Summer 2017
BY BECCA NADLER
One compelling part of the job for 2nd AD Jason Graham is helping to make the world of a show richer by choosing featured background actors. "There actually was a bizarre request [for] these dudes with man buns and riding unicycles," he says, describing the background for an episode of Girls. "In the process of trying to find the perfect man who can also ride a unicycle in all of Brooklyn, we would have 15 dudes lined up with some sort of degree of man bun, showing our director on the day," says Graham. "[It] ended up being a great shot and a funny shot, but [maybe] three seconds of the show."
Whether he's setting background on television shows or working on feature films, Graham prides himself on his ability to prep for the unexpected. "One of my strengths as a 2nd is to help the 1st AD anticipate what's going to happen an hour from now, or five hours from now, so the 1st AD can concentrate on what's occurring on set at the moment," he says. "It's our job to make sure that the machine runs and runs well and efficiently."