The Cine Technician (1935-1937)

42 The Journal of the Association of Cine-Technicians Aug-. -Oct., 193'') The Director's Right Hand By Leigh Aman The task of an Assistant Director is to be fully informed as to all details of a production and to pass on the necessary information to those engaged on the picture. He is, unfortunately, too often considered by other departments to be a necessary evil who must be taken, like a dose of medicine, with, say, a particularly popular director. Their idea is that he is either too lazy, or else incapable of taking the trouble even to keep himself informed of these details. It is to be regretted that, in some studios, the Assistant Director's job has become purely mechanical, which prevents any initiative on his part. In fact, he sometimes does not see the script until the day shooting begins. This makes efficiency in his work virtually impossible as he cannot know all the details contained in the script. It is, therefore, almost essential that the Assistant should work from the beginning of the story, attending aU the various conferences with the director and writer. This I can corroborate from experience, for I have had the opportunity of sampling both methods. On one production, when the script was written while the picture was being shot, I discovered towards the end that several sets had been put in v.-ithout my knowledge. This was the director's first film and he had, presumably, forgotten to mention this addition to the story. In consequence there was no set built, no furniture for dressing it and no artist cast to act in it. It is hardly necessary to say who was blamed for the resulting serious delay ! The first and most important quality necessary for an efficient Assistant is tact. The Assistant Director should act as a kind of " Buffer State," for often when there is friction between the various departments on the floor, he is the sole means of removing it. He must therefore be pleasant to both sides and, if he cannot make them both believe they were in the right, then he must at least evolve some sort of compromise. Friction is often caused by the necessity of completing a Daily Progress report. This is obviously essential for preserving details of footage, screen time, salaries, etc., but when, as is sometimes the case, all delays have to be entered up, the technical departments frequently disagree as to their e.xact cause. Tact is also necessary when dealing with artists. For instance, the director sometimes writes additional sequences on the floor. The artist has stated in his contract that he must have the script at least a week before shooting begins, in order to learn it. It is the Assistant Director's job to smooth out the resulting difference. In caUing the artists for the next day's work, he should make a special-point of stating the approximate time they are required on the set. This is im})ortant, as it is almost impossible for the director to work with tired, disgruntk'd artists — and they are inclined (quite rightly) to become so if called at eight in the morning and not used till after tea. I have said enough to show that by far the most important quahty in an Assistant is tact. But this is not enough. He should have a better memory tlian anyone else on the unit, including even the continuity girl — if such a thing is possible. He must not only remember sufficient for her to be able to check with him in case of doubt over some point, but also he should memorise the progress of every department, including camera and sound footage, finance, schedule, etc. This brings me to an important practical issue — the schedule. On most pictures the financial ■ allowance is naturally kept to a minimum. So when a director cannot or will not work quickly, or if one has difficult artists, or a large crowd, or any of the hundred-and-one " technical hitches " — the picture may easily run over schedule. This, of course, means extra expense in studio rental, overtime, etc., for which again the Assistant is blamed. Here we approach another vital aspect — in fact one of the reasons for the existence of A.C.T. — overtime. With the exception of crowd artists, this of course only applies to members ot the older established unions. A union, unless it has a hundred per cent, membership, is virtually powerless to do anything in this direction. Very few studios, as yet, provide entirely satisfactory conditions for their technicians. Only by organisation can conditions be improved — and only through the A.C.T. can we organise. We must aim at that hundred per cent, mark. Another factor concerning unions is co-operation. The Assistant Director must co-operate with all the \arious unions that exist in the industry, for unless they work together, inevitable trouble will result. If, for instance, a unit has been continually breaking just a little late for lunch, say varying from twenty minutes to half an hour each day, there will, in all probability, be no complaint for a week. Now, one night it may be necessary for the unit to work until ten minutes past eight to finish a set wliich has to come down to make room for another. The electricians having had enough of this lack of consideration, may decide to enforce their rules and break at eight sharp. This means the whole unit must break and up goes the overtime again. All this is quite reasonable and to be expected, for the function of a union is to look after its members. It is for the Assistant to anticipate anything likely to cause difficulties of this nature and to tr\' to prevent them. There nmst be give and take on all sides and it is his job to balance the scales. It is, I hope, clear that the Assistant Director has important duties to perform and is not the nuisance he is sometimes considered to be. However, it is certainly not as easy to think of all these details during the rush and panic of a picture as it is to write them down. An efficient Continuity (iirl is the Assistant's greatest \w\\\ If the.se two can work together, they will halve each other's worries and so make for a more smoothly running j)icture. Finall}', a word of warning. The Assistant should refrain from continually badgering the cameraman to find oui if he is ready — (as I am afraid some do). This warning adds one more quality — patience — to those which go to make a really valuable Assistant Director. I 9