Assistant Director duties and responsibilities
The Assistant Director has many varied duties during filming, including the following:
- Coordinate all production activity while supervising the crew and cast
- Create the filming schedule in consultation with the director
- Prepare the storyboard
- Arrange the hiring of location, equipment and props
- Ensure that the cast is on standby at all times and ready for action when the director calls on them
- Create and adhere to the filming schedule
- Motivate and drive the crew and cast with announcements and directions
- Oversee the production and distribution of the call sheet, which informs all cast and crew members of the daily shooting schedule
- Keep a close watch on health and safety regulations on the set
- Assist with other tasks when and where necessary, such as making calls, running the office, interviewing personnel, helping with copyright documentation, arranging meetings and managing the budget
What does an Assistant Director do?
Assistant Directors are employed by production companies or work freelance on different creative and professional projects to streamline shooting schedules and help Directors produce a film on an efficient, accurate timeline. Assistant Directors are the primary point of contact for Actors, Camera Operators, Sound, Makeup Artists and other people involved in producing a film. They act as a liaison between the Director and other roles, ensuring that they can accomplish their creative vision on time and within budget. In addition to managing staff, Assistant Directors ensure that all behaviors on set comply with safety and labor regulations.
Assistant Director skills and qualifications
A great Assistant Director needs to have the following key skills for this role:
- Authoritative team leadership skills: A successful Assistant Director must be authoritative as well as a good motivator while still being an approachable team player.
- Exceptional organizational skills: Time management and the ability to plan ahead are key skills in this role. Since an Assistant Director is often interrupted, they need to be good at multi-tasking and prioritizing.
- Excellent communication skills: Since an Assistant Director routinely has to deal with issues and crisis situations, they need to communicate clearly with tact and diplomacy.
- Flexibility and commitment: An Assistant Director often works unusual hours, so a strong commitment to the job is important. Since this job is generally high-pressure and stressful, a flexible and positive attitude is vital for a great Assistant Director.
Assistant Director salary expectations
The average salary for an Assistant Director is $53,736 and may vary according to the size and type of production unit. It also depends on the Assistant Director’s education, experience and skills. This salary estimate information is collected from 3,544 employees, users and Indeed job posts over the past 36 months.
Assistant Director education and training requirements
An Assistant Director must have a high school diploma or equivalent. It’s ideal to have completed a recognized film study or similar course.
Assistant Director experience requirements
Experience for the position of Assistant Director varies. Some professionals move into this role with some experience in other aspects of film, television or video production. However, pertinent filming experience, especially previous experience as an Assistant Film Director is valuable.
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