1st Assistant Director

Why is the 1st Assistant Director so important? What are some of their responsibilities on a film?

The first Assistant Director is important because they decide how the scenes are shot and how those scenes are put in order through the collaboration with the director. Their primary role in the production is assisting the director through their supervision of the production members. They manage the communication between the director and the crew so the director will not be overwhelmed with abundance of communication and is able to work with the specific crew members he or she wishes to direct. During the preproduction phase, the Assistant Director must create a shooting schedule, keeping in mind the time and budget constraints. This shooting schedule is vital to the day of the shooting because the AD must be able to keep the entire cast and crew working within the schedule. They also decide what kind of shots are necessary through the creation of storyboards and organization of desired props.