DGA members seeking advice on how Directors and Assistant Directors can best support each other on set received input on this subject during the Director Development Initiative (DDI) online workshop, Best Practices for Partnering with Your AD. The online event held on November 21 featured Directors Shahrzad Davani and Matt Sohn, Director/1st AD Courtney M. Franklin and 1st AD Scottie Gissel in a conversation moderated by Director Daniella Eisman that covered the unique roles and responsibilities for each side of this equation and explored where there are opportunities for collaboration.
Covering how they can situate themselves and the shows they are working on for success, the Assistant Directors shared how they best support Directors and the Directors shared their approaches to collaborating as guests across different shows.
During the exchange Davani disclosed what she looks for in partnering and noted the skills and qualities she appreciates most, saying it is important to have humility and to recognize the humanity in each other. She also noted the importance of adaptability—pivoting when the schedule needs to change on the spot and therefore trying to be as prepared as possible for every scenario.
Highlighting how Directors and ADs can communicate and solve problems together on set, Sohn shared how he relies on his AD to inform him and “bring him up to speed” on the show as a guest Director. Sohn appreciates knowing that he can trust his 1st AD—highlighting that “it’s great to have that shorthand and to [be able to] hit the ground running and know that you have someone you can fall back on.” Similarly, Franklin shared that as a 1st AD, she prioritizes clear communication and ensuring that the Directors she works with do not feel isolated. As a Director, Franklin discussed how important it is for everyone on the team to know each other’s names and remarked that “when everyone feels a part of a process, they do a better job.”
On the subject of how to work together most effectively, Gissel offered tips such as being open, honest, forward-thinking, and willing to extend grace toward each other as potentially difficult situations arise. Gissel noted that 1st ADs are problem solvers and facilitators “whose focus is to create a straight path ahead and that the better equipped 1st ADs are to bring to the table the Director’s vision—as a united front, we can make it happen.”
DGA Members can watch the full video from
Director Development Initiative events by clicking here.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
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 Director Shahrzad Davani
Davani’s directorial credits include episodes of How to Die Alone, Killing It, Not Dead Yet, American Auto, Home Economics, Abbott Elementary and Everything’s Trash. Prior to directing, her Assistant Directing credits include features such as Emily Young’s Veronika Decides to Die, Tanya Hamilton’s Night Catches Us and Janicza Bravo’s Zola; movies for television such as Randall Einhorn’s Gumshoe and Kevin Smith’s Hollyweed; and episodes of Abbott Elementary, Delilah and Scream: The TV Series. Davani joined the DGA in 2012.
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 Director Matt Sohn
Sohn’s directorial credits include episodes of St. Denis Medical, Abbott Elementary, Chad, The Muppets Mayhem, American Auto, Home Economics, Drama Club, Superstore, The Unicorn, At Home with Amy Sedaris, The Last O.G., Mixed-ish, Florida Girls, The Kids Are Alright, Trial & Error, Ghosted, The Mick, Fresh Off the Boat, Black-ish, Other Space, Us & Them, Bad Teacher, The Crazy Ones, The Goldbergs, The Office, New Girl and Parks and Recreation. Sohn has been a DGA member since 2010. |
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 Director/1st AD Courtney M. Franklin
Franklin’sAssistant Directing credits include several seasons of Insecure, How to Get Away with Murder and Major Crimes, the pilots of For the People, Shark and Ugly Betty; and feature films including Tim Story’s Barbershop and Adam Shankman’s Bringing Down the House. She was also the 2nd AD on Thomas Schlamme’s DGA Award-winning special, A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote. Her directorial credits include an episode of the series Grand Crew and the short film A Baby Away. A DGA member since 2002, Franklin currently serves as a member of the DGA National Board and previously as an Associate member of the Board and as the Second Vice Chair Western AD/UPM Council. She also served two terms as a co-chair of the African American Steering Committee, as a member of the Negotiations Committee and has been appointed to various sub-committees throughout the Guild. |
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 1st AD Scottie Gissel
Gissel’s Assistant Directing credits include feature such as David Gordon Green’s The Exorcist: Believer, Donald Petrie’s My Favorite Martian and Alan Cohn’s Dead Man on Campus; movies for television such as Daniel Petrie’s Inherit the Wind and Bethany Rooney’s She Cried No; and episodes of Yellowstone, The Walking Dead: World Beyond, Magnum P.I., One Dollar, CSI: Cyber, Transparent, Rectify, Glee, In Plain Sight, True Blood, Six Feet Under, Jericho, The Practice and Midnight, Texas. She has also directed the short film, June & Orlando. Gissel has been a DGA member since 1996 and serves on the Diversity Task Force. |
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 Director Daniella Eisman (moderator)
Eisman’s directorial credits include episodes of The Really Loud House, First Wives Club, The Sex Lives of College Girls, So Help Me Todd, Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion, Pivoting, Saved by the Bell, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Shameless, Splitting Up Together, Superstore and The Mindy Project. Prior to directing, her Assistant Directing credits include episodes of Shameless, Never Have I Ever, The Mindy Project and Murder in the First. Eismanhas been a DGA member since 2005 and serves as an alternate on the LGBTQ+ Committee. |
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About the Director Development Initiative:
The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s goal to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry.