Producing : What sort of paperwork does an AD need? by Daniel Mooney

Wow as an AD you have a tough job. Typically an ad will work with the production manager to develop the paperwork such as call times, location sheets and a heck of a lot more. an ad is one of the toughest jobs on the set and it's not one that should be kept in the dark.

That's what I feel like. But the guy's directing/selfproducing. Your usual low low budget indie. He also never follows the call sheet, so I constantly have no idea what is going on. He wants me to be proactive, but constantly I am getting actors ready and in make up for one scene, and then finding out that scene is canceled or he's not following the call sheet so that scene is not happening for quite sometime It's a good set, but I feel in order to be helpful, I gotta have a list of what I need and badger him for it. This way I can be accused of slacking off or anything - becaus frankly most of the time I am sitting there, bored, occasionally feeding lines (since he never got a script supervisor). I don't want to look like a leech.

The "call sheet" should be generated by the First - it's the day and time and place the actors and crew are called to the set. When scenes are canceled by the producer/director it's the job of the First to quickly get everyone ready for the next scene on the list. The First should be running the set. You don't wait for the producer/director to get the paperwork; YOU do the paperwork. Put that list together and start your badgering!

Learn from your experience and when you get your own set then you can run it properly. Someone that doesn't do the proper paperwork is doomed when he goes and tries to sell his/her film. it's a life lesson that producer's need to learn. i have seen films get shot and then try to get the paperwork, not so much call sheets, but the paperwork that a distributor is going to want. Like the contracts that will lead to the chain of title, a title report, the E&O insurance. the releases that you should have: location, talent, permits etc. that an AD is responsible for.along with a PM. Plan.plan and plan some more. How did the pre-pro go? sometimes the AD has got to take the bull by the horns as they say. it's a thankless job.

All good advice. If the guy is a producer, director, and running the set you have a runaway train that's getting ready to derail, or it's not going anywhere. The AD should never be sitting around bored. You should be running the set. You need to be talking with the director between every take. If he says that was the circle take, scripty makes the note and you get the set ready for the next camera setup or scene. While the director is giving notes to the actor and DP, you should be getting the actors and crew ready for the next camera setup and scene. Right now you and the director need to sit down and clarify your role and responsibilities. Obviously neither of you know what it is and you're wasting each others time, and that of everyone on the production. A good AD can make even a bad director look good.

The AD is basically the voice for the crew. The AD is supposed to be the biggest pain on set as well. You have to have the whole script in hand, shot lists, location info, schedule info for cast and crew and of course call sheets need to go out. You have to keep the Director on schedule. Making sure everyone takes lunch on time. Its the toughest and the most under appreciated job on set.

My first concern, beyond not having paperwork and not following the call sheet was that no one bothered to hire a script supervisor. Who's calling slating and doing all the scripty's paperwork? Without it, the editor's gonna have no idea what he's even looking at... unless the director's doing his own editing too, in which case take his copy of the Robert Rodriguez book and throw it. On some level I feel for you. Take it as a life lesson and don't list it with your work. On another level I feel like you should be getting paperwork together whether he asks for it or not and you should run the set whether he asks you to or not. That's why you're there. Give em hell.

Well he seems to be more of a shots guy. Anytime I come to him with something it's "yea, yea, yea, yea". And sometimes it's "yea, yea, yea" and I do it and sometimes it's "yea, yea, yea" and I do it and fifteen minutes later it's "what are you doing, no were not doing that." He's always running around, setting up lights, cameras, directing the cast. We have no DOP, he's the DOP...and the director. He only has camera operators, an audio guy and revolving door of PAs and make up artists. The last shot we had a person show up for special effects. He said hi, went on shooting. I took the initiative to talk to him and explain what was going on. Turns out he never told the guy to bring his kit, so they guy showed up empty handed. In panic, he said we would just scrap the gruesome death scene and went back to shooting. But after talking to the guy, we found some fake blood, coffee grinds, cooking oil and other odds and ends and made a pretty good plan for death scene. Which we executed well. I'm guessing that's good AD work or would that be more line producer? (which we also don't have). I've got paperwork together, but he says we don't need it. He doesn't want cast and crew to get deferred payment, so he doesn't want them to sign anything towards that. He doesn't want me to log their hours just get releases. I act script supervisor, meaning I slate - with my hands. No one writes down continuity, he says he makes a mental note. He did ask me to keep track of our one actresses paperwork, which I am happy to do. I'm new to this, never AD before. What else should I be doing?

First

You should be contacting people like the special exf make-up artist. Anyone coming to the set should have communication with you so they know exactly what is expected of them before that arrive. That way the busy director/DP/gaffer can just say,"Hi" and go back to shooting. At the end of each day ask the director who might be showing up the next day, get their number and call them. You are being asked to do much more than AD so this is a non-traditional project for sure. The standard AD responsibilities do not seem to apply in this case. You need to be scripty, first and second AD, line producer and more.