usual route starts as a runner or floor runner on set, then third assistant director, then 2nd AD and finally 1st AD. Each step takes several productions. It is a role learnt on set rather than at school. Some 1st ADs later move into producing or production management.

In the US and Europe

In the United States the job is largely the same, and larger shoots add a second second AD to share the 2nd AD's work. In the UK and Europe the team under the 1st AD often includes a 3rd AD and floor runners. In commercials the 1st AD often joins only days before the shoot and works from a schedule built by the production company.