On January 9, DGA members from across the country and around the world came together for an Assistant Director Town Hall. In an online event, hosted jointly by the Eastern & Western AD/UPM Councils’ 1st AD and 2nd AD Committees and the Eastern Regional Committee, the discussion focused on working in confined spaces and working with large numbers of background actors in the time of COVID-19.
After welcomes from Western Council Chair Linda Montanti and Eastern Council Chair Lyn Pinezich, 1st AD John Mattingly thanked the members of the several committees whose work made the event possible including: the Western 1st AD Committee its Co-Chairs Alan Curtiss and Mark Hansson and Committee member Kelly Cantley-Kashima, who had the original idea of creating a forum for AD discussion; the Western 2nd AD Committee and its Co-Chairs Joe Moore and Jaysene Overton; the Eastern 1st AD Committee and its Co-Chairs Karen Kane, Shelly Keiser and Joseph Reidy; the Eastern 2nd AD Committee and its Co-Chairs Arianne Apicelli, Anastasia Folorunso, Jeremy Marks and Dana Zolli; and the Eastern Regional Committee and its Co-Chairs Alison Rosa, John Rusk and Renee Hill-Sweet.
Following the acknowledgements, the first segment of the Town Hall was a conversation with specialists about working in Enclosed Spaces. Infection Preventionist Stephanie Mayoryk RN, BSN, CIC and Health & Safety Supervisor Michael Moffa MPH served as guest speakers who shared the benefit of their expertise on how to prep a safe space by using tools for calculating and envisioning COVID capacity, and factoring in considerations like air circulation and filtration.
The second segment covered some of the challenges ADs deal with when working with large numbers of background artists in enclosed or tight spaces in this new era of COVID, through conversation with DGA members who have already navigated these challenges and had tips and possible solutions to share. During this portion, 2nd AD Jaysene Overton moderated a conversation with 2nd ADs Matt Janssen and Anna Vogt from The Morning Show, a production shot in Los Angeles and 2nd AD Anastasia Folorunso moderated a conversation with 2nd AD Sandi Greenberg about working on the production Halston in New York.
The third and final segment of the Town Hall was an open floor for all participants to ask questions and discuss topics related to those that were covered in the event.
About the Councils
The Eastern and Western AD/UPM Councils are the elected bodies that represent the Assistant Director and Unit Production Manager members of the Guild who work in film, television, commercials and new media.