Editing Assistant director (section)

== Sub-roles ==
Often, the role of assistant director is broken down into the following sub-roles:
* The '''first assistant director''' (first or 1st AD) has overall AD responsibilities and supervises the second AD (2AD). The "first" is directly responsible to the director and "runs" the floor or set. The first AD and the [[unit production manager]] are two of the highest "[[below the line (film production)|below the line]]" technical roles in filmmaking (as opposed to creative or "[[Above the line (filmmaking)|above the line]]" roles) and so, in this strict sense, the role of first AD is non-creative.<ref>DGA Rates, <[http://www.dga.org/Contracts/Rates-2014-to-2017/ADs-UPMs-and-AssociateDir-2014-to-2017.aspx]> Retrieved 2015-02-10.</ref> Their responsibility is to keep the production on schedule throughout the day, communicate to the entire crew, and to maintain the safety and security of the staff and shot itself. An assistant director must be very good at estimating how long a scene will take. (Sometimes a scene running a few pages long on the screenplay can be shot relatively quickly, while a half page emotional key moment may take all day).<ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Careers, jobs and skills training in film, TV, VFX, animation and games |url=https://www.screenskills.com |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=ScreenSkills |language=en}}</ref><ref name="autogenerated1"/>  The first AD is paid very well to keep the production on track, and is usually the first person to be replaced (i.e., fired) if the production strays too far from its original schedule or budget.<ref name="Doyle_Page_213">{{cite book |last1=Doyle |first1=Barbara Freedman |title=Make Your Movie: What You Need to Know About the Business and Politics of Filmmaking |date=2012 |publisher=Focal Press |location=Waltham, Massachusetts |isbn=978-0-240-82155-9 |page=213 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cPzhXug9X4oC&pg=PA213 |access-date=March 14, 2023}}</ref>
* The '''second assistant director''' (second or 2nd AD) creates the [[daily call sheet]]s from the [[production schedule]],<ref>IMDB Glossary, <https://www.imdb.com/glossary/A> Retrieved 2015-02-10.</ref> in cooperation with the production coordinator. The "second" also serves as the "backstage manager", liaising with actors, putting cast through make-up and wardrobe, which relieves the "first" of these duties. Supervision of the second second assistant director, third assistant director, assistant director trainees, and the setting of background (extras) are parts of the "second's" duties.<ref>CreativeSkillset.Org, "Second Assistant Director,"<http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/film/job_roles/2938_second_assistant_director_second_ad> Retrieved 2015-02-10.</ref>
** The '''second second assistant director''' (second second or 2nd 2nd AD) deals with the increased workload of a large or complicated production. For example, a production with a large cast may require the division of the aspects of backstage manager and the call sheet production work to two separate people.
* The '''third assistant director''' (third or 3rd AD) works on set with the "First" and may liaise with the "Second" to move actors from base camp (the area containing the production, cast, and hair and makeup trailers), organize crowd scenes, and supervise one or more production assistants (PA). There is sometimes no clear distinction between a 2AD and a 3AD. Although some industry bodies, such as the [[Directors Guild of America]], have defined the roles in an objective way, others believe it to be a subjective distinction.<ref>CreativeSkillset.org, "Third Assistant Director," <http://creativeskillset.org/creative_industries/film/job_roles/2939_third_assistant_director_third_ad.> Retrieved 2015-02-10.</ref> In general, the 3rd AD is a term used outside the United States and is sometimes synonymous with the role of a 2nd 2nd AD inside the US.
* The '''additional assistant director''' (AAD or Additional), or '''fourth assistant director''' (4AD or "fourth"), or "key production assistant" (key PA), may have a number of duties. Most commonly, the AAD has two broad job functions. One is the contraction of the duties of an AD where the AD acts as both second AD and third AD simultaneously. For example, a production with many cast may pass the 2AD call sheet production work to that of the AAD, especially when the 2AD is already performing the additional work of a third AD. The other main use of an AAD is as an adjunct to the 3AD and 1AD for logistically large scenes where more ADs are needed to control large numbers of extras. The "Additional" may also serve where the complexity of the scene or specialized elements within it (stunts, period work) require, or are best served by, a dedicated AD in most respects equal to a first AD - directing and controlling a number of other ADs to direct action to the satisfaction of the 1AD and the director.
* A [[production assistant]] is one of the lowest crew in a film's hierarchy in terms of salary<ref>BECTU.org, UK,<{{cite web|url=http://www.bectu.org.uk/filegrab/pactrates2006.pdf?ref%3D44 |title=pactrates2006 |access-date=2009-04-15 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090530081616/http://www.bectu.org.uk/filegrab/pactrates2006.pdf?ref=44 |archive-date=2009-05-30 }} PACT Pay-scale> Retrieved 2013-10.</ref> and authority. They perform various duties required of them by ADs.

The sub-roles of assistant directors differ among nations. For example, the distinction between second second AD and third AD is more common in North America. British and Australian productions, rather than having a second second AD, will hire a "second" 2AD experienced in the same duties, and trained to the same level, to allow a division of the duties. 3ADs in Britain and Australia have different duties from a second second AD, and the terms are not synonymous.<ref>UK National Career Service, <https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk/advice/planning/jobprofiles/Pages/tvorfilmassistantdirector.aspx> Retrieved 2015-02-10.</ref>