ADG Round Up 2024

As we close out another eventful year, we’re pleased to share a summary of key updates, highlights, and achievements from the Assistant Directors Guild UK.
 

Membership Growth: Supporting New Entrants

This year, ADG UK has continued to see steady growth in membership, with a notable increase in new industry entrants. As we’ve seen more younger professionals entering the field, the importance of giving back as a community has been more important than ever.

This year we were invited by ScreenSkills to run an exclusive webinar ‘Industry Insights of an Assistant Director’’ where we had AD’s attend as panel speakers presenting their experiences across all grades. In attendance were upcoming entrants and aspiring AD’s who noted the great impact our speakers had. A big thank you to 1st AD Jez Marshall, 2nd AD Trevor Puckle and 3rd AD Emmy Brown, as well as our star Trainee Lily- Mai Smith who were nothing short of inspiring. 

We will be continuing to focus our efforts on helping new entrants by growing our Trainee Database next year. We will do this through a variation of support, from ‘buddy’ mentorship schemes to CV workshops designed to help with their professional development. We know the next generation of ADs who will make their mark tomorrow, will be made up of today’s entrants, and recognise we need to do more to help. Part of this will include having a network of AD Advisors that can offer support to entry level ADs as and when they need it most.

Our New Advisory Council Board

We marked 2024 with our new Advisory Council Board which was made up of both ADG members as well as key stakeholders within the industry. This helped us with building new partnerships, strategising our approach to membership offerings, and also ensuring we breathe new life into the organisation through alternative perspectives both within and outside of the AD community,

We would like to thank Chair of Mark Milsome Foundation, Samantha Wainstein, and Head of Industry Relations at Directors UK, Paul Evans, for all their valuable input. Samantha has helped us bridge the gap in health and safety developments, joining the dots for us with meaningful industry relationships, while Paul has been pivotal in the development of our ADG Grading Scheme planning and implementation strategy.

We are privileged to have such a diverse and dedicated group that make up our Advisory Council, and look forward to seeing their ideas come into fruition over 2025. A big thank you also to our current members that make up our Board; Richard Lingard, Jeff Taylor, Jay Arthur, Emmy Brown, Erin Large, Jez Marshall and Jo Tew. Your voices have made a difference, and will continue to positively shape this organisation. 

Regional Outreach: Liverpool & Manchester

In response to our growing membership, we’ve expanded our regional outreach, offering more events and support to Assistant Directors nationwide. We did this in 2024 by hosting our MMS Software Training in Liverpool with the Liverpool Film Office and Screen Manchester. Their sponsorship enabled us to deliver the programme at the highest standard, and utilise this as a recruitment opportunity for prospective regional members.

Next year will be no exception. We have already begun talking with Screen North East on replicating our MMS Training in their region in Spring 2025. Recruitment is key for us, and we have showcased this with our sold-out tickets for regional events, which have helped to cover costs and contribute financially to the strength of our organisation.

Alongside this, our successful merchandise run offered hats, pens, notebooks and more with our AD Guild branding so members remain ambassadors for AD Guild and represent our values on and off set.

Socials & Networking: Bringing our Community Together

We also know the importance of socials, networking and other team bonding events. As a remote organisation, this was a key objective of ours which we have since achieved. From our Summer Social at the 360 Sky Bar to local coffee mornings at ex Warner Bros Studio ‘All is Joy’,  we see the value in getting our members together as a community.

Our flagship Winter Social at the BFI this year was another stand-out event. We hope these events enable our members to get to know one another and strengthen the AD community so we can continue to support one another. 

In February 2025 we will be hosting a London Coffee Morning at ‘All is Joy’, as well as a potential Summer Social somewhere sunny - with drinks on us. Stay tuned on the Events Hub for more information.

Promoting the Craft of ADs in the UK: Milestone Moments

One of our key goals and aspirations is to promote the craft of ADs across the UK. We have done so in the facilitation of the fantastic AD Awards alongside other unions and Guilds across Europe. 

A big thank you to AD Julia Eiber and Benedict Hoermann who have championed this initiative by bringing together the appropriate organisations. We would also like to congratulate all the ADs who were nominated or won awards as part of this. We will continue to shine a spotlight on the awards with our latest ADG representation for 2025. We welcome our new representative, ADG member Alex Gavigan, who will be representing ADG on the Board.

Education & Training: Professional Development at AD Guild

We delivered a range of educational initiatives over 2024. Our 2nd AD Essentials Course, alongside the Production Guild of Great Britain, offered a taster session into the role of a 2nd AD. This included break out sessions, presentations and activities which left 2nd ADs who had newly stepped up, and 3rd’s alike, more confident and knowledgeable with resources to take away. A big thank you to Steve Crabtree, 2nd AD and tutor for this course, as well as all the guest speakers who attended. We will be looking at replicating this in person in 2025, as this was oversubscribed and in high-demand by PGGB and ADG members.

Health and Safety was another key objective of ours. We have now been a part of The Joint Advisory Committee for Entertainment (JACE)  for 2 years, with this year’s meeting being held at NETFLIX HQ. AD Guild have been on the frontline of discussions and decision making in health and safety developments across the HETV & Film Industry. We hope to continue this in-house through our current programmes such as the delivery of our First Aid Training Course Level 3 (VTQ), subsidised by AD Guild.

