For the past few months, a small group of Assistant Directors have been meeting to share and develop their vision – an inclusive, progressive and proactive nationwide Guild, to promote and develop the craft of Assistant Directors, while addressing the professional and collective needs of UK Assistant Directors working here and around the world.
Our goal from the outset is to unite us all and improve overall conditions for ADs working in Feature Film, Television Drama, Continuing Drama and Commercials. Our aim is to create an organisation which will fight to promote diversity, education and training, to fight for fair pay and conditions at work.
But there’s more…
After many ‘Zoom’ meetings, we crystallised into a core group of AD’s from different areas of the industry, creating a group which has formulated a structure and agenda to get the ball rolling. Interim policies have been thrashed out and a temporary council put in place to oversee the start of our new Guild.
Our official Guild launch date is January 1st 2021, but we have a lot to do before then…
From the initial huge interest and our launch meeting a few weeks ago, we have had over 450 registrations through the website, 300 of whom have already applied for self -certification membership. Our Membership Committee is now busy vetting all those who have added their references and requested to join the Guild.
Naturally, there is great interest in UK ADs having our own representative body and a voice at any negotiation table. We ask you all to support us and keep up the momentum.
As well as looking closely at working conditions and rates of pay, the AD Guild seeks to drive improvements in –
We also intend to seek a dialogue and closer ties with Directors and PMs, Line Producers and UPM’s.
The Assistant Directors Guild is committed to education within the industry and will seek to implement an industry-recognised Academy, setting up training and grading schemes which will promote fluid and dynamic progression through all AD grades.
One pivotal aim is to encourage professional mentoring and shadowing, sharing our collective AD experience and helping those who are less privileged to access our industry. This will be allied to an Outreach Programme.
Progressive tutoring with established AD professionals should deliver swift results and will further enhance the UK’s reputation for training world-class ADs.
Other committees will include a Covid-19 group, which will look at working in the ‘new normal’ world, sharing advice, best practice and policy from organisations at home and abroad.
The Guild also plans to provide an availability service for its members and post details of upcoming projects on our website.
Our Guild will remain separate from BECTU, but we will work alongside our union and benefit from its established relationship with key industry players like PACT and from many other advantages the Union may be able to offer.
This is finally a chance to bring the needs of the AD community to the fore. Help us help you, and let's start working together.
