Last Updated 4 months ago
Being an Assistant Director will chew you up if you’re not deliberate. Mistakes happen; the difference between a pro and a liability is whether you diagnose the root cause and correct it fast. If any of the below sounds familiar, fix it now or the calls will slow down.
Overconfidence
The problem
Swagger without substance. You promise miracles, then miss simple time marks. Crew loses trust, departments start self-directing, and the day runs you.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Ego covering skill gaps.
- No feedback loop—no one challenges you, so you believe your own hype.
- Survivorship bias—past lucky days make you think you’re bulletproof.
How to fix it (practical)
- Pre-commit to reality: Lock a shot-by-shot timeline with buffers. If a setup historically takes 35 minutes, schedule 40–45, not 25.
- Run a 10-minute pre-call with keys: AD team, Gaffer, Key Grip, 1st AC, Art—confirm first two setups, walking route, holding, safety, weather contingencies.
- Own a miss in real time: If you slip, declare the new time publicly, state the path to recovery (“Drop Setup 7, combine 8/9 for one angle”), and move.
- Track your accuracy: End of day, compare planned vs. actual for each setup. Aim to get within ±10% by week two.
Lack of Confidence
The problem
Your voice is timid or absent. Crew can’t tell who’s leading. Decisions lag, momentum dies, and you burn time asking for permission you don’t need.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Imposter syndrome—fear of being wrong freezes you.
- Conflict avoidance—worry about upsetting departments.
- Over-deference to the 1st—waiting for confirmation on obvious calls.
How to fix it (practical)
- Script your comms: Keep a card with crisp calls: “Lock it up. Picture’s up. Quietly. Rolling in 30.” Repetition builds presence.
- Decide inside a clock: Give yourself 20 seconds to make routine calls (background resets, last looks, moving on). If safety isn’t at stake, decide.
- Use the triangle: If two departments disagree, restate goals, propose a compromise with a time box, and lock the plan: “Grip gets 5 minutes for the flag; Camera stands by. Hard out at 11:22.”
- Stand where leadership stands: Plant yourself where crew can see/hear you—“voice of set” isn’t a metaphor.
Losing Focus
The problem
You drift. Phone out, chatting at crafty, missing resets or unsafe behavior. When the AD loses the thread, everyone else does too.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Cognitive overload—too many inputs, no system.
- Fatigue—decision battery is empty by midday.
- Avoidance—when the plan is slipping, distraction numbs the stress.
How to fix it (practical)
- Run a visible clock: Post the day’s “critical times” on a whiteboard: First shot, meal penalty, company move, martini. Update actuals.
- Single-task the reset: During turnarounds, ignore everything but: background picture, safety, timing to roll. Tell your 2nd/3rd what they own so you can focus.
- 90-second loop: Every 90 seconds, scan: camera status, lighting status, talent location, background, safety, next setup readiness. Say it on the radio.
- Protect your brain: Two scheduled micro-breaks (5 minutes, no phone, water/protein) and a 10-minute reset at lunch where you rebuild the back half of the day.
Not Understanding the Role
The problem
You treat AD work like “calling roll” and barking orders. You skip pre-production, hope the day works itself out, and discover problems in front of the lens.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Narrow mental model—confusing announcements with leadership.
- Short-term bias—undervaluing prep because it’s “invisible work.”
- Learned helplessness—previous jobs didn’t let you touch the schedule.
How to fix it (practical)
- Own pre-pro: Build the stripboard, identify red-flag scenes (stunts, minors, animals, VFX, crowds, SFX, remote locations), and write contingency blocks.
- Design the flow: Map holding ? set ? exits; bathroom routes; staging for background; battery/med kit access; weather shelters.
- Build option trees: For each critical scene, prep A/B/C plans (e.g., INT alt if rain; lensing simplification; background reduction).
- Answer paths: If you don’t know the answer, know the fastest path to it—exact person, channel, and fallback.
Micromanaging
The problem
You stand over every task, re-ask questions you already assigned, and re-check work before it’s ready. You become the bottleneck and exhaust the team.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Insecurity—control feels safer than trust.
- Perfectionism—confusing flawless with effective.
- Scar tissue—past failures make you over-correct.
How to fix it (practical)
- Define “done”: When delegating, include success criteria and time box: “Background: 12 in winter coats placed by 09:40; 4 crossing, 8 holds.”
- Set check-in points, not constant pings: “I’ll circle back at 09:38.” Then leave.
- Use bars not ladders: Give the 2nd/3rd the target and constraints; let them choose the steps.
- Audit outcomes, not effort: If results slip twice, retrain once; if it slips again, reassign.
Refusing to Delegate
The problem
You hoard tasks and become the single point of failure. Radios blow up, background drifts, paperwork lags, safety slips.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Martyr complex—equating “I did everything” with value.
- Fear of judgment—worried others will do it worse.
- Undefined roles—no clarity on who owns what.
How to fix it (practical)
- Own the spine, delegate the ribs: You keep time, safety, and inter-dept comms. Delegate movement, background, paperwork, and talent runs.
- Name owners on comms: “3rd owns background movement this scene. All background questions to Channel 2.” Now the crew knows who to follow.
- Pair tasks with growth: Give your 2nd a stretch item (e.g., pre-lighting huddle) and debrief after.
- Make a daily delegation map: Before call, list tasks by person with deadlines. If it isn’t on your two-line spine, it’s not yours.
Hoarding Information
The problem
You sit on schedule changes, safety notes, talent delays, or location constraints until the last minute. Departments can’t plan, and the set runs reactive.
Why it happens (psychology)
- Power fixation—information as leverage.
- Catastrophizing—afraid of blowback if you share early.
- Perfectionism—waiting for 100% certainty before speaking.
How to fix it (practical)
- Adopt “early and rough”: Share provisional info with a flag: “Tentative move to Scene 22 after lunch—final in 20.”
- Standardize update bursts: Every meaningful shift triggers a two-part call: radio headline + written update (WhatsApp/Slack/call sheet revision).
- Use “need-to-know” routing: Safety ? immediately to all; timings ? keys then crew; creative options ? Director/DP first, then cascade.
- Close the loop: After a change, state what’s different, who’s impacted, and the next check-in time.
Spot Checks You Can Run This Week
- Accuracy rate: Are your first two setups hitting within ±10% of plan three days in a row?
- Voice audit: Can a stranger tell you’re the AD within 60 seconds of arriving on set?
- Delegation ratio: Are at least 50% of movable tasks owned by your 2nd/3rd/Key PAs?
- Information latency: How long between you learning a change and the right people hearing it? Target under 3 minutes for time-critical updates.
- Focus loop: Did you run your 90-second scan during every reset today?
Bottom Line
These failures aren’t personality traits; they’re habits. Habits are replaced by better ones—clear roles, visible time, fast decisions, early communication, and relentless post-mortems. If your reputation or call volume has dipped, pick the two weakest areas above, run the fixes for a week, and measure. Crews follow ADs who reduce uncertainty. Be that person.