We have also diversified the education and training we are offering our members, by staying ahead of the curve in new and emerging softwares. Starting 2025 off with a bang, we will be offering introductory webinars, workshops and taster sessions on OutlookMovie, Fuzzleckeck and Cinapse as part of our ‘ADG Software Week’ from the 20th - 22nd of January 2025. We hope to see you there!

Greater Standardisation: ADG Grading Scheme Initiative 

One of the most significant challenges facing the Assistant Directors and the wider film industry in 2024 is the skills gap that has emerged in the AD profession. This gap is impacting not only the recruitment and training of new Assistant Directors but also the long-term sustainability of the workforce.

Our current grading scheme for accepting AD’s into the organisation consists of illustrating proof of days worked in each grade. We are looking to develop this further to ensure greater standardisation of the role, alongside a Code of Practice to future-proof the profession and ensure formal accreditation for all ADs being hired in the UK.

Current ADG members will be able to update their profile with proof of working under specific conditions with updated references to ensure they have worked sufficiently under our new Code of Practice.

This initiative will mark a milestone for our organisation, ensuring all ADs that are hired through the ‘Find an AD’ tool, meet the criteria of our Code of Practice. It will be a national approach that will require time and dedication to ensure its success and will change the entry process in which new members are accepted into the organisation, and the way they are hired across the industry.

Job Bulletins & Exclusive Access

This year we launched our Earlybird Newsletter offering a list of exclusive productions available with contact details of each line producer or production company. We know the impact that the Writers’ strikes and SAG-AFTRA strikes had on our industry, and the worry and angst that came with it. We are continuing to build relationships with production companies and line producers to offer exclusive updates on productions in development.

We also launched an exclusive partnership with the Production Bulletin, suggested by member Paul Murphy. Members can now access a database of productions exclusively for £85.00 P/A rather than £747.00 P/A. We want to help you save as well as subsidise what we can with your membership funds. Many thanks to Paul Murphy for his support on this initiative.

Pensions & Finance: Free 1-2-1’s, Webinars and Resources

We know being an AD, whether PAYE, Self Employed or through a LTD Company, comes with its own challenges. That’s why we have partnered this year with  leading pension and financial advisors at Chase de Vere to offer our membership FREE and private 1-2-1 sessions with a pensions and finance advisor.

Although you are entitled to free advice as part of your membership, the help doesn’t stop there. You can also have 1-2-1 sessions with their mortgage advisors to help you with getting on the property ladder, refinancing, remortgaging or simply getting advice on your current mortgage terms. 

If you prefer to tune into a webinar, we will continue to offer quarterly webinars on Pensions & Finance helping you with everything from pension consolidation, smarter ways of paying into your pensions such as through holiday credits as well as support and advice with savings and investments.

In between these offerings are news articles online which cover a range of topics relevant to AD’s, just check out our news section on the website for more support.

A big thank you to Kieron Phipps who has supported the progress of the initiative from day one with dedication and commitment, we appreciate you for all your hard work.

Diversity & Inclusivity: An Inclusive Workplace for ADs

AD Guild hosted a webinar alongside BECTU’s Diversity Branch on ‘Fostering Greater Diversity & Equality’. While we have partnered with organisations to help educate us on diversity and inclusivity, there is always more to be done.

We know there are multiple ways in which we can support greater diversity, and so have established industry partnerships with ‘Access All Areas’ who specialize in neurodiversity.

That’s why in March 2025 we have scheduled a Neurodiversity Learning Disability and Autism Awareness Workshop for our members, with a focus on making production processes accessible for neurodivergent cast and crew. 

We want to future-proof our ADs with the skills needed to support their teams through becoming trained Access Coordinators that are knowledgeable in the area of neurodiversity and learning disabilities. We are all different, so let’s celebrate and embrace our differences in the workplace.

Mental Health Hub & Anti Bullying Support

We launched our Mental Health Hub through the Film & TV Charity offering free counselling and 24-hour support. We hope members benefitted from this, and were able to utilise their services during difficult times. We also shared a list of support documents related to career coaching and mentorship as well as a range of other resources related to the profession.

It is our goal to constantly source reputable resources for the ADG community, and will continue to do so in the areas of mental health and more.

In Summary: Thank you!

2024 has been a year of change and growth for both ADG UK and the wider film industry. As the landscape continues to shift, we remain committed to ensuring that Assistant Directors have the resources, support, and opportunities to thrive. 

The AD Guild Directors have shared a few words to close what has been a fantastic year;

"As we close another year and approach the fifth anniversary of our AD Guild, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to each of you for your ongoing membership and dedication to our community. 

Your work as ADs continues to lead, inspire and elevate our industry across the UK regions, nations and beyond. Together, we have faced challenges and celebrated successes, underlining the power of our unity and collaboration. Here's to a New Year filled with opportunity, growth, and even greater stories to tell."

Thank you to all our members, partners, and supporters for making this year a success. We look forward to another productive and exciting year ahead.

Wishing you all a restful holiday season and a successful start to 2025!
 

Warm regards,
 

Jay Arthur, Edward Brett, Richard Lingard and Jeff Taylor - AD Guild Directors