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Assistant Film Director
(First Assistant Director, Second Assistant Director, Third Assistant Director, Floor Manager)
Creative & Media
Salary
€28,000 - €75,000/yr
Level
Operational
Outlook
Growing
Sector
Creative & Media
What does an Assistant Film Director do?
As an Assistant Film Director, you support the director in keeping a film or television production running smoothly and on schedule. You coordinate the cast, crew, and all on-set activities, managing call sheets, daily schedules, and communication between departments. You liaise closely with producers, cinematographers, and the art department to ensure every scene is resourced and ready. On set, you are often the loudest voice keeping order, calling for quiet before takes and relaying the director's instructions to the wider crew.
A Day in the Life
Listen: a day as an Assistant Film Director
Your alarm goes off at 5:45 a.m. because the crew call time is 7:00 a.m. on location at a terraced street in Stoneybatter, Dublin, being used as a period neighbourhood for a television drama in production with a small Irish independent company. Before you leave your flat, you check your phone for any overnight messages from the production office and scan the call sheet you finalised the night before, confirming which actors are needed, when they are due in the makeup trailer, and what equipment is arriving from the hire company. You arrive on location at 6:40 a.m. and walk the street with the first assistant camera operator to check that all the overnight parking restrictions have been respected and that the art department has finished dressing the shop fronts. A local resident is unhappy about the noise from the generator, so you spend twenty minutes speaking with her calmly, explaining the schedule and giving her the production office number.
Videos about Assistant Film Director
Director of National Film & Television School and Film Producer - Nik Powell (Full Version)
icould career stories
Some videos were filmed in the UK. The work itself is the same, but the exams, qualifications and pay they mention are British — we include them so you get a feel for the job.
Required Education
A Leaving Certificate with subjects such as Media Studies, Art, English, and Business provides a useful foundation. The most common entry route is an NFQ Level 7 or Level 8 degree in Film Production, Media Production, or a related creative arts discipline, available at institutions such as TU Dublin, IADT in Dún Laoghaire, or Galway's University of Galway. PLC courses in Media Production at Level 5 or 6 through a College of Further Education can also provide a practical starting point, and some assistants enter the industry this way and work up through the floor. There is no statutory professional registration body for this role, but industry connections through Screen Ireland and practical experience on productions availing of Section 481 tax credits are highly valued.
Required Skills
Career Perspective
Most people begin as a runner or production assistant on short films, commercials, or TV productions, often working voluntarily or on low-day-rates to gain credits. From there, you progress to Third Assistant Director and then Second Assistant Director, taking on greater responsibility for crew management and scheduling. With a strong track record on significant productions, you can advance to First Assistant Director, working on major Irish and international co-productions. Some experienced First ADs go on to direct their own projects or move into producing.
AI Impact on the job
AI scheduling and production management tools are beginning to assist with the creation of call sheets, script breakdowns, and logistical planning, reducing some of the administrative burden on assistant directors. However, the core of the role relies on real-time human judgement, interpersonal authority, and the ability to manage complex personalities and unpredictable on-set situations, which AI cannot replicate. AI-driven virtual production technologies are changing how some scenes are shot, requiring assistant directors to adapt to new workflows on LED volume stages. Overall, AI is likely to be a productivity aid rather than a replacement for this fundamentally human-facing role.
Career Ladder
→ Assistant Film Director (Current role)
Related Studies
Employers in Ireland
Organisations in Ireland that employ people in this occupation.
Wicklow / Nationwide
Funds and supports Irish film productions requiring skilled ADs on set.
Bray, Co. Wicklow
Ireland's premier studio hosts major productions needing experienced ADs.
Castletroy, Co. Limerick
Large-scale studio productions regularly hire ADs to manage busy sets.
Dublin
Independent Irish production company requiring ADs for documentary and drama.
Dublin
Award-winning Irish producer regularly hiring ADs for film and TV drama.
Dublin
Produces Irish drama and features requiring ADs to coordinate on-set logistics.
Donnybrook, Dublin / Nationwide
National broadcaster employs ADs across drama, entertainment, and factual productions.
Baile na hAbhann, Co. Galway
Irish-language broadcaster commissions productions needing ADs on set.
Dublin
Internationally recognised Irish indie producer hiring ADs for film shoots.
Dublin
Post-production and production services company supporting AD roles on shoots.
Dublin
Commercial broadcaster commissions Irish productions requiring on-set ADs.
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