Behind the Scenes with a First Assistant Director
Ever wondered what it would be like working in the film industry? While actors may be the faces of the industry, there are plenty of jobs behind the scenes that suit a variety of skill sets and creative interests. From pre to post production, there’s something for everyone on set, in the edit suite, and beyond. BEHIND THE SCENES brings you into the heart of the media arts industry, introducing you to career paths you may have never considered before or thought possible.
Behind the Scenes with a First Assistant Director
When making films, the saying “It takes a village” from an ancient African proverb is highly applicable. They may not be raising a child, but creating films requires a lot of care and patience. This is done and headed by a First Assistant Director—a vital cog in the machine that produces and directs a show or movie. We had the chance to sit down with a First Assistant Director—Libby Hodgson—who has worked on projects ranging from hit Netflix shows such as The Umbrella Academy and Locke and Key to movies such as Lars and the Real Girl and Underworld: Evolution. She gave us insight into what it is to be a First Assistant Director and what it takes to do the job well.
Libby made it clear that one does not start out as a First Assistant Director and walked us through how she was able to reach the point in her career she did. Libby said, “I started off as an office manager for a production company essentially…I actually asked after a couple of years to go with the film crews to the documentaries themselves…From there, they sent me on five European documentaries…The same company then started getting into TV series work; I worked as a producer's assistant. That’s when I became in touch with Assistant Directors.” Libby highlighted how she rose through the ranks from an office manager as she tells us, “...one of the production managers took a chance on me, and from then, I have never looked back.”
As many may be unfamiliar with the role a First Assistant Director plays in making a film, we asked Libby to describe what a day in the life may look like in this position. She gave us an insight into the stressful workload she takes on during the periods she is employed. She explained that “...when you’re hired, you’re hired for a period of time to prepare the film for shooting—called prep…” In that time span, Libby explained that she would go through the script, go to the locations to see what was found, and chair meetings for departments such as props, stunts, etc. Libby described that she would create the schedules for the shoots and as this is “...a large part of movie making.” She tells us, “When you’re shooting, you don’t have time to second guess.”
Before our interview ended, Libby left me with one final description of what a First Assistant Director does. She explained, “It’s like a stage manager. I’m in charge of every department running smoothly.”
Thank you, Libby Hodgson, for sharing your experience, and what it is that is done as a First Assistant Director—and helping to bring light to the background work that goes into creating the films and television that many of us enjoy and delight in daily.
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Hope Wilson is a writer and film enthusiast from Southern Ontario.
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Want to become part of a local film community or attend a film festival near you? The Durham Region International Film Festival’s events include an annual fall film festival in Durham Region, summer drive-in movie screenings in Whitby and DRIFF in a Jiff short film screenings in Oshawa. Visit driff.ca, become a DRIFF insider or follow us on social media at @catchthedriff for all the details.