Fundamentals of Assistant Directing

Get Certified in the Fundamentals of Assistant Directing 

Taught by Korey Pollard, producer, DGA unit production manager/first assistant director with over two decades in the business on over 60 film and television productions. His television and film credits include Emmy-winning American Crime Story (FX), Emmy-nominated Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (Amazon), Nashville (ABC), Seal Team (CBS), Big Sky (ABC), the critically-acclaimed show Monk (USA), Deadwood (HBO), House (FOX), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Boomtown (NBC), and CSI (CBS) and dozens more. Korey's film credits include Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 2, And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself, Thirteen Days, Waterworld, Clear & Present Danger, Eye For An Eye, G.I. Jane, That Thing You Do, and Stand By Me, among many others.

There are few departments more valuable when making a film or television show than the Assistant Director department. The 1st Assistant Director, Key 2nd Assistant Director, 2nd 2nd Assistant Director, and the Production Assistants handle the running of the set during production. They are the liaisons between the director and the rest of the crew. They create and manage the shooting schedule and call sheets and are in constant coordination with department heads as any production is executed. 

Assistant Directors not only manage the daily schedule of a shoot but are aware of the production's entire schedule and how all things fit together. If the production needs to do any reshoots, the Assistant Director will be able to figure out how to make up that time elsewhere to get what is needed done. The Assistant Director and their team manage crew and cast movement throughout the day, make sure all is being executed in a safe and responsible manner, and are charged with making the director's work as easy and focused as possible so everyone can do their specific job on set most effectively.

The course will cover:

• What is an Assistant Director? 
• What Does an Assistant Director Do?
• The Responsibilities of an Assistant Director. 
• How an Assistant Director Works With A Line Producer and Unit Production Manager. 
• How an Assistant Director Reads and Breaks Down a Script.
• Assistant Director Scheduling Theory
• The Concept Meeting
• Assistant Director Team, Prep and Department Meetings
• Tech Scouts
• Production Meetings
• *Includes handouts and examples to help you learn the Fundamentals of First Assistant Directing

About the Instructor

This certification module is taught by Korey Pollard, producer, DGA unit production manager/first assistant director with over two decades in the business on over 60 film and television productions. His television and film credits include Emmy-winning American Crime Story (FX), Emmy-nominated Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (Amazon), Nashville (ABC), Seal Team (CBS), Big Sky (ABC), the critically-acclaimed show Monk (USA), Deadwood (HBO), House (FOX), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Boomtown (NBC), and CSI (CBS) and dozens more.

Film credits include Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Spy Kids 2, And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself, Thirteen Days, Waterworld, Clear & Present Danger, Eye For An Eye, G.I. Jane, That Thing You Do, and Stand By Me, among many others.

He also holds a position on The First Assistant Director/Unit Production Manager Committee of The Directors Guild of America.

(Payment plans available at checkout)