This is a Guest Post by Christopher Redmond of Dear Cast & Crew. DC&C is a series of open letters to the people behind some of the best and worst films of all time. Chris and the rest of the team at Dear Cast & Crew are really bringing something new and interesting to film […]
7 Major Mistakes Inexperienced Assistant Directors Make
Being an assistant director is not easy work and mistakes can be made. Making mistakes is a part of the job but that being said; learning from your mistakes is one of the most important parts of any job. Everyone makes mistakes but not everyone owns them, be the kind of person that owns up […]
Block, Light, Rehearse, Tweak, Shoot: The Process of Film Making
Block, Light, Rehearse, Tweak, Shoot. Have you heard this before? One thing I’ve noticed in my time in the film industry is that on many smaller sets the basic way things should run is completely thrown out the window! I admit that on some sets doing a complete crew blocking is not always necessary, but […]
Call Sheet Do’s and Don’ts
Time for some Call Sheet Tips! Here is a quick list of things to think about when making a call sheet. Everyone has their own variations on a call sheet but these are great tips to follow no matter how much experience you have. Call Sheet DO’s List contact information for key crew members such […]
5 Tools Every Assistant Director Needs
If you plan on working as an assistant director full time there are a few items that you should invest in to help make doing your job easier. You don’t have to spend a ton of money, unless you decide to invest in scheduling software but the following items are must haves for anyone working […]
Free Daily Production Report
We have added a Daily Production Report to the Free Stuff section of our site! The Daily Production Report or DPR as it is commonly referred to, is a document that the 2nd Assistant Director fills out at the end of every shoot day. The DPR informs of the amount of film or cards shot, […]
Working as a 3rd Assistant Director
The 3rd Assistant Director, also known as the TAD, has the main responsibility of assisting the 1st Assistant Director and the 2nd Assistant Director. The following list outlines the responsibilities of the 3rd but know that this list can grow depending on the size of the project and the amount of background talent being used. […]
Working as a 2nd Assistant Director
As the 2nd Assistant Director, your first responsibility is to report to the 1st AD. The 1st will be the person you always report to and help directly. The 2nd Assistant Director is more of a behind the scenes person, you don’t spend much time on the actual floor unless you are checking in with […]
Script Breakdown
When it comes to a script breakdown there are multiple categories to consider. You can use programs such as Movie Magic Scheduling, which can be purchased on amazon or Final Draft Tagger, also available on amazon. These pieces of software are and amazing help for your script breakdown but if you cannot afford the software […]
Free Script Breakdown Sheets
A free script breakdown sheet has been added to the free stuff section for our readers! To learn more about breaking down scripts and making use of these breakdown sheets check out our post on Script Breakdowns. This is a very detailed post that goes through the ins and outs of breaking down a script, give […]
Working as a 1st Assistant Director
One thing I didn’t really understand until I started working on sets was the role of the assistant directors. In this three-part blog I will break down the roles of the 1st Assistant Director, 2nd, and 3rd. Let’s start at the top. The role of the 1st Assistant Director is a very important one on any […]
Making a Call Sheet
In this blog post we will go over the basics of Making a Call Sheet. One thing that has taken me years to get really great at is Making a Call Sheet. A call sheet is a document that combines all of the relevant information that the crew will need to get through the shoot […]
