Job Description - Assistant Directing (Final Draft)

The job I take on in the film industry is one that many aren’t aware exists. Everyone that watches movies without understanding how film crews work will typically remember the director or the actors more than any other role. They might remember the producers if they are more well known figures in the entertainment industry. While many are familiar with the director leading the creative process of a set, they need an assistant in order to focus on bringing their vision to life. That’s where the assistant director comes in. My name is Jake Patao and I work in the film industry with a focus as an assistant director.

The assistant director takes on a lead role that can be overlooked: ensuring the set runs with consistency and efficiency and that the director is as comfortable as possible. These are fairly vague descriptions and even when told these things, many still fail to understand the deeper meaning behind these tasks and how to achieve them at all. Much like many other roles on film sets, assistant directing is a role that takes years of experience to perfect and will always be a role that can be improved over time.

These are three main traits that many assistant directors must possess:

• Authoritative
• Consistency
• Professionalism

These seem fairly vague and can mean many things, but under the subject of productions and film sets they pertain to fairly specific characteristics.

Authoritative

While the term "authoritative" has many negative connotations for good reason, it should not carry that type of definition. Quite the opposite. Authority on set is something earned, a natural instinct as a result of leadership and extensive knowledge of the production. Being someone that has the answers for what is next and how you can address anything. To have this type of authority that is needed, you must:

• Know everyone's role and task at every moment
• Understand every step of the production on each day
• Have extensive set knowledge while being able to relay that information clearly

Contrary to popular belief, shouting and being loud is not a quality that will earn authority unlike what is listed above. It will have the opposite effect and demonstrate that you do not have control or authority and, if anything, make everyone want to listen to you less. To guide people on set, they have to respect you and feel you are someone they can rely on. Being someone reliable and with all the answers is what is needed as an assistant director, not to be the loudest person in the room. If you are able to create order as a leader and not a tyrant, people will respect you and want to do a better job for the crew as a whole.

Consistency

This is something that may be hard to understand from a film production standpoint. Consistency can mean a lot of things and was something I struggled to grasp when given the advice by professional assistant directors. After some time, I've come to realize what consistency means, outside of the literal meaning, is:

• All shots are of equal quality
• Everyone is on the same page

All shots need to blend together well and at times, people will spend too much time trying to perfect a shot. This is where the assistant director comes in to double check whether extra effort is necessary and, using that authority with great understanding of the production, will make the call about spending more time than needed on a shot. Ensuring time is effectively used and not spent on making every single shot perfect (which will never happen) is a key thing that creatives have a hard time facing. You need to be a reality check for them. On that note, ensuring everyone is on the same page follows the literal rule of consistency more but alongside the previous point made. 

Professionalism

It goes without saying that professionalism is needed in any career, especially one that involves working with others. On film sets, especially as an Assistant Director, its a professionalism with those you work with. For example:

• How you communicate with your crew and set leads
• The way you carry yourself
• Your reaction in the face of hardship

These among many other areas in which professionalism is required is the foundation for what allows the previous traits described to be upheld. Without these qualities, you can easily crumble and fail to meet expectations set for your role. Bringing order and structure to a set is at the core of being an assistant director, offering that advice and insight to everyone your working with that they may not have thought about due to their focus on their own jobs. Making it as easy for everyone to do their job through professionalism, and a touch of charisma, is what can make the difference between a decent film set to a thriving one.

Conclusion

Upholding all these traits among many others are what allowed me to succeed on a recent reality series production I worked on. I would communicate with every single person on set and familiarize myself with the people in my team to figure out the best way to coordinate everyone between scenes while utilizing the qualities mentioned above. I went above and beyond in ensuring the cast and crew were taken care of, mindful of things they need to do the best job they can do, and executing on that through methods I learned from past experiences. These executions include concise communication, prioritizing time efficiency, being ready to answer questions about anything by familiarizing myself with the production. Communicating the director’s vision to the crew with what they need to know to do the best job they can do while keeping the director as stress free as possible is what my job is all about. I'm here to uplift creatives and make sure all logistics are taken care of.

Readability Scores:

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Flesch Reading Ease - 53.1%
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level - 9.8