Also called: 1st AD, Assistant Director
Runs the set: keeps the shooting schedule, calls 'Quiet on set!', and makes sure everyone is in the right place at the right time.
The 1st AD builds the day's schedule, then spends 12+ hours moving the crew from shot to shot, keeping everyone safe, and announcing 'Rolling!' and 'Cut!'. They're the director's right hand and the crew's drill sergeant.
Approximate. DGA weekly minimums for 1st ADs are roughly $5,000+; freelancers have gaps between jobs.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Many go through the DGA Assistant Directors Training Program or work up from PA.
Ways in: 4-year college, Apprenticeship, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Film Production, Communications, Business.
Growing faster than average (about 5% over 10 years). Tracks producer/director demand.
Low risk for 10 years. Software builds draft schedules faster, but running a live set, keeping people safe and on time stays a person's job.
Classes: Speech and debate, Theater stage management, Business, PE or team sports leadership.
Official data: O*NET occupation 27-2012.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.